BALDERK

After sitting around all day, where we play lots of card games, drink lots of tea, and are very bored in general, Yaldua and Blix report back with a job well done.

“The High Priest is on board. He’s a slimy bastard, but he knows how to save his skin.” Yaluda says, looking more exhausted than I feel after having to fend off Briareth’s shenanigans all day. “He won’t bother us anymore or collude with Lord Yamat. He’s too scared of our information.”

“Excellent.” Faladel says encouragingly. “So, what’s your next move? I’m assuming ours is to stay in your study.”

Yaluda hesitates, blinking for a couple of seconds. I can actually see Briareth’s hopes rising. “Of course.” The prince crushes them, completely oblivious. “I’m surprised you accept it so easily, Prince Faladel, I would have expected you to kick up more of a fuss like your subordinate and Balderk.”

I feel a brief burst of excitement that he separated Briareth and I, using my name and just calling Briareth ‘your subordinate’. I don’t squash it down, but neither do I fully accept it. Instead I analyze it, trying to reason out its source and mainly failing, barely listening as Faladel presses again for Yaluda’s game plan.

“... have to build up my base of support,” I hear, when I tune back in. “Balderk was right, I need more allies. Threatening the Priest might break up Lord Yamat’s plan, but I have a gut feeling it’s not going to be enough. Finding trustworthy people might take a while, but at the same time we can be doing other things. Gathering information on how and when the King’s food is prepped. Who tastes it? Can they be bribed? How can we sneak poison in without anyone noticing? We can also gather any ingredients Briareth needs to make the poison during this time.”

After a few awkward seconds, Briareth realizes everyone is staring at him, and he stops letting his tongue stick out of his mouth as he concentrates on making a tower of teacups. Placing the last one carefully at the top, he turns to Yaluda and explains. “The ingredients will vary based on the result you want, Your Highness. Fast acting? Or slow acting? Painful? Painless? I can make a lot of types, and you’ve already narrowed it down quite a bit with the ‘no signs of poison’ bit, but I need a game plan, or at least a game outline, before I can even start to list ingredients.”

“Hmmm…” Yaluda studies him, considering. “We probably want something painless that will stick in his system for a few days before killing. You can do this?”

“Of course!” Briareth says, “Accumulating poison, or just slow acting with few symptoms?”

“Slow acting would be best. We wouldn’t want to have all our planning go to waste if he suddenly changes routines.”

Faladel grimaces at all the talk of murder, and excuses himself, but I stick around as Briareth and Yaluda chat late into the night, with Blix taking notes on some herbs and minerals Briareth lists. Apparently, they seem innocuous, but are deadly when combined under certain conditions. When Yaluda and Balderk leave, Blix has a long list of things to get his hands on, and both Briareth and Yaluda seem satisfied.

The next few days ruin that for Briareth though, as boredom takes hold again. Things are happening, very important things. Yaluda makes allies, creates strategy that even intrigues Faladel a bit, and he and I talk late into the evenings on various topics. More about his sister, more about my family, our memories from childhood, our dreams for the future, his favorite books. I admit to him that I haven’t read much. I haven’t had time or passion for that sort of entertainment since I left school, but his adamant retellings spark interest in me. He promises to show me the castle library when this is all done.

I tell him about our farm, stories of the different animals we’ve had over the years, and the old midwives' tall tales from the village I grew up in, and what it was like to chase fireflies in the fields at dusk, and the one time I saw stars fall in the night. He shares more tales from his childhood, including more cute mimicry and animated story telling. And whenever he has to leave, to head off to bed or to complete another task, I make him promise to tell me more next time.

Once in a while, even Ludgera and Agnark Yamat come by. Agnark has sworn in front of Yaluda that he’ll take our side. Apparently Ludgera was right about him having more loyalty to her than he does to his family, because he makes it clear that she is the one reason he’s working with us. Yaluda seems almost pleased by his admission, telling me that his grumpy acceptance feels a lot more real than if he were to support us all the way.

During one of the few evenings we’re all in the study together, Blix is called to the door by a hesitant knock, and when he returns he looks… troubled.

“Bad news.” He says, “Well, it might count as good news for us, but I doubt you’ll like it, Your Highness. Remember how the King's plan to wipe out the elves needs all elves gone from dwarven territories?”

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“Of course.” Yaluda confirms. “We talked about it a few weeks ago, right? You said it would probably take years because of the cost of manpower. We just don’t have enough soldiers for the sort of offensive that could accomplish that in a few months.”

“He found a way to get the soldiers. He’s lowering the training from two years to six months, and the serving age from eighteen to–” Blix gulps, the disgust obvious on his face. “Thirteen.”

The room erupts into pandemonium.

“Where did you hear this from?” Agnark Yamat asks instantly,

“What the–” Briareth begins.

“They’re literally taking children now?!” Faladel’s look mirrors Blix’s disgust.

“My little brother!” Ludgera wails.

Yaluda and I are both just frozen, our mouths dropped open in mirrored shock.

“One at a time! One at a time!” Blix shouts as he is bombarded with questions. “It was Beni and Lutti who got this information, they overheard a meeting of the King’s Advisory Committee. One we were not told about. Yes, thirteen is normally still childhood in dwarven territories Prince Faladel, apparently, however, that is about to change.”

As he wards off more questions, I watch as Yaluda’s face hardens a bit as he accepts these new facts. “So what’s the new timeline?” He asks when all the bustle is over.

“The renewed attempts to ‘oust the elven invaders’ as the council is putting it, will start as soon as training is finished for all the new recruits. So, approximately six months after this is announced.”

“And when will that be?” Yaluda presses.

“I don’t know your highness. I expect in less than a week since they’ve already finished discussions.”

“This should turn the tide of public opinions against them right? So if we want the people on our side, we should wait till after it’s announced to get rid of the King.” Briareth says, immediately planning for this new adjustment.

Ludgera breaks in at this point. “No! That’s too late, once they’ve made the announcements, people will start being taken! My baby brother–!” She starts sobbing. “I may not be nice to him all the time, but I don’t want him dead!” Agnark instantly attempts to comfort her, gently taking her hand, patting her back, and murmuring soothing things under his breath.

Yaluda lets out a sigh. “If we kill the King before it’s announced, Briareth’s right, we’d be losing out on a huge advantage. Having public opinion on our side would change the whole playing field. And if that means a few people have to be taken? So be it. We can just have them released as soon as I’m crowned and peace is declared. It’s not like your brother is going to die from a month of training.”

His words are harsh, but pretty accurate. He stares at Ludgera coldly, and I suddenly realize this lack of sympathy he’s showing her probably has a deeper reason than exposing her to the harsh truth. This is a little bit of punishment for how she forced his hand into accepting her offer over a week earlier. It’s not nice, but it’s understandable that he’s holding a grudge. I probably would be as well.

“Have a little empathy!” Agnark shouts at Yaluda, obviously not feeling nearly as charitable as I am. “You’re basically saying, that because you want some stupid advantage, her family member has to go through hellish training for over a month!?”

“We all make sacrifices.” Yaluda says simply.

“I may not like him, but I don’t want him dead!” Ludgera whimpers, still lost in her fears.

“I know, I know.” Agnark says, stroking her back as she buries her tearstained face in his shoulder. He chuckles softly, “If you did want him dead, he wouldn’t be alive right now.”

“Yeah, and your girlfriend would be in prison.” Yaluda says, unimpressed by the romance. “Stop fussing already. I doubt nobles, even ‘lower’ ones as you claim to be, would be the first group targeted in a massive roundup of young dwarves. If we act quickly enough after the news is announced, your little brother won’t be in any realistic danger. However, if you really don’t want us to follow Briareth’s suggestions, come up with a better plan.”

Agnark looks ready to fight Yaluda at this point. He’s absolutely furious, and Yaluda’s carefully blank face isn’t helping anything. Neither is Blix’s hand on his sword, but Agnark is so busy glaring at Yaluda, I’m not sure if he even notices the not-so-subtle threat. It’s only Ludgera’s hand, reaching out and holding steadily to his arm, that stops him from lunging at Yaluda.

“It’s okay, Agnark.” She claims, still sniffling. “He’s probably right. If it weren’t for Prince Yaluda, we wouldn’t even know about this. At least we have the chance to prevent anything from happening this way. We just need to think of a plan.” Agnark releases a hissed breath, obviously trying to calm down for her and struggling to rein in his emotions. “I think we should call it a night here, we can get in touch in the morning, after we’ve had the chance to think things through. Come up with a plan.” She uses Agnarks shoulder to steady herself as she climbs to her feet, then she offers him a hand up as well.

“I assume that is acceptable, Your Highness?” She asks, almost completely recovered already. I notice a brief flicker of surprise flash through Yaluda’s eyes, followed by what I suspect to be a smidgen of respect. It quickly disappears though.

“Yes.” He says, “You and your boyfriend should probably leave now.”

Once they are gone, he and Blix also bid us farewell. “We each need time to ruminate over these developments, and we all need rest. Things could get hectic very quickly from this point on. Briareth, please, finish that poison as soon as possible.”

“Will do!” Briareth says, somehow more chirpy than he was before all this chaos.