Chapter 20

“The sun will set soon,” Princess Wyrd casually announced, as she approached me where I stood on the road. Her loyal men-at-arms kept their distance for some reason.

“A welcome sight for most of us,” I declared, while clipping my PDA in place on my belt. “We’re all tired.”

“Is it from your fascinating exhibit of power with your magical wand or your faithful help with the wounded?” She asked.

“I wondered when you’d bring that up,” I responded. “Both armies were devastated today. Julie and I did what was necessary to succeed, while reducing human suffering.”

She surprised me by taking my hand and intertwining her fingers with mine. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. My inept brother has unleashed a rage within me that is hard to control when I dwell on today’s slaughter.”

“Well, he lost his head. I suspect the Raiders took it with them, along with his signet ring and jewel encrusted sword,” I remarked.

Princess Wyrd said nothing and we surveyed the flock of ravens flying over the dead. I suspected she wouldn’t miss the Black Prince, but I did wonder how his father would feel at the news of his death.

As if reading my mind, she remarked, “Count Vee said a few nobles escaped down the road. I suspect they will jump on their ship and sail north to spread word of the disaster here; not knowing the real outcome.”

“Is that why you immediately sent him back to Conquest Point?” I asked.

“Yes, he can spread the word of our victory much more effectively there. With all the merchant ships that hit that port, the tale will be heard of how the White Wizards of Juniper Hills turned the tide of the battle,” she answered. “He has his trade treaty, so his masters will help spread the true story.”

“Somehow, I don’t think your King will give much credence to stories told by merchants,” I commented.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” she retorted. “However, you can rest assured Minetos and I will contact all of our half-siblings to reinforce the truth among the other provinces. In addition, they will find Solon clan merchants and their ships now receiving preferential treatment in Heraldsburg. Seeing my appreciation and our population’s warm feelings to you will eventually convince even the most hardened souls at court.”

“My wife in Convey will be pleased at the outcome of this trip.” I answered, neutrally.

“Yes, I suspect that is true, even more so when Lady Derwen sees I want to be more than a friendly harbor.” She blushed.

“I see.”

“In fact, Lady Julie has asked me to fly the Wolf banner over my estate,” she blurted, her eyes drifting down to mine.

“My warrior wife likes you. She has strong beliefs about building alliances that have the strength of blood,” I confessed, while thinking about all the hints Julie had been dropping since we had set up camp about planting some assets here.

“Julie thinks because the King is a polygamist, I have the right background to successfully integrate into your clan. However, I’ve told her our royal court would view you merely as my consort,” she murmured, “and most would look down their noses at us.”

“Because they see me as a merchant prince, a man with nothing more than a small economic empire,” I said.

The Princess nodded in agreement, pulling her body against mine.

“This sounds like an arranged marriage proposal. I can’t help wondering how you feel about me. We haven’t courted, and I have a harem of women; you don’t know me,” I continued, dropping my voice.

“After today, I need your support for the good of this province. My people are about to learn that half of our warriors are dead. This victory is a disaster. Yet, your praises are on the lips of our warriors. Their lips will spread a tale of your mastery on the battlefield to the entire region. In addition, my political enemies will lay the blame for what happened here on me, not on my dead brother. They will say something like ‘I distracted the men and got them killed because they were worried about me.’ With you at my side, my people will rejoice at my marriage. Furthermore, my enemies will not push too hard; especially, when their spies explain what really happened on this windswept beach.

“Finally, Julie assures me, you aren’t likely to live here.”

I smiled at that. Wyrd’s brain had examined all the factors that were important to her and completed her calculus. She would still be running the show under her father’s good graces. I’d be busy building a new home for all my starship women in Juniper Hills. Not to mention, the Princess would have a proven protector in her back pocket and an alliance with a powerful shipping company. In considering Wyrd, I had to admit her selflessness in facing the Raiders had shown an inner strength I found attractive.

“Yep, an arranged marriage she can live with,” I thought, chuckling out loud. “A relationship secured by another wife, the woman that had saved her favorite brother. Julie has out-maneuvered us.”

“Lord Solon, I will do my duty and provide you with offspring. Lady Julie is confident Moon Mother will favor us with a child, and we can stay in touch with a magic mirror.” She blurted out, as if fearing she had overstepped some unspoken social line.

I kissed her softly and lingered as long as she let me, which it turned out to be longer than the breath I’d taken. She shamelessly rubbed her thigh inside mine and suggestively stimulated me.

By the time we parted, I was convinced. “It is settled. You will announce both our victory and our marriage when we return to Heraldsburg. We will give the people three days to mourn their dead, and then another three days to celebrate our approaching union. On the seventh day, we will wed. I’ll stay a week, then depart for Home.”

She looked at me with clear, calculating eyes.

“That quick time frame will incite the flames of scandal in the royal court, but my male population will rejoice over their victor’s new conquest. These warriors will long remember the day you rallied them and led them to victory,” Wyrd explained. “Of course, the local women will find it rather romantic that such a powerful man has captured my heart and swept me off my feet.” Wyrd spread her arms wide and hugged me. “I accept your terms.”

“What will the Minetos think?” I wondered, reflecting on the day.

Our small army had been exhausted. With no energy to chase the enemy, Julie thought it was a sour victory, but we had certainly held the ground. It had taken the rest of the day to organize a camp and collect the wounded. We sited the camp well away from the battlefield by the babbling brook. Julie tasked the three women that had successfully guarded our mules with arranging and setting up the Wolf tents. Thus, while the camp came together, we were free to attend the sick. Julie and I examined each Wolf’s injury. Together the two of us cleaned and treated wounds, which exhausted our limited medical supply by the time we were done. We’d lost five Wolves; however, our six most seriously-wounded were secretly nursed with the first aid kit’s nano-medicine. We didn’t want to explain their existence or justify their use, especially since the “magical” cure was completely exhausted with the injectors empty.

Under Princess Wyrd’s watchful eye the rest of the army’s survivors were marshalled according to regiments. In fact, she had them bed down by company, so each man was surrounded by people he knew. The 1^st company of the 1^st regiment was by far the largest group, and they camped next to the Wolves. The Princess had both royal tents raised by the bay and they were used to house the wounded. The worst cases were placed in one tent, which was labeled the Moon Father tent or tent of departure; whereas, the other tent was simply called the healing tent or Moon Mother’s Blessing.

The afternoon light had begun to wane when I saw Julie take Wyrd aside near the healing tent. It didn’t seem strange to me at the time, but Julie must have molded the discussion to counsel the Princess on the advantages of an alignment of Houses. When they were done, the two women kissed each other’s cheeks and Julie went into the healing tent. Wyrd walked over to me.

“Your mind is distant,” Wyrd said, which pulled me from my thoughts. “Are you worried the Raiders will return?”

“No, they have already set sail,” I commented, before looking up into her eyes.

“That is good, right?”

“Yes, I suspect they will return to their homeland,” I answered.

A man-at-arms coughed loudly from behind us. Wyrd turned her head and smiled. “Here comes my brother with Lady Julie.”

Together we turned and walked towards them. He hardly limped but walked with his hand on Julie’s shoulder for support.

“I suspected you’ve heard the news,” I declared. He nodded but seemed unperturbed. When our eyes connected he winked at me.

“It’s a sound political move,” he voiced, supportively. “Lady Julie has explained the terms. My sister remains regent of our province. That is what will matter to the King; anything else would be rebellion.”

“That’s what I thought,” Julie said, with an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction and a smug smile.

“The sand was a thirsty bitch this time, Milord,” Captain Minetos lamented, changing the subject.

“Sadly, I have to agree,” I said.

“Not to dismiss your bravery with your sword, but we saw an incredible display of magic too,” Captain Minetos declared. “From both of you.”

“Believe what you want, but we used tools, which aren’t much different from swords or shields,” I answered.

“That’s not what I expected you to say,” Captain Minetos responded, holding up his hands. “But, I understand your need for secrecy. It’s best your enemies believe any of your people could blow holes in them. If they thought it was just Lady Julie and yourself that had your capabilities, there would be no end of assassination attempts on your lives.”

“They can try,” Julie quipped.

“Of course, Lady Solon,” he answered, “but let us consider more pleasant topics. I for one look forward to returning to the city.”

“Indeed, seeing Heraldsburg free of chaos will exorcise many demons when we return home,” Wyrd contributed.

I sighed, thinking of poor Scout and our other good-natured companions that wouldn’t return home. His death had created a string of sour faces among the surviving Wolves. Scout was well liked and respected.

Julie gave me an understanding glance and walked over to me. She squeezed my hand, knowing I felt sad at the Wolves we’d lost. “We will all remember this day and the sacrifices of those that are no longer with us,” she said, squeezing my hand firmly again.

“After taking an arrow in my leg, the 2^nd company commander pulled me off my horse to protect me from archers. Yet, we still had to fight from the ground. Every Raider I slew was replaced by another,” Captain Minetos explained. “My arm was so tired I fought to hold onto my sword. After taking a number of nicks, blood got in my eyes and my men dragged me inside the circle. The company commander died in my place ... so very many of them died bravely today.”

Wyrd moved to her brother’s side and put an arm around him. Quietly, we all surveyed the raven infested battlefield. We stayed together until the sky turned to darkness. They returned to the healing tent and Julie and I spent the night in our Wolf tent. Zetia found her way inside our covers too. Not surprisingly, all three of us were in a state of emotional overload, so sleep came easily to us.

Count Vee and the messengers that Wyrd had sent to Heraldsburg sparked the arrival of a fleet of wagons for the wounded. Having the additional healers and transportation eased our return. The 1^st Regiment and Captain Minetos led our column to Heraldsburg, it took an extra two days to return to the city. We kept the pace slow for the wounded in the wagons. As we expected, most of the seriously wounded didn’t survive the trip. To some degree it was a blessing that their suffering ended among friends. At least, that is what I told the survivors. I wasn’t sure the other men in the wagons with the wounded were comforted much by my words. The town folk that greeted the wagons certainly were comforted to find their loved ones alive. Those citizens that learned their fathers, brothers and sons were dead wailed. Predictably the shattered families, nearly prostrate with grief cracked the expressions of even our battle-hardened Wolves. The crowd’s combination of relief and grief was an emotional sight to see; but by the time we disappeared into the heart of the town, the healing wagons had all split from our column. The Princess went to her estate and we went to the inn.

The Wolves and the rest of my party stayed at the same inn during the official mourning period. Each night, we drank heavily and toasted our departed friends. Ash Willingham, the new inn’s owner, loved the fiscal stimulus and refused payment for our lodging. With wild tales about the recent battle circulating, our once nominal status zoomed to the stratosphere. All day and all night, the inn’s common room was filled with well-wishers, including the local gentry. Each day, tales of Captain Minetos’s healing were more exaggerated; some of the stories had Julie using her magic wand to reconnect his severed leg. Other stories had my wife resting her hands on the injured regimental commander’s head, calling down a light from the sky that made the man glow during the miracle, making him collapse into unconsciousness. With the Captain no longer limping and performing his normal duties, Julie’s miracle was talked about as much as our fighting with magic wands over the course of the battle. Julie and I didn’t try to correct the drunks, besides Zetia was feeding children similar fantasy tales when she checked on our mules; the inn’s pie maker, the Captain’s daughter, often followed Zetia outside and backed up the stories.

In fact, one evening, I covertly heard Zetia speaking to a large group of washer women behind the stable. When asked about the battle she plowed ahead with her tale. Everything that had happened to her during the battle was detailed and poured out with feeling. She spoke of the Black Prince’s march on the Raiders, and how his army was confronted and almost defeated. She told them of the strange humming of magic wands that killed the Raiders from a distance. The audience listened enthralled as Zetia declared the words of power that her Lady spoke to fire, “Die you Scum of the earth.” I had to walk away, so they wouldn’t hear me laugh.

However, by the fourth day of our stay, Julie and I were tired of the constant noise under our feet. It was difficult to think, let alone rest, in our bedroom. We held brief conference calls with Kate and my other wives on a PDA, but that was about the only productive thing we accomplished, while waiting for Wyrd to announce the wedding. Of course, Sir Webster had fed the live stream of the entire battle to the wide-screen monitor in the shuttle. So, my starship lovers had front row seats to the bloodbath. Their ire came through in each conference call, not letting me forget the “unwarranted” risk of adding my carcass to the “Bloody Sands.”

Fortunately, it was Julie and Swarta who eventually turned their hot tempers around. Both of them reminded their sister wives that someone had to lead the clan and that they should expect me to act like a man—a protector. Swarta, as the Haven senior wife and a woman from the marshes, had the local perspective that a male mate’s role was to protect the clan’s interests. Julie defended me, pointing to the Raiders who had threatened our mission. It was in one of those exasperated moments that the battle got its name; later, somehow the reference of “Bloody Sands” was spread to the crowd in the common room. Zetia was the likely culprit. From the inn, the reference to the Battle of Bloody Sands spread out all over Heraldsburg and was commonly cited. I secretly preferred, “The Massacre of the Black Prince.”

Since the infectious enthusiasm of the inn’s patrons wasn’t enough to warrant staying, we shifted residence to Wyrd’s estate. I left Scratch at the inn, in charge of the male Wolves. Zetia insisted we retain an honor guard, so the remaining female Wolves attended Julie and me. Luckily, Wyrd was agreeable to letting all six of us room in her manor. For the rest of our stay, Wyrd’s men-at-arms welcomed the three Wolves into their protective circle, along with Julie, Zetia and me. We were all delighted to reside in opulence for ten days.

With an incredibly short window of time to organize a wedding, Wyrd set an informal tone. She arranged it on the lawn of her estate. A local Earth Temple priestess conducted a short ceremony on a bright sunny day. The entire estate had been full of people, all of them wearing their best set of clothes. As we had intended, the wedding lifted the gloom off Heraldsburg. Both the local nobility and the commoners had welcomed the alliance with the House of Solon. Moreover, they appreciated my promise to reinforce the surviving regiments with Scratch and the male Wolves, as my Household troop stationed on the estate. Wyrd believed her father would see it as a reasonable accommodation, not a threat.

After the wedding on the lawn, the Princess and I were congratulated by a host of men and women from the city. As it turned out, the pie maker who was also the daughter of Captain Minetos was Maid of Honor and trailed behind us keeping Wyrd’s dress in order. We were kissed and embraced each time we stopped along the rope line, which otherwise kept the crowd back from the sidewalk. Wyrd would recognize well-wishers and stopped every time to introduce me. They were common folk, children, bakers, merchants, servants, warriors and their wives. Julie and the nobles and gentry had taken a shorter path back to the manor; they eventually received us in the ballroom and had a chance to dance and mingle with us.

Of course, our time in the ballroom was a stuffy affair. It was a social occasion full of political overtones, and my sanity had only been saved by the wonderful music and food. Fortunately, Captain Minetos chaperoned Julie and Zetia, so they didn’t languish. If anything, from what I could tell, all night the three of them were in high demand. Wyrd and I danced and circulated among the nobles until we were exhausted, and then withdrew for the night. By mutual agreement, we didn’t consummate our arranged marriage that night. Of course, we were very busy getting to know each other the following morning, and Wyrd was pleasantly surprised at how attentively I addressed her needs. It didn’t surprise me that after breakfast in bed, Wyrd had a renewed determination to repeat her satisfying experience.

The odd part of the experience was learning about Amarian tradition concerning full-blooded royal heirs. Both Wyrd’s youngest personal maid and her Maid of Honor stayed the night in the bridal suite. Wyrd’s bedroom was rather large with a typical four-poster bed, a few dressers, and a sitting area. The surprising thing about the suite was the bedroom had a small side room where her personal maid slept. The first part of their tradition required bedroom observers on the wedding night to ensure the “integrity” of the union. Having the extra women in our suite on our wedding night didn’t bother me. Given the nature of the arranged marriage, Wyrd found comfort in having familiar faces in her bedroom that night. In the morning, at first, Wyrd had trouble tuning out our visitors when we got amorous. Yet, after I provided a couple of orgasms from oral sex, she forgot them. The voyeurs didn’t diminish my effectiveness in our coupling either. My little-man was still hard and eager long after Wyrd was too sore to continue. It was then when I found out the other women’s duties.