Fostering Faust 2, page 11
part #2 of Fostering Faust Series
“The queen?” Alex asked.
“The queen. Her deal was… large. I feel that you’ve earned a reward for that. Think on it,” Leah said. “Though I can’t really step in and save you from the duchess. That’s a normal bit of life you’ve not paid enough attention to.”
That’s a curious way to phrase it. And why come here now at all?
I could be stuck here a while yet.
“Huh. You wouldn’t be here to tell me that unless you expected me to be leaving soon. Probably right when you would expect me to seal the contract up.
“Rix is either dead, running, or surrendering for mercy,” Alex said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll think on the favor. Can’t think of anything right now.”
Leah said nothing.
“So… anything new going on with you? You’re growing your hair out. It looks nice,” Alex said.
Leah smiled tentatively and touched her hair.
“My husband is finally considering changing things up. I was thinking I could grow my hair out. See how it fits me,” Leah said.
Alex kept his thoughts squarely on the fact that her hair did indeed look nice, and little else.
“Oh. You’re going to have a visitor shortly. I’ll let you go. See you later,” Leah said.
And she was simply no longer there.
Like a light switch.
As soon as she was gone, Alex blinked and pressed his hands to his face.
She’s mortal. She’s a god, but she’s mortal. Her concerns, worries, and thoughts are mortal.
A god wouldn’t just grow their hair, would they?
This is deeper than I thought.
Much deeper.
Ok. Keep it together. She said I had a visitor coming.
Alex shifted in his seat, facing the door. A minute passed before he wondered if Leah had just been messing with him.
He wouldn’t put it past her to make an implausible excuse just to leave.
There were two light taps on the door.
Guess she wasn’t lying.
“Enter,” Alex said, wondering who it was.
The door opened and Alanna entered, shutting it behind her. Her eyes scanned the room, then moved back to him. Her eyebrows went up slightly at his posture.
She was dressed in a set of clothes very similar to the uniform he’d adopted for his own.
He was surprised to see her. He hadn’t recalled her, and as far as he knew she was still in the south.
“You were waiting for me, but you’re surprised to see me,” she said. “You’re also alone. None of your Numbered are with you.”
Interesting. I don’t think anyone else has called them Numbered before.
Alex smiled with one side of his mouth and slunk lower in his chair, putting an arm over the back.
“What can I do for you, Miss Tilly?” Alex asked.
“I need your help,” she said without preamble. She took the chair directly in front of his own and sat down in it, not bothering to cross her legs or correct her posture.
“Ok. What do you need?” Alex asked. He was curious. And always looking for a deal.
“Matthew,” Alanna said simply. “I think he’s been covering up soldiers robbing, raping, and murdering citizens of Hashei.
“I had him brought here, along with fifty soldiers who have all been accused of crimes. I only got wind of it because the formal complaints were all drawn up correctly, just not sent up the chain. They were sitting in a chest, unbelievably. I bet he was going to send them all up when the campaign was over.
“A clerk dug through the damn thing when they were looking for a monthly report on finances. Turned it all over to me. Now here I am.”
Alex sighed, and pressed a hand to his head.
He would never claim to be an innocent man. There was no denying he’d done his fair share of awful. And he was continuing to do so.
But soldiers harming citizens viewed as friendlies, who had nothing to do with the war, didn’t sit right with him.
“Bring Matthew, the soldiers, and several clerks to the center of the fort,” Alex said, getting to his feet.
“We’ll solve this right now.”
Not waiting for Alanna, Alex went to go find Quinn. Anything was better than really digging through the letter the duchess had sent him.
It didn’t take long at all. She’d been sitting in her own little office, reading the vassal agreement he’d given her.
A quick explanation for the queen and she was ready and willing. She came in tow with him without a question further, moving straight for the center of the fort.
Mathew and a large number of soldiers, minus their weapons, were all waiting for them.
Carla and Nannie were standing next to Alanna, and some of Dan’s infantry were circling the others.
The whole scene looked tense and problematic.
Alex stepped up and deliberately put himself between Matthew and Alanna, in equidistant directions.
Carla and Nannie walked over to bracket Alex and Quinn without a word.
“This is a drumhead trial. It’ll be short, to the point, and with little to no room for maneuvering,” Alex said, looking around at everyone watching.
This would either help cement his men to him or break them further away.
Looking at the men who were being accused, Alex felt thankful. Every single one of them was wearing the uniform of Matthew’s company. Not one was from his regular troops.
This is perfect. Couldn’t ask for a better example.
“First off, this is not Imperial lands. We are here at the discretion of the queen. The laws of her land are hers, and hers alone to dictate.
“I’ve asked her to assist me in this matter, as it is a military concern, but it is in regard to her subjects,” Alex explained.
Quinn nodded, but added nothing to the speech.
“Baroness Tilly of South Ridge, what are the charges?” Alex said, looking at Alanna.
Standing upright at the sudden title change and the fact that he’d called her such a thing, Alanna looked to him askance.
“Count Brit, as your landed vassal, I have various grievances that have been submitted by the people of Hashei against one of my commanders and numerous soldiers,” Alanna said.
“Please list a summarized version of the charges,” Quinn said immediately.
“Theft, robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder,” Alanna said.
“As the commander of these men, do you have a statement to make?” Alex asked, looking to Matthew.
“Innocent on all charges. They’re fraudulent, made by people who are only looking to hurt the army as a whole.
“Mistress Tilly is merely looking for an excuse to have me removed as I question her leadership and her ability,” Matthew said. He looked angry. Angry and red faced.
“Are you questioning my choice to put her in command?” Alex asked.
“What?” asked the muscular man.
“I put Alanna in charge. I signed the command myself. I put my signet ring to it. Are you saying you’re questioning my appointment?” Alex asked.
“Women can’t lead. It doesn’t matter what appointment you make,” Matthew said, apparently deciding to be belligerent even to Alex.
“Alright. We’ll make this simple. You were given a pin, Matthew. I’m going to ask you to call on it, swear an oath to tell the truth, and we’ll get through this very quickly,” Alex said, cutting straight to the chase.
“You can’t do that. I’m not in the peerage,” Matthew said. “Nor am I part of your domain.”
Quinn lifted her chin, catching the moment she’d need to step in without any prompting from Alex.
“You’re in my lands—now do as the count commands, or I’ll have you thrown in my prison for insubordination. Then I’ll have you executed for no reason other than I’m the queen,” Quinn said. “I have no issues at all doing this, as I contracted the count to save my country.”
An odd wording, but I suppose it isn’t wrong.
“As you’re not my direct vassal or part of my forces, Matthew, I’m afraid I can’t defend you to the queen,” Alex said. “Or you could take that pin, swear the oath, and tell me the truth.”
Turning even redder, if that were possible, Matthew pressed his fingers to the pin.
“I swear on the gods an oath of loyalty to the count of Brit, and that I will obey his commands,” Matthew said.
“Answer me. Did you commit any of those crimes?” Alex asked.
“No, I didn’t,” Matthew said.
“Did you cover up the crimes of others? While in clan lands? On this campaign?”
Matthew’s lip curled, his teeth bared. “Yes.”
“Did you cover up rape?”
“Yes.”
“Murder?”
“Yes.”
“I command you to submit to imprisonment, and I’ll leave your fate to your direct commander, Baroness Tilly of South Ridge,” Alex said.
Turning his head, Alex looked to all the soldiers.
“I’ll offer the rest of you mercy for your actions. You’ll all swear an oath of honesty and confess your crimes to the baroness. She will decide your fate, and I’ll leave you to her mercy.
“Though I’ll say this. I expect all my soldiers to behave as professional soldiers. You’re entrusted to be my hands.
“That’s all.”
Alex turned and left. He wasn’t needed here anymore.
He also had a proclamation to write quickly, giving the barony of South Ridge to Alanna Tilly.
And he had to read the letter from the duchess, of course.
“One,” Alex said, expecting her to be there.
“Yes, Master?”
“I need people sent back into that city one way or the other, with the following proclamation,” Alex said. “We’ll begin accepting surrendering enemies in two days when the sun rises.
“Everyone who comes, leaves their weapon, and departs can go with their lives. And their horses. Be sure to specify they keep their horses.
“Can you do that?”
“Sire, there’s a group of people my soldiers picked up on the way in. We were holding them for information,” Alanna said.
He hadn’t realized she’d been following him.
“Fine, use them. Load them up with the information and send them back into Shishish. I want to be done here, and offering them an out—a golden bridge—might just be the answer,” Alex said.
Chapter 10
Armed and armored infantry in heavy equipment were lined up in a corridor along the main road leading out of town, into the heart of the Xer lands and away from the war.
“Do you think they’ll take it?” Alanna asked. She was standing directly to Alex’s left. It was a position of trust in the culture of the empire.
As the only ranking member of his vassalage, she immediately had the right to be at his side.
Behind him, flanking him, were his Numbered. Directly to his right, Quinn stood in full royal regalia. Around them all were a number of heavy troopers who had been selected to be a house guard.
“I think they will,” Alex said, looking to the city. “We’ve given them no reason to doubt us at any turn, or that we’ll do exactly what we say.
“In this case, surrender and flee, or remain in the city and be ground up into the turf.”
“Shit, I’d surrender. I’d be the first horse fucker out of the gates,” Nannie grumbled.
“Horse fucker?” Quinn asked, her shoulders straightening.
“Ya, got a problem? You frickin’ worship your horses like you take them to bed. You’re pretty nice, though, for a queen,” Nannie said. “It’s just hot here. It’s disgusting. Miserable.
“I feel like there’s a swamp between my thighs at all times. Damned rain forest in my panties.
“I wanna go home.”
Alex knew firsthand the rest of his Numbered felt the same about going home.
Though he wasn’t sure about the swamp bit.
Quinn was staring straight ahead, her face unreadable.
Then she let out a slow breath and sniffed.
“Maybe I could have Rix be serviced by a horse. To death. That’d be amusing,” Quinn said, ignoring everything Nannie had said.
Dark chuckles surrounded him as everyone seemed to think that was a rather amusing idea.
“The sun has risen, Master,” Sylvia said.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the sun peeking out from behind cloud cover to the east. It couldn’t seem to quite get through, though.
“Mm. Time to find out how the day’s going to be,” Alex said.
Everyone turned to look down the corridor of soldiers to the front gates of Shishish. Alex had decided he’d embrace his love for fire if the conscript army didn’t surrender in numbers.
He’d burn the entire city down. He’d start by setting up a ring of fire around the whole thing. With firebreaks behind it, letting the blaze work inward toward the buildings.
Quinn had rejected the idea immediately, and he’d ignored her.
“Master, it’s worth noting that people are starting to call you Count Inferno,” Valeria murmured. “I think if you burn down the town, that moniker will be yours permanently.”
“Huh? I’ve only used fire as a weapon twice,” Alex said.
“Yes, but your plans for the city didn’t go unnoticed by the soldiery,” Valeria countered. “Though to be fair, they say it with a rather respectful deference. The belief is you’d rather set an enemy on fire than risk your troops.”
Thinking on that, Alex eventually shrugged. He didn’t actually care.
A handful of people walked out of the gate of Shishish on horses. They were wearing civilian clothes but had bundles in their laps.
Moseying along the road, they seemed in no particular hurry.
When Alex counted them, he saw only six people.
They looked incredibly nervous as they walked through the very same soldiers who had probably been taunting them. Killing comrades.
The invaders.
Reaching the end of the corridor, the six men looked to Alex and Quinn.
“You’re free to go,” Quinn said, then indicated the ground across from them. “Drop your weapons and leave.”
Immediately doing as instructed, the six rode away. They continued to look back fearfully until they realized they were really being let go.
Ten more people wandered out through the gate. Then another group. And another.
Then it became an unending flood of people, all walking mounts down the road. Or walking on foot if they didn’t have mounts.
It seemed an equal split between the two.
Tossing their weaponry onto the ever-growing pile, they left as quickly as possible.
Valeria and Sylvia were doing separate counts. Each one with a several pieces of paper and a stick to help them tally.
The never-ending sea of faces and horses passed by. As did the hours.
Throughout the day, Alex watched as Dan and Drew rotated their troops in and out. Keeping them fresh and ready should anything happen.
Drew was relying on Arthur as a secondary commander to his own, having him running bands of cavalry in patrols around the outskirts of the city.
No one tried to escape. Least of all Rix or his family.
“Is that the last? I’d really like to be done, Master,” Riley said. “I never thought standing in one place for so long would be this tiring.”
Alex watched as the last group of riders rode away, following the rest of their people out into the plains.
No one else had come from the gates since this last group.
“Four? What’s your count?” Alex asked rather than respond to Riley.
“Somewhere between six thousand and seven thousand five hundred. I can get you a more accurate count if you need it, though,” Sylvia said.
“Three?” Alex asked.
“I’m a bit closer to six thousand four hundred,” Valeria said.
“In other words, the vast majority of the conscripts are gone. There’s almost nothing in there at all,” Alex muttered, looking at the city.
“I will have my own soldiers go in and clear the main road to the keep, as well as the keep itself,” Quinn said.
She’d been working hard to gather up the royal garrisons and turn them into a standing army just as she had promised herself to do.
“As you like. I won’t argue there. I’ll keep the encirclement,” Alex said, then turned and nodded at Dan and Drew.
They saluted crisply, then departed.
“Let’s get out of here and take a break before the assault,” Alex said.
“I’ll have the temporary tent thrown up immediately, Master,” Riley said.
A team of maids in the white and black uniforms Riley had chosen began to unpack a tent. They’d gone from maids and castle servants to personal attendants.
Not that Alex was going to complain. He’d take the chance to have a quick break.
Maybe even a snack.
Or one of his Numbered.
Though apparently, he wasn’t the first one to have that idea. Carla and Valeria were eying him.
Each was smirking.
***
Riding down the street, Alex felt odd. Xer royal soldiers were lining the street leading to the keep. They’d committed to and enacted a bloody building-to-building sweep. Ensuring there was a clear path all the way to the keep.
Then they began to sweep out from there, moving to clear the entire city.
Their losses were mounting, and the city wasn’t even a third of the way searched.
But that wasn’t his problem. His problem was what was waiting at the keep.
Quinn had gone ahead after it had been secured.
Apparently Rix had been found, along with his entire family. After an hour had passed, she’d sent a letter to Alex, requesting his presence.
He’d only taken Carla, Nannie, and Valeria with him. Those three he knew could keep him and themselves safe.
He wasn’t sure about Sylvia or Riley.
Beyond that, he had the same heavy troopers riding around him with their shields up from earlier. His people were taking no chances.
In no time at all, Alex was walking up the steps to a keep eerily similar to the one in Fis’Er Quinn operated out of.
