“The new day,” Mari answered. “The new day when knowledge will no longer be banned and the grip of the Mechanics Guild on science and technology is ended. The new day when Mages are free to see others as real. The new day when all the people in the world will be free if they choose.”
“That banner will fly over Tiae?”
Mari glared at the man. “That banner will fly over my forces. The green and gold of Tiae will fly over Tiae. How many times do I have to say this? I will not rule Tiae. I want Tiae as a partner in bringing about the new day. That’s all.”
The young woman looked around at her comrades, judging their feelings. “Against all of my preconceptions, I find myself believing you. Perhaps I am even beginning to believe in you. Tiae has had no hope for so long that it is hard to recognize it even when it stands before us. I believe that you do not want the crown of Tiae, Lady Master Mechanic, and that is well, since you would never be offered that crown.”
“It is you,” Alain said, surprising Mari.
The young woman smiled slightly. “It is me. Lady Master Mechanic, daughter, I will offer to place the forces of Tiae, the resources of Tiae, at your disposal, following your direction just as these Mechanics and Mages do, with the understanding that you will use everything to further the goal you have promised—the rebirth of Tiae as a unified and peaceful country—and that you will allow Tiae’s people to rule themselves. In return, Tiae will offer the home you seek to challenge the control the Great Guilds exercise over the world. And to prevent the Storm you fear. The world would not help Tiae, but Tiae will help the world.”
“You’re personally committing everything in Tiae?“ Mari shook her head in bafflement, turning to Alain. “What did you mean, it is you?”
“She is the ruler of Tiae.”
“But they’re all dead… “ Mari stared at the young woman.
“One survives,” the young woman said. “And as long as one survives, Tiae survives.”
The others behind the table stood up and bowed to the young woman as the old woman spoke with quiet formality. “May I present Her Royal Highness, the Princess Sien of Tiae.” The old woman’s expression reflected both pride and tragedy. “The last surviving member of the royal family of Tiae.”
Mari wondered how she was supposed to acknowledge the introduction, finally settling for a half-bow toward Princess Sien. “You don’t look like a princess,” was the only thing that Mari could think to say. She had always imagined princesses to be pampered, fragile things. This princess looked like a battle veteran resting briefly between campaigns.
“My survival has often hinged on not looking like a princess,” Sien said. “And what title should I use for the daughter?”
“Not the daughter, please,” Mari said. “I prefer Lady Master Mechanic or just Lady Mari. That’s who I am.”
“Then, Lady Mari, we have the deal you wished for. The details can be worked out, but I freely admit what you surely already know. The defenses of Pacta Servanda are being sorely stressed by the so-called army of a warlord who styles himself General Raul. Any assistance you can immediately provide to our defenses would be most welcome.” Sien looked down, then back at Mari. “Understand this. If I have erred in my trust of you, then my life is finally forfeit, and Tiae’s last hope is gone.”
“I have my faults, Princess Sien,” Mari admitted. “Plenty of them. But I never break a promise, and I never abandon anyone.”
“Not even a Mage,” Alain said.
That night Mari and Alain walked along the wall of the town, looking out at the fires that marked the encampment of “General” Raul’s “army.” Accompanying them as both bodyguard and escort was the female officer who had first met them at the landing. “Half of Raul’s fighters are scum,” she told Mari. “The other half are men and women forced to fight, or be killed.”
“Can he be reasoned with at all?” Mari asked.
The officer spat over the wall. “No. Nor would anyone want to. Ask around about Raul’s victims. He’s not human.”
Screams suddenly came drifting on the winds from Raul’s encampment. Mari felt her blood chill at the sound.
“We hear that sort of thing most nights,” the officer remarked, staring into the darkness as if her gaze could deal death to Raul and his minions.
“Prisoners from this town?” Alain asked.
“No, Sir Mage. Raul tortures prisoners from the town in daylight, where we can see them. Those screams might be some poor soul who got caught in the countryside and was brought back for the amusement of Raul and his officers. Or one of Raul’s fighters who ran during the last fight and is being made an example of. Or just someone picked at random.”
“There is a Dark Mage at the warlord’s camp,” Alain said. “The Dark Mage has power, but little skill at hiding his presence. I did not sense him earlier this day. He must have arrived recently.”
The officer glared into the night again. “We have little defense against Mages.”
“You had little defense against Mages,” Alain corrected. “Lady Mari’s Mages can surely stop whatever the Dark Mage intends.”
Mari had not been happy about having to make an attack on Raul a priority. She had considered just waiting out the warlord by repelling attacks until Raul gave up and went away.
Not anymore. She felt the chill in her blood replaced by a growing heat. “Alain, how soon can we take him apart?”
Alain pondered the question, gazing out across the land. “How will Raul respond if attacked by many Mechanics with their weapons, supported by Mages?” he asked the officer.
“Do what damage he can, then run,” the officer replied. “Or maybe just run. He’d head for some other place, maybe a village, tear it apart for the fun of it and to keep his scum happy.”
“We have to trap him, then,” Alain said.
The officer gave Alain an appraising look. “Raul has survived a lot of fights.”
“He has not fought us.”
Chapter Fourteen
The sun had barely risen before Mari called a planning meeting. She had slept poorly. If Mari had not already guessed that she looked as irritable and upset as she felt it would have been obvious from the cautious attitudes of everyone around her. Calu and Alli were suppressing yawns. Alain appeared to be tired but ready to keep going for as long as necessary. Three officers from the forces defending Pacta Servanda also sat around the table, which had a map spread across it.
“How many reliable rifles do we have?” Mari asked Alli.
“Forty-eight,” she replied before stifling another yawn. “And there’s plenty of ammo. A lot of the stuff we got out of the armory at Edinton had corrosion on the brass, but Apprentices have been cleaning that off since we left the city.”
Calu studied the map. “Raul’s just encamped out there, huh? No fortifications?”
One of the officers shook his head. “Raul’s forces don’t build, even to defend themselves. They only destroy.”
“I’ve heard,” the female officer added, “that Raul thinks building defenses would cause his fighters to think defensively. So he just depends on attacking. Or running.”
“Does he keep sentries posted?” Alain asked.
“Only facing the town,” the third officer said. “That we know of.”
“The training I received in military matters encouraged the idea of striking an enemy from the side,” Alain added.