The Truce - 15. Chapter 15

Marion approached the throne room of her family’s castle with trepidation, trying her best to ignore the stares she was getting and failing. Her reinstatement came with a coronation, and though she thought the ceremony was silly she did her best to adhere to tradition. People here need stability. This is for them, not me.

As she walked into the room where her family was executed, Marion felt a huge swell of emotion. Shit. Her eyes welled, and she lifted her head so that her tears wouldn’t ruin her makeup. She had always imagined this moment including her father and brothers, and felt their absence bitterly now. In this region of Ironia, succession was carried on through the females. It’s the reason I was spared. And conveniently for Darion Di Coteau, it also meant that I could have married Alexandre and given him heirs. She shuddered at the thought but tried to remind herself that Alexandre was not his father. I also need to focus on today.

Marion was wearing her finest gown, a white voluminous piece that featured embroidery on the upper half. Her court was reassembled and lined the walls of the throne room, each person in their finest garb as well. Where they parted, Marion walked between in a straight line towards the head of the room.

The room was silent, and only the clicking of Marion’s shoes made any noise as she moved. When she got nearer the throne, she saw Jared standing at the head of the crowd to her right. When she made eye contact, he gave her a smile and a thumbs up. This made her smile, and she dabbed away the dew that had formed at the corner of her eyes. She stopped at the foot of the throne, and knelt. The head of the court approached her from behind, and raised a crown above her.

“We welcome Princess Marion Monciet back to her rightful place on this throne, so that she may govern over our lands and people. In these troubling times, we beseech of her fair rule, and an authoritative hand to stay the forces of our enemies. Today, we reinstate her power, relinquished to us at the hand of Nabius.” There was a murmur in the crowd when that was said, but it died down quickly. “Today, we reinstate her as queen.”

The man behind her gently lowered cold metal onto Marion’s bald head, and she was surprised at how heavy the crown felt on her scalp. Is this the weight of metal? Or the weight of more? The court broke into polite applause, and Marion smiled. She turned, thanked the practitioner of her ceremony, and sat on her throne. The applause grew louder then, and Marion let it ring for a few moments before she raised her hand to settle the people down.

I am only here at the grace of another. I wonder if any of these people think me unfit to rule because of that. She was sure that there was at least a few people that would object to her takeover after all that had transpired, but there would be opposition to anyone in power anyway. I need to make things clear here, and now.

“People of Ironia,” she began. “Friends. Family. Leaders. Followers. Thank you for coming today. I know that the past few years have been difficult – these lands being taken and subjected to a terrible rule of law harmed each and every one of us, myself included. Here I sit today on the throne that once belonged to my mother, then my father, and now is mine. Though the rest of my family is no longer able to join us, I know deep down that they would be proud of our escape from this situation.”

“Hear hear!” shouted Jared. A couple of other voices in the crowd joined in the chorus, and Marion let their approvals die out before continuing.

“I’m sure that many of you have questions, and are unaware of the full details surrounding our release from occupation. I want to assure you that I will address each and every one of them, and henceforth try to be as transparent as possible in my rule.” Another murmur of approval rippled through the crowd this time, but Marion kept on speaking and the whispers died down. “It is true that we have struck an accord with Nabius – specifically, with General Alexandre Di Coteau and Prince Carlisle Cathcart of Tomacia. They have agreed to release our lands, and any Ironians that wish to return to the homeland. In exchange, they have retained the Nabian forces that have occupied our home for all this time. We have pledged not to hinder his efforts in the Nabian civil war, and he has pledged that Nabius will never seek to conquer Ironian territory again.”

“How can we trust that?” shouted a member of the crowd.

“Have we pledged military support to them? This deal is too good to be true for us.” Before more accusatory questions bubbled to the service, Marion spoke up loudly to keep control of the room.

“That,” she said sharply, “is a question that you can air in court. Please hold those types of questions for later. You do raise a good point, though. To address whether or not we should trust the General, the answer is simple: absolutely not.” This seemed to get some approval from the crowd, but Marion noticed Jared frown in her peripheral vision.

“I do not trust Alexandre Di Coteau. I do not trust any Nabian, after what happened. But it has recently come to my attention that some Nabians are worse than others, and we must place our allegiances in the ones that are the lesser of two evils. We have been graced with the opportunity to recover via diplomatic means. There are some of you, I’m sure, that would rather fight to secure our freedoms. This cannot be our first resort, and that is the Monciet crown’s official position on the matter.” The crowd looked uneasy at that, and Marion cleared her throat.

“We have won a great victory, and I am honored to represent you as your queen. Diplomacy has been a valuable tactic for us so far – let us embrace that, and take it as far as it will go. When we reach the end of that rope, we can adjust our strategy.” She paused there for emphasis, and smoothed out her skirts. “All that being said…” she said as she rose off of the throne to her feet, “I will never again allow this region to fall. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and keep information readily available within the kingdom. Any threat – both foreign and domestic – will be taken with the utmost seriousness. While we may not have the most military strength on the continent, my cousin Jared Coyne has pledged to help us with our security. I have also changed, as a person. Gone are the days that I stand by and watch my people suffer. If anyone attempts to harm us… we will crush them.”

The crowd broke into applause there, and Marion remained standing. She took in the room around her, and felt a mixed pool of emotions: pain at the loss of her family, compassion and joy for the emancipation of her people, and ravenous hatred for those that would harm anyone under her care.

***

It was just hours after the death of Jezebel that the war drums echoing in the distance became visible. Troops formed a dark line encroaching on the borders of Alexandre’s territory and they swept through the woods and city of Mullansburg in eerie synchronization.

Thank all the gods that they announced they were coming, Luca thought. He had used the sounds of impending war to send word to the people of Mullansburg, bidding them to shelter within the Di Coteau manse. People started coming shortly after Jezebel left the world screaming, and Eamon had commanded the gates be opened to any refugees. By the time that the crowd had made it inside the walls, The troops became visible on the horizon. Some marched up from the main path through Mullansburg, and others started coming from the direction of the servants’ camps. More still flooded out of the woods, and Luca could only watch as a great circle of soldiers closed in on the manse from every direction.

The noose tightens. I was prepared for an attack… but not this many. This is too many. Why are so many resources being diverted here? The steward could see the banner of Marie Lafeye, another general to the south. It looked like she had brought her entire army. This isn’t even a valuable territory to hold. The whole purpose of this is demoralization of Alex, he knew. They’re going to strike hard and take this place down. They’ve forced Alexandre into choosing whether he wants to protect his home and friends, or whether he wants to hold the front line. Alex had chosen holding the front line, and Luca didn’t blame him. That much is clear – we don’t have the forces to hold this place.

Luca was on the highest balcony of the manse, which he ordinarily only visited for it’s excellent views. Now, it was serving the purpose that it was meant for – providing a vantage point for a battlefield. As he surveyed the field, things didn’t look good. The first wall will most definitely fall. Luca had moved the most experienced fighters of Mullansburg there, and almost all of them had donned the armor that Wilhelm and Mikhail’s forge had produced. He knew that arming the citizens and his training program had been one of his best moves to date, and he would ordinarily be pleased had he known it would be enough.

At least we aren’t entirely defenseless… but that’s probably not going to save us. Once the first wall was breached, the second would have to be held by Eamon and his troops. They were severely lacking in number. Are we to be a sacrifice? Even if so… this is what I signed up for. Luca felt a pang of guilt for every one else that was trapped in the home with him, wondering if their deaths would be due to his leadership.

Eamon, Alfie, Elizabeth… and now Kade and Adrian. The prince and his betrothed hadn’t made it out in time, and now were trapped. Adrian’s life will be cut short because of me. If I had just left with him, we would both be able to live. He reflected on his past life, attributing other deaths to himself as well. Jack. If I had acted sooner, he might be alive. And Meko… foul as he was, I claimed his life. The guards at the Di Coteau estate that caught me sneaking in, whom Alex had me kill. Death follows me wherever I go.

Luca sighed, and leaned out over the balcony. I wonder how long it will take for us to fall. Can we withstand siege? He knew that the answer was probably not. Would we even make it to siege? Luca wondered how many assassins were within the walls already, having been decoys sent in with the influx of Mullansburg’s citizens. There were bound to be a few looking for glory, and Luca was certain that at least one person would attempt to pull a Di Coteau invasion tactic on the Di Coteau estate. Jezebel had tried, after all.

The armies surged ever onwards, and were now just outside the grounds. Luca was approached by a calm Eamon, who was on his way to deliver an update.

“What news?” he asked sternly. Luca normally wouldn’t address Eamon in this way, but this situation called for them not to be lovers. Right now, they were steward and captain.

“It looks like we’re outnumbered three to one,” said Eamon without batting an eye. “Three imposters snuck through the border, and all have been caught and rooted out by the people of Mullansburg. They were gunning for you.”

Three? Luca didn’t know whether he should expect more or less than that.

“I see.”

“Intelligence has also reported that Jamison Hadeaux is at the head of half of the troops here. They appear to be the remaining men from General Orr’s forces.”

“Damn.”

“Agreed.”

“Is Orr himself here?”

“We can’t confirm one way or another. We don’t think so, as the counts don’t match up to his full remaining strength. Hadeaux’s men are supplemented with soldiers of an unknown origin.”

“What does that mean?”

“They appear to be from the provinces. Our head scout says they look exactly like the people that General Clarion has in her army.”

“What? But they’re on our side.” Eamon shrugged.

“Maybe they’re from different tribes. It doesn’t make sense to have people on both sides of one war.”

“Yeah, it really doesn’t.” Luca frowned, resolving to ponder on that later. “Is there any chance that we can get Adrian and Kade out?” he asked, switching the subject.

“Not likely. He would be familiar with every escape route the property has. We’ve sent people down each, and all the exits have been covered.” Luca already knew that, but any hopes that he was holding out were dashed with that.

“Were we able to close them off?”

“Yes. All of the ones that we knew of, anyway.”

“That’s good at least.” Luca didn’t mention that there were certainly entrances they didn’t know of.

“What’s your honest assessment?”

“The odds don’t look good. But the people will fight for you, and we can last long enough to get help if it comes to a siege. We’ll just have to do our best to hold them off.”

“What’s your best estimate for how long we’ve got?”

“Maybe a month. Just maybe. The Di Coteau estate’s defenses are designed so that we can defend ourselves while at a numbers disadvantage. The problem is food reserves – what we’ve stockpiled at your orders is still not enough for the entire population of Mullansburg to be fed. We can barely even fit the ones who came.”

“How many showed up? That’s not very long.”

“No it’s not. And we estimate about half of the city. No one from the academy came – all professors and students there have initiated a lockdown. They’ll defend themselves, but the schools can’t be loyal to a territory.”

“Figures.” A long period of silence went between them, and Eamon reached out to take Luca’s hand. Luca squeezed it, and breathed in and out slowly. The sun was beginning to rise, and Luca thought it’s red rays looked stunning and peaceful over the forest that surrounded the estate.

“I wish you could see the sunrise. It’s beautiful.”

“I can feel it,” replied Eamon. “But if I could choose one last image to see, I would pick seeing you again.” Luca felt tears well up in his eyes, and buried his head in Eamon’s chest.

“Are we going to die?”

“I don’t know,” said Eamon truthfully. “If it comes to it, I’ll fight to the very end for you.”

“If it comes to it, I’ll give myself up to let the townspeople go. I wonder if Hadeaux would accept those terms.” Luca felt Eamon’s heart beat faster against his chest, and Eamon put a hand on each of Luca’s shoulders. He separated them, and held their faces apart but on the same plane.

“No,” he said with determination. “Absolutely not. Even if I were to let you, it would be for nothing. Hadeaux would just kill you and continue to slaughter the inhabitants of these lands. Marie Lafeye is no joke either – she made her name by picking off her enemies without mercy. There’s no point.”

“You’re probably right. I just don’t know what to do.”

“I wish I could give better advice to you, but now is where we make our stand.”

“I suppose you’re right. I just can’t help but think that a real Nabian general would be better prepared for this situation. I need help.”

“You are just as capable as any general. We will all follow you.”

“Thank you. But I still need to talk to General Clarion.”

“She’s still not in her right mind. We’ve locked her in the office. I sent three soldiers in to clean up, and she killed two of them.” Luca shuddered, not wanting to see Ysabel during one of her episodes. Her reputation preceded her, and he felt that he had barely made it out of the office himself when Jezebel had revealed her betrayal.

“Okay. Did all of my messages make it out?”

“None were shot out of the sky so far as we can tell. I think the originals and backups all will get delivered.”

“And the package?”

“Elizabeth assures me that her network will allow it to reach it’s final destination.”

“Good. I guess… this is all that we can do.”

“I guess it is. For now.”

“For now,” Luca agreed. Soldiers closed in further, and formed a dense ring at the base of the hill that the estate sat on. The bodies looked small from above. As they began to settle, he saw impromptu tents spring up, and ladders begin to move their way to the forefront of the lines. “So the siege begins.”

***

Alex was frustrated that he had not gotten the news sooner, but had been hyped up on adrenaline ever since he had gotten word from the Capital. Elsa Torne is under attack. Generals Fran La Croix and Pitor Davora are laying siege to the central city. He and Carl were now riding as fast as they could towards the heart of Nabius, flanked by all of the troops from Laura Nandra’s region and most of the Tomacians that were in the area too. The front line in the city would be okay for some time, but the urgency he felt was great.

And the spies report movements to the north as well. Marie Lafeye, some of Dmitri Orr’s men, and Jamison Hadeaux have made a move on my home. He was sure that an update from Luca would have been sent to the Capital as soon as they knew they were being advanced upon, but Alex was not in the Capital. Please hold out. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to predict this kind of a coordinated effort but knew that he was as well-prepared as he could be.

Fuck. Maybe the attack on the Nandra’s was just a diversion after all. I can’t believe that Eric Chamberlin would really be trying to sabotage our side of the civil war, even if he doesn’t like the alliance between our nations. He wasn’t that bad when I met him, and he claims to have other secret motives. Carl had received an update from his parents while they were at Laura Nandra’s estate, detailing that they had imprisoned the Tomacian official. Alex had suggested that they execute him, but Carl didn’t seem to like that suggestion.

I guess it isn’t the Tomacian way. And I suppose I am trying to change what is the proper course of action to take in Nabius too… ugh. He thought of how Carl was friends with Brian Chamberlin, the official’s son. Why do things have to be so damned complicated all the time? I just want some answers.

Alex spared a glance to his right, where Carl was also mounted on a steed. The two were pushing hard, and the army behind them made a thunderous sound that drowned out any chances of communication as they rode.

There’s only one person that would be able to coordinate an attack like this across all of the generals, he thought with his uncle in mind. And there is no way in all hells that Chamberlin would ever work with Yago. There must be some other motive, but it sure is unfortunate that I was away when the attack happened. Alex thought of Elsa Torne’s distress note, which detailed troops of both sides storming the streets of the city. Evidently the first wave of battle was fierce, though Alex guessed it would be over by now.

Elsa detailed that all of the Tomacians in the city were killed first. I know that is to strain the relationship between us – it’s a classic tactic. Alex had told Carl this when he received the note from General Torne, and he reacted stonily. Alex knew that it wouldn’t work to undermine his and Carlisle’s personal relationship, but he was sure that when the Tomacian soldiers behind him arrived, they would have mixed feelings.

Fuck this. I need to send a message. At least one general will die by my hand this week. I swear it. He pressed his heels harder into his horse, urging it to go faster. On to war I go.