Chapter Three #2
Remembering that terrible day, he wondered, where had her father gone?
When all the non-fighters were lined up to evacuate to safety, he’d seen Lord Cregan dash off in the opposite direction with Lady Kestrel’s tutor at his side.
In the midst of the chaos and Lycus’s impatience to finish the task of escorting Lord Gerard’s bride to be to safety so he could get back to the battlefield and kill as many of the Evil One’s men as possible, he hadn’t thought much about it. But now?
“Not the Wolf,” Gerard argued with his father. “I have a better idea of how to utilize him. I’d rather take Lord Mormont, if you’ll permit it.”
Lycus gritted his teeth. Perhaps he would end up torturing the little raptor’s papa after all.
If so, he would demand extra pay, for this was obviously a serious job.
Previous Lords of Wurrakia had been quick to declare treason to any courtier, knight, or noble they didn’t like, but Lord Aylmer, despite his many flaws, did not use the word lightly.
The high council continued their strategizing, deciding to have Goshawks come to the capitol in one month.
Lord Vargus would use that time to make use of his network of spies and surveil him to see if Lord Cregan was working on a second plot.
Over the course of the discussion, Lycus put the pieces together and discerned what crime Lord Cregan would be charged with.
It was a betrayal so heinous that, for the first time in his adult life, Lycus was surprised that someone could be capable of such evil.
At least it made the notion of torturing the man less loathsome. In fact, he may even enjoy it.
However, while Lord Aylmer granted Gerard’s request to take Mormont instead, he also declared that he had other plans than torture for the questioning—at least for now. Lycus was then commanded to join the noble guard and some members of the city watch for the actual arrest.
The council meeting was dismissed, but late in the night, a messenger arrived at his quarters with a note from Lord Aylmer instructing him to stay close to Gerard and Mormont when the Goshawk household arrived and to prevent Lord Cregan from being killed on the spot.
Lycus chuckled bitterly. So Lord Aylmer was aware of how unstable his heir was after all.
He was grateful that His Lordship was only in his early fifties and in good health.
Because when the time came for Gerard to sit on the throne of Wurrakia, the realm would suffer until either another civil war erupted or King Zareth would be forced to intervene.
And if Lycus wasn’t yet able to retire, he’d be one of the fists wielding the club of tyranny.
For the second or third time in his life, the thought of leaving Wurrakia flitted through his mind.
As always, Lycus shoved it back. While he hated so many things about this place, he knew he’d be even more unwelcome in any other country in Aisthanesthai.
Most of them valued magic first, the arts second, and merchants third.
The only other lands who valued skills in combat were Shellandria, where humans typically weren’t welcome, the nations of Shyr, who’d frown upon his large form, round eyes, and style of fighting that they found ungraceful, or Tolonqua, which was not only too close to home, but also would likely land him an arrow in the throat the moment he crossed their border.
Same for Laran. He’d ridden alongside his countrymen to raid and attack those neighbors whenever the current lord of Wurrakia decided they needed to hone their fighting skills against someone other than each other—as well as the rare chance that the King of Aisthanesthai turned a blind eye to them expanding their territory through conquest.
Less than two years ago, Lord Aylmer quickly learned that King Zareth would not brook any invasions on Wurrakia’s neighbors.
Before he was crowned, and Aylmer had pledged his loyalty to the Winter Prince, they’d run a second raid on Laran only to be met with the Lord of Storm and Shadow as well as a Tolonquan army.
Lycus had barely gotten out alive with twenty other survivors.
The rest fell to Zareth’s lighting, Tolonquan arrows and spears, and Laranese axes.
He’d already begun to question the alliance with the Winter Prince with the deal Lord Aylmer had made to bring him all the prisoners they took in battles, this defeat only amplified his concern.
Many other lords agreed, but Aylmer remained unmoved, declaring that it would be dishonorable to turn their cloaks.
He once more argued that Stefan was more civilized, more in tune with Wurrakia’s values, than the reclusive Zareth who left the ruling of his country, Raijin to his seneschal while working dark magics in his tower.
But the Lord of Storm and Shadow had emerged from said tower, found the Lioness of Light who was prophesied to bring back the sun and crown the king, married her, and was by then touring the world, gaining allies with every country he visited. He was as good as king now.
Lycus knew the real reason the Lord of Wurrakia remained committed to the Winter Prince. Stefan had Aylmer’s youngest son. Artavian was allegedly chosen to be his apprentice, but the whole kingdom had to know by now then young male healer was truly a hostage.
After Xochitl fulfilled the Lioness of Light part of the Prophecy, calling the sun back with her voice and ending four years of darkness, she then killed the Winter Prince and crowned the Lord of Storm and Shadow.
Nearly every Wurrak citizen had been there for that moment.
Even Lycus had a moment of terror at falling to either Zareth’s deadly lightning, or fire from the dragons who’d flown overhead to bear witness.
Yet the new king had been occupied with his Queen, who’d fallen unconscious the moment she’d done what a luminite should never have been able to do.
Lord Aylmer had taken advantage of the distraction and ordered a hasty retreat.
And now, while Boreaus, the country that had been ruled by the late Winter Prince, was made up of warriors similar to Wurrakia, they were currently occupied by the King’s fighters and mages, who were still sniffing out traitors and restructuring the government to ensure that the next ruler would be loyal to Zareth.
So if a Wurrak warrior like Lycus migrated there, he’d be seen with utmost suspicion.
Therefore, he was stuck here, which meant he had no choice but to continue to serve his lord and his country.
Allying with the Winter Prince had been Lord Aylmer’s and, consequently, all of Wurrakia’s grave mistake, but what Lord Cregan Goshawk had done was far worse.
So on the day that the Goshawk retinue arrived, waving their banners, Lycus was there.
The sight of Lord Cregan’s smug smile, his confidence that not only had he gotten away with his betrayal, made Lycus’s hands clench into fists.
Lady Kestrel, on the other hand, with her lithe form quivering with excitement and the almost childlike adoration in her azure eyes when she looked at Sir Gerald, made Lycus’s stomach sink.
On the steps to the palace, with courtiers and villagers watching, Lord Aylmer cleared his throat. “Lord Cregan Goshawk, you’re under arrest for high treason. You, your daughter, and your men will be taken into custody for questioning.”
As he gestured for the noble guard and city watch to seize them, Lord Cregan reddened and spluttered, but thankfully didn’t put up a fight.
Lady Kestrel’s face had gone chalk-white and she reached out to Gerard to rescue her.
Her lips moved soundlessly as she struggled to find the words for her plea.
Her hand barely grazed his arm and he jerked away from her in naked revulsion. “Get your filthy traitor’s hands off of me, wench.”
Kestrel flinched as if slapped. Since the members of the guard who hadn’t yet seized any of the Goshawk retainer were milling around Kestrel as if hesitant to touch her, and Gerard didn’t look as if he was going to try to kill Lord Cregan, Lycus took the initiative and gently grasped Kestrel’s wrist. She looked up at him with sheer terror in her eyes, screamed, and tried to pull away.
Gerard laughed cruelly at her fright. “Take her down to the dungeons, Wolf.” To Kestrel, he added, “If you don’t cooperate with His Lordship and me, I’ll give you to him.”
Lycus bit back a sigh at that threat, glanced at Lord Aylmer for confirmation and received a reluctant nod.
If he contradicted his heir in public, he would look weak.
Then his jaw firmed before his voice boomed out so their audience could hear.
“Take Lord Cregan into the East block of cells. I want them separated to ensure further conspiring cannot be done. The tutor can go to the south block, and Goshawk’s guard to the north. ”
Lycus pulled the sobbing Kestrel forward, but then her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Not knowing what else to do, he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
The crowd cheered and Gerard laughed gleefully. But as the laughter died down, the murmurs resumed, all wanting to know what treason the Goshawks had committed. Lord Aylmer had intentionally left that unanswered until the inquest began.
***
Kestrel Goshawk’s voice brought Lycus back to the present. “I’ve eaten half the meal. Now please, fulfil your end of the bargain and tell me: of what treason has my father been accused?”
He turned back to face her, surprised when she didn’t immediately avert her eyes. Though her effort to maintain eye contact with him showed in the fine tremor of her narrow shoulders.
After careful consideration as well as the fact that the little raptor locked in a cage far from any potential co-conspirators, Lycus saw no harm in answering the question.
“You recall the day Mephistopheles attacked us?” When she nodded, he continued. “Your father conspired to make that happen.”