Michael Stackpole - When Dragons Rage

Bowmar the senior picked up a small block of wood representing a military unit just outside the capital. “We will take these troops, the main bulk of our force, north along the Porjal road to the Green Dales and set up our first battle. We will let them know we are there, so they will set up to deploy against us, then we shall fade from that attack after inflicting some initial casualties. We will ambush pursuit to convince them they need to approach slowly.”

Alexia nodded. The elder King Bowmar would not actually be with that force, which was comprised of four crack regiments. They had only one regiment of cavalry, but it was the best in Muroso, with three battalions of light horse for pursuit and one of heavy horse for devastating attacks. Of the three infantry regiments, one was comprised of scouts and rangers who would be able to form up in small hunter-killer groups to harry the enemy advance. The other two regiments were more standard and would be used to hit and hold the enemy when things became serious.

Crown Prince Bowmar would be in command of that force. Alexia had been told that his distance from his father would affect how quickly they could read each other’s memories, so the elder would not be seeing what his son saw as his son saw it. They said the delay was something on the order of an hour per mile of distance. Arcanslata reports would come faster, but would contain a lot less detail.

King Bowmar’s dark eyes flicked toward Alexia. “You, Princess, will lead this secondary force up the Nawal road and keep it parallel with our force. You will be able to strike east and hit the flank of the Aurolani host.”

She nodded. “I do know my role.” It had rankled her a little that her strategy had been taken over by the Murosans and that she had been given a smaller force to command, but she quelled her unease quickly. She was a foreigner; young, and, in the eyes of many, utterly untested. For her to have been given the command she had—two regiments of cavalry—was a great honor. She wished she had her Wolves riding with her, but they were off in Okrannel fighting alongside General Adrogans.

The old man’s eyes sparkled for a moment, and his son smiled. “Oh, Princess, we do know you would like to hit the Aurolani when they form up their column to march south again. If that appears to be something that would work, we shall permit it.”

“It would hurt them badly, but would only be done if it would not pose undue risk to my command.” She kept her voice even, and had to suppress a smile. Her use of the word “undue” had been deliberate to distance herself from the insane unnecessary risks Resolute and Crow would be taking.

The crown prince gathered his hands at the small of his back. “Princess Sayce has requested to be allowed to join your force.”

Alexia frowned. “I thought she was meant to be part of my force since the beginning.”

“She was, but I argued against her joining you.” Princess Dayley glanced angrily at her brother. “Sayce has done more than enough.”

Alyx rubbed her hands over her eyes. Dayley was using the tone mothers use when protecting children, and if Dayley was linked to her mother the way Bowmar was linked to his father, the implications of that were too much for her to want to contemplate. She blinked and remembered that Dayley was not a sorceress, just a member of the Communion. If this were something of import that she wanted me to know about and say nothing, she could have told me there. I have to conclude, then, this is some internal Murosan matter .

The Okrans princess folded her arms over her chest. “It is true that Sayce has done a lot. She ventured south, found the Norrington, and dragged him north. She fought well and almost died in Bokagul. With her nation facing extinction, however, I’m not sure anyone can determine if what she’s done is enough aside from her. The warriors who went south with her were drawn from the King’s Scarlet Lancers, and I have them with me. While I don’t think they need her to lead them or even inspire them, she can do both, and do both well. If she is free to join me, I would like to have her along.”

Dayley shook her head. “For her to go would put too much at risk.” She looked past her brother at her father. “Sayce should be sent south to Alcida, or west if the Loquelves would accept her and keep her safe.”

“Keep her safe?” Alexia frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Dayley’s features sharpened. “My sister is pregnant with the Norrington’s child.”

Alexia’s stomach just twisted down in on itself. “Was this all a charade? Did you send her south to seduce Will?”

The elder king shook his head. “We did not.” He glanced at Dayley. “I sent her.”

Crown Prince Bowmar had enough grace to look surprised, though Alexia would have preferred his being aghast. Dayley blushed crimson. Alexia looked from them to their father and back again. “I don’t know what to say, what to think.”

“You may think what you will, Princess, but I did what was necessary. If the prophecy is true, the Norrington bloodline is very important and I wished to secure it. Not for my nation, but for the future.” King Bowmar’s lips pressed together in a narrow line. “You have seen how inept my peers are at assessing the threat that is Chytrine. Sebcia is gone and no one has raised a voice, much less an army, to take it back. My nation is invaded and, aside from your company and renegades from Oriosa, there are no foreign troops here to oppose the Aurolani horde. I am not sanguine about the future of my nation in the short term, but I will do what I must to see the prophecy is fulfilled in years to come.”

Dayley looked down at the wooden floor. “I was given the job of traveling south to find the Norrington and seduce him. My sister, who has forever been jealous of me, decided to head south and bring the Norrington to Muroso. She seduced him and consummated the seduction here, just to rub my face in it. That accomplished, she wishes to continue being a hero and go with you.”

Alyx looked at the crown prince. “You knew nothing of this?”

He shook his head. “I have been preoccupied with the war and have not gone rummaging about in my father’s head. Of that I am glad. I did not know, and would not have approved.”

“Yours is not to approve, son. With the crown goes the responsibility. Were you in my position, you would think differently.”

Alexia could not believe it. She remembered Will’s turmoil when he came to talk to her. He was worried about breaking Sayce’s heart. He was worried she would feel used, and yet he was the one being used all along .

She looked up. “What is wrong with you people?”

“I have a nation to think of.”

Alexia batted that assertion aside. “You hide behind that noble idea as if no one can see the lies you’ve wrapped yourself up in. You’re plotting revenge. If Muroso falls because no one else comes to your aid, you’ll have the Norrington they need to save themselves. And don’t try to deny it, because using subterfuge to get someone with Will’s child—especially one of your own daughters—proves there was no altruistic motive behind what you did.”

The elder Bowmar shook his head. “Secrecy was required so that Chytrine would not try to have the child killed.”

“ That lie is so flimsy a whisper would shred it.” Alexia’s violet eyes became slits. “You don’t seem to understand: it’s not any Norrington, but the Norrington. If it was the bloodline that was so important, Will would have been spending himself night after night to create a legion of Norringtons. I’d be carrying his child myself.”

Something clicked in the back of her mind. She glared at Dayley. “Sayce doesn’t know she’s pregnant, does she? You had someone use magick to determine that.”