"Your Majesty, I would like compensation for my losses in the current war, and your guarantee of protection from the Styphoni who are following upon your heels."
Rylla didn't know whether to laugh or cry at these outrageous requests. She held up her forefinger. "First, you're lucky I don't have your head for resisting our force when we first entered Cyros."
"I was following the orders of my lawful ruler!"
"No, you were not. You were taking orders from a Styphon's House puppet, a traitor who gave up all claims to his throne and kingdom the moment he cut a deal with his masters from Balph! However, in your defense, you were not legally bound to Hostigos through any treaty or agreement. So We will not hold you responsible for war reparations for whatever damage you did to Our Army upon its passage through your territory."
The look of astonishment on Zythos face made Rylla wish she had one of those cameras that Kalvan told her about; she would have loved to take his picture and share this moment with him.
"Secondly," she continued. "You have not sworn to Us or to King Chartiphon and thus have no claim upon our protection, or for any aid in compensation for any damages suffered during the Army of the Trygath's passage through Cyros. In fact, King Chartiphon will order all Cyros' subjects to leave the walls of Rathon City upon my leave-taking."
Zythos' face was as white as bone. "Your Majesty, there is no other place for my people to go. If you order my subjects to evacuate Rathon, you will have condemned them to death, either by the Styphoni invaders or the Trygathi barbarians."
Rylla paused to rein in her temper. "Ask Styphon's generals for protection. See what they tell you!"
Zythos fell to his knees, imploring her with raised hands. "Please, Your Majesty, I beg you not to evict my people! The Styphoni have no honor and will kill us for not resisting your invasion."
"It appears you know Styphon's House well. Then you only have two choices: either swear fealty to Ourself and to King Chartiphon, or flee Rathon. I have too many of my own subjects to worry about yours, or those of other rulers we pass. However, if you are sworn, then it is Our duty to protect you as We would Ourselves."
"Then I swear fealty to Your Majesty and Great King Kalvan right now upon my knees."
Rylla removed her sword, and tapped him upon the head with the point, a ceremony she had learned from Kalvan. "You are now the vassal of Hos-Hostigos and Nos-Hostigos, which rules all lands west of the Pyromannes Mountains formerly known as the Trygath. In the name of the True Gods, I pronounce you King Zythos of Cyros."
The audience chamber roared with cheers, led by Prince Sarrask and King Chartiphon who were both deep into their cups. That was another picture Rylla would have loved to take and share with her husband. The two former deadly enemies were now hanging onto each others' shoulders leading toasts to "Nos-Hostigos!" and "Long live Queen Rylla!"
EIGHTEEN
Kalvan called the General Staff meeting in the Admiral's Cabin aboard the Prince Ptosphes, the flagship of the Hostigos Navy. The Prince Ptosphes was the largest of the Ulthori gaff-rigged schooners. Since the Saltless Seas schooners didn't have lower decks, the guns were all mounted on the top deck; there were eight twelve-pounders and twelve eight-pounders, plus two swivel four-pounder guns fore and aft. This made the Ptosphes, if not the biggest ship, the most heavily gunned ship on the Saltless Seas.
The great cabin was big for a schooner, but Kalvan felt positively claustrophobic with almost twenty men inside, including most of the fleet's captains and his own generals. The fumes from all the pipe smokers were as thick as fireseed smoke in a big battle.
When he was certain all the principals were inside, Kalvan began to speak. "Despite the long face-off with Greffa, the Thagnori defenses are almost laughable. It appears our Middle Kingdom friends do not take war as seriously as we do in the Great Kingdoms. The biggest weakness of the Thagnori defenses is that they are aimed primarily at Grefftscharr. The western part of Thagnor City is heavily fortified, while the eastern part is only lightly protected. It appears that the threat of invasion from the princedoms around the Sea of Aesklos has never been a big concern."
At Kalvan's prearranged signal, Tortha, who had been made a Colonel of the Hostigi Militia for this engagement, rose to his feet. "Your Majesty, there hasn't been an eastern threat to the Upper Middle Kingdoms for almost two hundred years. Great King Dylemnos of Hos-Agrys was soundly defeated by the Greffan Navy before he even left port! The Agrysi had thought their new fireseed guns made them invincible, they hadn't anticipated the Greffan marines boarding their vessels while they were still moored at dock. Since then, other than some pirates, there have been no serious threats from the Great Kingdoms."
"I'm glad to hear that because it makes our job a lot easier," Kalvan said. There was nodding and head-bobbing from the assembled captains and generals. The only other sound was the creaking of the hemp cording and the water lapping at the hull.
"I've got a question," one of the captains said. "Will Prince Varrack be there to rally his troops?"
"Let me introduce Count Vinaldos, who will answer that question."
Vinaldos rose gracefully to his feet. "Presently, our peripatetic Prince is out of Thagnor. Varrack is busy wooing a young noble lady in Karphya, who has a substantial dowry. He's also trying to enlist Karphyan support in his undeclared war against Grefftscharr. It appears that the young lady is receiving most of his attention as he underestimates Theovacar's enmity."
Kalvan took out his dagger and went over to the large deerskin map of Thagnor, or Detroit as he still thought of it. He put the tip of his blade on Belle Island, which locally was known as Eryn Wolan. "This island is heavily fortified." He pointed out the location of the fort and the local garrison. "We'll ignore Eryn Wolan and Vart-Burgult for now; it's a stationary defense and we'll be keeping our ships downriver."
One of the Ulthori captains asked, "Where is the Thagnori feet anchored?"
Kalvan moved the point of his blade across the river from the island to Thagnor itself. "The Thagnori fleet is anchored along the City waterfront. Just below the island's fortifications and thus safe from the Greffan Navy." He pointed to a place farther downstream from Thagnor City named Prumfyld Village just below where Stony Point was back on otherwhen. "We'll anchor the ships and gunboats here. And put up a shore battery to keep any Thagnori ships from escaping. It will be up to the marines and gunboats to capture as many ships as possible. Our attack will be at daybreak so most sailors will be onshore or asleep."
Admiral Herad, Supreme Admiral of the Royal Hostigos Navy, spoke up. "What's to stop the Thagnori Navy from attacking us?"
Kalvan nodded. "Secrecy. The plan is to arrive just after dusk and neutralize the locals before they can warn the Navy." He looked over at Vinaldos and nodded.
The Count stood up. He used his poignard to point to the same area Kalvan had hit. "First, I've just returned from the village of Prumfyld, which is situated in the middle of the border lands between Morthron and Thagnor. It owes allegiance to both kingdoms and to neither. Many of the men in the village are smugglers. Prumfyld has changed ownership so many times that the villagers don't recognize either overlord.
"The Thagnori, in times of uncertainty, maintain a line of small watch-towers that run downstream from the mouth of the Thagnor River to the city itself. The watchmen are to set off a warning chain of beacon fires the moment an enemy has been spotted. In exchange for ten thousand ounces of gold, the Prumfyld hetman has agreed to silence all the watchmen between the village and Thagnor City."
"As part of that deal," Kalvan interrupted, "the hetman's also allowed us to use his village as a staging area for the invasion of Thagnor. We will land a ship, with a complement of soldiers, before nightfall and take possession of the village. Once we've established control we can bring up the rest of the Nythrosi ships, anchor them off-shore and the Army can disembark. We will use our own ships to picket the river at this point in order to stop any ships heading towards Thagnor City from reporting our presence to the Thagnori."