Chapter 27

Kenna, Duchy of River Mark, Sidor

As Aldric slid off his horse in the courtyard of the keep that sat at the center of the city, a feeling of warmth filled him. He hadn’t been back to his capital in almost a year, and he’d missed it.

It was good to be home.

Handing his reins to a stable boy who came running out, Aldric climbed the steps of the keep and stepped through its large central doors. These were as they always had been, a reminder that life at home did not stop just because the armies were away.

“Your Grace, it is good to have you home,” Thurston Whitby, his majordomo, said, intercepting him only a few steps into the doorway.

“It’s good to be home.”

“Will you be staying long? Is there anything I can do for you?”

“A few days at the most before I have to ride south. And yes, I would kill for a warm bath and fresh clothes. I’ve been in the saddle for weeks and nothing sounds better than a nice, clean bed. Is the Duchess home?”

“Yes, Your Grace. She arrived three weeks ago, and not a moment too soon. The duchy withers without guidance.”

“I’m sure the duchy carried on just fine without us,” Aldric said, stifling a grin.

It was an old game he and Thurston played. The majordomo knew how much Aldric hated fawning and played it up to the hilt as a way to tweak his master’s nose.

“If only that were true. I will have the servants prepare you a bath and fresh clothing,” Thurston said, bowing. “I believe the mistress is in the study.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Aldric said, patting him on the shoulder as he passed.

Making his way up the stairs, Aldric entered his large study where most of the business of the Duchy passed through, although in all honesty it was more his wife’s study. She was the heart and brains of River Mark and did the necessary work to keep it running.

She was seated in a large, comfortable chair, her feet tucked under her, poring over sheets of parchment when he entered. She gave a mildly annoyed look at the interruption that shifted into a giant grin as soon as she recognized him.

“Aldric!” she exclaimed, jumping out of the chair and rushing forward to embrace him. “I didn’t expect you so soon.”

“I decided to stop for a night and visit before continuing on to Shadowhold,” he said, pulling her into a deep hug, breathing in the scent of her hair. “I’ve missed you, my love.”

“What of the men you have gathering on the other side of the Kingshold? They’ve been marching through for weeks.”

Pulling out of the embrace, Aldric tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and said, “The army can wait a few days. This is my first chance to be home in almost a year. I wanted to take it.”

“Your timing is impeccable,” she said, pulling out of his arms and picking up a pair of rolled wyvern messages from the desk. “I received wyvern messages for you from Baron Pembroke and William. They seem urgent.”

Aldric took the two pages and unrolled the first one, noting the wax had already been broken on it.

Uncle,

I hope this message finds you well. Our supply situation continues to be difficult, and the men grow restless. We have managed to capture enough supplies to sustain us for a time and we are in the process of making a plan to secure more that should keep us going through the winter. Without additional supplies from home, however, the advance will grind to a halt.

More troubling are the rumors from home. Word of unrest has reached the men from their families back home, mostly about the laws passed earlier this year. They fear for their families and question the purpose of our fight. I’ve done what I can to reassure them, but I fear it’s not enough.

I implore you, Uncle, to speak with my stepfather. Convince him to change course before it’s too late. The kingdom cannot sustain this path.

I eagerly await your guidance.

Your nephew, William

Aldric sighed heavily and looked to Alyssa, “You read these?”

He was already fairly certain of the answer, considering the broken seal, not that it was a problem. He kept no secrets from his wife. If anything, he valued her opinion almost more than his own, and often asked her to weigh in on decisions.

“I have, and he is right to be worried.”

“He’s a smart boy, and the new ‘recruits’ made it pretty clear what was happening here, although if men are starting to get complaints from home, it could significantly endanger morale. I’m not sure what to tell him about Edmund. Their relationship is already so troubled, telling him there’s no chance Edmund or Serwyn will change their minds will only make it worse.”

“I doubt there’s anything you could tell him that will do more damage to their relationship than your brother has done willingly all by himself. He’s never been subtle about how he feels about William.”

“I know,” Aldric said, switching to the other letter.

Your Grace,

I write to update you on the progress of our campaign and the development of your nephew, Prince William. The boy has shown remarkable growth in the months since you left him in my charge. He has a keen mind for strategy and a natural ability to inspire loyalty in the men. In many ways, he reminds me of your late brother.

However, William has been asking pointed questions about the actions of Duke Edmund and King Serwyn back in Sidor. It is my belief that the time has come to have a more open conversation with the Prince. The boy has proven himself trustworthy and capable, and his influence with the men grows by the day. Important qualities.

There may be some haste needed in the matter. As the Prince’s status rises, I believe there may be attempts to sway his loyalty. While it seems unlikely, from what I have heard, that such attempts will work, should he change his priorities, it could make future work difficult.

As always, I remain your faithful servant.

Baron Rowan Pembroke

“Rowan is walking a fine line,” Alyssa warned as Aldric lowered the letter. “Should someone intercept his wyvern and read that...”

“It would be fine. It might clue my brother in to the idea that there is more going on, but Edmund has never trusted me anyway. We’ve already assumed he knows I’m doing something, and this tells him no more than that.”

“Maybe,” Alyssa said. “You have a bad habit of underestimating him, though. He has many faults, but lack of intelligence was never one of them. He’s very capable of working out what is happening here.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Aldric said, not dismissing her, but not wanting to continue an argument they’d been having since he’d first begun his work against his brother’s efforts with Serwyn.

“Is he really suggesting that Edmund might convince William to back him and Serwyn? While I get why Edmund might want that, if what Rowan says about William’s status with the men is true, it’s absurd to think William would ever consider such a thing. Anyone who’s spent more than a few minutes with the two of them can see the tension there.”

“Which Rowan never has done, and William’s very good about not talking about his issues with his stepfather to anyone outside of the family. It’s admirable restraint for someone so young, but it would leave others with a skewed view of their relationship. From his perspective, it’s a reasonable assumption.”

“He should still see that William is too smart for that.”

“Maybe, but he’s also only fifteen, or rather almost sixteen. Remember what we were like at that age?”

“Barely,” Alyssa said with a soft chuckle. “So, will you do it?”

“I don’t know. Like you said, there is almost no chance that William will back Edmund or Serwyn, meaning there isn’t the kind of time pressure Pembroke assumes, and the last thing I want is to put William in danger by involving him in this.”

Alyssa placed a hand on Aldric’s arm, her expression softening, “He’s already in danger, my love. Edmund has never trusted him, and their relationship has always been strained. If Edmund discovers what’s happening, he will almost certainly blame William. Especially considering how poorly he thinks of the boy and the proximity he has had to you, Rowan, and some of the others. Put that with your brother’s conspiratorial way of thinking, and it’s a foregone conclusion. At least by telling William, you give him a chance, should things go badly.”

Aldric scrubbed his face with his hands letting out a guttural noise. She was right, of course. Edmund thought everyone was part of the game, and couldn’t conceive of anyone not vying for power. The depths only knew that, even if he didn’t suspect William, he might use the opportunity to rid himself of an annoyance or use the boy as some kind of scapegoat.

“You’re right,” he said finally. “I’ll send a message to Pembroke to let him know to proceed with caution. But we need to be careful about the timing of involving William. Not everyone in the army’s command structure is aware of our plans.”