VI
The Seventh City of Crimson Liber, the United City-States of Sutherland
The expanse of land far to the south of Lazha, the central city of Crimson Liber, was known as one of the key battlefields of the warlord period and the ravages it had suffered then. Even now that half a century had passed, crops still failed to thrive there, and there was no sign of any people. In the midst of this desolation, flaunting its presence to the gray landscapes that stretched away to the horizon, reared the towers of Castle Vlad, the seat of Cassael bell Stainz. And making its way toward the castle, flanked to the front and rear by a tough-looking crew of guards, came a horse-drawn carriage. A golden wolf glinted on the door, the sigil of the house of Elfriede.
“We’ll arrive soon, Lord Lion.”
At the pleasant sound of Julius’s voice in his ears, Lion slowly opened his eyes. At some point, the light coming through the carriage’s little window had taken on a reddish hue.
“At long last...”
A day and a half had passed since the carriage set forth from Rizen Castle when Lion and Julius arrived at Castle Vlad. Following the directions of the soldiers who guarded the castle gates, the carriage trundled over the drawbridge. The driver brought them to a halt in the space set aside for them, then immediately jumped down and, with courtesy, opened the door.
“Watch your step, my lord.”
Lion’s feet touched the ground for the first time in nearly half a day. As Julius disembarked after him, Lion interlinked his fingers and raised his arms in a deep stretch to loosen his stiffened muscles.
“I must say, you slept very well, didn’t you, my lord?”
“Because you work me to the bone, Julius,” Lion said teasingly. “If not for chances like this, I’d never see a good night’s rest.”
“Well, seeing as you’re good and rested now,” Julius replied in the same tone, “I shall work you even harder.” The familiar banter cheered Lion beyond measure.
“I’ll ask you not to go too hard on me,” he said. “But I’ll be if this castle gives me the shivers every time I see it.”
It was not that the castle was in a state of disrepair—even the trees were cleanly pruned. Yet there was an air of degradation about the place. No doubt the desolate vistas that surrounded it played a part. With the bloody light of the sun on his back, Lion looked up to where clouds of bats fluttered around the castle spires.
“Take a look at that,” Lion said to Julius. “They call him ‘the Bat’ to sneer at him, but his castle’s crawling with the things. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen such delicious irony.”
“My lord, I suggest you refrain from further quips.” Julius’s expression was suddenly stern. Lion, feeling admonished, shrugged a little in response.
“Please, come inside the castle,” said an elderly steward with a splendid set of whiskers. “You must be weary from your long journey.” Lion followed him. As he stepped inside, he noted several items that had not been there on his last visit. These included a statue of a woman gazing up at the sky while a great, two-headed serpent coiled around her, and a painting where a glimmering black sun shone down on a barren field plowed by skeletons.
Impeccable taste, as ever, Lion thought. He noted with amusement the slight crease in Julius’s brow as, like they always did, they went up staircases and along corridors for so long it felt like a gesture of spite, until being led into a familiar room.
It seems we’re the last to arrive. The room had been designed to catch as much sunlight as possible.
Resting heavily in the center as though it had taken root there was a great, round table, around which sat all the usual suspects.
“What a very timely arrival,” sneered the lord of the Fifth City as they entered. Lion ignored him, dropping into a chair directly opposite Lord Shaola of the First City, then deliberately crossing his legs.
“Giving yourself pompous airs like a king, are you?” This, too, from the lord of the Eleventh City, Lion let slide off him. Julius took his place standing behind Lion. He was not the only one—behind each of the city’s rulers was an attendant doing the same.
Shaola, the chairman of the council, gave an exaggerated cough, which drew all their attentions.
“That’s everyone present. In which case, the Council of the Thirteen Stars will now convene. As you all know, we are gathered here to discuss—”
He had scarcely finished opening the council when the sound of someone violently pounding the table filled the room. Lion turned a dispassionate eye to the source: Lord Leisenheimer Meyer of the Second City, his face a mask of fury.
“There’s nothing to discuss! Unconditional vassalage to the empire? He could hardly insult us further! We ought to give the empire the response it deserves!”
More than half of the others nodded enthusiastically. Already, it was going just as Lion had expected. He gave a little sigh, then opened his mouth.
“Shall we move the discussion to how we’ll wage war on the empire, then?”
“Lord Lion, this is a matter that concerns the fate of Sutherland. It is not a time to rush to a conclusion.”
“Oh? Are you opposed then, Lord Shaola?”
“I said no such thing. But Sutherland still takes a stance of nonintervention.”
Hearing Shaola refer to the Charter of the Thirteen even now, Lion couldn’t help but snort. “There was a certain city somewhere that disregarded the charter to invade the Kingdom of Fernest, I seem to recall.”
All eyes in the room concentrated in the same place. There, swathed in bright colors like the outstretched wings of a kaleido bird, sat Cassandra. Under their collective gaze, she looked venomously around the table.
“Enough of your pretty words. Did we not as good as involve ourselves in the war the moment we made that secret treaty with the empire? And yet, in spite of that, who was it who ignored all appeals for reinforcements? That was nothing short of desecration of the charter!” Cassandra finished passionately.
Diana Christine of the Eighth City, who sat to Cassandra’s right, regarded her neighbor with her cold, jade-colored eyes. “What a simply marvelous interpretation. The Charter of the Thirteen is only concerned with cases where Sutherland faces an invasion. How dare you demand we send our armies because you feared the foe that defeated you in a fight you picked might strike back. Do you have no shame?”
Every word Diana spoke was the unimpeachable truth. Cassandra herself must have understood that much, because she made no retort and instead settled for glaring at Diana. Drake, who stood behind her, showed no sign of indignance, despite the slight to his mistress. On the contrary, his expression brightened as though it had gratified him.
Diana continued to press Cassandra without mercy. “On top of that, it may be you we have to thank for all this. Are you quite aware of that?”
“What’s it got to do with me?!”
Today, the Cassandra who always wore a thin smile and draped herself in an air of moody allure was nowhere to be seen. Lion had gotten his wish earlier than he’d hoped.
“Obviously because your army went and suffered a humiliating defeat,” Diana retorted, drawing out the last two words. “Of course the empire would decide that Sutherland doesn’t constitute a threat after that.”
Cassandra looked away, as though she were trying to escape the other woman. She trembled with pure rage. It was Cassael who came to her aid.
“I know not how much of this you are aware of, honored lords and ladies, but it was no common army that defeated Northern Perscilla. This is the army that ran rings around the empire’s proud Crimson and Helios Knights, led by the girl who strikes such fear into the imperial army that they dubbed her the ‘Death God.’”
“You’re telling us the Northern Perscillans lost to an army led by a little girl?!” screeched the lord of the Tenth City, making it clear that he had been paying no attention whatsoever to the conflict between the empire and Fernest. Lion decided to observe how each of the cities’ leaders would react.
With the exception of the Bat, let’s see... he thought. Just Shaola and Diana, then. This is even more dire than I expected. When the most powerful people of so-called great nations grow complacent, they generally come to a sticky end. Does this lot really believe they’ll be the exception, when history has born it out time and time again? Or has that much not even occurred to them? Either way, I don’t see a bright future in store for Sutherland. It looks like I’ll have to bring forward the plans I’ve been preparing...
He glanced behind him. Julius gave him the slightest of nods.
Shaola cleared his throat again to draw their attention back to him. “It seems we have gotten rather far off course. I would like to return to the matter at hand. The empire has unilaterally violated our treaty and demanded our unconditional submission as its vassal state. Do any here wish to go along with this?”
“Like hell!” Leisenheimer shouted, as though the very idea was absurd. Shaola looked around the table, then, with a look of resignation, he nodded.
“Then I shall proceed. This naturally leaves us with two choices: war, or vassalage. I call for a vote by ballot.”
The chief steward, who since the start of the council had stood in a corner of the room like a piece of furniture, now approached the round table. He laid a slip of paper and pen before each of them.
For a brief moment, the room filled with the scratching of pens.
“Very well, I shall cast the first vote.” Shaola dropped his paper, folded in half, into the glass box proffered. By the time the chief steward finished a circuit of the table, it had been joined by twelve more.
“The result of the vote is as follows,” the chief steward announced flatly.
Votes for war—thirteen.
Votes for vassalage—none.
Hereby, the United City-States of Sutherland did unanimously vote to enter into open war with the empire. Further deliberations followed, in which they decided the number of troops each city would commit:
Thirty thousand from the First City of Bukh Haar
Twenty-five thousand from the Second City of Gorgon
Thirty-three thousand from the Third City of Bay Grand
Twenty-two thousand from the Fourth City of Hispana
Thirty thousand from the Fifth City of Pentania
Twenty thousand from the Sixth City of Rue Shalla
Twenty-two thousand from the Seventh City of Crimson Liber
Twenty-nine thousand from the Eighth City of Rune Barrés
Thirty-two thousand from the Ninth City of Bavel
Ten thousand from the Tenth City of Phoenikia
Twenty-four thousand from Eleventh City of Liddel
Five thousand from the Twelfth City of Northern Perscilla
Twenty-seven thousand from the Thirteenth City of Leddeheim
So we’ll mobilize a little over three hundred thousand soldiers. That’s a pretty impressive number on its own—only, I wonder how things will play out.
Lion looked at Shaola. None of the old man’s earlier hesitation remained. He could feel the residual heat of the flame within the man who long ago had risen to rule over his country by dint of his spear alone.
“Needless to say, if we are going to fight, we had better win. For that, it is essential that we create a single chain of command.”
Shaola was absolutely right. If each city’s armies were left to fight however they liked, all they would find waiting for them was bloody chaos. There was a general voicing of agreement from the others. It seemed as though a silent sizing up of one another’s intentions was about to begin, until Cassael raised a hand.
“Lord Lion seems an appropriate choice for supreme commander,” he said. “His valor in battle is already known to us all. What say you?”
By “valor in battle,” Cassael obviously referred to the Kasthall Unrest that had flared up in the Sixth City of Rue Shalla some years earlier. Though the name of the Sixth City’s ruler, Lady Luciana Hartley, might have been unknown to some, everyone knew the name Kasthall Raider. A warrior of the sort bards sang of, when Kasthall had mounted his insurrection, Luciana had been forced to admit herself outclassed. She had called upon Lion for aid, and he had come with his army and subdued the rebels.
He can’t have guessed my motives, can he? Lion thought. But then, I wouldn’t put it past the Bat. Still, I can’t have him call me out here. He looked across at the shimmer of a smile playing about Cassael’s mouth and wanted to spit in the man’s face.
“Yes, that was a feat few could hope to imitate,” Diana said. “I have no objections.”
After her, Shaola, Luciana, and the lord of the Ninth City spoke up too in agreement.
I expected that the Bat would have had his spies infiltrate the city. That’s why we’ve proceeded with such great caution. I put Julius in charge of arranging everything, and he would never slip up.
“He’s got talent beyond that of common men, I grant you,” Leisenheimer said. “But he’s a bit young.”
“Do you mean therefore to suggest, my lord, that you yourself are fitted to the role?” Diana replied. Leisenheimer looked momentarily embarrassed, but quickly rallied.
“I’d find it profoundly regrettable to think that’s how you heard it, my lady. I meant no more than that, given our opponent, would it not be reasonable to appoint a commander with a wealth of experience to draw on?”
Leisenheimer found two supporters, from the fifth and thirteenth cities. The decisive difference between these two and Lion’s supporters—with the exception of Shaola—was that they were both soldiers who commanded their own armies.
It won’t be easy to sniff out spies hidden among the populace. Trying it in the first place would be like announcing we have something to hide, which would be the height of stupidity...
“Lord Marshal.” Even as a whisper, Julius’s voice was clear. Lion turned his attention back to the table to find that everyone was staring at him.
“Do you accept the post of supreme commander, Lord Lion?”
He paused a moment. “On one condition.”
“A condition? Let’s hear it, then.”
“The supreme commander’s orders are to be followed without question, even those you disagree with. Failure to do so will result in harsh punishment. If you don’t like that, choose someone else.”
Leisenheimer immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Cassael effortlessly cut him off.
“Surely there is no question of that,” he said in a singsong voice. “Or else there would no point in having a supreme commander.”
This ended up shutting up not only Leisenheimer, but also the rulers of the fifth and thirteenth cities who had been ready to add their voices to his.
“Then it is my humble honor to serve,” Lion said. Following this, it was settled that Shaola would send an official letter formally refusing the empire’s demands. With the finer details of their plans to be left to the morrow, the council was brought to a close.
“We have done good work here today, my lords and ladies,” Cassael said. “The evening meal will soon be ready, but in the meantime, please do rest. Rooms have been made up for you.” He rang a bell by his hand, summoning a procession of servants dressed all in black who accompanied the cities’ rulers from the room.
“Er...the others have all retired to their rooms, my lord...” one of the servants said tentatively when Lion showed no sign of rising from his chair. Julius gently instructed her to wait outside.
“Understood.” The servant hurried from the room, cheeks flushed pink.
“You like girls like that, do you, Julius?”
“My lord.”
“I’m teasing, forget it,” Lion said. “Anyway, do you think the damn Bat is on to us?”
“He is, but he doesn’t know the details. That’s why he brought it up with you so directly, to see how you would react. Or something along those lines.”
“Hmm. You’re probably right. In any case, with the Bat hovering around us like a bad smell, we’ll have to be extra vigilant.”
“I know, my lord. In all honesty, though, given how you detest wearisome tasks, I was surprised you agreed to serve as supreme commander.”
“That’s why I agreed to it. Still better to be upwind than downwind, isn’t it?”
“True, I suppose it is,” Julius replied with a quiet chuckle.
“Shall we go, then? We can’t keep that poor girl waiting forever—speaking of which, you didn’t answer my—”
“You needn’t ask again, my lord,” Julius said irritably. Amused, Lion opened the door. The servant from earlier appeared, bowing low.
“We’re terribly sorry to have kept you waiting,” Julius said to her. “Could we trouble you to show us to our room?”
“Th-Th-Th-This way, my lord!” she replied in a strained stutter. Watching Julius awkwardly interact with the servant girl, it was all Lion could do to hold back his laughter.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login