Part 58

The dust clogged the air and Greza had to wrap her face in order to breathe.  Thousands of soldiers marched by and the carts kicked up more dust which made the air almost unbearable.

“If it would rain we could breathe,” Onata said.

“But then we’d be up to our knees in mud,” Tempest said.

“Just enjoy it for what it is,” Greza said.

They both looked to her.

“Enjoy?” Tempest asked.

“We’re part of this great mission,” Greza said.

“Not this holy mission dung,” Tempest.

“Why not?  It might be true,” Onata said.

Tempest laughed and walked off to check on the baggage train. 

Onata shook her head, making the tiny bells on her horns jingle.  She liked to indulge in such vanities when silence wasn’t necessary.

“No matter what you do, some people won’t believe.” 

“Lord Verin will prove the prophecy.  They won’t have a choice but to believe.”

“Of course.  And this coming battle?”

“We’ll win.”

“Just like that?”

Onata was teasing her and she wasn’t going to fall for the bait.

The Combined Army was approaching a city that sat on a three-way crossroads of the major highways.  Everyone expected the Empire to send an army to stop them.  The city was too important to let fall.  What she heard from the soldiers told her they wanted the fight.

Then distant horns blared at the front of the army.  Three long notes, the signal for enemy contact. 

“I guess we’re going to find out how good your holy boy is,” Onata said.

“Please speak with respect.”

Greza pulled the reigns of her horse and trotted over to where Verin and the generals were. This was her new personal horse. Before she had drawn from the army’s stables, but now she had her own.  His name was Church because he was the quietest of all the horses.  She liked that name. It suited them both.

Scouts were rushing up and giving reports and officers began barking orders all around her. It was an army preparing for a fight and the smiling faces on the running soldiers showed that they were ready for it. 

She silently prayed that their confidence was justified.  She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that just because they were on a sacred mission that they couldn’t fail. There would always be setbacks and disappointments.    

The enemy army was force marching to catch them before they got to the city.  Many officers wanted to rush and reach the city first to get inside the walls.  Verin wanted to meet them head on.

Verin won and they moved their armies into position.  The two armies came within sight of each other before either could reach the city, just as Verin wanted. It took hours for the ponderous armies to line up and face each other.  By then the sun was setting. 

She noticed the narrowed eyes and closed mouth on Verin.  He sat on his horse watching his army and remained silent.

Something was wrong with him.  She could see it but too much was happening to ask him. It wasn’t her place either.

As she watched the scouts rushing around she recognized a few of them.  She wanted to be with them, riding at the head of the army, finding enemy positions. It was so much freer out there, but here she could be near Verin. Whatever purpose the gods had for her, she was where she needed to be.

“Tomorrow,” Decaron said. 

“They outnumber us two to one,” the fat general said.

Normally there would be jokes about the upcoming battle, but Verin’s mood was dampening everyone’s joy. 

Something was wrong and he wasn’t speaking to anyone.

The camp fires began appearing and music began playing. As she walked by the soldiers plucking on their lutes, she wanted to join them.  She wanted to learn the songs they sang and learn to play those instruments. 

That was a brotherhood she would never share.

It was just one more sacrifice to make for the Divine Path. It wouldn’t be the last.

The sound of tinkling bells approached from behind. 

“I think Verin’s nervous,” Greza said.

“He should be.”

“How many enemy?”

“More than twice our number. Maybe three.”

She looked over to where Verin sat by a fire with his generals. Him and Decaron were talking quietly to each other. 

“I wish I could do something for him.”

“Just let him know you’re there.”

“How would that-”

“Go over and stand by him. He needs you.”

Onata pushed her towards the circle of generals.  She managed a scowl before walking over and standing behind Verin. He glanced at her but didn’t say anything to her. 

Still, she saw a faint smile on his face. 

Eventually the generals turned in for the night and Verin retreated to his tent.  She waited until she saw the night guards doing their rounds before she went to her own tent.  Onata was asleep inside, still wearing her uniform and boots.  Everyone slept with their gear tonight.

Greza stretched her sleeping roll out and lay down.  All she took off were her gauntlets.

The morning came with loud trumpets and drums.  Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. 

Onata was stirring and grumbling something under her breath. 

Greza helped Onata get into her armor and then Onata helped her. Then they strapped on their bandoliers of powder canisters and pistol belts with a speed that only comes from doing a thing so many times that the mind wasn’t needed; the muscles knew what to do. Once they were kitted up they rushed outside to Verin’s tent. 

The sun was a purple smear in the distance.  She couldn’t count how many sunrises she had seen since joining the Chimera Company.  They always had to be up too early.  This just happened to be one of the rare days that getting up before the sun was justified. 

A few minutes later Verin came out of his tent in full armor.  It was going to be a warm day so he didn’t wear his long coat, only his cotton shirt under his armor and padding.  He held his helmet down at his side and looked around with a smile in his eyes. 

Whatever dark thoughts he had during the night were gone. 

“Good morning, my lord.”

“Its going to be a great morning, Greza.  Stay close. I don’t want a troll coming to shake hands with me again.”

“If there’s a troll, I’ll kindly ask him to leave.”

An enormous grin crossed Verin’s face and he strapped on his helmet.

“Fellow generals! On me! We have a long day ahead of us!” Verin shouted out. 

An orderly brought Church to her and she mounted up. Onata wasn’t there so she held the reigns of her brown horse, “Legion” until she returned.  Onata came back with two apples and tossed one to her.

“Can’t fight on an empty stomach,” Onata said.

She looked out at the camp fires that covered the plain a few miles away.  This was probably the only food she’d have for a while. 

Greza took a bite and watched the armies form up into blocks and lines.  Gunners got into rows and the pikemen fell in behind them. 

This was going to be a horrible day.  Even if they won, many people will suffer and die.  It was like watching an accident in the slowness of a dream.  She could see everything that was about to happen and was powerless to stop it. 

But Greza didn’t want to stop it.      

Part 57

Greza dressed in her uniform and straightened herself out in the mirror.  If she was going to be exiled from Verin’s presence, she might as well look her best. 

Once her uniform was perfect she took some oil and a rag and polished her breastplate before strapping it on. 

Lastly, she did her hair in a simple tail. She wanted to look professional, not pretty.  She wasn’t pretty but Verin had been drunk enough to think she was.  She had heard of this phenomenon before but had thought herself immune to it.

Now she was alcohol’s victim.  Verin would never had said those things and forced her to insult him if he had all his faculties. 

What right did she have to refuse him?  How arrogant she must seem.  He probably thought she imagined herself to be better than him. 

Verin, beneath her?  Ridiculous. 

Just remembering him calling her “beautiful” made her feel warm inside, but it wasn’t true because it was the spirits talking and not him.  That put a disharmonious note in last night’s song. 

Drunk or not she felt honored at his attentions.  It was more than honor.  It was hope.  Perhaps one day he could see her as beautiful.  She would never assume that he’d have feelings for her, but just him thinking kindly about her was enough. 

All that might be over though.  She could march into that hall and meet his furious gaze.  She didn’t know if she could take it.

After kneeling down and saying a quick prayer, she brushed her knees off and walked to the Great Hall where Verin held court. 

Her boots were nearly silent on the thick rugs that led to the Hall.  All she could hear was her own breathing that sounded heavier than she would have liked. 

When she came to the open door where two guards stood, she wiped the sweat on her palms off on her pants and walked in.  The generals were gathered around the table eating bread and sausages while arguing over maps.  Verin was, like always, in the middle.  He glanced up briefly at her entrance but went back to his maps.  He didn’t greet her but he didn’t show scorn either. 

Was this good or bad?

She walked to her usual place behind and to the side of Verin. Onata was nowhere to be seen and neither was Alethia.  Alethia kept her own hours and if anyone saw her before noon that was counted as an early day. 

It wasn’t till a half hour later that Onat arrived.  Her uniform was rumbled and her hair was messier than she had ever seen it.  Her eyes were half closed and she looked almost as if she were in pain. 

“Are you alright?” Greza whispered once Onata had taken her place. 

Onata made an unintelligible groan in response and Greza decided to drop it until Onata regained the power of speech. 

There was no one allowed in this room except officers so Greza allowed herself to listen in.  They were discussing troop movements, logistics, where to go next and where the enemy might be. 

Some wanted to split the army and take several weak cities but Verin insisted that they stay together.  His argument was that if they continued as one massive army, the Empire would have to gather several of their provincial armies just to slow them down. 

“It’s almost as if you want them too,” one of the generals said.

“And why not?”  Verin said.  “If we can smash them in one day, wouldn’t that be better for us and the people?  The longer and more spread out this war gets, the worse the common people will suffer.”

“This is a war, of course they’re going to suffer.”

“I’m going to minimize that.” 

“He’s right,” Decaron said.  “If we can draw them out we can end this right then and there.” 

“The longer we wait increases the chance that they’ll learn and start cutting off our supply lines and setting ambushes for us.”

“We’ve already planned for that,” an Elf general said.

“And I’ve already sent an agent to bribe some Imperial commanders to start pushing for a confrontation,” Verin said.

“What?”

“Are you mad?”

“Oh! This should be fun,” Decaron said, clapping his hands. 

They argued more but Verin got them to go along with his plan, at least for now. He listened and reasoned but he didn’t change his opinion. Once the generals were dismissed Verin began rolling up the maps. 

“I thought they’d be angrier about that,” Tempest said as he walked up and patted Verin on the back.

“It wasn’t fiery anger, more a boiling resentment.  I can’t push them too far, Tempest.  They’re already sacrificing enough.”

“And they also know what they stand to gain.  Being a governor of a province isn’t a bad reward for a war.”

“If they get it.  That’s the problem with gambling.”

“You can’t start having doubts now.  Too late for that.”

“Of course not. I never doubt anything…ever.”

Tempest chuckled and shook his head before leaving. 

Verin gathered the maps under his arm and began walking toward the door.  Onata her she began to follow. 

“Just Greza, please.  Onata, you can meet me back here during lunch.”

Greza almost stumbled.  All morning she had dreaded this. He wanted to talk to her alone.  All the reprimands he would throw at her flooded her mind.  She pictured his angry face or worse, a dismissive expression.

Onata didn’t know what occurred last night and she waved with a headache fueled grimace before wondering off. 

She followed Verin in silence as they left the Hall and walked back toward his room.  She tried to walk as silently as she could to not disturb him or draw his notice.  It was foolish and she knew it, but she didn’t know what else to do. All she wanted was to run away. 

Then he stopped walking and she swallowed. 

“About last night…” he started to say. 

This was it. 

“I wanted to apologize for how I behaved,” he said.

What?

“I acted rudely to you.  You deserve better treatment than that.”

“My lord…”

“You must think I’m beast, but I swear that I am not. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

“But, my lord, I should apologize.”

“You? For what?  What imagined insult did you think of?”

“My lord, I’m a nobody.  I didn’t want you to think that…”

“Greza, shut up.”

Her mouth snapped closed.

“How can you think so little of yourself that you’d apologize to me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to think that I was better than you.”

It sounded weak as it left her mouth and she knew she must seem ridiculous.

“But you are.”

She struggled for words but nothing came to her lips.

He turned back around and continued walking.

She tried to understand what he had said.  What did he mean when he said she was better than him?  He had to know that that was ludicrous. Was he trying to tell her something that she just wasn’t understanding?

They came to his door and she didn’t know what to do.

“Greza, please forget last night happened.”

“Of course.”

Of course there was no way he would find her attractive.  She knew that.

She smiled and saluted as he closed the door behind him.  

Greza went back to the Great Hall and sat down on one of the benches lining the wall.  Only an occasional servant or messenger would pass by.  Outside she knew the armies were readying to move out.  At dawn they would march towards another battle.

She was a part of the most important event in history in hundreds of years and she was honored to just be a part of it.

Part 56

As the night progressed more food and drink were brought in.  She frowned but it wasn’t her place to dictate what was appropriate. Verin was laughing and sharing stories with the mercenary generals.  It wouldn’t do to have a mere bodyguard correct her lord in front of the allied officers.

Occasionally she’d catch a glimpse of Onata in the party, usually surrounded by men like a mother duck with her hatchlings. 

Then she saw a familiar head of flaming red hair approach. 

“You’ve done well for yourself,” Burana said. 

Burana held out a tankard of foul smelling ale.

“You know I don’t.”

Burana smirked.

“Thought I’d try.  It’s been a while.  I thought maybe other things had changed as well.”

“Not my faith.”

“Of course not, but can that last forever?”

“How are you doing?”

She tried to give an honest smile.  She was happy to see her, but Burana had an edge in her voice that was confusing.

“Not as good as bodyguard to Lord Verin. I hope you won’t sneer at us lowly rank and file soldiers.”

“Of course not.”

“Do you think your gods gifted you this lofty position?”

“Are you drunk?”

She looked down at the other goblet in her hand.

“Maybe.”

“I’ll find you tomorrow and we’ll talk then.”

“I want to talk now.”

“No, I can’t be distracted right now.”

“Too good to talk to me, huh?  Too good to talk to the unbeliever?”

Greza didn’t know what to do.  Burana was only getting worse and if she got more beligerant it could embarrass her in front of Verin or worse: embarrass Verin in front of his allies. 

Then Tempest stepped in. 

“Soldier, unless you have important business with Lord Verin, I suggest you leave.”

Tempest’s voice was low like distant thunder and didn’t carry beyond their ears. 

Burana looked up at the horned giant and backed away without another word. 

“Thanks,” Greza said.

Tempest gave her a nod and went back to his place behind Verin’s throne. 

Verin said he wasn’t going to drink tonight so he could keep a clear head, but he held a giant goblet in his hand that had been full an hour ago. 

As the hours ticked by the room became more vacant as the soldiers went off to sleep, “patrol” the city for more entertainment or retire to their rooms for love making. 

She knew from history that every army had problems with morality.  It came with the stress of never knowing if it would be one’s last day or not.  Still, she hated how the Divine Lights’ mission was being carried out by such lost people.

“Well, gentlemen, I’m calling it a night,” Verin said to his generals. “See you in the morning and we’ll get back to conquering an empire.”

He stood up and waved for her to follow him.  She was going to regardless.  He had been drinking and she didn’t know his level of inebriation.  His coordination could have been thrown off, leaving him vulnerable to attack. 

They walked down the hall that lead along the outside of the wall.  An arched colonnade gave them an open view of the city below them.  The wind still had a touch of chill to it but Verin didn’t even have a cloak on. 

She wondered if he came from a cold place or if he just didn’t mind it.  She minded.  The wind was coming right up her dress. It was very pretty but it wasn’t at all practical. 

“What do you see down there?”  He asked.

She walked to the ledge and rested her elbows along the wall.  The stone was cold and seeped through her sleeves almost instantly. Greza saw that most of the lights had gone out and only a few stars remained in the man-made sky. 

“A sleeping city.” 

He looked at her and shook his head with a smile.

“I didn’t mean so literal.”

She looked again. 

“I see an uncertain future.”

“I thought certainty was the one luxury religion gave a person.”

“Only in a few areas.”

He turned away from the view and leaned back against the short wall.

“I keep wondering what chain of events brought you to me.”

He spoke without looking at her.  It was as if he was talking to himself.  She examined his face for signs of being drunk.  He didn’t look it but he didn’t look himself either.  It like like a perfect song with one of the instruments out of tune.

“That’s one of the certainties I have,” she said.

“You have some crazy ideas about the gods, but you are one of the most exceptional women I’ve ever met.” 

She blushed and cleared her throat at the complement.  He must be drunk. No one complimented her like that.  She was a good fighter, sure, but she was hardly exceptional.

“I think my lord is exaggerating.”

“No,” he said, the smile disappearing from his face. “If anything, I’m not doing you justice.”

She didn’t know what to say.  She folded her hands and stared at the city with all her attention.  This sudden praise was as undeserved as it was unexpected. 

“You look beautiful tonight.  You look beautiful every night, but especially more so tonight.  You’re strong, pretty, innocent and probably the most intelligent person in the army.”

“I…I hardly think that’s the…the case, my lord.”

Beautiful? She wasn’t beautiful.  Everyone agreed that Orks were ugly and she was an Ork.  Half Ork, yes, but still most people saw the green skin and black hair and counted her as an Ork.  She knew she wasn’t pretty which meant only one thing: Verin was drunk. 

He fell silent and she didn’t dare look at him in case he was looking at her.

Did he really think she was pretty?  She didn’t see how unless he had problems with his vision that she was unaware of.  But if he did…  What if he really did think she was pretty?

She felt her cheeks grow warm and a strange tingling sensation ran up and down her back. 

He moved closer to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.  If felt like the heat of a fire through her dress. 

“Greza, come to my room tonight.” 

She gasped and held her breath as her hands shot up to cover her mouth. 

There was no denying what he was suggesting.  She had been around masters and soldiers long enough to know what he meant. 

Two powerful ideas instantly began battering around inside her head.  One side was horrified at the idea.  Everything her religion taught her told her that sex outside of marriage was a sin.  It caused pregnancies which led to children without fathers and proper role models, it lead to disease and led to bastards living in poverty.  All her life she had ran from it with a desire to be pure for the one man she would marry.

The other part of her mind screamed at her to say ‘yes’ and let him take her to his bed where she could be with him.  She’d have his lips on hers and his hands on her body.  Despite her best efforts, she had imagined such a thing more times than she was proud of. Every inch of her body burst with its desire to have him on top of her. She really had no idea what it was like but she had a strong imagination. 

She wasn’t ignorant about the technical aspects.  She had seen it done at parties in front of her.  She had heard the moans of pain/pleasure and seen the looks of absolute ecstasy on their faces. There were few things she wanted more than to experience that with Verin. 

But Verin was above her.  He wasn’t hers to have.  He belonged to the Princess that was to appear.  That meant she was meant for someone else and she had a duty to whoever that person was. 

Verin’s mission in the prophecy was too important to ruin because of her selfish wants. 

“I can’t.”

His brows lowered.

“Can’t?”

“It’s not right.”

“Is this a religious thing?”

“Partially.”

He stepped away and looked her up and down.

“Do you want to?”

“Well…that’s a complicated answer.  There are several simultaneously-“

“Do you want to, yes or no?”

“Yes,” she said before she could stop herself. 

She was about to take it back but then she realized that it was true.  She did want to.  She wanted it very badly.

“Then let’s go.”

Right then all she had to do was remain silent and she’d get her secret desire.  She’d be with Verin like no one else was.  She’d feel what it was like to have him press down on top of her and feel his breath on her skin. 

All she had to do was stay silent and take his hand. 

But the cost was too high.  She’d be robbing her future husband and she’d be going against the commandments of her gods.  She knew what was right. She just had to have the courage to do it. 

She swallowed before answering.

“But I can’t.”

He sighed.

“I’m getting tired of your religious piety.  If you want to, then don’t let some fake spirits in the sky tell you otherwise.”

“They’re not fake.  They’re real and I follow them.  If I betrayed them then I could betray anyone and then how could you ever trust me?”

“I don’t care,” he snapped.

His flash of anger made her step back.  

“Come on, let’s go,” he said and held out her hand. 

If he continued this she knew she’d give in eventually.  Already she felt more like she following him to his bed. 

“No,” she said.

Then she turned around and ran. 

She ran back inside and through the halls to her borrowed quarters.  There she slammed the door and locked it. 

Her breaths came in great heaves, but not from the short run.  Her heart was pounding like a woodpecker’s tapping and her eyes were burning.  When she rubbed them her hands came away wet. 

This had all gone horribly wrong.  Now he would hate her and send her away.  He hated her religion and now he hated her. 

Greza sat down on her bed and collapsed backwards into the mountain of pillows.

How was she supposed to face him in the morning?  All she wanted to do was run and hide.  He had offered her his bed and she rejected him as if she were somehow better than him. 

Was she being punished for her sinful thoughts?  Was this a test of fate or was this just one of the unfortunate aspects of normal life?  Whatever it was, was unfair and it hurt.    

Part 55

 

She was assigned a large bedroom suite in the palace to herself.  She didn’t know who used to live there but it had been a woman with expensive tastes.  Dresses lay strewn about the room from where the occupant had packed what they could in a hurry.  Embroidered curtains with subtle floral patterns blew from the open window almost touching the enormous four post bed that was covered in satin pillows.  How many pillows did one person need?

Greza picked up a crimson dress and felt the unearthly softness of the silk.  It was wonderful.  She’d never dressed in anything like it before and had only seen ladies wear them during her gladiatorial performances during parties.  Even though she could barely look at them or risk showing her hatred for them, they always looked regal and beautiful.

She was neither regal nor beautiful.

Greza let the dress fall to the floor.  She walked over to the open door sized window and looked out over the city that was growing dark as the sun sunk below the distant mountains. Most of the army was camped outside the walls with only a few units let inside to keep the peace.

She could see the campfires of the army spread around the city like a premature night sky full of stars.  There were so many of them that it was hard for her to understand the entirety of it all.

The sound of light hoof falls entered the room.

“Ready for the party?” Onata asked.

She turned around to see Onata wearing black knee-length britches, a black vest and her pistol belt.  Her hair was done in a simple pony tail but it was neat and clean.

Her dark eyes looked Greza up and down.  Greza hadn’t prepared.  She had no desire to spend all night around a bunch of drunken people. Also, she had nothing to wear and she didn’t want to show up looking like a mud covered brawler.

“Not going?”

“It’s mandatory?”

“Afraid it is.”

“You can come up with an excuse.  Tell Verin I’m getting my hand looked at by the doctor.”

“He knows Alethia healed it. Why don’t you want to come?”

Greza sat down on the bed and kicked a fluffy dress away from her. 

“These kinds of parties are a waste of time.”

“You’ve never been to a party like this so how would you know?”

Onata picked up one of the dresses and turned it over in her hands.  She then looked back to Greza.

“This might fit you.”

Greza looked at the dark dress.  It was very pretty.

“Really?”

“It might.  If not, I can make it fit.”

She thought about walking up to Verin wearing something so gorgeous. She imagined the smile on his face.

“You’re smiling about something,” Onata said.  “That means you’re coming.  Now try this on.”

Greza, not as reluctantly as she pretended, put the dress on.  Then she washed herself as Onata made some hasty improvements.  When Onata told her the chest had to be taken in Greza almost punched her for laughing.  It wasn’t funny.  She couldn’t help it if her Dark Elf blood dictated her body shape.

Onata told her not to pout and tossed the finished dress at her. 

She tried it on and found that it fit well enough if not too tight.  She didn’t know enough about fashion to know what everyone considered to look good. She then put her hair up in a simple bun and Onata put in a decorated pin with pearls on it to add some style to it.

“This alright?” Greza asked.

It felt more odd than alright.

“You look great.  Now let’s go.”

She followed Onata out into the halls where she could already hear the music and laughter coming from the party.  Verin had sworn that it wouldn’t be a feast. Being in a war had a way of limiting food.  Still, a victory party didn’t seem exactly the right tone to set. They should be working on the people of this city to see that their needs were being met. 

Then they came to the open doors to the Grand Hall and she stopped.  Inside was Verin.  She looked down at herself to make sure everything was in place and that she didn’t look too ridiculous.

Onata was peeking around the doorway inside.  Good.  That meant Onata wasn’t paying attention to her because she would have told her to stop acting so nervous.

Why, by the Divine Lights was she nervous?  Verin cared about her skills as a soldier, not a woman.  No one cared about her as a woman.  She was a weapon and nothing more.

She took a deep breath and tried to put on a calm face as she walked into the room.

Long wooden tables had been brought in and soldiers were drinking and laughing while musicians played in the background.  Maybe it wasn’t a feast but there looked to be more food here than was necessary. 

She looked around but didn’t see Verin through the crowd and somehow she had lost sight of Onata.

“Who is this stunningly beautiful woman before me?  Have we met?”

She turned to see Lord Decaron approaching her with a goblet in each hand.

“Flattery works better when it’s believable,” Greza said.

“You’re gorgeous, woman.  You’re going to have to come to terms with that.”

It would take more than one drunken fop to convince her of a lifetime of insults. It seemed that alcohol had a way of making everyone appear attractive. 

He offered her one of the goblets.

“Don’t drink.”

“More for me then.”

He then drank the offered goblet in one swallow. 

“Have you seen Lord Verin?”

“Over there, surrounded by the remnants of the local nobility begging for leniency.”

That didn’t improve her already souring mood.

She excused herself and he gave her a polite bow. As Decaron had said, there was a swarm of local nobility surrounding Verin.  Tempest and a few other officers were there along with some scribes that were scribbling as faster than she ever could hope to do.

He was busy.  Of course he was.  He had a war to run and a country to put back together.  There was no way he would have time for a half-Ork body guard.  She was fortunate that she was even allowed near him.

Then he looked up and saw her.  He stopped talking and sat up straighter. He was probably wondering why she was dressed this way.  He’d ask why she wasn’t in uniform and that she didn’t have time to play dress up. 

He stood up and his crowd of petitioners fell silent as they saw they were being ignored.  She gave him a polite but awkward curtsey.  She had seen it done but had never tried it before.

He stood in front of her for several moments before speaking. 

“You saved my life today.”

He didn’t comment on her dress.  Perhaps it wasn’t remarkable one way or another.

“I only did what anyone else would have done.”

He laughed.

“Taken out a war troll with their bare hands?”

“It was my duty.”

“I owe you.  Tell me what you wish and you can have it.”

“I…I don’t need anything,” she said.

There was nothing she needed beyond what she had.  She got to serve at his side and see him fulfill his destiny.  She was a witness to the Divine Lights’ plan.  What more could she possibly want?

“I don’t leave debts unpaid.  Consider it for a while.  One way or another you will be rewarded. It’s a matter of honor.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

He brought her back to the throne and had her stand right beside him. 

“Greza, these people think I am treating them unfairly by taking away from them to give to their former slaves. What do you think?”

Suddenly all eyes were fixated on her.

“I’m not anyone to comment on such things,” Greza quickly said.

“Come now, Grez, you’re the most moral, intelligent person I know. If anyone has an opinion on this, it’s you.”

She couldn’t refuse.  She did have an opinion and the Divine Lights frowned upon people that kept silent when they could remind people of what was right.

“My Lord, I do think you are being too harsh.  Yes, what they did was wrong. I know how their kind treat slaves. But if we want their support and the support of nobles and merchants from other cities, then we need to show leniency.  They’re lost and confused and need guidance, not punishment now.”

“So, I should pat them on the back and send them away with a piece of cake?”

Verin was smiling but she could tell he wasn’t being humorous.

“No, they need to know that what they did was wrong.  Perhaps they could pay a tax to help the former slaves and hire them on as paid workers.”

“I didn’t think you’d be so forgiving towards the people that treated you like a beast.”

She looked away from Verin and towards the cowering nobles.  They looked frightened and pathetic.  They did deserve to be punished and she wanted to punch all their teeth out and decorate her saddlebags with them.  She wanted to break their fingers and see the pain in their eyes as she snapped the bones one by one. 

But that wouldn’t help anyone.  Justice wasn’t about punishing wrongs, but about what was best for society.  Right now, society needed these nobles to willingly help their cause against the Empire. 

“My forgiveness is irrelevant.  Their support is very relevant,” she said. 

His eyes bored into her as he sat rigid in his chair. Then his look softened and he shook his head. 

“I don’t know where…” he started to say but then smiled.  “You make a lot of sense, Greza.  Perhaps you’re right.”  He looked back at the nobles.  “I’ll have your answer in the morning.” 

He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. 

She stood by his side in silence as the officers argued about what to do. 

“You’re always going to tell me what you think, aren’t you?”  Verin said just to her.

“Always, even if you don’t want to hear it.”

He nodded. 

More people from the city came with petitions for emergencies the war had brought.  Verin listened to them all while she stood there as a silent guardian.  She could have been eating and telling stories with the other soldiers, but her place was here. 

Still, he hadn’t said one thing about her appearance.  She was a fool to even try to look like a lady.  He hadn’t been impressed.  He hadn’t even noticed. 

Part 54

The Combined Army (that was the name they settled on) marched into the city of Doranav through the open gates.  The remains of the Imperial army had tried to hide behind the city walls but the citizens threw the gates open.  Greza didn’t know if they did it in fear of reprisals or if they actually supported their cause.  This wasn’t even one of the cities Verin had sent agents to.  But still, they had to have heard that they were there to end the oppression by the nobles. 

If this wasn’t a righteous cause guided by the Divine Lights then nothing was.  The Divine Path was more necessary now than ever.

Verin was riding his black warhorse through the gates and looked every part the hero. 

Right then she knew that there was no greater man in the world.  She would do anything for him. 

She watched his entrance from inside the gate while she kept an eye on the crowd.  Onata was on the other side of the gate watching for trouble. 

She grabbed the pommel of her saddle with her broken hand and immediately regretted it.  The medic had bandaged it up and gave her some horrible drink that killed the pain, but it still throbbed.  The medic said it wasn’t bad, but it certainly felt bad.  Medics always seemed to have an underestimation of pain.

Just in case there was trouble she had a brace of pistols slung across her chest.  She wouldn’t be much use in a fist fight so she had to rely on more range. 

“How’s the hand?”  Tempest asked.

She hadn’t seen the giant minotaur approach and mentally scolded herself for being distracted.

“Hurts.”

“I’d imagine.  Heard what you did.  Impressive.”

“They tell me it was foolish.”

“It’s never foolish to fight to protect someone.”

She didn’t know if her hand would agree.

“How did our forces do?”  She asked.

“We did very well.  It was our first real test of our unit cohesion, but everyone did their part.”

“Casualties?”

“Low.”

“Lower than expected?”

“Slightly. You know, you really should be looking out at the crowd and not at Verin.”

“I…what? I’m not.”

She tore her eyes away from Verin and went back to scanning the crowd for weapons or sudden movements.

Tempest chuckled and she would have hit him but he was on the side of her broken hand. 

“He’s not a god you know,” he said.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

She looked over at him to see how serious he was.  Apparently ‘very.’  She turned back to the crowd. 

She wasn’t deifying him. She respected him a great deal and would die for him.  She wanted to be with him always.  That was all. 

“There she is,” Alethia’s voice came from behind her.  She turned to see the black robbed sorceress push her way through the crowd.  Her hood was down and her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders.  Her skin seemed even paler in the bright sun of early afternoon. 

“Let me see your hand,” Alethia said.

Greza held out her bandaged hand.  Alethia took it and turned it around, making Greza wince. 

“Seems bad,” Alethia said.

“Decaron says that’s what happens when you punch trolls,” Greza said.

“That’s what happens when you play the fool, but I’m glad you’re our fool.  You saved Verin’s life today.”

“I wouldn’t say that.  There were plenty of soldiers around.”

“But none that could have stopped a rampaging troll.  Maybe if we had some gunners there.  No, stop being modest.  Modesty angers me.  You saved his life,” Alethia said.

“And the sorcerer that sent the troll?”

“Fled,” Tempest said.

Alethia then took Greza’s hand in both of hers and she was about to pull it away from the sharp pain but suddenly there wasn’t any pain at all. 

Greza wiggled her fingers and everything felt perfectly normal.

“Alethia, you shouldn’t have!  I’m not worth it.  Save them for something important.”

“You are important.  More so than you realize,” Alethia said as she walked off. 

She was just a bodyguard. She wasn’t worth Alethia’s memories for a simple broken bone.  It would have healed. 

Alethia shouldn’t be so wasteful about her memories.

Greza followed Verin’s procession to the castle in the middle of the city.  With a determined force this battle could have lasted weeks, maybe months.  As they passed from the city and into the castle’s courtyard she was glad it didn’t come to that.  The walls looked very high. 

The mayor of the city and all his nobles were out in the courtyard to greet their conqueror.  They were dressed in their finest. 

She walked just behind Verin and to the side so she’d have a view of any danger.  She tried not to be distracted by the enormous honor it was to be standing with him at this moment of triumph.

She couldn’t stand looking at them.  They came to grovel and beg for mercy.  They assumed Verin was as cruel and petty as they were. 

Verin and the other mercenary generals dismounted and approached the group of city leaders.  The one in front, with the fanciest robes was a Sayter with gold rings decorating his horns and a silver bell hanging from his pointed beard. 

The sayter made a deep bow. 

“We welcome you, Lord Verin to Doranav City.”

Verin didn’t return the bow. 

“You’re the mayor?”  Verin asked.

“Um…no, I’m his third advisor.  My name is Daralan Serotatian Beranii.  The mayor and many of his staff left an hour ago. I am the highest ranking official left.”

The mayor had fled.  Typical.  These nobles seldom had the courage to stand up against an actual threat.  They were cowards.   

“Well, Beranii, Doranav is now under Combined Army occupation and there will be a few new rules.  As of this instant, all slaves are set free with no compensation to their former masters.”

“I assumed as much,” Beranii said. 

Beranii looked as if he had more formalities he wanted to go through but Verin hated such pomp and ceremony.  He had too much to do to worry about niceties.  He led the group inside and Greza followed.

The Grand Hall of the governmental palace was dark and quiet as the doors shut behind them.  The crowds were shut away from the discussion which meant they were free to say what they meant. 

Verin had his bodyguards and officers with him and outnumbered the remaining city officials three to one. At least they had the sense to look nervous. 

“You are to surrender half your property to the people you’ve enslaved your entire lives,” Verin said.

“Half!” Beranni said.

“Yes, half.  You took everything away from them so its more than fair you give them something back.”

“That’s too much.  You’ll ruin us,” a fat human official said.

“I’m not done,” Verin said.

He turned to them and looked them each in the eye.

“Your oldest son or daughter will join our army or pay a fine of five thousand Soldati.”

The officials burst into protests but Verin ignored them as he walked down the Hall toward the throne at the end. 

It was a harsh judgment, especially for officials that were willing to work with them.   Aside from the counter-productive fear it’ll put into nobles heads, it felt less like justice and more like revenge. 

She watched Verin and didn’t see any concern in his eyes.