Chapter 1

There was a quick rap on the cabin door, and Antillar Maximus entered the cabin. One of Tavi's oldest friends, Maximus had shared a room with Tavi for the better part of three years at the Academy and was one of the few people in the fleet who would have opened the door without being bidden to.

"Thought you should know," Max began, but then he stopped and blinked at Tavi. He shut the door behind him before blurting out, "Bloody crows, Calderon. Are you sick or something?"

Tavi looked blearily at Max from where he sat at the cabin's small writing desk, poring over maps. "Didn't sleep well last night."

Max's rough, handsome face flashed into a quick, boyish grin. "Aye. Tough to go back to a cold bunk once you get used to a warm one."

Tavi gave him a steady look.

Max's smile widened. "Don't get me wrong. I think it's always a good thing when your Legion's captain is more relaxed and calm than he might be otherwise. I'm all in favor of the captain having a woman. I could see about maybe finding some kind of replacement if you aren't too terribly particular, Captain."

Tavi picked up his cup of tea. "If you don't finish before I've drunk this, I'm throwing this mug at your fat head."

Max folded his arms and leaned back against the door with a serene smile. "Of course, Your Highness."

The honorific stole whatever faint amusement Max had brought with him. Tavi knew that his grandfather was dead, but he had not spoken to the others about it. He had no way to prove it, after all - and Alera had made clear that she had no intention of displaying herself to others in the fleet.

Besides, there was a considerable difference between being the rightful heir and actually assuming the office of the First Lord.

Tavi pushed the thoughts from his mind. Those problems would attend to themselves in time. First, survive today.

"You came in here for a reason, Max?"

Max's smile faded as well. He nodded, his neck slightly stiff. "Crassus is on the way back in. He should be on deck in the next few moments."

Tavi rose and gulped down the rest of the strong tea. He doubted the mild stimulants in it would help him much after yet another grueling night of lessons with Alera, but he was willing to try. "Get me Magnus and the First Spear. Signal the Trueblood and invite Varg to come to the Slive at his earliest convenience."

"Already done," Max said. "Finish your biscuit, at least."

Tavi frowned at him but turned to pick up his breakfast, a plain square of ship's biscuit, a stiff and greyish bread made with some of the last of their flour and some of the less noxious portions of a taken leviathan. "I am not going to miss these," he said, but he tore into it with a will. If things went badly that day, he might not get a chance to eat later on.

"I've been thinking," Max said. "Kitai might have a point."

Tavi shook his head. "If so, I don't see it."

Max grunted. "Look, Tavi. You're my friend. But you've got some of the most crowbegotten blind spots."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the bloody Princeps of Alera, man," Max replied. "You're the bloody role model - or at least, you're supposed to be."

"It's ridiculous," Tavi said.

"Of course it is," Max returned. "But like it or not, that's what the office demands. That you comport yourself in all ways and at all times as the most honorable and dignified young Citizen of the Realm."

Tavi sighed. "And, so?"

"And so the Princeps of the Realm can't afford things running around to embarrass him," Max said. "Mistresses are one thing. Bastards are another."

Max's mouth twisted up at the word. His own father, High Lord Antillus, had conceived Max with a dancing girl he had favored. His second son, Crassus, had been born legitimately, leaving Max bereft of any sort of title or claim. Tavi knew that Max's entire life, including his very limited acceptance from the Citizenry of the Realm, had been powerfully shaped by his lack of legitimacy.

"That really isn't an issue, Max," Tavi said. "There's never been anyone but Kitai."

The big Antillan exhaled heavily. "You're missing the point."

"Then maybe you should explain it to me."

"The point is that things like who the Princeps is sleeping with matter," Tavi's friend replied. "Rival claims to the Crown have caused wars before, Tavi. And worse. Crows, if old Sextus had left a bastard child or two running around Alera, great furies know what might have happened after they killed your father."

"I'll give you that," Tavi said. "It matters. But I'm still waiting for the point."

"The point is that the Realm didn't know you were Septimus's son until last year - and even then, you were way out in the hinterlands, fighting a campaign. You didn't exactly attract a lot of visitors."

"No, I didn't."

"When we get back home, that's going to change," Max said. "Everyone's going to be watching you like hawks. They're going to pry into your life in every way you could possibly imagine, and probably in some that you can't - and every Citizen with a daughter even vaguely close to the right age is going to be hoping to turn her into the next First Lady."

Tavi frowned.

"You want to marry Kitai," Max said. It wasn't a question.

Tavi nodded.

"Then you're going to make a lot of people upset. And they're going to pry up every little piece of information they can get against her. They're going to try to bring pressure to bear against her, any way that they can - and if you just carried on with her the way you have been, you'd make it easy for them to begin rallying support against you."

"I really don't care what they think, Max," Tavi said.

"Don't be an idiot," his friend replied, his voice tired. "You're to be the First Lord of Alera. You've got to lead a nation filled with powerful Citizens with mutually conflicting interests. If you can't build up enough support to accomplish that leadership, a lot of people are going to suffer because of it. You'll try to send relief to a Count's holding that's been devastated by a flood but find that it's been blocked by the Senate, or maybe choked off somewhere in the communications or financial chain. You'll issue rulings in disputes between Lords and High Lords which they bring to you and find out that both sides were setting you up to look bad, regardless of what you did - and eventually, because that would be the point of the whole thing, someone will try to take the crown away from you."

Tavi rubbed at his chin, studying Max. His friend's words were... not what he'd really expected of him. Max had a fantastic instinct for analyzing tactical and strategic situations, a gift that his training at the Academy had sharpened and honed - but this kind of thinking was out of character for his old friend.

Tavi inhaled deeply, understanding. "Kitai came to you to talk about it."

"Couple of weeks ago," Max said.

Tavi shook his head. "Bloody crows."

"I don't know if it will work," Max said. "Making your courtship a semi-public event, I mean."

"Do you think it might?"

Max shrugged. "I think it will give the people who do support you a way to counter anyone who tries to start using Kitai to drum up some opposition. If you've courted her with the same consideration that would be expected of a young Aleran lady highly placed in the Citizenry, it lends her a certain amount of status by association." He frowned. "And besides..."

Tavi sensed his friend's sudden reluctance to speak. He shook his head, feeling a smile tug wearily at the corners of his mouth. "Max," he said quietly, "just say it."

"Bloody crows, Calderon." Maximus sighed. "I'm the one who treats girls like disposable pleasures. You've always been the smart one. The capable one. The one who went to every class and studied and did well. You're the one coming up with ways to use furycraft that no one's ever dreamed of before, and you can barely use it. You've gone up against Canim and Marat and vord queens alike, and you're still in one piece." He met Tavi's eyes, and said, "I know that you don't think of Kitai the way I thought of my lovers. She's not a playmate. You see her as your equal. Your ally."

Tavi nodded, and murmured, "Yes."

Max shrugged and dropped his eyes. "Maybe she deserves some romance, too, Calderon. Maybe it wouldn't hurt you to go out of your way to make her feel special. Not because she can fight, or because she's practically a princepsa of her own people. But just because you want to show her. You want her to know how much you care."

Tavi stared at Max for a moment and felt somewhat thunderstruck.

Max was right.

He and Kitai had been together for a very long time. They had shared everything with one another. Whenever she had been gone, it had left an enormous, restless hole somewhere inside him that adamantly refused to be filled. So many things had happened to them together - but he hadn't ever really spoken to her about the depth of his feelings. She'd known, of course, just as he had been able to sense her devotion to him through the odd link the two of them shared.

But some things needed to be said before they could be truly real.

And some things couldn't be said. They had to be done.

Bloody crows. He'd never asked her what the marriage customs of her people were. He'd never even thought to ask.

"Crows," Tavi said, calmly. "I... Max, I think you have a point."

Max spread his hands. "Yeah. Sorry."

"All right," Tavi said. "Then... I suppose that while I'm finding a way to get the rest of Alera to accept the Canim's help, and figuring out how to defeat the vord, and coming up with enough support to actually be the First Lord, I'll have to work an epic romance into the schedule."

"That's why you're the Princeps, and I'm just a humble Tribune," Max said.

"I... I don't really know much about being romantic," Tavi said.

"Neither do I," Max said cheerfully. "But look at it this way. It won't need to be much to improve on what's gone before."

Tavi made a growling sound and reached for his empty mug.

Max opened the door and saluted, banging his right fist against his armored chest, grinning openly at Tavi. "I'll see to the incoming boats, Your Highness, and make sure everyone finds his way to your cabin."

Tavi held on to the mug. It wouldn't do to throw it at Max in plain view of everyone on deck. He put the mug down, gave Max a look that promised eventual repayment, and said, "Thank you, Tribune. Shut the door on your way out, please."

Max departed and shut the door, and Tavi sank tiredly back onto his chair. He looked at the maps spread out on his desk - and drew out the one he hadn't shown the others. Alera had helped him with it. It showed the spread of the vord croach over the face of Alera, like gangrene oozing into the body from an infected wound.

The vord had to number in the hundreds of thousands by now, perhaps even in the millions.

Tavi shook his head ruefully. It said something about the world, he thought, that the vord threat was arguably the second most perplexing problem he had. He wasn't sure what, but it definitely said something.

Chapter 2

"Gentlemen, Warmaster," Tavi said. "Thank you for coming." He looked around his cabin at the gathering of what he'd come to think of as his campaign council. "In the next few hours, your troops will be learning what I'm about to tell you. You'll need to know it first."

He paused to take a steadying breath and to make sure that his expression and body language were calm. It wouldn't do to let them see him nervous, given the gravity of what he was about to explain. And it wouldn't do to let the Canim see him nervous under any circumstances.

"The vord have already attacked Alera," Tavi said. "The first assault was beaten back, but not broken. Ceres has fallen. As has Alera Imperia. In the time we've been sailing home, other cities may have fallen as well."

Dead silence settled on the ship's cabin.

Nasaug turned his dark-furred head to Varg. The Canim Warmaster twitched an ear and kept his blood-colored eyes on Tavi.

"What's more," Tavi continued, "the First Lord, my grandfather, Gaius Sextus, was slain while fighting a holding action to give the folk of the capital a chance to escape."

No one spoke, but an almost-silent chorus of moans of shocked disbelief went up from the Alerans present. Tavi didn't want to keep his tone brisk and businesslike. He wanted to scream his outrage and grief that the vord had taken his grandfather from him before he'd had a chance to get to know Sextus better. But his anger, no matter how hot it burned, wouldn't change anything.

Tavi forged ahead into the silence. "The Amaranth Vale is completely lost. The vord have somehow suborned Alerans into their service, and now furycraft meets furycraft in battle. In addition, most of the causeways have been cut, to prevent the vord from making use of them, so they cannot be factored into our planning." He turned to a map of Alera that was tacked up on the back of the cabin door. The spread of the croach was marked in pips of green ink. "As you can see, the vord have filled the valley and stretched out their croach along the causeways - even if rendered inert of furycraft, they still are, after all, passable roads. They hold most of the coastline of the continent, and they have laid siege to most of the cities of the Realm.

"But their hold is far from complete. These stretches of countryside between the lines of the causeways and the cities are as yet unoccupied, probably because the vord deem them lower-priority areas. Our people, though, are cut off. Anyone isolated behind the lines of the croach is trapped. Our best estimates say that they have, at the most, another eight or ten months before the croach fills in the empty areas."

He turned to them with a cold little smile. "So. We have that long to destroy the vord threat."

"Bloody crows," Max breathed. "As long as it isn't too difficult a chore or anything."

"Our work is cut out for us," Tavi acknowledged.

Crassus raised a hand. Max's younger half brother bore a resemblance to Max, but everywhere Max was rough, the more slender young man was refined. Crassus was an inch shorter and thirty pounds of muscle lighter than his brother, and he had the noble profile of a Citizen of the blood that could have leapt straight from any number of old statues, paintings, or coins. "If the First Lo - If Sextus perished during a holding action, that implies that there was still organized resistance, and that it might still be there. What do we know of the Legions and their strength?"

"That Aquitainus Attis, who had been serving as Gaius's battle captain, at the First Lord's request, has been legally adopted into the House of Gaius - as my younger brother."

Max let out a snort. "He's thirty years older than you."

Tavi smiled slightly. "Not according to Gaius Sextus. It seems that he knew that his death was coming for him. He didn't know if I would be returning, and someone had to lead the Realm in my absence. He selected the man most fit for the duty." Tavi put the tips of his first and second fingers on Riva and Aquitaine, separately. "Depending on the state of our troops during his withdrawal, he will have retreated either to Aquitaine or Riva with the Legions, and will presumably be gathering more to him." He moved his finger two thousand miles to the west and rested it on Antillus. "As you can see, Antillus is free of the croach for now. Our mission will be to land here, make contact with Aquitaine, if possible, then join him."

Valiar Marcus, the grizzled First Spear of the First Aleran Legion, rubbed at his jaw with one hand. The blocky old centurion squinted at the map. "Two thousand miles. On no supplies but some dried leviathan meat. And no causeways to use. That could take us all spring and half the summer."

"I think we can arrange something somewhat more timely than that," Tavi said. "In fact, unless I miss my guess, we'll need to."

Varg growled. "The vord Queen."

Tavi nodded. "Exactly. She'll almost certainly be overseeing the next conflict between the vord and the Aleran main body. She is our primary target, gentlemen."

Valiar Marcus shook his head. "One bug. In all that."

Tavi showed his teeth. "If it were easy, we wouldn't need Legions to get things done. If possible, we're going to slide in behind the vord and catch them between our forces and Aquitaine's. We'll make sure that the Queen doesn't go scampering out the back door."

"Bold and stupid aren't the same thing," Marcus said. "But sometimes they're pretty close, sir." Marcus frowned. "Sorry. Sire."

Tavi waved his hand. "I haven't been recognized by the Senate and the Citizenry yet. Until we've solved our problems, let's just keep on the way we have been."

"Tavar," Varg growled, "your huntmaster makes a good point. Two thousand miles is a fair walk. If it is to be done at speed, there must be food. Armies can't move like that when they're hungry."

Durias, the First Spear of the Free Aleran Legion, lifted his head and met Tavi's eyes. The quiet young man didn't speak until Tavi acknowledged him; though the brawny former slave was as solid as stone in the face of danger, he still wasn't comfortable associating with Citizenry. "We'll need more than merely food," he said in a deep, soft voice. "We've worn through all kinds of equipment. Can Antillus supply us?"

Tavi swung his gaze to Crassus.

The young Antillan frowned before saying, cautiously, "To some degree. But if the vord are getting ready to lay siege to the place, they won't be eager to part with supplies."

Varg growled, "Take them."

Crassus turned to blink at Varg.

"We have numbers and your crafters. I could take the city with what forces I have here. So could you demons. Make sure they know we can take them. Don't dither around with Aleran customs. Make it clear that they are obligated to cooperate."

Tavi raised a hand. "We'll solve that problem when we come to it. We still don't know much about the internal situation at Antillus. Crassus?"

"My father's banner isn't flying there," Crassus replied, his expression still showing his disturbance at Varg's proposed diplomacy. "His seneschal, Lord Vanorius, is probably running the city. I think it would be wise for me to arrive ahead of the fleet, Your Highness, and let him know what's happening."

Tavi grimaced. "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission," he said. "I'll send you up as the fleet begins to debark, but a city full of frightened people might not react reasonably. I want to be on land with the Legions and the Canim warriors in good order by the time they're able to respond."

Crassus exhaled through his nose and nodded stiffly. "As you wish."

Tavi turned back to the map. "Let's see," he said. "Vord are winning. Two-thousand-mile march. No supplies. Ten months to go before the survivors are wiped out." He turned back to them. "I think that's about it. Any questions?"

The last member of the campaign council wore the blue-and-red tunic of a Legion valet. His wispy white hair drifted around his mostly bald pate, his eyes were watery, and his hands, though covered with liver spots, were steady. "Ah. Your Highness?"

"Yes, Maestro Magnus?"

"As your de facto commander of intelligence, I..." He shrugged diffidently. "Believe that it's just possible that I should be aware of the source of your information."

He spoke the last several words through clenched teeth.

Tavi nodded soberly. "I can see why you'd feel that way." He looked around at the rest of them. "Crassus and his Knights Aeris have found us a decent patch of ground to land upon. We'll move in with the Legions and warriors first and debark the civilians as time allows." Tavi turned to Varg, and said, "We'll have to move quickly. I'll do everything I can to make sure that your folk have whatever shelter is available."

"So that the vord overrun them in a few days?" Nasaug asked.

Varg turned slightly toward his get with a faint, low growl of reproof. He faced Tavi without blinking. "His point is valid."

Tavi inhaled deeply and nodded. "You're right, of course. They'll need the protection of the city's walls."

Max shook his head gravely. "Old Vanorius is not going to like this."

"He doesn't need to like it," Tavi said bluntly. "He just needs to do it." He paused and softened his tone. "Besides, I can't imagine he'll be too upset about gaining several thousand Canim militia to help him defend the walls."

Varg let out an interrogative growl, his head tilting slightly.

Tavi regarded him steadily. "Did you think I'd expect you to leave your civilians here alone and unguarded?"

"And if you get us to do some of the fighting for you," Varg said, "so much the better for your folk."

"You aren't the vord," Tavi said, simply. "We can work out our problems later."

Varg stared at him for a moment, then tilted his head slightly to one side. "Tavar," he rumbled, rising. "I will see to the preparations as you suggest."

Tavi returned the Canim-style bow, careful to use exactly the same degree and duration as Varg. "It is appreciated, Warmaster. Good day. And to you, Nasaug."

"Tavar," the younger Cane growled. The pair of them left the cabin, almost seeming to fold in on themselves to fit through the door. The others took that as their cue to be about their own duties and also filed out.

"Magnus," Tavi said quietly. "A moment."

The old Cursor paused and looked back at Tavi.

"The door," Tavi said.

Magnus shut the door and turned to face him. "Your Highness?"

"I'm sorry I cut you off earlier. I hope I didn't entirely sever both legs."

"Your Highness." Magnus sighed. "This is no time for levity."

"I know," Tavi said quietly. "And I do need your help. My intelligence is... incomplete. I'll need you to speak to whoever Lord Vanorius has bringing in information and sort out exactly where Aquitaine is and how we might contact him."

"Your Highness - "

"I can't tell you, Magnus," Tavi said in a calm, quiet voice. "I'm quite certain my grandfather never revealed all of his sources to you."

Magnus regarded Tavi thoughtfully for a few moments. Then he bowed his head, and said, "Very well, Your Highness."

"Thank you," Tavi said. "Now. You've been giving Marcus odd looks for weeks. I want to know why."

Magnus shook his head. After a moment, he said, "I'm not sure I trust him."

Tavi frowned. "Crows, man. Valiar Marcus? Why not?"

"He..." Magnus sighed. "It's nothing I can quantify. And I've been trying for weeks. There's just... something off."

Tavi grunted. "Are you sure?"

"Of course not," Magnus replied, automatically. "Nothing's sure."

Tavi nodded. "But you haven't let go of it, either."

"It's my gut," Magnus said. "I know it. I just can't figure out how I know it." He lifted a hand and pushed white hair back from his eyes. "It's possible I'm going senile, I suppose." He peered at Tavi suddenly. "How long have you known about Sextus?"

"Since a few days after we escaped Canea," Tavi said quietly.

"And you said nothing."

Tavi shrugged. "What would it have changed except to frighten everyone and make us appear more vulnerable to the Canim?" He shook his head. "Everyone sitting on slow ships with nothing to do but chew on bad thoughts - we'd have had blood on the decks in a week. This way, by the time word gets around, we'll be in the middle of operations. Everyone will have work to turn his hand to."

Magnus sighed. "Yes. I suppose it was necessary to keep it quiet." He shook his head, his eyes gleaming faintly for a moment. "But please, Your Highness. Don't make a habit of such things. My heart can only take so much."

"I'll do what I can," Tavi said. He nodded to Magnus and turned back toward his desk. "Oh, Maestro."

"Hmm?"

Tavi looked up from a weary slump on his chair. "Valiar Marcus has saved my life. And I, his. I can't imagine that he would ever turn against the Legion. Or against me."

Magnus was silent for a moment. Then he said, quietly, "That's what everyone always thinks about traitors, lad. It's why we hate them so."

The old man left the cabin.

Aquitainus Attis, the man who had been striving to take the Crown of Alera for most of his lifetime, was now only a heartbeat away from taking it incontestably. Could there be one more knife lurking, awaiting the right moment to strike?

Tavi closed his eyes. He felt fragile. He felt frightened.

Then he rose abruptly, stalked across the room, and began donning his armor, a suit taken from a legionare who had perished of his wounds after the evacuation to replace the one he'd lost in the harbor city of Molvar. The familiar weight of Aleran lorica settled upon him, cold and solid. He slung his sword at his hip and felt the cold power of the steel singing quietly down the length of the blade.

There was work to be done.

Best be about it.

P/S: Copyright -->www_novelfreereadonline_Com

***