A very short duel and beheading later, Lady Einreth once again invited Matt to speak with her in her study. He took enough time to return the carving knife and wash some of the blood and dirt out of his tunic before he visited her.
The Orc was out of her dueling armor, though she hadn’t bothered to get quite as clean as he had. Tolreth’s blood still stained a portion of the clothes she had worn beneath the plate. She did not appear to be troubled by it as she bowed. “My liege. I am grateful for your help today.”
“It was no trouble at all, Lady Einreth. I am glad you were able to resolve your dispute without much trouble.”
Einreth smiled. “Something tells me I would have been in more danger had you not intervened, my liege.” She paused, and her expression grew serious. “We were able to find the servants who put the poison in the glasses. Both of them had been killed before we could reach them.”
Matt grimaced. “Then whoever Suluth sent to deal with you is likely already out of the city. I doubt they would stick around after the show we just put on.” He looked out the window, where the rest of Heartlight was visible beyond the glass. “Do you think that the other Houses will give you any more trouble after this?”
The Orc shook her head. She sat down at her desk heavily, apparently now tired after the efforts of the night. “No, I believe they are mostly cowed now. Seeing four of their best brought low with a table knife can have that effect.”
“Good.” He didn’t feel great about having to deal with the situation this way, but it was better than letting it fester. Besides, bullies and thugs like Tolreth and his gang usually expected everyone else to act civilized while they did whatever they pleased. It was somewhat gratifying to show them what could happen if the gloves came off. “I’m going to be taking my banners to Shadowfen. Unless you have other business to take care of here, I expect you to come with me.”
Einreth nodded. “I will be ready to go with you tomorrow, my liege.” Then she paused, looking around the room. “Is there anything else you would ask of me, sire? I feel…indebted to you. For overlooking my hasty actions, and for helping me to maintain control over my Clan.”
Matt gave her a wry smile. “I only require your loyalty and your dedication to the cause of the Kingdom, Lady Einreth.” He shook his head. “I meant what I said about the Orcs of the Red Moon. Yours is a strong people. I do not want to see them left behind while all the others prosper. Please help me to reach them, and to bring all of us into a bright future.”
It was a little corny, but he meant the words. Einreth studied him for a moment, and then nodded. “As you say, my liege. We are strong, but stronger together.”
He nodded back, and then bid her farewell. There was plenty of road ahead of him, and he’d need at least one good night in an actual bed if he wanted to arrive at least somewhat fresh.
They set out from Heartlight the next day.
He heard some grumbling from the Goblins as the column formed up for the march south. Apparently, one night in the barracks of Heartlight had not allowed them to rest as much as they had wanted; only Captain Snolt appeared to be happy to start moving south. He’d given Matt a level look when they reunited. “You know, sire, you aren’t the only one itching for a good fight. You can’t keep hogging all the glory for yourself.”
Matt snorted. “I’ll try to save some of Teblas’ men for you, Captain.” Snolt nodded as if it was a favor he’d been expecting, and Matt snorted again. Sitting in a garrison really did seem to be the worst thing in the world for the Goblin. What was he going to do once the Kingdom was at peace?
That idea stuck in Matt’s mind for a while as they rode through Heartlight. The Orcs were avoiding the column; those few who were in the streets got out of the way immediately. Many of them stared at him and his troops in fear. Apparently, news of the duel the previous night had spread beyond the nobles and the troops.
The serfs, however, looked at him differently. There was a spark of interest in their eyes, something that surprised Matt. He hadn’t freed them; he still couldn’t, not without pushing the majority of the Clan over the edge into open rebellion. At the same time, he had struck at some of their supposed masters. Had that really been enough to gain their appreciation?
Tanya had been avoiding him since the duel. She looked at him differently too; apparently it was one thing to know he had killed people, and another to see him actually do it. Matt just tried to ignore her. She shouldn’t have been on the journey anyway, and at least now he wasn’t being blasted by random gusts of ice cold wind now and again.
Einreth, on the other hand, had met them at the edge of town, with a handful of her servants with her. She rode a warbuck almost the same size as Nelson, and was dressed in a more functional version of her dueling armor. When he approached, she bowed from the saddle. “My liege.”
“Lady Einreth.” Matt returned the bow, and then looked to the road south. “Shall we?”
She nodded, and the column started for Shadowfen. Behind them, the city of the Red Moon was quickly lost to the trees. The Darkwood, and the capital of the Blackleaf Goblins, lay ahead.
The journey was a calm one. Matt knew he still needed to watch for ambushes on the road—Suluth was still out there, after all, and she knew her plans in Heartlight had failed—but the weather remained good, and the roads had been traveled consistently since the last snowfall. Apparently, Shadowfen and Heartlight saw more trade than he’d realized; almost every hour they passed a cart headed one way or the other, trundling along the well-worn tracks in the snow and mud.
To his relief, the column moved quickly. The Red Plains were relatively flat and uncrowded; as a result, they were already at the edge of the Darkwoods by the end of the first day. They camped at the border between the two High Clans; there was a large marker beside the road, a stone plinth that rose nearly as tall as the ancient trees within the forest beyond. It had been inscribed with runes at some point, but age and lack of care had allowed them to be worn away. Now it was simply a marker to show where the dominion of one Clan ended and the next began.
Matt could instantly feel the difference when he entered the Darkwoods the next day. There had been plenty of snow-covered fields and frost-rimed trees on the Red Plains, but the forest here was…different. More primeval. The snow had still fallen, of course, but here it barely seemed like there was any space for it to gather between the trunks of the trees and the underbrush that gathered beneath the branches.
The silence was difficult to get used to as well. Something about the oppressive vegetation made it seem like idle conversation was a bad idea; even the wind sighing through the trees appeared to be hushed. It still brought chill, of course, as it whispered by, but it was a far cry from the occasional howling wind on the Plains.
Despite the change in atmosphere, the column still made good time. If anything, the roads in the Darkwoods appeared to be even better cared for than those on the Red Plains. Even the need to watch for ambushers beneath the leaves didn’t keep them from drawing close to Shadowfen by the end of the second day. Einreth speculated aloud that they’d reach the place by noon on the following day, and Snolt agreed.
From there, he’d need to deal with whatever traps that Suluth had set there, and then move south. He just had to hope that he wasn’t already too late to stop Teblas from trying to reinforce his homeland. There would only be one way to find out.
That night, as the banners settled into yet another roadside camp, Matt looked over his maps for what seemed like the millionth time. If the delay at Shadowfen was short enough, he’d still reach the place he needed to be in the Grim Hollows. He just had to hope that he found Karve in command of the troops, and the city still firmly aligned with him. Otherwise, he’d not only have to subdue one of the High Clans in the middle of their own territory, but he’d have to scrape together forces from somewhere to stop Teblas shortly after.
He shook those thoughts away and tried to focus. Karve had to have held. There was just no way for the situation to have gone so badly that the captain of the Iron Eighth had not only lost the city, but had also failed to send a message to Heartlight to warn him.
The lifeguard stationed at the front of his tent knocked politely on the wood slab hanging there for that very purpose. Matt straightened up from his table to see the Orc poking his head in with an uncertain expression. “The Maiden wishes to speak with you, sire.”
Matt paused in surprise. Had she decided to come and lecture him for being a bloody-handed tyrant? He sighed. At least it would be a bit different from her normal cavalier attitude toward him. Maybe she’d even agree to go home now instead of staying. “Send her in. Thank you.”
The lifeguard nodded and retreated back through the opening. Then Tanya lifted the door and came in.
She looked as if she hadn’t been sleeping well. There were bags under her dark eyes, and her dress looked a little disheveled. As she let the tent flap fall shut behind her, she looked around his tent as if she was searching for a reason to avoid looking at him. Her eyes seemed to catch on the mace beside his desk for a moment and then slid away again.
Matt waited for a few moments. Then he straightened up and folded his arms across his chest. “Is there something I can help you with, Tanya?”
“You killed those Orcs.” Tanya said it in a dull voice, one that carried the weight of at least one sleepless night behind it. “It didn’t even look hard for you. You just killed them.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I did.” A burst of regret managed to worm its way through him for a moment, and he squashed it solidly. “It needed to be done. They were trying to plot against the Kingdom; their friend Tolreth had even poisoned our drinks. If I’d left them alive, they would have been after us, and would have tried to help Tolreth start another rebellion.”
Tanya jerked slightly, and she stared at him directly now. Her eyes were fogged by some horrible realization. “They tried to poison us?”
“Well, just me and Einreth. You were safe, this time at least.” Matt shrugged. “Though if I had died, I don’t know if Tolreth would have let you go. He didn’t seem like a very… kind person.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
She shook her head, as if trying to shoo away her own thoughts. “Did you even feel anything when you killed them? Anything at all?”
Matt felt his face close down. “That doesn’t matter. I had to do it. If I didn’t—”
“Did. You. Feel. Anything?” Tanya stepped forward, her eyes fierce now. Anger had burned away the fog. “Tell me now.”
He paused, hesitating between answers. Then he decided on the truth. “No. Not really. I honestly never have, not since the Red Sorceress.”
Tanya stared at him in horror. Her face grew pale, making the bags under her eyes stand out. “No. No, no, no…”
Matt stepped forward and felt like an utter fool as she cringed back from him. “Tanya, I… I’m not a monster. I’m not going to hurt anyone I don’t need to. I just can’t let a bunch of nobles lead us into a civil war for their own power.”
She glared at him, a hint of her former temper coming back. “You don’t understand. When you killed them…I didn’t feel anything either. Nothing at all.”
There was a moment of silence as Matt absorbed that information. He’d always assumed that his lack of regret over killing someone had meant something about his mental health. Matt had grown used to the idea that he was a sociopath of some kind. How else could he be capable of doing things like this without flinching?
Now, though… “M-maybe you’re just in shock. You’ll get over it and start feeling something.”
Tanya shook her head. “When I was five, I saw someone put down a rabid dog. I cried for a week after.” Then she looked away. “How could I be sad about that, but not about four people getting stabbed to death in front of me? What’s wrong with me? Is it something about this place?”
He stared at her for a moment. Then he shook his head. “I don’t know. I can tell you it starts to… go away after a while. It’s like you get used to seeing everyone, and some parts of the uncanny valley start to go away. You start seeing everyone as more…”
“More human.” Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and she nodded her head. “You’re saying it’s not me. It might just be the fact that they all aren’t… human.”
Matt nodded, and Tanya slumped slightly. Some of the tension went out of her face, and she looked away. She even swayed a little, and Matt stepped forward just in case he needed to catch her before she fell. Tanya paused and then gave him a wry look. “Sorry. You’re the only human here, but you still don’t have a shot with me yet.”
He rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. “I’m not—look, can’t I just do something nice without people assuming things?”
“Not while you’re King, you can’t.” Tanya wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly. Then she swayed a little and closed her eyes. “I think…I might need to go lie down.”
“Go get some sleep then. We’re arriving in Shadowfen tomorrow.” Matt watched as she turned to go, ducking out through the tent flap. He waited a moment and then poked his head out to speak with the lifeguard. “One of you, make sure she gets to her tent safely, please.”
The lifeguard nodded, and the Imp to his right immediately started off after her. Matt watched them go for a moment longer and then ducked back inside his tent. One more day until Shadowfen.
They reached the Goblin capital a little after midday, a fact that Matt attributed to it being a little harder to wake Tanya than it usually had been before. At the very least, the woman was looking much better rested in her saddle. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be on the edge of another mental breakdown in the middle of the city.
It didn’t help that both Captain Snolt and Lady Einreth had made comments about the fact that Tanya looked like she was doing much better. The way that they had said it made him feel like they were insinuating things that clearly hadn’t happened. He once again hoped that he’d be able to send Tanya home to Redspire as soon as his army was underway. There was no way she’d want to come see an actual battle, would she?
That nightmare scenario was still echoing around in his mind as the city of Shadowfen came into view.
Unlike Heartlight, Shadowfen was not unwalled. The Goblins had gone almost completely in the opposite direction, constructing a series of walls that formed what looked like three interlocking rings. An attacker would have to take what seemed like three separate fortified cities in order to completely conquer the place.
At the center of the three rings, in the space formed by all three walls, the Darkwood Citadel rose over the city. It was an imposing tower, one that was very nearly the equal of the castle of Redspire. The tower was sculpted in a way that made it seem like it had sprouted from the forest; the walls were shaped to look like the trunks of trees had been grown close enough together to form a solid barrier.
They approached the northern ring, where the gate had been formed in a graceful arch. Goblins were standing guard at the entrance, and one of them carried the banner of House Rithune, the House that had taken over the leadership of the High Clan once Lady Suluth’s treachery had become clear. The messenger bowed deeply as Matt approached.
“Sire, we have been waiting for your arrival. Captain Karve wishes to meet with you as soon as you are able, as do our Matriarchs. I can lead you to your quarters first.”
Matt blinked. He noted the lack of a greeting for Lady Einreth, and put it down to the typical inter-Clan rivalries. Perhaps Einreth had ruffled some feathers the last time she was in Shadowfen. “Thank you. If you can spare someone, please direct my troops to their quarters, and the Maiden to hers. My lifeguard will accompany me and Lady Einreth to see Captain Karve first. Let the Matriarchs know I will speak with them once I receive Karve’s report.”
The messenger nodded, and a pair of soldiers gestured for Matt’s troops to join them. As he rode into yet another city, Matt tried to appreciate the change in scenery rather than just feeling tired. It had been a long week so far, however, and it only promised to grow longer, no matter how courteous the welcome. Hopefully Karve’s report would be simple enough, and then he could start on the actual work of preserving the Kingdom.
“There were at least twelve assassins, sire, but they were clearly not expecting me to be the target.” Karve shrugged a little casually, something made a little difficult by the bandages on his shoulders. “Fortunately, Sergeant Nikles and the others were able to regroup during their confusion and aid me. Those who tried to escape were brought down. Unfortunately, none survived the fight.”
Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “You didn’t think to inform me of this, Captain?”
Karve raised an eyebrow. “I was not sure that any messenger I sent would reach you. Most of Suluth’s troops remain at large, and they would find little difficulty in catching a lone messenger.”
The response made sense, and Matt let out a quiet sigh. Being mad at a soldier wounded in an assassination attempt meant for him didn’t make much sense, anyway. “And you were able to contain the fires?”
“Yes, sire. Most of the damage was superficial anyway, and the Fourth was able to trap most of the arsonists in the buildings that were already too far gone to save.” The Captain shifted quietly and shrugged again. “I’m sorry we didn’t capture any for interrogation from that group either, sire.”
Matt shook his head. “It’s fine, Captain. You did well.” From the sounds of it, he’d single-handedly kept Shadowfen from burning down while also dealing with Suluth’s main group of assassins, all while wounded in the initial attack. It did make Matt want to give him another medal, but his apparent lack of excitement about any of it was almost infuriating.
Lady Einreth was much more open about her opinion of the situation, however. She looked Karve up and down and grunted. “After all that, I’m surprised you’re still standing, Captain.”
Karve gave her a brief grin. “It has been a privilege to serve, my lady. However, I am more than happy to turn over command to you and to King Matthew. As invigorating as the experience has been… I believe I may need some time to recover.”
“Then we’ll have to give you all the time you need.” Matt grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. Karve had served him well once again. The sturdy captain of the Iron Eighth gave him a salute—awkward, along with all the bandages—and then left to see the doctors again.
Einreth watched him go and then looked back at Matt, her expression amused. “He seems to be a good servant, sire. I can see why you entrusted him with command while I was gone.”
Matt raised an eyebrow. “He is very reliable. In fact, he’s been fighting with me almost from my very first battle in this world.” Then he let his tone grow a bit more serious. “He’s also still in command here.”
The Orc noblewoman had been nodding. Now, though, she flinched as if she had been struck, and stared at him. “Still in command? Why? I am the head of the High Clan of the Red Moons, and he—”
“Is someone who is never going to have something better to do than command my army.” Matt kept his voice very, very level. “You have the concerns of an entire House and Clan to worry about. Karve is a soldier, just a soldier. That is one reason why he is going to stay in command here for a little while longer until I get things sorted out.”
Einreth looked like she wanted to protest. He watched the emotions battle on her face, a struggle between pride, anger, resignation, and respect. Then she snorted and looked away. “It is… your choice, sire. I only hope that he can serve you as well as I could, and that we do not regret this decision in the future.”
There was still an edge of distrust in her voice, but Matt thought it was more for Karve than for Matt. In fact, unless he was entirely off the mark, she almost sounded… hurt? As if his decision not to give her back command had been a personal injury for her, rather than a simple loss of status and power. He frowned for a moment, wondering how to balance the situation.
Then he smiled as he hit on a possible solution. “In the meantime, Lady Einreth, I’m going to need your help.”
She looked up at him in surprise and smiled. There was a hint of hopefulness in her face. “You do, sire? I am at your disposal.”
Matt nodded, hoping that he didn’t sound too obvious. “Glad to hear it. I need to meet with the Matriarchs later. What can you tell me about them? How likely are they to support Lady Suluth?”
Einreth’s expression had a brief flicker of disappointment, but it disappeared as she shook her head. “The Matriarchs function as the heads of the main Houses for the Blackleaf Clan. There are three of them, and each has control of a section of the city. They share control of the Citadel, and cooperate to appoint a leader for the High Clan.”
He frowned as he realized something. “They haven’t done that recently. Unless they managed to do it without letting Redspire hear about it.”
Einreth grimaced. “No, sire. They appear to still be debating who should replace the traitor. Apparently, none of the noblewomen have proved themselves sufficient to the task. Sending representatives to the Great Council was simpler for them, but they often take quite a bit of time to decide on the Clan leader. They took almost a year to decide when Suluth was chosen.”
“So the delay is not an unusual one.” Matt couldn’t help feeling a little suspicious despite her nod of agreement. If one or more of the Matriarchs was sympathetic to Suluth’s cause, they wouldn’t want to replace Suluth as the leader of the Clan immediately. They might try to hold off on the decision and give Suluth the chance to either kill Matt or otherwise regain her power in the Clan. “Have any of them shown signs of supporting the traitors in any way?”
“No, sire.” Einreth smiled as Matt gave her an incredulous look. “House Rithune is currently in ascendance over the other two, so they are more than happy to follow your lead. House Selthune was allied with House Calthune, but they have a history of following whichever of their rivals is strongest, extracting favors when they switch sides. They have stuck with that strategy now, and there’s no reason to suppose they will change it.”
Matt nodded slowly. “And House Calthune?”
Einreth paused. “Calthune was Suluth’s House. They know they are under suspicion, but they have already abandoned her completely. From what I can tell, the leaders of the House have declared that she is no longer welcome among them, and that her actions have set her beyond recovery.” She smiled. “I think they wish to avoid your displeasure, sire. Other rulers would have been far more… upset at the assassination attempts and disloyalty. They may hope to avoid such a reaction by pledging their loyalty to you more firmly.”
He thought back to Lord Penk, and the decimated House that Tek had come from. “Well, hopefully they just stay loyal and don’t get too fanatic about it. Any suggestions for how to encourage them to guard our backs instead of sticking knives in them?”
The Orc shrugged. “The fact that we’ve had troops here has… encouraged them to remain reliable. Both because they need those troops to defend against Teblas and because they won’t be able to rebel with banners on their backs. Aside from that, act as they expect you to act. The Matriarchs have had visits from their monarch before, so they know what you’ll do.”
Matt blinked. “And what is that?”
“Demand their obedience, try to twist their arms into doing something they should already be doing, and generally act regally.” Einreth laughed at the look on his face. “Do not worry, my liege, you’ll do fine! As long as you don’t demand their heads or fatally insult them, they will be reasonable. They may even be curious as to your plans for their city, given the ideas you’ve put into practice in Redspire. As long as they don’t get the wrong idea, they will be yours. Suluth won’t be able to raise a rebellion in the city without killing or capturing them first.”
He nodded slowly. As long as he was able to avoid anything unexpected, the next few hours should give him the chance to secure Shadowfen against treachery and prepare for the march south. Once Teblas was dead, he could afford to send some of his forces to track down Suluth and end her, while the rest of his troops prepared for the invasion from the south.
One more tiresome diplomatic meal, and then he’d finally be ready for the real struggle ahead.