Chapter 1 #3
“Then he set fire to the palace from inside, from behind his own people. It killed many of his men, but more of Your Imperial Majesty’s.
No commander with sense would set fire to his own men, even to win a battle.
” Saxu considered each element of the attack as though holding up a gemstone to the light and listing proof of its provenance.
“I fear that he will do the same to the rest of the Imperium in order to make sure Your Imperial Majesty never reaches the afterlife.”
Kacha wanted to cut off Tallu’s head and destroy it.
“He will burn the Imperium to cinders in order to kill me,” Tallu said.
“He can’t,” I said, frowning as I considered it. “The Blood Mountains might have farmland, but not enough to feed him indefinitely, not when they have lain fallow and unmanaged for so long. He needs the existing farmland along the Imperium’s rivers.”
“That does not mean he needs the rest of the Imperium,” Tallu said. “The other lords will be desperate to prove their value to him and avoid becoming tinder to his rage.”
“What of General Bemishu?” I asked. “You said he took the city as a distraction for Kacha’s sneak attack?”
“He fights much the same as I expected. We were able to fend off his initial attacks. The only reason we failed to maintain the advantage was the fire at our back,” Saxu said.
“I cannot help but think he only loves the Imperium for the resources it might offer him during a prolonged battle in the desert. Although his experiment with the airship failed, he is not a man who retreats or loses interest so easily. As we traveled through the Imperium, we saw that he had taken control of some of the lumberyards, and at least one of the mines to the south.”
My heart clenched. “He seeks to build the airships again?”
“It is the only way he will ever be able to win in the Ariphadeus.” General Saxu rolled one of his shoulders, and it gave an alarming pop.
“We do not ask for your death, General Saxu,” Tallu said.
“Instead, we are grateful for your service. You have protected those who declared loyalty to us to the best of your ability. Continue on to the Lakeshore Palace. Find refreshment and resupply there. We will meet again soon to discuss what should be done.”
Saxu met Tallu’s eyes, but couldn’t hold them, his fingers returning to a triangle against the wooden table.
“I am grateful for Your Imperial Majesty’s generosity.
However, I am not sure what discussion is to be had.
I do not bring you the men necessary to attack either General Kacha or General Bemishu.
I barely bring you enough soldiers to hold the Lakeshore Palace should either general turn their attention toward it.
If anything, I have only condemned Your Imperial Majesty.
Should Kacha or Bemishu seek to ally themselves with you, my presence here will be seen as a threat. ”
“I doubt they want to ally with Tallu at all,” I said thoughtfully.
I smiled at Tallu. “No matter how appealing I find you, it seems they don’t agree.
Apparently some men are blind, that is the only explanation I can find.
” Turning back to Saxu, I said, “General Saxu, the emperor has given you a great compliment and the grace of his forgiveness. Is there a reason you seek to deny it?”
“I have spent my entire life in service to the dragon seer’s promise that under House Atobe, the Imperium will unite the continent.
House Atobe can recover from this. If my presence interferes with more useful allies, I would just as soon yield to the forces of fate that are beyond me.
” Saxu looked down again, his hands clenched in his lap, his jaw so tight he could chew through the stone walls of the Lakeshore Palace.
“His Imperial Majesty is generous in forgiveness,” I said. “Take what he is offering, general, and trust that if it was promised to House Atobe by the dragon seer, it will come true.”
I worried about the words, worried that they were true. Tallu and I were playing the game of emperor, and he was acting the part, but how far would we have to go?
Would he have to use his military against the free nations to prove he was the emperor they all wanted to see?
“I have no right to ask, Your Imperial Majesty,” Saxu said. “Still, I must know. Did you find your brother? Were you able to make peace with the Shadow King?”
“We found Prince Hallu,” Tallu said. “And we saved him from the mountain kingdom.”
“We also blew it up, but that was accidental.” I pulled my lips into a smile when Commander Rede looked at me sharply. “Mostly accidental.”
“We saw the smoke as we traveled and… feared the worst. We feared that the Shadow King had attacked and burned the Lakeshore Palace.” General Saxu looked at me, and even though there was amusement on his face, I was struck with how much older he looked than when we had left him only two months prior.
“I’m glad to hear it was the opposite. Did you find the empress? ”
Tallu inclined his head. “We were grateful to find her safe.”
Saxu frowned, the worry lines deepening those already on his face. “Your Imperial Majesty, given my failure and my lack of insight against enemies that I should have had easily in hand, I worry over trusting the empress. Are you sure that she had nothing to do with your father’s death?”
“We trust Dowager Empress Koque,” Tallu said.
It didn’t answer General Saxu’s question, and he clearly knew it as well. But, he didn’t press the issue.
“Will you travel with us to the Lakeshore Palace?” Saxu asked.
“No. I am sure you are taking your time for the safety of your men. They’re exhausted and injured, and deserve all the grace I can offer, given the sacrifice they have already made to the Imperium,” Tallu said.
General Saxu shook his head. “We are not enough to defend the Lakeshore Palace, not if either Kacha or Bemishu turn their attention to it. But I feel uneasy leaving Your Imperial Majesty undefended.”
“The servants at the Lakeshore Palace are trained as warriors,” I said.
“If the generations of them that have defended it from Krustavian warriors have not proved their capability, then the fact that I cannot steal a single meat bun from the kitchen without being firmly beaten in combat by the cook proves that the years of peace between the Imperium and the dwarven kingdom has not been spent in idleness.”
Saxu smiled, but it was brief, his expression turning back to worry. “I understand you must return quickly, but I beg you to take Commander Rede and some of his best men with you. You left the Mountainside Palace with ten Dogs, and yet I notice only four here, including the Kennelmaster.”
I glanced at Tallu to see his reaction, and he nodded his head just once. After Centipede and General Maki, the fifth remaining Dog had succumbed to his injuries, leaving us with only Gotuye, Asahi, Sagam, and the Kennelmaster. Compared to the protection an emperor should have, it was wanting.
Saxu released a breath, his shoulders slumping.
“If Your Imperial Majesty wishes to see the camp, I am more than happy to give you a tour of it and show you what is left of your army.” General Saxu started to rise, but Tallu raised a hand.
“I fear that we put your forces in danger with our presence.” Tallu stood. “As you have pointed out, I am a target neither general is likely to ignore. We will return at once to the Lakeshore Palace and await you.”
General Saxu nodded, then pushed himself up, turning to Commander Rede. His shoulders squared, and for a moment, he was no longer the broken man who had watched the capital city fall. Instead, he was the experienced warrior that I had first met.
“Ready five of your best men,” General Saxu ordered.
To his credit, Commander Rede didn’t hesitate before he bowed and left the tent, his voice carrying through the tarp sides as he ordered men and horses to readiness.
“I understand that my sacrifice might weaken your position with the remaining men,” Saxu said quietly. “I do not mind making it seem an accident in the night, no matter how much such an act would tarnish my honor.”
“I would not ask that of you. You have loyally served me, my father, and my grandfather,” Tallu said. “I need your insight more than I need your sacrifice.”
“Accepting an alliance with Bemishu or Kacha would be accepting the bite of a poisonous snake and acting as though it was medicine,” I said. “And either general is going to kill far more civilians than any serpent.”
General Saxu nodded. “Your Imperial Majesty’s foresight is as astute as always.”
He bowed again, fingers triangled, his form steadier now, as though Tallu’s face had breathed fresh life into him.
Tallu accepted the bow with a nod of his head, then left the tent. Rede and his men were already ready, the horses packed. The Kennelmaster and Gotuye were next to them, describing the route we would take back through the forest to where we had left our own horses.
“Prince Airón,” a voice called through the soldiers, and I turned, searching until I saw Nohe. Her dress was torn and stained, but she looked uninjured. She pushed through the crowd, stopping a few feet in front of me and bowing with her fingers forming a triangle. “You are alive.”
I nodded, then took a few steps closer. “I am glad to see you are as well.”
I tried not to let my voice break, tried to pretend that I was not struck by her presence. She straightened, pressing a finger underneath one eye and pulling it away. “I look forward to serving you again, if you have not filled my position.”
“No one could do better than you, Nohe,” I said. “I will be awaiting you at the Lakeshore Palace.”
She swallowed, nodding, and I turned away before I displayed an improper emotion between servant and master.
My heart squeezed with relief. We moved through the forest more swiftly, not needing to worry about alerting the military camp.
Our horses were exactly where we had left them, and it took only a moment to saddle them and mount.
Riding hard, it was a day and a half back to the Lakeshore Palace, although Commander Rede admitted it would probably take General Saxu’s battered forces at least a week to arrive.
The drawbridge lowered soon as the guards saw us, and we rode straight into the courtyard. We had barely dismounted, the Kennelmaster stumbling before he grabbed hold of his saddle and locked his knees, when Quuri rushed toward us.
“Your Imperial Majesty. The dwarven king has answered your summons.”