CHAPTER 3 War Plans
Obi sat on the floor, holding Ilena closely to him, and with great tenderness as if he might hurt her even with the lightest of touches. His face was stricken and he closed his eyes and bent his head to place it to her head, hiding from the room in his grief. Kiki and Mitsuhide watched him carefully, but he had Marcus and Henry behind him, since they had been standing behind Ilena from when she and Obi had come out of the bedroom. Kiki motioned to Mitsuhide, and she and the head aide moved to stand with Zen, who also needed comfort and support now that the story had been told. Grandfather stepped up and put his hand on Leah's shoulder, and she looked at him in surprise, then put her hand on his and held it with gratitude. He had slipped in during the telling of the story, having heard it begin from the Upper office.
Slowly, as people were able to process what had been said, the atmosphere in the room changed from stunned grief and horror to cold, quiet anger. Kiki had been the first to find anger, becoming angry for Ilena's sake even while the story was being told, and she fingered her sword occasionally, wanting to put it between the ribs of a man who most definitely had earned it. Zen was the second to recover. Zen's aides recognized that he had gone from being stunned to angry, and then to quickly thinking of what his plan would be and how he would face the Lord of Tarc in battle. Mitsuhide recovered calmly, as was usual for him, because Zen had recovered. Like Obi, he had complete faith in Zen.
Zen's eyes went first to Marcus and Henry as they were beginning to come out of the shock of the story. He caught their eyes, held them until they were steady, then looked pointedly at Obi and back at them. They straightened slightly and nodded. They would watch him and see to him for now. Leah was the next person Zen looked to. It was an old story for her, though it was one that brought her pain. Zen glanced at Grandfather, who squeezed Leah's shoulder sufficient to draw her attention. As she looked up, Zen caught her eyes and held them. Leah straightened and calmed for him quickly. "Miss Leah, what is it you need?" Zen asked. He kept his voice quiet.
Leah took a breath. "I have done my best to heal her internal scars, but they have been numerous and hidden. Master Obi has healed many of them. If he can also heal these, I'll be able to rest. In the meantime, I will continue to serve faithfully and comfort her." Obi nodded without looking up. Zen was pleased to see he'd already reached the point of being able to be aware of his surroundings. Zen knew he also desired to see Ilena healed. If there was anything he could do, he would.
Zen nodded at Leah and she continued, "Also, if Master Zen will continue to keep his word to Mistress Ilena and see that she is freed from the Lord of Tarc. She is always wearing the chains in her mind. Never is there a time she is not."
Zen nodded his head. "I have promised it to her and to myself already," he comforted her. "I will see to it." Leah bowed her head and leaned back to Grandfather, who comforted her, and she held tightly to Rio's hand as well. When Zen looked at Rio, she simply nodded her agreement with the words of Leah.
"Petroi," Zen called, turning to the grieving man. The guardian of Ilena shuddered. His head was in his hands. Thayne put his hand on Petroi's back to encourage him. Petroi slipped off the couch and went down on one knee and fist in front of Zen, his head bowed submissively, his grief and pain in every line of his body. "What is it?" Zen asked him, the same as he would have asked Obi when he was in this state.
When Petroi had control sufficient to answer, he said, "I have failed to protect Princess Ilena from her enemies."
"What were your orders from her father?" Zen asked.
Petroi paused, hunting through his memory. "To protect his precious treasure and her future."
"When you were a youth, would a grown man expect you to do the job of a grown man, or to do your best in a world of adults?" Zen asked it harshly, wanting Petroi to consider it just as harshly.
Petroi's voice was as Zen wanted it when he answered. "To do my best as a youth in a world of adults."
"And did you do that to the best of your capabilities?" Zen asked judgmentally. Petroi could not answer. "After hearing what Ilena has said to me, I believe you did. Even if you had told her to be quiet while on the Kir'nah, the Lord of Tarc would have seen his plan through to its end, determined to have her for his own. His men would not have allowed her to return to the tents even if they had only waited one day's ride out from them to chase her off again until the week was accomplished." He waited. Finally Petroi nodded once and his back relaxed slightly. "Let the blame lie where it belongs - upon the Lord of Tarc. You have been obedient to your Mistress and have done all she has required of you and at the same time have continued to protect her to the best of your abilities as you have grown stronger, even to the point of protecting her from me when it seemed best to you. She still stands alive today and where she can have the best possible future for her. There is no error in your obedience, nor flaw in your faithfulness."
Petroi's back finally relaxed, then pulled in on itself. "What is it you need?" Zen asked the next question to healing the man and the burden he had carried for over twenty years.
"Please, release her from the Lord of Tarc."
"I have already said it." Zen said mildly, knowing it needed to be repeated. "She is mine. He shall not keep anything that is mine."
Petroi nodded and relaxed again. His fist tightened and Zen waited. "Master Zen...the Princess has ordered me to repay every drop to him that he has made her pay. Allow me to be obedient to her."
Zen considered it, then answered. "Because he has not killed her, I can grant you this. Also, she has said that you know all that has been done, so you are best suited to know how to fulfill her requirement. From the time I allow Obi to subdue him he is yours. When you have met her requirement, you will let Obi know. Then he shall require of the man his own payments, and then I will require mine. Only when he has paid in full shall he be released to death." Obi's head came up and his eyes flashed. Zen looked at him mildly. "Yes, Obi, you may have that."
Obi shook his head. "She has requested it, that she and I deal that blow together." His voice was very calm, and Zen wondered if it was the calm that covered deadliness.
Zen paused. "As long as that is the only blow she delivers, I shall allow it, lest she become less than wild and become irretrievable. You will not allow a blade in her hands before him until then."
Obi nodded. "Yes, Master."
Zen looked at Petroi's back again. He had relaxed and was waiting for release, though Zen could read his anticipation for the payment to come. He made him hold his pose until that had calmed sufficiently, then called him to rise. Thayne rose from the couch to stand with him. When Petroi's eyes were calm enough, Zen nodded, releasing him. He bowed and walked to stand near Obi with Marcus and Henry. Thayne stayed with him, but went to stand on the other side of the Twins so the four guards were arrayed behind their Master and Mistress.
Zen looked at Obi now, the table between them. He was still looking back at him calmly, waiting for his turn. "What do you need, Obi?" Zen asked him.
"To spend time with my wife to see that she is properly healed and to ensure there are no further traps waiting to be sprung."
"How long, Obi?" Zen asked him.
Obi considered it. "No shorter than the remainder of the day. No longer than three days."
"Make it no longer than two, Obi. I still need to have my meeting with the Prince of Selicia, and she must be present for it."
Obi shook his head. "She could be present by this afternoon. That's how long it will take me."
Zen stared at him for a moment, then nodded. He waited to see if there would be more forthcoming.
Obi looked down. "Ilena," he called. He waited, watching her. When she finally stirred, his attitude became both wary and judgemental.
"Obi?" she asked, not quite present, and her hand reached up, then stopped, moving finally to settle at her own heart, as if she were imitating Shirayuki. A brief flash of pain went across Obi's face. When she moved to sit up, he assisted her gently. Her loose fist moved to her head, and her eyes stayed closed, her brow furrowed.
Zen remembered that the last time she'd unlocked a double lock like this she'd complained of a headache. "Does your head hurt?" he asked kindly.
Ilena nodded and Obi calmed slightly. "Ilena, will you face me?" Obi asked her. She turned until she was on her knees in front of Obi, her hands loosely on her lap. Obi watched her face until she was ready. Zen watched Obi's face carefully. "Ilena, who do you belong to?" Obi asked. His face was calm and his eyes and voice required obedience.
"Master Zen and Obi," she answered calmly.
"Are you whole?" Obi asked, again in the same manner.
Ilena paused as if feeling out the answer. "Yes, Obi," her voice was lighter and that light reflected in Obi's face. He looked into her eyes deeply. When her hand twitched, he shook his head minutely, then looked past her to Zen and nodded his head at him. Zen prepared himself as she turned to face him. He noticed that she shifted until she was kneeling next to Obi before she fully settled with him. He wondered if that was to comfort herself or Obi.
Zen held her look calmly for a while, putting his own needs in order and looking to see her emotional state. She looked back at him calmly, though residual emotions swirled past occasionally, as could be expected. When she settled on needing to speak, he nodded.
Ilena bowed to him. "Thank you for healing Leah and Petroi," she said to him.
When she straightened and looked at him again, he nodded, accepting her gratitude. Ilena looked him in the eye for a moment, then sighed. She stood, put her hand on Obi's head until he looked up at her in surprise. She gave him a small smile, rubbed his head just a little until he relaxed, then walked away from him to walk towards Zen. When she reached his chair, she knelt down in front of him, but stayed upright so she was close to his height. "Zen," she called gently. "You have carried this burden long enough. Please give it to me."
Unable to see through his tears, he could only nod. Ilena reached for him, pulling him to her and he wrapped his arms around her, allowing his tears to spill silently onto her shoulder as he trembled. From the time he had heard the words of Grandfather in the Rose office until now, he had carried the grief and protected Obi from it, only able to find comfort occasionally with Shirayuki.
"I am here, Zen." Ilena said quietly. "I will not go anywhere you do not send me." Zen tightened his grip on her briefly, as if to reinforce that he would keep her close. "...In order to meet the requirement of the lifting of the banishment, I have chosen to learn to be obedient to my husband and my lord. Obi has taught me to be obedient to you. You don't need to be afraid."
Zen went still, then breathed twice as he cast his mind to understand her meaning. He didn't want to let her go just yet. He finally settled on not moving, but asked her, "You have chosen to interpret it as benefits yourself?"
Ilena nodded, her head brushing his ear. "I want to be able to go to Tarc again. It is a place of peace to me, which is why I want to see it healed also. So I will answer to the requirement of the banishment so it may be lifted. I have learned strength sufficient, I believe. I have learned obedience to my husband, Obi. I have learned obedience to my lord, Master Zen. And I will give to the Lord of Tarc all of Wilant and its anger when I return with the Regent of Wilant and his hosts to subdue him."
*Pfft!* Obi had laughed and Zen himself smiled, a mirthless smile of agreement. He nodded back into her shoulder. "I will be happy to help you with meeting that fulfillment." His voice had the bite of the hunt in it. He stayed in her warm, comforting arms for a few more breaths, then released her. She gently allowed him to go, pulling a handkerchief out of her jacket and handing it to him. He kept hold of one of her hands and took the handkerchief with his other hand and wiped his face. When he looked at her again she still had the smile in her eyes that his words had given her.
Zen looked around quickly at everyone else in the room and they also held the same look as he felt on his face. They were all in agreement. They would go into Tarc and make the Lord of Tarc's own words come back as his cursing. Zen looked into Ilena's eyes again, then nodded, releasing her back to Obi. She continued to look into his eyes until she was sure he was settled, then she rose again, with a bit of a bow, and walked back to look into Obi's eyes, remaining standing. Obi had relaxed and he looked up into her eyes with a smile in his, though a hunter's grin was on his lips. Ilena held out her hand to him, and he took it, kissed the back of it, then rose to standing, turning her so they were standing side by side and looking at Zen.
Zen looked at them both with pride, and his eyes glittered, as hungry for the hunt as they were. When he had mastered the desire and calmed down, he motioned to the couch next to him. "Please sit. We need to discuss the plans I am formulating, lest I am scolded for moving too fast again." Ilena gave him a small grimace, though her eyes sparkled still for him.
Still holding hands, Ilena and Obi sat near him again and the others in the room returned to their usual places.
"I would like to begin with the plans for Selicia, as I would like to get the prince out of my castle as soon as possible." He carefully went through exactly what he was thinking for the negotiations and what his reasons were for asking for the certain concessions he wanted and what stipulations he was going to be firm on. Ilena carefully worked with him on helping him to understand what the expectations of the Selician king were likely to be, as well as what the First Prince might be able to offer from him.
Ilena also told him what the long-term consequences of his hoped for negotiations were likely to bring. Even though he was very good at strategy, the one thing King Izana had asked Ilena to teach Zen was the long vision of kings, a skill Ilena had even though she wasn't always so good at knowing what the repercussions of an action would have on individuals that weren't on her board. She also was constantly moving people without their expressly agreeing to be moved to begin with. Zen was very good at those things she was weak in, so between the two of them, they made an Izana together, or in some cases slightly better since Zen was the better of the two brothers at getting along with people.
It was an excellent part of the meeting. Both of them felt they understood very well what their roles were for the meeting that would be set for the next day and that they would be coming from a position of strength to accomplish the necessary requirements.
Moving to his next topic, Zen said, "Ilena, you've said that the Lord of Tarc moves slowly and he doesn't know yet how I move. Because of this, I would like to move quickly, even though I know that can be frustrating to you." Her eyes agreed with him. "I would like to face him at this year's Marluk'nak'. Here is how I see doing it."
Zen explained that based on the questions she had answered for him already, he would set Ilena and Petroi to teaching Thayne and Obi Tarcian immediately. When they arrived at Lyrias during the progress, they could pick up the P'rathna to teach them the law. Then while travelling on the progress, they could be learning the law. Zen would send from each southern garrison he inspected along the progress twenty-five soldiers to the northeast corner to wait for him to arrive where they would gather and prepare, giving them two-hundred soldiers to go into Tarc with them. When the progress arrived at the northeast corner of Wilant, Obi & his two would be sent into Tarc to make their rounds of the clan councils, ending at the Marluk'nak' for their final testing there. Zen would move on Tarc at the Marluk'nak'.
"Master," Obi raised his hand. Zen and Ilena looked at him. "If you're just going to take all of Tarc as a spoils of war anyway, why not just go and do that? Surely it isn't necessary to send me in separately?"
"Because Ilena has already said that she doesn't think it's the best way because she wants to avoid creating resentment in the hearts of the people of Tarc. I would agree with the fact that it is harder to rule a people who are resentful of their station. Though...Ilena," he turned back to her, frowning, before Obi could get the next words out of his mouth, leaving it hanging open and his finger in the air, "if they already have the clans fighting and claiming spoils of war, isn't there already resentment in Tarc?"
"Yes...and no," Ilena said slowly. "Normally, the clans fight infrequently. It's used more as a means to keeping the population of both people and horses down so they don't overwhelm the land, and so that clans that have become too weak but are full of the pride of the clans can honorably be taken in by another clan, though not all choose this method. When the fights are for this purpose, there is no resentment. But since the Lord of Tarc has been subduing his enemies in the Marluk'nak' by attacking their clans and making them his property, it has been seen as theft of their pride, strength, lands, and clans. The clans now, both subdued and too strong to subdue, are very much full of resentment against him, unless they are his allies from the beginning."
"So...if I come just to take them as spoils of war and appear to force my will, they will see me as just another like him?" Ilena nodded. Zen sat with his chin in his hand, resting his elbow on his knee, thinking hard.
"Um…," Obi hated to interrupt heavy thinking, but he really wanted to have his say. "Two nights ago, at the ball, King Brother explained why he didn't chose Ilena for himself." Zen raised an eyebrow and paid attention. "He said that he didn't want the work, mostly, but also that Master would have gone to be regent of Selicia and Ilena would have been both queen and regent of Tarc - an impossibility, or at least a great difficulty." Obi was sober, and Zen could understand why. "Ilena immediately protested that she would not now go to Tarc either, but would fight to remain in Wilant."
Zen went serious as Obi looked at him. Slowly he added, "Master…, I asked him, saying Ilena was working to keep all the countries sovereign, why he thought Tarc would not be. He said, 'It can't be. The High Lord has to be punished, which will punish the whole country. That is the way of countries and lords.' ...Master, I also do not want to rule in Tarc."
Zen stared at Obi. He had obviously done some serious thinking. Finally Zen said, looking at his sworn man and friend with sad compassion, "I don't want to lose you, either, Obi. It is not set yet. I will do my best."
Obi looked at him longer, then dropped his sorrowful eyes and sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. "I will do my best to help Master," he said quietly.
"I'll be counting on you," Zen said. He looked at Obi just a little longer, then turned his eyes to Ilena, not knowing he was facing her with the eyes of the hawk. "You will not?" he challenged her.
Ilena's eyes went wide and she retreated in alarm, leaning back from him slightly. "Ah...I won't fight Master Zen, no...but...please," she bowed humbly, "I only wish to visit in Tarc. I cannot be of use to Master Zen if I am not here by his side."
"No...well...that is obvious," Zen allowed, releasing the pressure he was putting on her enough that she looked up at him again. He went back to thinking again.
Obi glanced at Zen to see if he was distracted enough, then said quietly to Ilena, "We will still have to rule, though?"
Ilena sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Yes, Obi." She sat quietly for a moment then looked at him. "I'm sorry."
Obi sighed. "Well...I did think it might happen, but if it is only to visit…." He looked at her. "I won't have to have the title of Lord of Tarc, though, will I?"
Ilena smiled slightly. "Not as your title in Wilant and Clarines, no. What the clansmen choose to title you is not up to us."
Obi ran his hand through his hair, rubbing his head a few times. "Haah. Well, I guess they wouldn't let you just sit quietly, would they?"
Ilena smiled and shook her head. "Not when there is land that needs overseeing that they can't focus on and I already have experience with." She blew out a breath. "Really, though, it's easy to do because they are for the most part already self-governing since it is a country in its own right. It just so happens they got a rotten orange in the mix and it has polluted the whole crate. ...Honestly, they are very nearly ready for civil war to correct it themselves." Zen's attention returned to them quickly, listening to her words. "It's just that there will be so much more bloodshed that way than if we can peaceably take over and rebalance them, removing the worst of the rotten oranges for them."
"Can they wait any longer than this Marluk'nak'?" Zen asked her.
Ilena frowned. "I don't know. They are waiting for something from outside themselves, but I don't know what it is...not really. Many of them are begin to reach despair. I'm hoping they can hold on long enough to not reach anger. Or at least I keep thinking there will be anger, and then when it should surface, despair appears instead. It's not a thing I understand. Normally, they would become angry."
Ilena looked at Zen sharply. "When angered, they will fight until there are none left. When the clans fight, they may begin with one hundred to two hundred clansmen on each side. When the battle is over, there will be five to fifteen left of the losing clan and twenty to fifty of the winning clan. If they fight in a civil war, I cannot even begin to guess how few will remain."
Zen and Obi stared at her with open mouths. "Will they fight that way if it comes to war?" Zen asked.
Ilena nodded soberly. "Yes, and we would be at a disadvantage. They fight with curved swords from horseback only. Once I had the horses, I was to teach Obi and the others how they practice for the fighting so they might have a chance to be able to defend themselves just enough to run away and live. It is battling like the people of Clarines and Wilant have never seen before. Almost more deadly acrobatics on horseback, than proper fighting as seen on the lists here. At best in a full war it would need to be two soldiers per clansman on the field."
"Ah...would my two hundred soldiers be sufficient to take them when they were at the Marluk'nak', then?"
Ilena shrugged. "If it is a matter of display rather than arms it might be. If they decide to fight instead of yield peaceably then we would have to run for the border and hope to keep most of the frontline alive. The rear would fall...eventually. For every soldier you would send, I would send three to five of my Children. The tactics they use are difficult for the Tarcs to counter, though I would still lose one of each of those sets, at least."
She considered. "It would be better if you were to double the number, since - other than the Lord of Tarc himself - each clan head can only put out a maximum of two hundred men. The Lord of Tarc has subdued enough clans now that he could put out over a thousand, if it was against you, a lord of another country. Against the other clans, he also can only put out two hundred. The others are the men who are property. They he would not use against the clans since they would be likely to betray him. Against you, they would all fight to preserve the sovereignty of Tarc, but if you display a strength of four hundred, they would move very cautiously since it would prove you have at least twice the might and capacity they each do individually."
"Of course, if you sent four hundred I would only be able to provide the three per soldier, so you would have approximately sixteen hundred in the field. It's not enough to match all of the men of Tarc who would fight, but it would be enough to get us out of Tarc. If we killed the Lord of Tarc and his allies in the process, the men of Tarc would likely stop at the border and sort themselves out properly. It is my secondary plan if the peaceful one fails, for it gets the proper results, if not very nicely."
"Ilena...surely you don't have that many Children who can take up the sword?"
"Yes, Master Zen, I do. Otherwise I would not be able to defend the border, collect information throughout the entirety of Wilant and beyond, and run the households." She tipped her head at him. "Why do you think I have night Children, Master Zen?"
He stared at her and Obi blinked. "Really?!" he said to his wife and Queen. "That's what you would use the Houses for?"
"Would? That's who ran with you in the last battle, Obi. Wasn't it the Messengers who rode at their head?"
*Pft!* Obi put his hand to his mouth. "No wonder their 'tactics' are unusual to the Tarcs. I presume they don't have a dark side to their city-tents?" He had an amused smile on his face.
Ilena smiled back. "Of course not. All of their darkness and all of their light is all mixed together...though it has been dividing into the clans of the Lord of Tarc and those set against him for the last ten years or so." Obi nodded. That made sense.
"They would fight for me?" Zen was still incredulous.
Ilena smiled at him. "It is the same as for the clansmen of Tarc. Ask them to fight against others within Wilant for you and they will turn a deaf ear to you, though not to me. Ask them to fight an enemy across the border and they will be as loyal as your soldiers from the garrisons."
"Ah." Zen stared at her, then shook his head. He had talked to her once before about her capabilities, but it hadn't really sunk in, this part of it. It had just been numbers before about how much information could be gathered, it seemed. "...I think I could get the other half from the landed nobility. Spreading it out amongst the southern landholders would mean I would only be asking for a small number, not even a full war's worth. If I asked for the small number to come right away and told them to be preparing their larger numbers required for war times in case we have to fall back and the Tarcs decide to cross the border - though that is of course our least desired result - then they would be prepared already if it came to it. If we manage to get one of the preferred results, then they would be relieved to have only had to send those few."
Ilena nodded. "That sounds like sound strategy, to say 'it was easy' rather than have them hound you for even asking, or soundly beat you for allowing the Tarcs to enter to begin with without proper safeguards and warning."
Zen nodded, but he was already thinking again, though he did absently say, "And it doesn't hurt to say that in the initial work your Department supplied most of the defense so they didn't have to."
Ilena snorted gently. "If we contain it. If we lose and have to fall back then it becomes the fault of the Department that it couldn't be. I'll have to double the ranks on the border...or perhaps triple it, so they don't cross it. Then if they come back later, it can be said to be a different battle or even campaign and I won't have to bear the brunt of the blame." She frowned in concentration on her own plans for a while. Finally she sighed. "Master Zen, I'm not sure we have enough time to be prepared by this coming Marluk'nak' if you want to have the fall-back plans in place. If the full battle is waged, they will already be at the castle by the time your reinforcements from the southwest arrive. We will be besieged there until Izana can get his soldiers up here."
"While he is planning to send soldiers, it would be better to allow him longer than three months to prepare. He would need to send roughly four thousand seasoned warriors, plus the equivalent strength of landsmen, to break a siege on the castle. If he sent them to the border, he might only need half that if we've managed to take them down by half before they arrive. Of course, if we have to hold them at the border for too long, we will be down to about two to four hundred total fighters left by the time the reinforcements reach us." She looked up at Zen. "That includes my extras at the border."
"Well, since it is a defense of the country, I would have to ask for his support at the beginning anyway. Asking for only two thousand as backup on the border in case they are needed, and having him preparing the rest of them if we fail would be the same as asking the other nobles for what I have already described." Zen mused. "Tell me again, when is this year's Marluk'nak'?"
"Three months from now," Ilena answered flatly.
"Hmm." Zen paused. "He could get one thousand here by then, maybe even another quarter thousand. Two thousand, though...the remainder would have to come in as reinforcements and that would be worse than having them present in the beginning. ...Unless he is already gathering them?" He looked at Ilena questioningly.
Ilena tipped her head thoughtfully. "He has built up the northeastern garrisons. It may be sufficient." Zen nodded and went back to thinking.
"Obi," Ilena said quietly to him. "Send a message up to Tarc. Ask the Agent in the Lord of Tarc's tents how stressed they are for food supplies for the coming winter. Is there concern among the people and property that they will not survive the coming freeze?"
Ilena was frowning as Obi sent the message out. "What is it?" Zen asked her.
"I'm concerned. If he has too many mouths to feed in his tents for this winter, he may send forces down early to test our defenses and your resolve and methods. He will expect them all to die and they will also expect it and fight the more fiercely for it, knowing they are the sacrifice so the others may have food to survive the winter." She leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. Her finger pointed to accent her words, she said to Zen, "I have actually been thinking about your suggestion to buy horses from him." Zen raised an eyebrow.
"If he has too many horses to manage and the range has become too broad, he may actually be convinced to sell - if the payment is in food for the mouths he needs to feed and steel for the weapons he is likely crafting to lift against us." Zen shook head, not wanting to send steel that would be turned against them but Ilena shook her head back. "I wouldn't want to send good steel. We could send either corrupt iron, or brittle. He would use it, but it would have to be sold cheaply and he would then be forced to spend more on the food, which he needs. The problem isn't that."
Ilena ran her fingers through her hair. "If he is willing to sell horses, he will want to force the sale of an equal number of slaves." Zen and Obi went still. "That will relieve him of the burden of having to feed them, and give him the opportunity to get more spies and enemy swords into Wilant. I don't know what we would do with them. If it is a sale of slaves, I couldn't kill them in the same way as I could if it was a subdued clan's worth of swords sent to do battle. I'm positive that if we wait until next year's Marluk'nak' he'll send more than one clan of swords here to be wiped out for him so that he has fewer mouths and enemies to deal with. In the process he will learn how well our defenses work and what your battle methods are. Either way, we are likely to end up with people of Tarc in Wilant because you are soft. I don't like the idea and would grant them the death they would rather have, to the last man. I think only in this one thing I would agree with you that we should go to this year's Marluk'nak'. The answer will come in about a half-hour."
"Really, Ilena? You wouldn't keep any living Tarc in Wilant?"
"No, I wouldn't, Master Zen. Not any who had come from the Lord of Tarc's tents. I've already said it. They will have crossed the border and their loyalty will be only to Tarc. Even if they hate him, they will be obedient to him."
"What about the sold persons? They wouldn't be warriors would they?"
"They would be the most likely to be sent so they wouldn't be a threat to him in the camp, though any persons who he wants to punish or who eat too much, like the teenage boys - who are already almost warriors as well - he would also send. What we wouldn't see are women or girls over the age of thirteen. We might get a few young children, though." Ilena held herself about the middle and looked ill.
Obi looked at her worriedly and held out his hand to her, palm up as he had at the earlier part of their meeting. "What is it, Ilena?" he asked her when it was apparent he would need to get her attention more directly.
Ilena finally looked at his hand, then her eyes travelled up his arm until she was looking in his eyes with a lost expression on her face. "He will kill whole clans, Obi. The Grasshopper, the Meadowlark," she was shivering now, "the Spider...keeping only the women to appease his appetites. The men will come, wishing only death because they know what's going to happen behind them and they will deal death in their frustration. We will be powerless to prevent it because they won't trust us, even though we would be kind."
Obi obviously couldn't take it any more, the emotions she was showing him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. She hid her face in his shoulder, trembling.
"Couldn't we turn their frustrations with the Lord of Tarc against him? If we promised them retribution or freedom?" Zen asked Ilena.
"Not once they are sent," Ilena said, moving her head against Obi in negation. "Once they've been given their orders, they will see them through and will not relent. They might seem to be willing to listen once they are captured, and they may even seem compliant for a time since they will be spoils of war, but they will find a way to carry out their orders in the end." She breathed for a while as Zen frowned, then added. "The only thing that might work is if they were promised protection as a whole clan and you were to go up and rescue their women and children from the Lord of Tarc. But then you would have to invade twice - once for the rescue, once to overthrow the Lord of Tarc. It would be simpler just to subdue the Lord of Tarc to begin with."
"If I were to do that for a clan, would they be loyal to me?" Zen wanted to know.
"Ah, Master Zen, you don't want that," Ilena said sadly. "You want to own all of Tarc all at once so that you can set us over it. If you take a clan in that manner, they will be yours and only yours and your heirs - a lonely clan in Wilant that you will have to visit and care for regularly. Because they are not of Clarines, you can't bring them here to the castle, but will have to leave them somewhere else separate. They would be among your most loyal subjects - strong in battle, most obedient, and cunning, and if you faltered, your death. Obi and I are as wild as you want. They are wild beyond what you want - wolves and wild dogs that only follow the strong. You don't need an entire pack in your backyard. Let us shepherd them in their own place where they will be wild together and tame enough because they are behind a fence."
"Is it so bad?" Zen had blanched slightly, and Obi was concerned.
"Obi. You and I of all the lords in Clarines are the only two who can be set over them because we can face them as the Queen and Knight-Consort. Only that kind of face will they understand and respect."
Obi laced his fingers in her hair at the base of her neck, and held it to strengthen himself and comfort her. Everything she had been training him to was leading to that role - all of it all together. "Gods, Woman," he breathed. "You are so difficult." He closed his eyes and breathed her scent, knowing he had the strength she wanted already within himself. She had already shown it to him - had already called upon it many times to show it to him.
"Can you be ready in two months time, Obi?" she asked him. "Or would a year to be sure be better?"
Obi knew his answer, but he looked up and back at Petroi and Thayne. Petroi's look said he'd been ready for years. Thayne gave him a hard smile that said he had been waiting for this time all along. "We are ready to leave whenever Master requires it," Obi answered simply, kissing the top of her head, then looked at Zen with calm determination on his face and fierce resolve in his eyes.
They began to work out a plan in earnest, beginning with Obi's entrance into Tarc and covering what the soldiers would need to do as well as Ilena's Children. They also discussed what Mitsuhide and Kiki, along with Earl Sieran and the two baronies further east of his lands, could do to help prepare that part of the land and the border for what was to come. They were deep in the midst of the planning of these details when they received the answer from Tarc to Ilena's question. It didn't change the current plans as they would be put into place regardless of when they began, but it did matter to the more immediate activities they would be performing.
-o-o-o-
As it neared the lunch hour, Zen looked to Obi. "Shirayuki still needs to be informed that it's okay for her to bring Prince Raji and Princess Alia here for lunch. Can you please let Shirayuki know that it will be okay?"
"Certainly, Master," Obi's eyes lit up slightly. "May I go fetch her myself?" He never passed up an opportunity to be sent to talk to Shirayuki, even if Zen really did mean he should send someone else. Both Zen and Ilena smiled. He was allowed to go since his part had already been worked out and he'd been having troubles sitting still. He, Petroi, and Thayne walked out to the courtyard and leapt up to the roof, and he asked the castle network where Shirayuki was. When the answer came back, the three men headed to where she was, dropping down into a courtyard one over from her location so that the prince and princess from Tanbarun wouldn't be surprised, nor would they learn they used the upper highway in the castle.
"Mistress!" Obi called, raising a hand to her in greeting.
"Ah, Obi!" Shirayuki turned to greet him.
"We would be honored to have you and Prince Raji and Princess Alia for lunch at the Lower Intelligence Office," he bowed slightly to the three of them, his hand on his heart. "Ilena would be happy to have you see Robert's most recent work, and we also have a few other things you may look at if you like. I am particularly proud of the most recent work of the needleworker. She has mastered a new way of weaving color into cloth that you may find intriguing."
"Is that the one who did the wall hanging of the map of Wilant?" Alia's eyes lit up. They'd been on the royal tour of Falcon's Hollow the morning before. Ilena had many treasures made by master artisans she'd collected - the people and the works - in order to create a business that the tour was the beginning of. It was to make the excellent works of the fine artists become acclaimed the known world round so that they might receive the price they were due, and thus increase the coffers of Clarines, and Ilena at the same time. This was in part so that she could see the country had enough money to bear the cost of the war they were found in with Tarc, and also so that she could provide for her households as was proper for a princess.
"Yes, Princess, it is," Obi said smiling at Alia. "It is a work that all of her house worked on, as the embroidery on it was done by the other ladies so that it could be completed in time to be my wedding gift from my lady wife."
"Obi!" Shirayuki said, "Have I not seen it yet?"
"No, I don't believe there has been time yet, Mistress. This would be a good opportunity for you to also see it."
"I look forward to it, then, Obi," Shirayuki smiled at him and Obi's heart melted.
He really did love his Mistress - after all, she had been his first Daughter, and his first light to lead him to sanity. Zen was his second, and now Ilena held him strong as well. He was well blessed at this time. He bowed formally to her again in his jaunty way. "Please come with us. Lunch will be ready shortly after we arrive." He turned and the three royals went with him.
As they waited for lunch to be delivered, Raji and Alia were shown the art in the Lower office. They were properly impressed with the statue of the mother bear with cub. They had been placed in a natural mountain scene and every piece had the feel of the real thing when touched, from the fur on the bears, to the smooth rocks, to the delicate wildflower petals. There were a few other items in the office - a few throw pillows and a small round wooden table delicately carved that Ilena was particularly partial to. Obi asked if he could show them the bed hangings and bed covering, and Ilena gave permission with a smile. (Rio was glad she had cleaned the bedroom very well that morning.)
Obi welcomed Zen, Shirayuki, Raji, and Alia into the master bedroom. They were suitably impressed at the first, but there was more to understand. The coverings were made of a smooth black fabric that made the black stitching of the embroidery stand out. The design was one of his choosing - an ivy background with scattered horses stepping, flying falcons, and sleeping cats.
"Obi, isn't that from the bracers?" Shirayuki asked.
"Very good, Mistress," Obi praised her. He held out his left arm for Raji and Alia to inspect. On it was a leather bracer, dyed black. The same ivy pattern was on it with one of each of the same animals on it. Around the top was carved a braid with the colors of white, red, and brilliant blue dyed on it. Around the bottom was another braid of the colors gold, green, and black. "I had these made and gave one to Ilena, the other to me, when we first became full partners standing behind Mistress," Obi said to them. "The horse is for me, who has given his reigns to Master. The falcon is for Ilena, who was injured, but retrieved by me and trained up to be obedient to and fly for Master. The sleeping cat is from the coat of arms I was given when I was made a Baron. I think it was Master's way of joking, saying I like to lay around and be lazy, and I have often been compared to being a cat as well. It is sufficient, I suppose. The red, white, and blue braid are my personal colors, and the gold, green and black are Ilena's."
He picked up the edge of the bed covering. "If you will look closely, you can see that the mistress who made the fabric has included our colors in the weaving of the cloth, even though you can also see it is yet entirely black." He held it up for them to inspect both the front and back sides of the cloth. It was apparent when inspected at close range. When one stood back, what was seen was not a dead, depressing black on black work but a living, sparkling black that drew one to look at it longer. This was her second level master work, like the bears were the second level masterwork of the stonesmith Robert. While they admired her effort, and that of the other masters under her who had done all the embroidery, Obi walked up to pick up one of two smaller throw pillows. It was done in the same colors and design as the bed cloth and covering. He carried it to his guests. "These two pillows were also done entirely by her hand." He handed it over, and they carefully inspected it.
"Raji…," Alia said. "Really, I think we should."
He looked at her. "Let us discuss it, then," he said, and he turned to leave the bedroom.
Obi took the throw pillow back and replaced it and followed the other three out. Ilena was sitting in the head seat at the low table. Plates had already been set out, and there was a bowl in the middle of the table with peeled and sectioned oranges - or rather they looked like oranges, but each section was smaller than a typical orange. Obi smiled to see the bowl.
Ilena seated each person at the table, Obi sitting across from her at the second most important seat as host to Ilena's hostess. Shirayuki and Zen were placed on one couch together and Raji and Alia were seated opposite them. "Thank you for coming," Ilena said calmly. "The fruit in the bowl is my wedding gift from Obi. They are a fruit similar to oranges, but are lighter and sweeter in flavor. They are native to my homeland of Selicia and are called 'mikan'. Please help yourselves while we wait."
Obi waited until each of the guests had taken a section, then took three. He knew they were easily eaten and enjoyed a few of them at a time. Again, when he bit into the first section, he immediately thought of the spices he would cook them with and what dish he would add them to. He really needed to find some time to make it, and likely soon. That reminded him he had the second crate set aside, but it would only be good a little longer than a month out. That was going to be a problem he should not forget to work out.
Leah smoothly began serving drinks as Rio brought plates. Zen looked around the room. "Mister Mitsuhide and Miss Kiki are with the staff taking their meal upstairs, Master Zen," she explained.
Zen paused, then nodded. They should keep it just a little more formal for Raji and Alia today. This office was the safest in the whole castle so it would be okay for them to be in the Upper room. He was sure, though, that Kiki would have had to convince Mitsuhide it was okay. Mitsuhide was very much a mother hen to Zen.
"Have you tried the mikan yet, Zen?" Shirayuki held up a mikan section for Zen, making him open his mouth and eat it from her fingers which made him blush at the tips of his ears.
Zen finished chewing the mikan. "This is very good," he said pleased with the taste of the fruit.
"It is, isn't it?" Shirayuki gushed.
"It's my favorite fruit," agreed Ilena. "Though I have learned to love oranges nearly as much, especially since Obi will feed them to me."
Shirayuki turned slightly pink as she thought of Obi hand feeding Ilena, then she blushed bright pink as she realized she had just done the same to Zen. "Ah, that is so like Mistress," Obi commented to no one as he picked up a light sandwich to eat.
"Was there a thing you wanted to discuss?" Ilena deftly turned the attention away from Shirayuki and Zen so they could recover and looked to Raji and Alia.
"Yes," Raji said. "We have a gift we need to present. Alia feels that ordering something from your master needleworker would be most appropriate."
"I would be happy to help you contact her," Ilena said graciously. "It would be easiest if you could write up an order containing a description of what you are looking for, the design, and how much you can budget for it. The more you can afford the larger the work will be, of course. If you have a time constraint, that would be also necessary information. She is only one person, so you can also expect a corresponding length of time for the size differences. If the size you are looking for must be set, then she will set the price and time of completion. There will of necessity be a delivery charge added to her costs, of course, plus duties and fees."
"Of course," Raji said, including all of her fine print in one sweeping statement. "That would be simple enough to do." He looked at the bear. "Is there a way to get the sculptor to make something as well?"
"He is currently working on small statuettes that use this method of carving. Most people have a desire to hold them in their hand to feel them, rather than having to walk to a large work. The statuettes are far more reasonably priced as well. If you would like something like that, you could request a specific item, or he has a small stock of set items. He is here in town and you could stop by his workshop before you leave."
Raji's eyes lit up. "That would work for us, I think. I would like to see what he has already so that I don't have to wait for it."
"Well, then I shall also give you his address, along with the address to send your order for the needlework, after lunch." She paused for a moment. "I believe there is also a desk-sized work of the water artist at the shop, last I knew. If it's still there, I believe it was of a ship being escorted by a school of flying fish."
Raji now looked very interested. "Well, we shall surely go and take a look then," he looked at Alia excitedly, and she smiled indulgently at him.
Both Obi and Zen looked at Ilena. She had just sent word to Robert's shop to hold that work in reserve for the royal guest that would be coming in a few hours. Within five minutes the word came back that they would be happy to do that and had a few other new works of his available as well. Ilena's eyes twinkled satisfactorily at Obi. She had already read Raji as a big spender. He would buy more than two statues that day.
"Alia," Ilena added, "there is a jewelry shop across the street from the stonesmith's. They carry the works of the jewel masters that created Mistress Shirayuki and Queen Haki's necklaces. If you tell them I sent you, they may be willing to bring out the master's works." She looked at Alia apologetically. "The master's works are too good, I'm afraid. They really are only of a quality for royalty, so they are kept hidden away. There are very few who can afford such a price." Alia could not keep the greedy look from her face. Ilena kept her face carefully neutral and so did Obi, Zen, and Shirayuki, until she'd recovered.
"Thank you, Ilena," Alia responded. "If we have time, I would like to see them. Queen Haki's necklace was very beautiful. It was a kind gift for you to give her."
"Thank you," Ilena said. "It was rather difficult to acquire, actually, but when I said it would go to the Queen, they relented. I think they are hopeful she may order another. I'm sure one is sufficient for anyone, however."
The glint in Alia's eyes doubled. Obi and Zen exchanged glances. Ilena had just sold two necklaces only a queen could buy to a foreign princess. They couldn't tell if Raji didn't understand it yet, or if he really still didn't care about the cost of money. Well, it was his to decide. She would guilt him into it anyway if he bought more than two statues. They would be taking some pricy, but beautiful, souvenirs home.
When Shirayuki and Zen left to escort Raji and Alia to their carriage, Raji had in hand the addresses of the places he was to go and to contact and he and Alia were excited to be going. They did appropriately thank their hosts and congratulate them again, both Obi and Ilena, and Shirayuki and Zen at the carriage. They offered each of them hospitality at the castle in Tanbarun when they should next have opportunity to visit, and then the castle was quiet of guests, save one. Zen sent him a message asking him to be present at a meeting the following morning.
That afternoon Ilena attended the meeting of the Ministers and the Regent and calmly began to let the castle understand her influence and role in keeping them safe and secure, and included the first public warning that war was on the doorstep. She carefully balanced it with the general plan for keeping the country safe. They had decided to start here, because these were the ministries that included those that would need to provide for the soldiers and footmen. The discussion lasted an hour and a half longer than originally planned for.
Ilena's reputation held several of the Ministers from going overboard against the war or into a panic, and the overall meeting boosted her reputation generally. Her calm composure and surety in such a situation was a contrast to her fiery disposition when she was confronting perceived disloyalty. Still, she was treated as a junior member. It could only be expected. So she fought it, Ilena style - with grace and extremely adroit court battle of the tongue until she confounded the lords and Zen closed the meeting so she could remain in a position of strength.
"Truly, I do love listening to you give battle on the floor," Zen said to her as they walked back to the Lower office to finish their war plans. "That is the first I've been able to witness it full-scale and unrestrained."
"Thank you for not restraining me," Ilena said humbly. "I'm sure I was out of line more than once."
Zen waved his hand. "No. They have still been reluctant to allow me the respect they should be, also still looking down on my youth. I will let you fly in those meetings until they are taught proper respect for us both."
"Oh? Is that my hunting ground then?" Ilena's eyes twinkled at him.
His eyes smiled back. "For now. Just keep it like that, though."
"Of course. The other was for the sake of your message to the enemy. These are not enemies, but must be made allies."
"Indeed." Zen agreed. They walked together companionably. It felt as if with a friend or ally, and for the first time for both of them, with a comfortable equal.