Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 6

11th Day, Upper Wind Month, 1 CE, 2000 Hours

Ioena settled into a leathery couch with a long sigh, closing eyes weary with strain and sleepless nights.

“The invincible Ioena slouching in defeat,” a voice said to the side. “A painting of this scene would surely be one for the ages.”

Her eyes rolled over to a figure framed by a window of the lounge. Seated on a tall stool was Salacia Soruel, dressed in the pale silks that she was wont to wear when off duty. She had an artist’s eye and a dancer’s demeanour, and her talents had earned her a place in the palace staff. Now, however, the scion of House Soruel was left at a loss with their world upended.

No readings or recitals; no plays or grand balls. Only seventeen years old and already a relic of better days.

To Salacia’s credit, she had not abandoned hope for the future, instead applying herself where she could and securing a place as the interim Minister of Public Health and Wellness. It was a role that suited her well: she was on good terms with the Temples and her bardic leanings allowed her to communicate effectively with the public.

“The impertinence of our guests is becoming too much to bear,” Ioena said. “They grow bolder by the day, sticking their prim little noses into our business. I envy our Queen for the grace in which she handles matters.”

“Those ‘noblewomen’ are of Merchant stock,” Salacia shrugged. “I don’t know what you expected. It was inevitable that they would start grabbing at whatever they could. Everyone was shocked and appalled when they asked Her Majesty for a piece of the city. Their trying to justify everything only makes things worse.”

Ioena shook her head, sighing again. They were, of course, grateful to the Sorcerous Kingdom for the aid that they had provided. When they started pushing for all sorts of things so shortly after they arrived, however, it was difficult to retain composure. It was akin to fending off a pack of hungry Beastmen with a dried-up twig.

“They should have just stayed in a Merchant inn if they wanted to act like that,” Salacia sniffed. “Roaming around like they own the palace…”

“If you have enough energy to complain, you should help poor Delerose in the front.”

They turned to the new voice, finding Zoren and Emmad entering the lounge. The two footmen were adorned in the tan-and-indigo garb of militia officers, which was thoroughly caked in dust from the dry city streets.

“Don’t you dare sit down,” Salacia said. “I just cleaned up these couches.”

The two men stopped. They exchanged a glance before heading to the bar instead.

“You men have been out playing at being soldiers,” Ioena said, “so you don’t have to watch those women prancing about the palace.”

“We’re not ‘playing at being soldiers’,” Zoren frowned. “If you’d like, we can trade places and you can see what we must go through firsthand. I for one wouldn’t mind sitting around the palace.”

“You mean flirting around the palace?” Salacia said, “You and your goons must be ecstatic with the new flowers to pluck. Exotic foreigners, no less.”

“Hey, now,” Zoren said, “You leave Zorlu out of this. He hasn’t done any ‘plucking’ since he arrived. Besides, you don’t hear us complain about that ‘Sebas’ fellow.”

“You, leave Sebas alone!” Ioena said, “He’s a fine gentleman.”

“Yes, so fine that we watch all your knees buckle whenever he walks by with Her Majesty.”

Zoren ducked behind his chair as a cushion came flying his way. It bounced off of Emmad’s shoulder. Ioena brought a hand to her mouth.

“Sorry, Zorlu!”

Emmad wordlessly rose and retrieved the cushion from the floor, returning it to Ioena’s lap.

“So,” Zoren said, “what was all your griping about when we came in? You should know that those Undead in the northwestern palace won’t be leaving anytime soon.”

“It’s those Merchant girls running around pretending to be diplomats,” Salacia said. “They’re becoming more and more brazen.”

“How so?”

Salacia cast Zoren an incredulous look.

“What do you mean by ‘how so’? They’re trying to buy up our Kingdom with their ‘goods and services’! Now, they’re trying to influence our internal affairs. Our dear Queen can only bow her head because they have our country at their mercy! They’re rubbing their superior position into our faces with that whole benevolent act of theirs. We need to do something before our country is turned into a warehouse!”

It certainly felt that they would end up that way. The Sorcerous Kingdom effectively had the power to do anything it wished. Instead of asking for some price in gold or some other reasonable form of payment, Countess Corelyn and her two minions just kept digging their claws deeper and deeper in the Draconic Kingdom.

“I don’t know what you think can be done in this situation, Soruel,” Zoren said. “You heard Her Majesty: we can ill afford anything that would turn them against us. If they leave and take their forces with them, that’s it for the Draconic Kingdom.”

“I’m not saying that we should drive them away,” Salacia said. “But they need to understand their place. At this rate, they’ll be trying to ‘lease’ Her Majesty by next week.”

“You’re exaggerating, I hope.”

“You never know. We need to set boundaries.”

It was easier said than done. The Nobles from the Sorcerous Kingdom almost always kept to themselves. Corelyn isolated herself in the palace archives while Wagner and Gagnier disappeared into the city…

“Didn’t you take Wagner and Gagnier somewhere last night, Carillo?” Ioena asked.

“Remlay’s place, why?”

“What did you do with them?”

“…eat? Well, it was me and the other men doing the eating. Wagner and Gagnier simply enjoyed the experience.”

Ioena narrowed her eyes. Zoren raised his hands in a disarming gesture.

“They just wanted to learn about the capital and a bit about our country,” he said. “Their questions revolved around trade, logistics and infrastructure. Certainly, they aren’t as pleasant to interact with as, say, Salacia, but nothing was out of line with what they were or why they're here.”

“How boorish,” Salacia sneered. “Can’t they go for one hour without needing to discuss ‘business’?”

“Better that they’re with us than someone else,” Zoren said. “They’re inevitably going to end up dealing with the Guilds if they decide we have nothing to offer.”

“I hate this,” Ioena grated. “I hate being so powerless! If our territories were still working, we could at least put together something tangible. By the time we get everything running again, we’ll be so far behind the Guilds…”

It was so frustrating. The Nobles and their subjects were the ones holding the land and rebuilding again and again and again. Merchants only came if there was profit in doing so. They were like parasites that fed off what little the people could manage before the Beastmen came to ruin everything once again. Where was the justice in the world when such creatures could gain from the hard toil of the honest and loyal?

Now, ‘Merchant Nobles’ had appeared to do the same to the entire Draconic Kingdom.

“Zahradnik has already secured Blighthold and routed the Beastmen in the northern province,” she said.

“You make it sound like some terrible thing,” Zoren replied, “but that should be good news…I think?”

“It is,” Emmad said.

Ioena sat up on her couch, throwing her arm over the backrest to look at them.

“Our troubles begin after that,” she told them. “It was reported that the civilian administration is nonexistent.”

Zoren flipped around in his chair, crossing his arms over the backrest.

“What about the Nobles?”

“So far, nothing,” Salacia shook her head. “We don’t know if they’re even telling the truth or not. For all that we know, the Undead could be butchering everything in their path and they’ve blamed the Beastmen for it. Or they’re just targeting the administrators and anyone who witnesses their demise to place us in a precarious position to exploit.”

“I do not believe Zahradnik would do that,” Emmad said.

“On what grounds?” Salacia asked, “We were all there when she painted the halls red with the blood of all those Beastmen. The powerful answer only to themselves. We, of all people, should know this. You never see a good and honest person in their number, serving the people – they are always Adventurers, Workers or engage in other similarly selfish pursuits. The weak cannot trust the strong, and the Sorcerous Kingdom is a strong nation.”

“That’s quite the line of speculation you have going there, Soruel,” Zorlu said. “If they are willing to go so far, why not just conquer us and be done with it?”

“Her Majesty knew what they were trying to do and announced it to the rest of us at their first audience,” Ioena replied. “Hegemony. They seek to be a power that determines the course of all other countries within their sphere of influence. You understand why they wish to do this, yes?”

Salacia came over from her seat at the window, leaning against a chair at the bar beside Zoren.

“It’s the Undead,” she said. “If a nation that cavorts with the Undead embarks upon a campaign of forceful conquest, it will be seen as a mad beast that must be put down by the rest of the world. By establishing hegemony, the Sorcerous Kingdom seeks to create a chorus of countries that will sing its praises. They will use our voice to endorse their acts of aggression and condemn their enemies, making everything appear as the will of many nations rather than the atrocities of an Undead menace.”

“Exactly,” Ioena nodded. “This intervention of theirs is no act of neighbourly benevolence: their overtures of friendship are simply an attractive guise for their true intent. They are in reality conducting purposeful political and economic manoeuvres meant to bind the Draconic Kingdom to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Every move they make further intertwines us in their schemes.”

“A ploy to draw us into a union with evil!” Salacia grasped her pendant with an anxious look, “They’re attacking Her Majesty from every angle. Our kind Queen always thinks of our well-being and everything they do is an attempt to exploit that. As loyal vassals, we must come to her aid somehow…”

“I do not like this,” Emmad rose to his feet. “They are helping us and you reciprocate their actions with backbiting. This is far from upright conduct and unbecoming of Her Majesty’s servants.”

Ioena felt herself shrink behind her couch. Salacia similarly took refuge behind Zoren. The scion of Eastwatch was a man of few words, but he was always imposing when he chose to speak. Many found it gallant when he expressed himself, but his temper tended to send everyone running.

Zoren reached out to tap Emmad’s arm with his knuckles.

“Peace, Zorlu,” he said. “I will not say that they are entirely correct, but they are also not incorrect to be wary. Regardless of their intent, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation is making practical moves to bring us under their influence. If we let them walk all over us like this, we can only end up as their puppets. What countermoves do you propose, Yorsten? If you plan to have us confront the Undead, I’m afraid I must politely decline in advance.”

“Her Majesty has staved off their meddling for now,” Ioena replied. “She has decided to put together teams from the capital to help administer the liberated lands. We must start from there and secure as much power, resources and influence for our Queen to use as possible.”

“That sounds reasonable enough,” Zoren said, “but where do we find the staff for this? We are busy enough as it is here, so if there is no one there already…”

“We’ll just have to manage with what we have. The city administrators are gone, as are the guildmasters and senior temple staff, but many of the regular members of the guilds and temples have survived.”

“My fingers are cramping up just thinking about handling all that paperwork,” Zoren grimaced. “How many of us are being sent to each city?”

“That has not been decided yet,” Ioena told them. “It stands to reason that those most familiar with each place will be dispatched. Zoren will most likely end up in Phelegia, for instance.”

Zoren nodded, crossing his arms and looking forward with an unfocused gaze.

“To be sure, this will help, but it’s still a lot of work. Who else will be sent along with us?”

“Clerks from the Merchant Guild, at least. Each representative will see to their own. Merchants with Merchants, Nobles with the people at large…it was mentioned that Highfort still stands, so there should be at least several hundred soldiers and officers to help police Blighthold and its territories.”

“But that would leave Highfort unmanned,” Emmad noted.

“Zahradnik proposed that they stuff it full of Undead,” Salacia said. “They want to take over our border defences. We’ll be prisoners in our own country with Undead wardens watching us for all eternity.”

“I would prefer to think that our ‘wardens’ will be keeping the Beastmen from coming in,” Zoren raised an eyebrow. “It isn’t as if our people wish to escape.”

“Yes, and that makes it all the more insidious. We are going from a pen being fashioned by the Beastmen to one fashioned by the enemies of all life. Their initial ‘benevolence’ will cause the people to happily exchange one for the other. Undead beings do not die of old age; they can afford to wait and it will be future generations who suffer whatever they ultimately plan to inflict with their evil machinations.”

“You keep asserting that they are planting the seeds for some dark scheme, Soruel,” Zoren furrowed his brow, “but there is no indication that they are doing anything of the sort. Everything so far has a clear purpose. There is no doubt that Countess Corelyn and her party conduct themselves as Merchants would, but that seems to be as far as it goes.”

“I don’t understand how you can assume that anyone who mingles with the Undead has good intentions,” Salacia said. “Perhaps you’ve been fooled by their act…or perhaps blinded by appearances. They are Nobles of a conquered territory: what else could they be but playthings of some Undead monstrosity?”

Salacia shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Images of Corelyn’s party flashed through Ioena’s mind. Zahradnik was powerful enough to be seen as useful and courted as a military asset, but attractive young noblewomen were common. It wasn’t impossible that the ones in E-Rantel had been rounded up after the annexation, and then…

Had they been threatened into compliance? Perhaps the Vampires that they brought with them were once Nobles themselves and served as an ever-present reminder that they would have their souls enslaved for all eternity if they didn’t work to advance the Sorcerous Kingdom’s goals.

Or maybe it was as Salacia suggested and they had been given to the Undead, endlessly defiled by hateful beings that never tired. They would be broken, warped and twisted to suit their master’s dark desires: Humans who served as a pleasant-looking vanguard for the forces of evil.

“Your imagination is running off with you,” Zoren said. “They are Humans just like us.”

“They are the worst kind of Human,” Salacia shot back. “Ones who have betrayed humanity.”

“Coercion is not impossible,” Ioena said. “As Soruel says, they are Nobles of a conquered land. With no ties to E-Rantel or its people, resorting to threats would not be strange. There is no shared history to cherish; no bonds of service or friendship cultivated over the years. All would be expendable – for what other use are Humans to the Undead?”

“And since the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation is composed of Merchants,” Zoren stroked his chin thoughtfully, “they would have been some of the first to bend.”

“Carillo,” Emmad said, “don’t tell me you’re taking up their reasoning in this.”

Zoren turned in his seat to face Emmad, gesturing with both hands.

“Well, this version seems more rational than the arbitrarily evil characterisation of before. First of all, why would a country resort to using Merchants as diplomatic envoys? The north has tens of thousands of Nobles to choose from. Furthermore, a force so powerful should already have diplomats of its own. Why use Nobles from freshly-conquered territories?”

“Normally,” Salacia came out from behind Zoren, “a new power in the region would immediately send envoys to their neighbours. According to both our sources and their claims, the Sorcerer King pressed his claim to E-Rantel during the annual war between the Re-Estize and Baharuth last winter. They’ve had a year to make proper contact, yet they’ve only chosen to do so now.”

“So time to plan and prepare,” Zoren said. “The timing of their intervention is also suspect.”

“I doubt the conquerors were Human in the first place,” Salacia said. “They needed time to groom those women into ‘representatives’ that they could display to the nearby Human countries. A Human face for a nation of monsters. As for their timing, I think you’re right. They might have even gone so far as to interfere with the Theocracy to keep us ripe for the taking. A Beastman attack of this magnitude should have resulted in the Theocracy sending their armies and the Sunlight Scripture…maybe a force even more powerful than that. The Sorcerous Kingdom might have done something to keep that from happening.”

It was a disturbingly compelling point. Ioena found it unlikely that anything that had happened could have been a coincidence. The fact that the Sorcerous Kingdom sought to establish hegemony meant that they would have to confront the Theocracy at some point. A war was being waged in the shadows – one that undermined the Theocracy’s national power and the influence of its Temples. Now, the Draconic Kingdom was being dragged into it.

How much did their Queen know? What more would she allow and what lines would she draw? She had always skillfully handled everyone around her no matter what the situation was, but, this time, everything that was happening was so big.

“We need not worry about those things for now,” Ioena said. “We must focus on what we can do for our Queen and our country. Like Her Majesty, we cannot show any open defiance or belligerence, but we must also protect the sovereign will of the Draconic Kingdom. We have always had to curry the favour of the strong and rely on their power to survive, but now we have both the Beastmen and the Sorcerous Kingdom trying to swallow us whole.”

“Yorsten speaks the truth,” Salacia nodded. “At the same time, we must be aware of what the Sorcerous Kingdom’s influence might mean for our relations with other countries. If things get out of hand, we may be cast in the same light as the Sorcerous Kingdom. Also…once the Theocracy hears of this, they will certainly move to regain their influence.”

“How would they do that?” Emmad asked, “The Theocracy only comes when Her Majesty requests their aid. These Undead are capable of wiping out tens of thousands of Beastmen overnight and they will be present within our borders at all times. We will never have to wait for help to come so long as we continue leasing the Undead.”

“Zorlu has a point,” Zoren said. “With the Beastmen threat addressed and our national budget going to pay for the Undead lease instead of that annual…donation to the Theocracy, they may even forget that we exist. I doubt that they would simply appear of their own accord offering assistance for a nonexistent problem.”

“The Temples of the Six are still here serving the country,” Salacia told him. “They will inform the Theocracy of what is happening when they regain the means to.”

“If it happens,” Zoren replied, “then it happens. It still does not mean that the Theocracy will do anything and it is not a concern for the present anyway. Being aware of how others may react to our situation in the future means nothing if we’re all in some Beastman’s belly.”

Ioena sighed. It seemed that she had lost the chance to sway Zoren’s clique for the time being.

“That still doesn’t mean we can be shortsighted,” Salacia said. “We need to plan for the future.”

“We don’t even have a proper picture of the present,” Zoren replied. “Is it such a terrible thing to set everything aright now that the opportunity has presented itself?”

“It’s not,” Ioena told him, “but, as I said, there are dangers in how we rebuild everything with both domestic and foreign Merchants trying to influence our affairs. We need to keep them in line or they’ll do as they please.”

“Well, if what you said was true, we’ll still have the military under us, yes? That should be more than sufficient to enforce order amongst the civilian population. Also, in the future, we will have people controlling the leased Undead, yes?”

Ioena cast a sharp look at Zoren.

“Where did you hear that from?” She asked, “It was a mere suggestion presented by Corelyn’s delegation yesterday afternoon. Her Majesty said she would consult with Zahradnik over how it would work, but she never committed to anything.”

“We just came from an audience with Her Majesty,” Zoren said. “She asked how Zorlu felt about it.”

“Who else was there? How did you respond?”

“Er…Wenwyn was attending to Her Majesty. Sebas Tian was there, of course, but no one else. As for the response…it makes sense, no? Zorlu is from Eastwatch, where the Undead security forces will be needed the most.”

She glanced at Emmad, who nodded slightly. Would it work to the Draconic Kingdom’s advantage? It was better than allowing the Undead to manage themselves, but it also meant further entanglements with the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“What did Her Majesty tell Zorlu to do?”

“She just asked whether he was interested or not,” Zoren said. “Zahradnik has not returned from the north and there’s hardly been time for us to do anything other than our work here in the capital. But ‘Marshal Zorlu’ has a nice ring to it, no?”

Zoren elbowed the taller nobleman in the arm. Emmad looked down and to the side.

He did seem well-suited to military leadership, which also meant that few expected him to survive for long. Rumour had it that his father, Count Zorlu, sent him to the palace to keep him from meeting a grisly fate on the border.

“I wonder if the Temples have magical items that will protect you from the taint of the Undead,” Salacia said. “We can’t have you getting corrupted by their evil.”

“And here I thought you’d be worried about Zahradnik ensnaring him,” Zoren smirked. “Why the difference in treatment between Corelyn’s party and her, I wonder?”

“Because there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that those who cross Zahradnik will be turned into yet another stain in the palace corridors,” Ioena said. “Even Cerebrate and his ilk didn’t give off the feeling that she does. She’s more intimidating than the Undead under her command, in many ways.”

“Is that so? My first impression was that she was like Zorlu, but with infinitely nicer legs. I think they would get along well.”

She frowned at Zoren’s flippant remark.

“Well, I don’t think Zorlu would fall for her wiles,” Salacia sniffed, “but be careful nonetheless. She may try to lead you down the path of evil. Both she and Corelyn keep trying to frame the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Undead as ‘harmless summons’. The Undead are the Undead, and don’t you forget it!”

“As long as they are slaughtering Beastmen,” Zoren replied, “they can be as Undead as they want. Let’s do as Yorsten says and focus on what we can do something about, yes?”

“Getting revenues flowing comes first,” Ioena said. “Funnelling all of the goods coming into the capital from the Sorcerous Kingdom through the Crown is convenient for taxation, but we can’t say the same will be happening elsewhere. Supplies are already flowing into Blighthold and we have no one there. If we can’t secure finances, we won’t be able to compete with the Guilds.”

“Why not issue royal edicts to make sure everything that needs to be taken care of is seen to first? Also, it is customary to waive taxes after major Beastman incursions anyway…”

“We can’t waive taxes for the whole country, Carillo. Provinces that are victimised by the Beastmen are supported by the other provinces, but we can’t do that if the entire country has been ravaged. The Crown needs money – both to run the government and keep the Sorcerous Kingdom from taking more of our land–”

The door opened and Lina swept breathlessly into the lounge, her blue silk shawl trailing behind her. Her eyes went around the room once before she spoke.

“They’re doing it.”

“Doing what, Delerose?” Ioena frowned.

“The…the…thing! Corelyn came in for a late evening audience and asked for the Deadmarch!”

“WHAT!”

Ioena shot to her feet, mouth aghast.

“They said that,” Lina explained, “since we aren’t utilising the land anyway, they would like to lease the Deadmarch for agricultural purposes. All of it.”

“They’re not wrong about the Draconic Kingdom leaving the land undeveloped,” Zoren said. “But there’s a clear reason for that…I suppose with them being used to having the Undead around, it seems like a waste. What did they offer in exchange?”

“Options,” Lina replied. “More goods. More Undead. A percentage of the crops and livestock that they produce in the territory. Technical assistance and labour for public works.”

Lina was the most in favour of embracing what the Sorcerous Kingdom offered. Now, however, she had swung solidly to their side. News of the proposal would probably turn the entire court against Countess Corelyn.

“Kiiiii!” Salacia held her head in her hands, “Those greedy bitches have no shame! What makes them think that a foreigner can just waltz in and exchange goods and services for land? We need to stop this rampage of theirs somehow!”

“I’m curious as to their rationale, as well,” Zoren said. “The offer of payment for the exclave could be seen as a supportive gesture, but an entire march is on a whole other level. If we lack the population to manage half of our territories, will they end up asking to lease half of the country?”

“As I understand it,” Lina said, “they’ve structured it as a precarial grant so they see no issue so long as Her Majesty accepts the terms. Their only concern is that both parties receive ‘fair value’.”

“A precarial grant…” Salacia muttered, “What age do they think this is to propose such antiquated nonsense?”

Ioena collapsed back onto her couch, lying down with an arm over her forehead.

In one hand, Countess Corelyn and her delegation wielded stupendous power. The other offered a bounty that would twist and corrupt the souls of those who fell under their influence. They were like the reincarnation of the Eight Covetous Kings of legend, whose depraved desires ruined the world. This time, they appeared in the form of Human women, but they were no less unstoppable through conventional means.

Still, they had to try. For Queen and country.

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