Chapter 11

Vicenzo

The night felt eerie without the constant explosions or gunfire. The smell of smoke lingered still, but for everything to suddenly be so peaceful after the last few days of fighting made it so that Parthea Traianus could only contemplate how much harder being in battle truly was than simply thinking about it. Let alone leading on it. As she entered her quarters, her mind drifted back to the last conversation with the American interpreter.

“Several of our superiors will arrive to discuss things in the morning, highness.” the man, “Andrew” of the “Green Berets” had told her. “Green Berets”. Such a silly name for an order. Yet once more, they’d proven their terrible worth.

The walls that guarded the city had been ancient, yet they’d held them even as one was simply blown away. Yes, the local garrison had helped. A lot. But the heavy lifting had been done by these men from another world.

She tried not to think about what that would mean for the upcoming “talks”.

Parthea washed her face with the cold water, then stared at her reflection is silence. The shaking was not stopping and all she could feel was dread. She’d seen the aftermath. She’d seen death. She’d seen so much by now, so surely it would have imparted some additional wisdom. Surely.

Yet she could not, no matter how much she tried to logically explain it, no matter how much she tried to comprehend it, or will it, her mind simply could not and would not deny the horror she had seen. Bodies turned asunder, the ground burnt and riddled with ditches that had not been there before. The fact these men could have used those weapons against the city but chose not to was not lost on her.

While the water ripples subsided, she eyed her reflection and recognized fear in her eyes. No wisdom could prepare her for the simple facts, and she had to recognize that. Her hair was now a mess, the circles under her eyes more pronounced by the feline eyes staring right back at her.

Parthea cried out and whirled around defensively, only to look at the Seljuk Agent’s eyes. Her guards entered the room there and then, but paused seeing it was not a threat. The feline woman chuckled as she raised her hands.

“Apologies, highness. Sneaking here was far harder than I anticipated.”

Parthea swallowed, then, angrily, “Where the blazes were you?! Octavius has shattered our laws and customs and where were you?!”

“Apologies once more, I am Lucy of the Seljuk tribe. I am at your service now. I-”

“Yes, yes, that is all bloody good! But have you informed my father of the situation here?!”

“I… not yet, highness, we-”

“That damned traitor Octavius must be arrested for his crimes against the citizens of the empire!”

“I understand, but madame, I am here to-”

Not letting her finish, she quickly said “Understand?! Have you looked at the city?! Most of the homes on the outskirts are gone! I heard of six villages burnt completely to the ground on the way here alone, and the farms-”

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The hands on her shoulder suddenly forced her onto a chair as her guards rushed over.

“Sit down, shut up, and let me finish, you spoilt little child!”

Parthea stared wide-eyed. Blades had been drawn by her guards, which she could understand. The Seljuk Agent had somehow shouted at her without moving her mouth once. Still, she’d stopped them from doing anything further. Paloma remained staring nervously at the scene, but she could not show fear. She was the daughter of the emperor, damn it!

“Alright. I apologize. Please, go on.”

The agent of the Seljuk tribe, Lucy, released her and stepped back.

“Good. Unfortunately, Octavius did keep the fact you were here from us. Or tried to. What we are not certain of right now is how to inform your father.”

She raised an eyebrow, then asked, “How do you mean?”

“To begin with, do you really believe the current situation is not his doing? He was the one to order this campaign of scorching the earth to try and prevent the enemy any footholds.”

She winced. It was… logical. At least, given what her father knew. But even then, to simply destroy a part of their empire? She knew of stories of similar desperate tactics being carried out to varying effect centuries prior, but to bring them back now? And against an enemy that was clearly not affected by it?

“But… but these men are not… this is-”

“A bad situation, yes, but the concern now is that your father appears to believe that he must win at any cost, like any good emperor against a barbarian invader.”

“But these men are not barbarians or monsters, they… they have been telling me of wishing for peace talks!”

“That is all well and good, but I am mainly here to inform and inform back, and I must warn you, if your father realizes that Octavius lost, and that the city of Vicenzo, damaged as it may be, still stands, the consequences will be far worse.”

“W-worse?”

“Anthonius Sol Traianus is already onboard a ship to meet with Aedora Traianus in the port city of Ancona. The intent is to secure escape routes should more of the continent need to be scorched and evacuated. If necessary, it seems this plan includes the capital city. The only reason he has not acted on it yet is because he believes the situation in the Alpine mountains can still be salvaged somehow. Worse still, Octavius was not killed in that bombardment and has since fled by horse to the capital, therefore there is a limited window of time before your father enacts a possibly greater wave of destruction that will, as you have correctly observed, not affect the enemy at all.”

Parthea had no words. She wanted to argue that her father would never go so far, yet she knew better. Telling the man that fighting was pointless would never get through to him. They were a generation of leaders with only victories to their names. Yet, she could not allow the war to go further.

Lucy, with some finality, said, “That is the word I bring.”

“Why to me?”

She noticed the feline woman’s ears twitched. Once more, without moving her mouth, the Seljuk Agent spoke.

“You are here. You can speak to these Americans. I have avoided them as I cannot guage their intentions as easily, but I have no reason to doubt they intend to use you to gain what they wish.”

“Then… then I shall speak to them.”

“Excellent.”

“And you shall support me.”

“Not possible. I hide in the shadows, and my kind only communicates on a one-on-one basis.”

“Oh no. These men do not like secrecy or treachery!” she said, not quite lying as what man enjoyed secrecy or treachery be done against them?

“I cannot.”

“I said that you are ordered to support me once these talks start away! You will make yourself available to them immediately, same as I! I am not asking you to betray us but to help me show them that, yes, we can work together! Surely, your superior understands this much, yes?”

The feline woman stared at her a moment, then, with another twitch of the ears, opened her mouth for the first time to let out a tired sigh.

However, after that, she stared at her again, and once more, without moving her mouth, said, “Understood.”