CHAPTER 4 Gaining an Ally in Selicia
"Prince Naraj, I would like to thank you again for allowing Clarines to keep Ilena without complaint. My brother was most upset by the affairs of Selicia, particularly as Princess Ilena has always held a special place in his heart. While we consider what happened most unfortunate, and my Queen Mother cannot even still forgive the murder of her sister, because I must mind the north border of Clarines I would like to be able to at least give some consideration to Selicia and your father." Zen was sitting in the head seat of a table that filled the small conference room they were in, his elbows resting on either arm of the chair, his hands together in front of his chin looking at the envoy from Selicia calmly and with authority. They had determined that Zen would use the King and their mother as his restraints so that he could appear conciliatory, and use Selicia's willingness to give up Ilena as their reward for actually being so. However, they would still come from a position of higher authority and strength.
The First Prince of Selicia, Naraj, looked askance at Ilena. "If allowing it will allow our two countries to finally find some peace, then it should have been well considered," he answered. He seemed willing to work with them, though cautiously, as they expected he might. "We also apologize for the troubles brought upon you most recently. We were uninformed that Melick the Younger's second wife's bastard son was still alive. Thank you for your trouble."
When Zen had brought justice to the previous earl, Marcovik College, and the said bastard uncle, Ilena had required Zen bring back to her their heads, and the left hand of the uncle. Because they had been look-alikes, and only she could tell them apart, Zen had agreed. In this way he was able to get proper confirmation that he had brought the proper people to justice. Ilena had then suggested she send the head of the uncle to the king of Selicia with an angry message in order to show him that Clarines would continue to deal with them harshly for their murder of her family, including her mother who had been the Second Princess of Clarines and the Queen Mother's sister. The two countries had been at odds since then, with a strained relationship, though there had been no further hostilities. The left hand she had told Zen to send to the Lord of Tarc as this person had also been his to control. This was a message that Zen would stand and face him, taking from him his strength.
The second message that was implied by the sending of the head of the uncle to Selicia was that Clarines had the ability, and the willingness, to fight the Lord of Tarc. They were hopeful that by the coming of the First Prince himself, rather than a more lowly ambassador, it meant that the king of Selicia wanted to negotiate to assist in the war, rather than just take a neutral stance, though either would be preferable to what would happen otherwise.
Because the Lord of Tarc had been behind the coup in Selicia, he was still the power behind the throne. In order to maintain that power, he had agents still in Selicia, particularly in the capital city, that kept the country just destabilized enough that the new king had to tread carefully. Zen was expecting the Lord of Tarc to not just work to the northeast in the earldom of Kiki's family, the Seiran's, to destabilize it as he had Selicia, but to make it a double pronged attack by sending agents or even minor war drums from Selicia to the northwest over into Lyrias. The matter with Marcovik had already severely weakened the central region as the College earldom and the three adjacent land holdings had all been decimated. When this current method of attack was completed, the entire northern border of Wilant would be so weakened that when the Lord of Tarc was ready to bring his forces south Zen would be hard pressed to defend his own castle against him. Because they expected him to come in the depths of winter, when Izana would not be able to bring forces north to support him, it would become a long and bitter siege, with great burning, death, and evil being brought upon the people of Wilant because Zen could not defend them. It was a plan neither Wisteria was willing to consider. Thus they were working to head the Lord of Tarc off early.
Ilena had, as a young child, seen early the dissent and chaos the agents of the Lord of Tarc were sowing in Selicia. On the day of her discovering both the culprits and having sufficient evidence to present to the adults - of whom only her parents believed her - the coup began. With only her personal guard, the teenaged Petroi, by her side, she watched the palace set to flame and her eldest uncle, the king, be beheaded, with his wife next in line, followed by her second uncle and his wife. Turning from them, she had seen her cousins and watched as her favorite was stabbed to death. It had been highly traumatic for her. She had searched for her parents and finally Petroi had pointed out a royal carriage that was leaving the city by the gate closest to the palace, saying they must be on it. Her father, the Third Prince of Selicia, and her mother, had been found beheaded just inside the Clarines border by the soldiers of Clarines. Petroi had taken her and hidden her away in a safe house after cutting her hair and telling her she must act as his little brother. Her nurse Leah, who had been sent by her father with the family royal insignia and some coins to see to her provisions for a short time, had also come to that house and found them there. The next morning they had slipped out of the city and left Selicia to find safe harbor elsewhere for Ilena.
As far as Clarines gaining retribution, there was nothing to be done. The chaos in the city and in Selicia was so great that it was nearly ten years before the new king was able to have any semblance of true governance. It was now nearly seven years after that. The Queen Mother, who's husband had died of an illness shortly after the coup in Selicia, had been the sole ruler of Clarines and her hatred of the current king of Selicia still burned as strong as her grief for her sister and her husband did. After giving the throne to Izana, she became the Regent of Wilant to calm the internal conflicts that were already the beginning signs of the Lord of Tarc working in Clarines. However, now that there was a new person upon that throne these past nine plus months, Zen could present to them a different face, if they would present to him a face he could turn to.
Zen waited for the prince to take up the conversation, letting it stand open that he would listen to any proposition Selicia might have. Ilena had already set the seed at the ball that they knew there was a power behind the king of Selicia that was controlling the workings of all of the conflict. Now they would see if the prince would deny it or ask for help to remove it.
Prince Naraj glanced around the room, his face composed, but his eyes a little worried and nervous. There were only Zen, Ilena, and Zen's two constant companions in the room with them, besides himself. He hadn't even brought in the one aide he had with him. "Prince Zen," he said, "Princess Ilena has said to me an interesting thing at the ball, that I am not sure I comprehend." He frowned, "...but then, I'm not sure I comprehend the Princess at all, nor why she is here?"
Zen smiled behind his clasped hands. "Princess Ilena is my Director of Intelligence, Prince Naraj. She is also my ambassador to Selicia until I can find another, as she is only one of two persons under me who can speak the language natively. It was my desire that if we should reach a difficulty of understanding she might be able to remove any problems that might have arisen because of translation problems, thus clarifying for us where we need to reach agreements."
Prince Naraj showed surprised enlightenment, then he sat quietly to consider what he would do. Finally he sat forward just a little. "Prince Zen, other than coming to learn who Princess Ilena might be, my father sent me here to negotiate a treaty with you, if it might be possible. Selicia would like to be able to be on more friendly terms with Clarines for the trade of goods...and those things that would of mutual benefit to both countries." He gave Zen a significant look. "Princess Ilena has said a thing to me that makes me think you might be willing to consider our offer, however I'm not completely clear on what her meaning was. Might I be enlightened further?"
Zen looked at him with just a little frown. "I think that for us to be able to be on terms that will open our borders more freely to Selicia, we would need a little more than just what has already been done."
"What would be necessary?" the prince did not seem at all surprised.
"I would personally like to see a formal apology given from Selicia to Princess Ilena. Surely if your father had understood from the beginning the chaos that he allowed to enter what had been a peaceful and beautiful country, he would have found other methods to correct the problems he found with the governance of the land."
Prince Naraj hung his head. He would have been at least ten years older than Ilena at that time himself, and should remember somewhat what it had been like. "We cannot know the problems of the time, those of us who were not old enough to understand," he looked back up, "but it is true that there are things that were not correctable by the means that were used, and many people who did not understand what was going on in the background." He looked over to Ilena, then stood.
He bowed formally, with an odd flourish that must have been peculiar to Selicia. His scalp shone slightly through his thinning hair. "Princess Ilena, on behalf of Selicia, please accept my deepest apologies, and the apologies of my father, King Sandras." He rose and looked at her, his expression sober but otherwise unreadable. "I do not know what other form of apology would be required, but we hope our sincerity would be understood."
Ilena looked at him, her emotions flaring for a time. When she was steady again, she answered, "Thank you, Prince Naraj. While your sincere words are appreciated, even more I should like to receive word that the land of Selicia is well cared for and the land is full of peace and the happiness of it's people."
"That is the wish also of my father, and of myself, as well," he answered her. He waited a moment. When she said no more, he sat himself down again and looked to Zen again, waiting to hear if there would be more required of him.
Zen tipped his head. "Thank you, Prince Naraj, and my thanks to King Sandras. I also would wish for the stability and happiness of all Selicia. After all, when the neighboring countries of our country are in this way, we also may be."
"Thank you, Prince Zen," he responded politely.
"You have asked to understand what Princess Ilena meant when she spoke to you at the ball. Perhaps she may be more clear in your native tongue?" Zen looked at Ilena with a raised eyebrow. This exchange had been pre-planned.
Ilena bowed her head to Zen and looked to Naraj and spoke to him in Selician. "What was it you needed clarification on, Prince Naraj?" The prince shifted just slightly, still uncomfortable with speaking on it openly. Still speaking his own native tongue, she said, "As Regent Zen has said, I am the Director of Intelligence, and therefore am in charge of all security for this castle, as well as the region. Please rest assured you may speak freely in your own tongue. I have ensured that there are none that can understand it nearby, and our common enemy's people are too lazy to learn more than one language at a time. There are none of his here who will understand you for they have already had to learn the language of Clarines and that has wearied them enough." She kept her voice informational, but her eyes sparkled just slightly at this last. "If you have the courage, you may also speak in the language of the Regent. There are none nearby who will betray you."
It seemed that the Prince had to hold himself very still for a moment. In Selician he said, "This is indeed the very matter I wished to have you clarify, Princess Ilena. You seem insistent that there is a force behind my father. Can you tell me what evidence you have of this?"
"Certainly I would be happy to do so, Prince Naraj. I am only alive now because I was in the streets of the capital of Selicia at the time of the coup, having just found the source of the disturbances in the castle and the city. It was a party of men from Tarc who were stirring up the people and turning their hearts against my uncle and grandfather. It was also a man of Tarc who killed my cousins as I watched from within the city. Because I had discovered it, when I fled the city, I went first to Tarc to discover the people there. Unbeknownst to me, the person who I thought I was in hiding from was the person I was in hiding with. When he had tested me and determined he would keep me, he let me go to become stronger and a more worthy opponent, openly confessing his hand in the works that had been done in Selicia. The entirety of my being since that time has been directed towards seeing that he pays for his crimes." Now the look in her eyes was fiery. "If what you have said is truth, that you and your father would see peace and happiness come to the land of Selicia again, then you will confess his hand and shrug it off, for even now as I watch, he still stirs the people up one against another to keep the land unstable enough to remain under his control."
The prince of Selicia was still for a moment longer. "And is your Regent in agreement with you?" he asked.
"I have told him all I have learned. He is. Did not the left hand of the uncle go from him to the enemy?"
The eyebrow of the prince rose just slightly. "And you are sure I am not an agent of your enemy?" he asked, testing her.
Ilena gave him a slightly bland look. "Was it not you who chose to act against him in not bringing me back to Selicia to cause the further conflict between Selicia and Clarines he hoped to begin as his next step in his own plans? The damage this will bring your father at his hands will not be light. You will pay the price from either hand, regardless of who you chose to stand behind."
The prince stiffened as if he had not thought of that before. "You said before that it was a conflict within Selicia itself that would have been begun."
"Both conflicts were in his mind. He has kept the anger between those who were for the coup and those who were against it going on far longer than the people themselves would have allowed it, just for such a time. If your father had chosen to go to war with Celicia, the Lord of Tarc would have allowed that to rest...for a time until it was needed to goad your father to obedience again. If your father had refused to go to war with Celicia, the internal conflict over my presence would have flared into another fiery conflagration as his punishment."
"You are a dangerous person, Princess Ilena."
"I have been told that," she remained calm.
Prince Naraj put his finger to his chin, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair as he considered what she had said. Ilena turned to Zen and nodded once. She had said her part. Now the negotiations, and the testing, would be up to Zen. As she looked him in the eyes, he held her with his, rewarding her - and himself to some degree. The envoy of Selicia had become centered and serious. She had told him things he could not deny, and had to face fully. How he would respond to that now would determine if Selicia would be an ally or an enemy. Zen wanted to hold the space of peace just a little bit longer, and her strong calm gaze strengthened him as well so that he could do his part.
The prince of Selicia cleared his throat. Zen looked back at him unhurriedly, maintaining his position of authority. He was now resting in a relaxed pose, having lowered one arm and leaning on only one elbow as he leaned back in his chair, having been made to wait while they spoke a language he didn't understand. It was a pleasing language to listen to, though, he'd noticed. He raised an eyebrow at Prince Naraj and waited.
"Princess Ilena has explained to me that you already understand the hand that pushes my father." Zen nodded briefly. Prince Naraj took a nervous sort of breath and waved his hand. "My father has asked that I ascertain your position as regards that person. I take it you are set against him?" Zen nodded again, blinking once. The prince's brow furrowed slightly. "We do not wish to go to war with Clarines when it isn't necessary. The land of Selicia itself is finally healed again. Our goal is to next heal the people, however that isn't possible as long as the agents of the enemy continue to stir them up." He looked at Zen directly in the eye. "If the Lord of Tarc is gone, the power behind them is also. What may we do to aid you in removing him so that we may remove his stench from our land?"
"If you will aid me, I will aid you." Zen said firmly. "If you expect me to do your work for you, I won't leave you alone either - giving you a guiding hand in replacement for his chains."
Prince Naraj paused. "I understand, however we do not wish to be a burden. We will aid you in whatever way we can, though we cannot move against him ourselves or his agents within our own borders will immediately cause such chaos that we'll have to again return from the attempt, with it unaccomplished."
Zen nodded. "I'm nearly ready move against him. When you return home, create a disturbance that requires him to send as many of his agents as he can spare and more to deal with it, so that their eyes are removed from my actions. By the middle of the third month from now all the agents must be so busy as to have no time to lift their heads. You will know when I have accomplished my goal for they will no longer hear his voice and shall wander in chaos. However, I'll send word so you may know that you can then clean your land of the stench which reaches even to here." Zen looked at Ilena, letting the prince know word would come through her people.
Prince Naraj's eyes lit with a fire. "That is a thing we can do, Prince Zen, with great gladness."
"In particular I need for his agents who are currently infiltrating my borders from the direction of Selicia to detour away from Wilant and Lyrias. He is attempting to weaken the entirety of my border. If you can keep that part of it strong, I may focus my efforts on the eastern part to hold him until I'm ready to move. He is still moving slowly at this time, which I would like to have him continue to do. If he should find out my time schedule, we will have greater difficulty in dealing with him."
"I understand. We will be sure that our timing looks like our own."
"That would be necessary," Zen said seriously. "Also, while I will hope that you'll be able to act on your own, I would also like to have insight into the progress of your actions, as well as offer you a way to contact me if things become difficult or I need to be made aware of an immediate concern." The prince looked at him with just a little suspicion. "Consider it your father's test to see if he can actually rule on his own." Prince Naraj frowned but nodded. Zen looked at Ilena.
"Prince Naraj, there is already one you know who I will send. Please allow him to sit in your war councils. If there is a need for communication, he will do it. The sign he will give you is the sign of the flying falcon. If you wish to test him, you may ask him how he came to know me." Ilena's eyes were slightly compassionate now.
Prince Naraj nodded, then looked back at Zen. Zen also nodded. The First Prince of Selicia looked at him just a little longer, a satisfied look on his face. He stood and bowed to the both of them. "Thank you very much Prince Zen. We look forward to further negotiations of trade and peaceful relations with you in the future."
"Likewise," Zen responded. "I have recently tasted mikan for the first time. I would like to be able to import more of it when it becomes possible to have the borders more freely open."
The prince smiled. "It is indeed a delicacy. There were several items I found interesting in my travels this past few weeks as well that would be of interest to the people of Selicia. I am sure open trading between our countries again would be of benefit to both of our countries."
"I'm sure," agreed Zen also smiling slightly. Prince Naraj tipped his head to them again, then turned and left the room, picking up his guard on the way out into the hallway. Ilena glanced at that guard who made brief eye contact with her, then moved off after his master. Prince Naraj was indeed surprised at the person who Ilena sent to him, and heard his story on the way home to Selicia of how the Princess had come into his life to save it.
In the end, the First Prince of Selicia was disappointed to have not been able to have brought her with him. She would have been worth it, except for the fact that Selicia would still have had to have dealt with the Lord of Tarc on their own. ...And the prince's firm belief that she would still have only answered to her Consort, making life in the castle completely miserable on a daily basis for him personally. He made sure he was very clear on this point to the Lord of Tarc's men in the castle when he was questioned as to why he didn't bring her back.
-o-o-o-
Ilena walked into the residential wing of the castle that Zen had assigned to his personal aides, followed by Marcus and Henry. On the right of the two-story tall hall were the single bedrooms - men below and women above. On the left were two suites, one above and one below, which consisted of two bedrooms each, one to either side of a central common sitting room. At the end of the hall were the stairs up to the second level and another set of doors that led out into a small private garden where the aides could go to relax. The main doors to the hall were guarded by two castle guards, and there were two additional guards outside the doors to the lower suite.
Originally, Obi, Mitsuhide, then Dane, and finally Grandfather had had rooms there below on the right and Shirayuki and Kiki rooms above. With all of the weddings in the last month it was now Rio above, Dane below, and because they had also recently married, Grandfather and Leah in his room below at Obi's request. After the Lord's Court was completed and he no longer had to keep her quite so protected in the small recovery room she had been in in the medical wing, Zen had moved Ilena, with her personal maid Rio and her nurse-now-secretary Leah into the lower suite. Ilena had limited mobility, mostly in a wheelchair for a number of weeks, after her surgeries. The ladies-in-waiting had one bedroom together at first, and Ilena the other. The central room had become known as the Lower office of the Department of Intelligence so that Ilena didn't have to travel far to go to work.
He had also given her the upper suite to use for her department office, thus it had become known as the Upper office. She'd put Marcus and Henry in one of the upper bedrooms as they were her upper level operatives in the castle until she was made a princess and she could officially name them what they really were - her personal knights. Thayne had been one of the first witnesses against Marcovik that Obi had collected and Obi had taken a liking to him. Ilena had given him to Obi to protect him while she couldn't, but had also planned to put her own childhood guard, Petroi, at his back. After a bit of difficulty, both men had been moved into the second upper bedroom, supplanting Grandfather. Obi and Ilena had actually been less formally married several weeks before the official announcement and Obi had moved in with her at that time. Zen had given over the arrangements in the wing to Obi who by this time was beginning to pull his hair out over all the rearrangements.
Tairn, Brian, and Kirk already had housing in the suites of their fathers, being sons of lords already in the castle when they were called up to their new positions behind Zen and Shirayuki. Sam and Leon were castle soldiers that had been promoted to personal knights of Zen's to walk behind Shirayuki when Ilena and Obi had become too busy in the Department of Intelligence to follow her regularly, though they did still follow her to formal functions until the announcement day. As of yet, none of the newest five men had been asked to move from their current housing. Shirayuki was now obviously in Zen's room with him in the Regent's wing. Because of all the changes and the confusion Obi had asked Zen to please reconsider where the aides would be housed. So far Zen had only moved Mitsuhide and Kiki out to the Regent's wing so they could have a shared room, their wedding having taken place about two months prior. Obi, wanting to be closer to his master and mistress now that he was no longer able to work as closely with them as he had in the past, had also asked if the Department of Intelligence offices could be moved into the royal office wing, though Ilena was content with where they were. They were still waiting to hear from Zen, now that the chaos of the formal announcements and weddings were completed.
Ilena paused in the main hall. Obi, I'd like to sit on the roof. May I? She had been up briefly once, and wanted to see the open sky after having been in the small enclosed space of the conference room. I thought Henry and Marcus could help me up from the garden. That's a shorter jump there.
Obi's answer came from the Upper office. He was in charge of all communications from the outside, which came and went through that office. Ilena was in charge of the communications inside the castle and in the general running of the department from the Lower office. I think that would be fine. I'll meet you there, he responded.
Ilena smiled and sent Henry into her office to bring a handful of mikans up as well. She was getting better at stairs, but still was a bit pokey. Henry and Marcus were her fastest runners as well, so between both factors Henry was back with them before she was ready to climb up to the roof. Marcus was just dropping down from having jumped up himself to assure himself the roof was actually safe to send her up on, grinning at the three who had already come up from the balcony of the U6+pper office, before letting himself back down.
Henry and Marcus both interlocked their hands together and made stirrups for her to step into. She balanced easily in their hands and on the count of three they tossed her up towards the eave of the roof where it was lowest on the side the suites were. Ilena jumped, to the best of her ability, at the same time and grasped the eave. With great practice, she pulled herself up using the momentum already gained and swung her legs onto the roof. She paused briefly to ensure she was set and steadied, then moved out of the way of her guards.
Obi was grinning at her, rewarding her for working hard on her own to get there, and she grinned back. She walked over to sink down next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her and doing a couple of leg stretches before leaning back on her hands. She looked out over the view, which was a calming one. There were slight rolling hills going north directly in front of them and to the east, eventually becoming wooded in both directions. To the more far west was Wilant castle city. To the distant north were the tall rocky mountains that were the north border of Wilant and Clarines. She took a deep breath of fresh air. "It is really a gorgeous view, isn't it?" she asked generally.
"Mmm," agreed Obi, who'd seen it many times now. Below them, inside the castle wall, was the courtyard both suite's opened up to. It had one tree standing in the center of it - an essential thing for Obi who's third home, after Ilena's arms and the rooftops, was to be in any tree. They could hear the quiet sounds of Ilena's pony in the next courtyard over to the west, where the Cat gate led out through the castle wall to the small lane that ran around the back of the castle in this section, and which gave them access to the view in front of them. It also conveniently gave any of their outside agents direct access to them. There were two guards on that gate at all times, and a guard, Dale, who was also an agent of the king, who guarded the courtyard immediately below them, and another guard the next courtyard over to the east, Bartholomew, who was a loyalist through and through.
Ilena turned to look at Obi and he held out a section of mikan for her to eat. She opened her mouth and he put it in for her to munch contentedly. She kicked her toes together and the look on her face became very young, though she still looked a little distracted. Obi had learned early as he'd nursed her back to health - twice - that she was the most child-like when she was being fed. It had become rather habit for him to feed her since she'd had to be flat on her back for six weeks after each surgery until the hip bone had healed, then there had been a gradual progression to her being able to sit upright before she could feed herself. These days, he only fed her the oranges, and now mikans, that were her favorite.
She had only recently told him she preferred it that way anyway since then she didn't have to worry about washing her own hands of the stickiness of having had to peel and eat them herself. As he watched her, though, he wondered if it wasn't also because they had been the only thing Leah could retrain her body to eat with, and again more recently Ryuu because of the surgeries, after she had been severely malnourished because of a seven-month long imprisonment Marcovik had given her after Obi had finally run away from Farmor and his older brother's death wish for him. Marcovik had hoped keeping Ilena imprisoned would bring Obi back within his reach. When it didn't, he kept her by his side constantly as a temptation for Obi that he had never taken. From the earliest difficult times in the highly abusive house of the College's, Ilena had established with Obi that she would come to him when it was safe, and they had held to it even until adulthood.
Even he had been imprisoned in the small boxes the householders had called coffins, and whenever they were feeling claustrophobic, the tree tops or the rooftops were all that could calm the fear. "Was the conference room too small?" he asked her as he fed her another section of mikan.
Ilena nodded without saying anything for a while. It took one more section of mikan for her to settle enough to start talking. "It was a good meeting. He's agreed to Master Zen's terms and the request to them was acceptable, even pleasing. I'm sure they must already have made the general plan of what they want to do and fitting in Master Zen's to it should just take a little tweaking. My agent will be going to the war councils, according to Master Zen's requirement. The prince is a little extra cautious, so wasn't sure he wanted to agree to it, but I think he'll be fine when he learns who it is."
Ilena opened her mouth for another section of mikan and Obi obliged. He found it cute to watch her eat from his fingers like a bird without embarrassment, adding to the strong imagery she was Zen's falcon and Obi was her handler that had been established early when they had brought her to the castle. "He also understood Master Zen was being generous in only requiring that." She looked at Obi again and he held up his empty hands with a smile. He'd eaten the other half. She accepted that, but looked around at the rest of them. Most of them had also finished their mikans, but Thayne tossed three sections to Obi. He found the fruit just a little too sweet for his tastes, though some was good. Ilena grinned her thanks and he grinned back.
When she opened her mouth again, Obi shook his head and patted his leg closest to her. He knew she likely needed to lie down to stretch the tendon while resting it properly. She obediently lay down and put her head in his lap. He stroked her hair. "I'm free to work on the security for the progress now. Shall we review what needs to be done first?"
Ilena launched into a recitation of everything the king's Minister of Intelligence had taught her two days previous, and before then also, that had bearing on what they were to do to properly ensure the safety of the Regent and the First Princess on a journey such as was ahead of them.
When she was done, Henry raised his hand. Thayne and Petroi had been listening carefully as it was their responsibility to help Obi with outside security. Henry and Marcus helped her with inside security, but had also been paying close attention. "Did Uncle tell you how this is to relate to you two specifically? That is, to keep the two of you safe now that you're also officially recognized royalty? At the luncheon you said you'd have to go out a week early if you weren't traveling with them. Does that mean some of us would have to go out a week before you and do it to?"
"It's true we're a special case, Third, but he said he'd leave that up to our judgement. He knows all our backgrounds after all." Ilena answered him. Henry nodded and looked at Obi expectantly.
Obi considered it. "Most of the time, we won't be going separately, but with them. What the Uncle has requested is also more restrictive on Master than he allows. He was willing to allow only an additional four castle guards, in addition to Mitsuhide and Kiki, after he became Regent, but even that chafed him. Having all of us who already guard them go is more than sufficient, now that it's fourteen. That number is also sufficient to cover Ilena and me with them. Going from three guards and two to be guarded to twelve guards and four to be guarded is a rather large step."
"Well, that's for normal travel when we have the usual complement. It will be different this time," Ilena said.
"Who's going?" Petroi wanted to know.
Ilena sighed. "That is the current hard part, Eldest. Mitsuhide and Kiki are needed back at her father's lands to prepare as we discussed this morning. Dane and Tairn are Master Zen's seconds, but if they come Lord Aiden is left alone in the Rose office for three months. That is rather harsh. And...they are supposed to go to their father for the harvest season, which is pretty much now. Lord Malkin will expect them to stay with him when we reach their home, and they would arrive back at the castle about the same time as we will go north. Either way, Master Zen doesn't get them either. He is spending this time trying to come up with a solution for himself."
"We have the same problem here. If all six of us go, and it is a formal progress, that leaves Grandfather to mind the Department of Intelligence. Leaving both our department and the Rose office in the hands of only one man each is asking a bit much. ...And it is hard to make Grandfather and Leah separate for two months, even if they've been willing to do it before for me."
"Not to mention we really should be retired," came from the balcony below.
"I am in agreement, Mistress Ilena," Leah added her support to Grandfather's comment. "I am reaching the point where I cannot hear well enough to participate as Department staff, though I can still act as your secretary well enough."
Rio appeared at the edge of the roof and hitched herself up to sit with her legs dangling over the edge. She nodded. "I've been doing all the listening for the last several months and it is getting complicated now that the war drums are beating as well. Mistress Ilena," she said, "it might be nice to consider bringing even one more set of Immediate Family on who can be present. If you're going to let Grandfather and Leah retire, it would be good to think not just on persons who you like, but those who can be used as office staff. Particularly if you're going to add more countries to our network." She was referring to the fact that Ilena had already tried to recruit from Tanbarun, though that still would not be addressed fully until the war was completed.
Ilena interlocked her fingers, resting her hands on her belly while looking at the sky thoughtfully. "I don't think they need to be Immediate Family," she finally said, "but they should have at least the qualifications of Captain, though not necessarily the title, and proper training to the work. Even a well qualified Page would be sufficient if they have the capacity, loyalty, and willingness to do the work. The need to keep the Immediate Family as the only ones doing the work has been overcome by events. Now that we're in the castle, a proper staff is both desirable and necessary. ...When we become a Ministry it will be even more important, and I have noticed it will be expected that we have several nobles or noble's sons - or daughters - in the office as well in order to maintain the peace between ministries." She sighed and crossed her legs at the ankle. "Of course, my best ones are already taken by Master Zen."
She looked around at the people around her. "Well, help me find some who are qualified for the work and we can test them and train them. I would think only two or three new staff would be needed for now here at the castle. We can have the majority of the information come to us wherever we are on the line. Obi, you could finish General Garen's training and make him Captain of the castle and add him in the usual reports. That would free you up in that way. Once we're done in Tarc, I can pull one back down here from there, and there is one noble who may come. We'll need at least one noble from here in the castle as well, however, that the others recognize so that we can say we have properly tried to integrated with the rest of the ministries. For that we will need to recruit, I suspect. Keep your eyes and ears open. If we can find one we all agree on, I will speak with them. For the ones we need right away, get me suggestions by tonight or tomorrow morning. ...Grandfather, what are you willing to do for the coming requirement?"
They heard him sigh. "I guess I'd rather stay here quietly and train than be dragged all over the region. ...Though I would miss Leah." Rio smiled down at them, and Ilena was sure he had taken his wife's hand in his.
"Thank you - both of you. I'm sorry I can't leave you also, Leah, but it will be far too scandalous to not take both you and Rio at a minimum with me. Even if I am the security head, I'm also being introduced as the Second Princess to the entire region." She shuddered slightly.
Obi grinned at her. "I think I like that you get to experience what I did when you first arrived in my life again." Ilena scowled at him until he fed her a mikan section. Then she went back to thinking again, content with that distraction.
"Mistress Ilena," Leah's voice came up from the balcony, "this would be a good time to point out that you also need to bring in more ladies-in-waiting."
Ilena sighed. "The nurses are already waiting. I need to have Mistress Shirayuki make her choice first, then I will chose from those who remain. Mistress Shirayuki will also be asking her ladies-in-waiting to join her in these next few days so that they are prepared to go with us."
Obi ran his hand over her head, petting her. He fed her the second-to-last mikan section, then changed the subject to another thing he'd been thinking about. "If, during a fight, enemies should make it to the core, you must stay behind Master and I to stand over Mistress, and use your knife, rather than your sword. You're still too weak in the arm from your convalescence to wield the sword for a full battle. In perhaps another month or so I'll test you again."
"Yes, Obi," Ilena said soberly. The three months of laying on her back, followed by an inability to eat well had weakened her considerably more than any of them would have liked. She was finally nearing a reasonable weight and was carefully exercising, but for sword work so far she had only done the gentle sword dance. Actually being hammered on by a determined assailant would be pointless when her knife skills and speed were far more effective.
Obi considered it a little longer, finally feeding her the last mikan section to occupy her while he thought. She munched it contentedly. The hot mid summer sun was still heavy in the sky this afternoon, though a cooling breeze was now coming from the northern mountains. By the time they returned to the castle it would be the cool fall, presaging the winter snows that came early to this high region.
Their quiet visit together was interrupted. Mother, Father, Master Zen requests your presence in the Rose office.
Ilena sat up. "Let's go. That should be the meeting for planning the progress." We're on our way. She stood, then looked at Obi. She knew he and his two would normally go by rooftop.
Obi rose, then folded his arms at her. "Jump. Just up and down, once."
Ilena jumped, a small hop at first. She nodded, then did a simple jump. She considered it, then did it again. She nodded again, then crouched down for a thief's jump, gathered her strength and sprang into the air. The height was impressive but it wouldn't have made the eaves from the garden on her own yet. It was the landing that was the test. She landed correctly and held it, not moving for just a second, then her face beamed and she stood upright. "The bone is fine and plenty strong enough. It's just the weakness of the muscles still on the take off."
Obi nodded, staying sober to keep her sufficiently calm in the face of her excitement. "The run will have less power also, then. You can add that to your exercise, I would think, and in a few weeks to month you will be ready to run the roofs. For today, no roof."
Ilena sighed in resignation, then opened her mouth for her reward for being good. Obi smiled and held his hands up again, empty. Instead he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Rio dropped back down to the balcony to go back to the offices with Grandfather and Leah. The other six all walked down to the garden end and Henry dropped down to inspect the garden, then whistled an all-clear. Ilena dropped down by herself for the first time, the rest flowing over the roof from various points along it.
-o-o-o-
Zen strode into the Rose office, coming from the negotiations with the envoy from Slicia. He was in a bit of a hurry because he'd been stopped by several lords on the way up and was feeling very pressed for time now. His aides were head's down at their desks. First on the right was Viscount Aiden, a well built older gentleman, who had been called up to take Obi's place when Ilena had taken him for the Intelligence Department. "You'll have the office to yourself, Aiden," Zen said to him, stopping there first, "unless you have some names to recommend for help. I'd like them by the end of the night, or tomorrow morning at the latest. After today's meetings, I'm not going to have much time to find someone before we go."
Lord Aiden grimaced, but nodded. "I'll do my best."
"I'm only going to call up one or two at this time, I think. Call in the Rosebud office if you need to, though making the stacks trickle down isn't necessarily the best solution either. I really don't want more people in here permanently, when I'm not here to see to their training sufficiently. Three months is going to be a long time for that." Zen offered and moved on, not wanting to take up Lord Aiden's time any longer than he needed to. He really didn't like having too many people in the office, particularly ones he couldn't be relaxed with.
Next were the desks for Tairn and Dane, the Malkin brothers. Obi had collected Dane just after collecting Thayne and he had shown himself to be a careful, responsible person with a good personality. Because he and his father had forgiven Obi for an error that was Zen's, they had caught his attention. When Zen had learned that the oldest son, Tairn, was studying at the castle, he had called him into the office to begin to learn Kiki's duties. Kiki did the work of two persons but was required by her father, because she was the sole heir, to return to her home for training to run the earldom. Because she had proposed to Mitsuhide before leaving, and they had been married at the ball Shirayuki had been introduced to the court lords at, he also had to go with her. Zen had approved that as well because he wanted Kiki's partner at her back while she was working with her father and Ilena's Children to fight the infiltration of the Lord of Tarc's operatives moving all through the northeastern land holdings.
Zen had originally been intending for both Tairn, who would also have to go eventually be the Earl after his father, and his younger brother Dane to replace Kiki, with the hope that Kiki could train Dane to really do her work of two. However, since he also needed to replace Mitsuhide, Tairn had been picked to take those responsibilities. Mitsuhide had been with Zen as his guard and aide since he was about ten and was like another older brother to him. That part wasn't easy to replace at all, but so far, perhaps because they were already brothers, Tairn and Dane both had been doing well at that part as well.
However, for Aiden's sake, another trained person would be very helpful to keeping the Rose office sane for the time they were on the progress. He turned back to Lord Aiden. "If you've any suggestions for your assistant, let Ilena know when you have the chance so she can run her background check." Lord Aiden decided to not point out he'd just immediately contradicted himself. He was really wanting the help just about now, and to be alone in the Rose office for three months was overwhelming. He raised a hand to let the Regent know he'd heard, his head still bent to his work.
"Dane, Tairn, you'll be coming with us since we have to leave you with your father for the harvest. Between the four of you, how far will you get in making the stacks as short as possible before we have to send Kiki and Mitsuhide back? They have to go in the next couple of days."
The brothers looked at Kiki and Mitsuhide, who had come in behind Zen, and the four of them conferenced. Both Tairn and Dane had been having the practice of being one and a half persons each until Kiki and Mitsuhide had been called back by Zen for his own wedding, though the senior aides had been focusing on that and not on the office work. Now that the official wedding was done, they could help shorten the stacks a little.
Tairn looked up at Zen. "We still have to settle the travel plans and timing and get the final word out to the lords and garrisons. I'd like Mitsuhide's help so I can pick his brains as it's my first travel planning for you. We should try to get that done today so the messages can all get out as soon as possible."
Mitsuhide shook his head. "It will take into tomorrow as well."
Kiki added her piece. "While I'm behind a bit for not having been here, it shouldn't take us too long. Dane and I can get the stacks short by tomorrow evening on our side, maybe into the next day. If we get done before the other two do, we could help with their stacks. That would help Aiden, if all our desks were mostly clear, or at least caught up before we went." Lord Aiden gave a sigh of relief. It would definitely help this old man - though he wasn't really old, just older than all the under-thirty folks in the room.
Mitsuhide looked at Zen. "Who will you pick to follow you once you leave Dane and Tairn at their father's?
"Who would you recommend?" Zen asked him, folding his arms and cocking his head.
"Brian and Kirk for guards," he said immediately, and Kiki nodded.
Zen raised his eyebrow. "You'd have me take two of Shirayuki's?"
"On the road, you'll only each need two at your backs. The rest of the guards can come from the garrison. Ilena and Obi will need that as well, having only two each also. I'm sure she's learned what's required by now."
Zen nodded. "My older brother's head of security and intelligence gave her quite a lecture on the way to Falcon's Hollow."
"As far as your aide, are you going to change your mind and take me?"
Zen turned a puzzled look on Mitsuhide. "Huh?"
Mitsuhide pointed to a stack of folders on the corner of his desk. "You need someone to help you review for each interview on the progress, and then to help you write up the reports from them and the garrison inspections. Usually that's me. Tairn can help you until he gets to his father's, but that's not very far down the road. Who will you take to help with that?"
Zen was crestfallen. "Well...I really can't take Tarin. I've promised his father…. And I don't really want Kiki to be alone, but if I had to, I suppose…."
"What is Ilena doing once you get started on the progress?" Kiki asked.
"Helping with security checks."
"The whole department is doing that. Can you pull her out?"
Zen considered the idea. "Actually, I do want to make sure all the garrison commanders have seen her face and know who she is. ...And having her next to me when interviewing the lords might be as useful as having her here in the Ministry meetings." He nodded. "I'll talk to her about it." He turned away. "Okay. Kiki and Dane you can go ahead and get started. Dane call Obi and Ilena over. Mitsuhide, I need the Wistal map and the maps of the Regent's wing." Mitsuhide walked over to the map cabinet to pull the two dissimilar maps out. "Tairn, do you think you'll be bringing your bride back with you from your fall requirement?"
Tairn's father was in negotiations for his bride-to-be, and they would be getting together for the initial meetings while Tairn was home. "That I don't know," Tairn answered cautiously.
"If I want you closer, will you come? Or are you set on staying in your current suites?"
"Ah...I will do whatever the Regent requires, of course," he said formally.
"Mmm," Zen said. That usually meant he hadn't liked the response, and he was going to do whatever he wanted, including a punishment. Mitsuhide and Kiki knew it but weren't sure Tairn did. They glanced at each other, then looked at Tairn cautioningly and Mitsuhide shook his head slightly.
"But, of course, because it is easiest to help you from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, if you prefer to have me closer, I will come," Tairn amended his answer. He sighed to himself. Being Mitsuhide's replacement when the head aide was not in the castle was rather demanding, the man himself being very hard on himself. He really did like his quiet quarters, but a move would only be temporary. Once he became the Earl in his father's stead, he would of necessity move back out to them, or so he hoped.
Zen considered momentarily. "It will be easiest to not have to move you twice." Tairn sighed to himself in resignation. "You'll be in the room next to Mitsuhide and Kiki's when you get back from your fall requirement then. Dane, you'll be in the man-at-arms room in the Regent's suite." Zen was studiously not looking at anyone else in the room, rather at the map of the Regent's wing that Mitsuhide had already rolled out on the large planning table next to the map cabinet. The aides looked at each other. They were fairly certain Zen was not really liking the moves he was having to make right at the moment.
"Tairn, write up the order for the Chatelaine's office. Before we leave, they are to move the both of you into those rooms, and all of Shirayuki's guards in as well. Rutherford already has a bed in there, so that will fill it up, I think. Shirayuki needs Delia moved in for sure. I'm not sure about when Maria and Darla will come. She's going to have to work on Leanna, I suspect. I'm not getting very far on the negotiations with her father. He is pretty set on the arrangements he's already made. We'll discuss it again tonight."
Zen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, after flipping the page to the lower level. He was looking at it again for the fifth time. It just wasn't working for him. He tapped the page and shook his head. He flipped to the map that had been on the table to begin with and looked through it also. "They are just too noisy, and it already works so well…." He sighed again and set the Wilant map on top of the others, but he didn't look at it just yet, instead turning to lean on the table his arms folded. "Mitsuhide, the current aide's wing, please," he said frowning in his thoughts, "...and the full castle plan." Mitsuhide pulled them out of the map case and set them on the table also, side-by-side, then called Zen's name quietly.
Zen turned back to the table and briefly studied the wing plan, then looked at the castle plan. He'd looked that over a few times already as well. Once again he ran his fingers along it, reading the uses of the various wings as he went. He was deep into his thoughts when an unexpected voice came from the balcony.
"May the Director of Intelligence enter the Rose office?"
Zen's head whipped around. The person had announced themselves from the balcony before entering as he had requested, however it was the person herself who was unexpected. "Ilena!"
She smiled at him from where she was leaning on the railing. "I came from below, not above, Master Zen." Obi and the rest appeared next to her, also from below. "I can jump now, just not quite far enough. They kindly gave me a boost."
"Come in, there's a thing I need to show you," Zen said, turning back to his current frustration. He wanted to get it out of the way before they got to the business of the progress. It was telling how this office worked that no one really blinked about this method of entrance, except for Ilena's first appearance from that direction.
Ilena and Obi walked to stand to either side of Zen. Obi recognized the maps immediately. It took Ilena just a moment longer to figure out what they were. "Where is it on the castle map?" she asked.
Zen pointed. "And here is the Rose office, and here is the Regent's wing."
"Ah, that is difficult, isn't it," she sympathized. "What is in between that is open?"
"Nothing."
Obi frowned. Zen pulled the map of the Regent's wing back out again. "Here's my room and there are only four on the other side. I could put the two of you there," he pointed to the third room, "but that leaves nowhere for all the people the Princess will require." He flipped the page to the lower level. "If I give you the lower level, I don't have enough room to move guards out if they get married, and it isn't secure enough for you." Obi and Ilena had to agree. It would work for his guards, but not for them.
"The only location that would be secure enough is mother's wing. Since she becomes ill at Castle Wistal, I have to keep her here." Zen looked up at the two of them. "I'm giving you the whole wing. Put your people where you want them. You can use the second bedroom as the nursery."
Obi was confused. "Which wing?"
"The one you're in now."
"Oh."
"And you'll keep your offices there for now also." Obi looked up at him, unhappy. "I'm sorry, Obi, it has to stand." He pulled out the Rose office wing map and set it next to the castle map. "Look," Zen pointed to where the Rose office was again in relation to the rest of the castle. "I'm set in the middle of the castle grounds, as guarded as it gets. It will be next to impossible for any of your outside agents to get to you if you're in this wing." Pointing to the map of the wing itself, he said, "In this wing only these two offices are available. This one is too small, and this one is in the corner on the main level, on the inside. You two won't last half an hour in either one." Zen knew full well their problems with small enclosed spaces. "If you stay where you are, you still get space, sky, and a tree, not to mention easy access to the outside. It's already secure enough, and you're already set up." He was looking at Obi now. He was understanding, but he still didn't like it all that much.
"Master Zen," Ilena said, "if it has to stand, we'd like to join with you at the daily resting lunches. It's difficult to not see Master Zen and Mistress Shirayuki. They are part of our hearts now."
Zen smiled a slow smile at her. "I would like that very much," he missed them also, when he had time to breathe, and even more so when he was forgetting to breathe. He turned to Obi to see if that compromise would be enough.
Obi sighed, giving up. "I will come more often," he said.
Zen nodded. "I will still come to you for the Intelligence meetings. I like the morning walk when I have to sit here all day for the rest of the day." He handed the castle maps back to Mitsuhide until only the map of Wistal was on the table.
They spent the next two and a half hours hammering out the details of the trip getting the timing and visits just right. There were a couple of stays in garrisons, most in manor houses, a few in villages along the way and the four nights and four days in Lyrias. They would arrive at the northeast garrison with Obi having one month to complete his rounds through the clans before the Marluk'nak' would begin. In that one month Zen and Ilena would have to have the troops ready and in place.
It was a tight schedule for them, but it worked. Ilena sighed. "Well, with us being on the road, it may look to the Lord of Tarc like we are playing while he works hard, throwing him off the scent a little. General Garen will have to handle keeping his spies out of the castle. Let him know that also, when you talk to him." Obi nodded.
"Have you had your meeting with him yet?" Zen asked.
"No. That was going to be after we did this one so that we knew for sure the schedule, so we'll go in the morning after our Department meeting."
"Mmm...just invite him to it also. He should be in the loop at this point of the war planning."
"Alright," Ilena agreed and Henry immediately sent the message to the General, who, being an Agent, would hear it himself. Ilena paused and looked at Zen with a little consternation. "Ah, should he be coming to the Department meetings anyway, just in general?"
Zen blinked. "Well...yes, perhaps he should. Ask him tomorrow if he agrees."
"Okay," Ilena said. "I hadn't thought of it yet because I didn't want the previous one anywhere near the Department offices. ...What about transportation for the progress?"
Mitsuhide smiled. "Zen prefers just to go by horse."
"Well, so do I," Ilena agreed, "but this is formal and we have the ladies-in-waiting to think about. Miss Leah is a bit too old to be asked to ride a horse all day for two months."
"For formal, it has to be a carriage," Mitsuhide said without hesitation.
"Then I will refuse and will ride the pony, going completely as myself. They may as well learn who I really am."
"Mmm," Obi interrupted. "The pony can't run. If we are going to go ahead for security checks that won't work. But," Obi shrugged, "Fenrier likes you and he likes to run. It won't be a problem to double up for the trip. I always did with Mistress anyway."
Ilena looked at him with a bit of irritation. "You will destroy his legs, you know, making him run with two on his back. Rather, I'd give you a pony also and teach you how to ride like the men of Tarc as we go." She sighed. "Actually, I'd rather the four of us, or even the six of us, already had the horses of Tarc. Then you would really be able to learn it all and we could run."
Kiki looked up from her work. "We have six now, captured from the spies we've gotten rid of."
Ilena's eyes lit up and her hands came together with excitement. "Call for them immediately. The sooner I can get these three heavy-handed riders trained the better. They may actually survive the coming month."
"Are the horses of Clarines really no good?" Obi asked, disappointed.
"They are very different, Obi. Fenrier is very nice and well trained, but he would be lost and unable to protect you correctly in Tarc. The horses of Tarc already are used to protecting their riders from other fighters in Tarc. Just that alone might keep you alive on more than one occasion."
Zen nodded his approval and Kiki sent out the word from the balcony, it being easier to send long-distance messages from outside. Obi sighed. He had really been hoping to ride double with Ilena. It was his second favorite thing to do with her - or maybe third since teasing her might come before riding Fenrier. His favorite thing went without saying.
"I'll ride," Zen said definitively. "Shirayuki can ride in the carriage if she wants, but if she wants to ride, she rides with me."
Mitsuhide frowned and Ilena's head came around to confront him. "They're married now, Mitsuhide, for goodness sake." She frowned back at him. "If anything, my complaint is that none of you will let her gain the confidence to ride by herself. She's already learned the balance and gait, she just doesn't have the hand for it. They won't listen to her because she's used to the lot of you making them listen for her. If it's going to be horse for her, either give her her own, or let her ride with Master Zen. It's your sword that's supposed to be doing the fighting anyway, and his only if we get desperate."
Mitsuhide's eyes widened slightly at the scolding. He'd never been scolded by her before, on official business. He considered it. "I suppose we had not considered the security of it properly, only the propriety. That isn't an issue now, as you say."
Ilena allowed his apology and turned to Zen. "Who will be your guards?"
"Dane and Tairn until we reach their home, Brian and Kirk after that."
"Very good," Ilena nodded, approving also. "We'll talk to General Garen tomorrow morning about what we need from the garrison and let him handle that detail. Do you need Rutherford?"
"Ah...well, I guess I don't know." Zen said, not having considered his own formal needs.
"Then that is a 'yes'," Ilena said firmly. "He can go in the carriage also."
"I'll let him know," Mitsuhide said quietly. "He isn't fond of travelling."
"Wait," Obi said suddenly. "Master has a manservant?" Everyone looked at Obi in surprise. "Ah, no," he said defending himself. "It was more a matter of me suddenly wondering if I was supposed to have one also…?" he trailed off. Evil grins appeared on faces all around the room and he groaned. He put his hand over his eyes. "Please forget it. It never happened." It wasn't going to work, and it didn't.
Zen clapped his hand on Obi's shoulder. "Well, well, well. I think Obi has finally reached the point of being ready, hasn't he?"
Obi shuddered. "No, really," he said weakly.
"This would be a good opportunity to train one," Ilena said in agreement. "I wonder who has been wanting that dream?"
"Shall I send it out?" Marcus asked with a nasty grin.
Obi shook his head at the thought, but Ilena looked at him calculating. "It might cause nasty fights. Let's keep it to the castle staff that's already trained. Obi needs to be trained in how to train someone, so I'd like it to be someone older and experienced...I'd have it be Grandfather but we need him here to train our new staff. Grandfather can be added after we get back."
Obi stared at Ilena. "T-two? Surely one is enough, even too much?"
"Really, he's already your secretary. It won't be much different, just moving him into full Department retirement and hiring him as your personal secretary instead. You do well to dress yourself, but so does Master Zen. When you two have time to just chat, Master Zen can tell you what he has Rutherford do." She turned from the subject, having other more important things to do right at that moment. Obi felt just a little abandoned, until Zen rubbed his head absently. Obi sighed and relaxed just a little.
Ilena looked around the table. "We are agreed that your office will handle sending requests to the garrisons and holdings. I will send the requests for the inn in Lyrias since it's run by my Children, and the inns at the villages. We are going by horseback with one carriage with room for seven...ah six inside since Rutherford may be willing to sit on the driver's seat as he doesn't get to be outside enough and Mistress Shirayuki will ride with Master Zen most of the time...well maybe make it big enough for eight. Then if I have to go in, we aren't cramped quite so much. Medium baggage, as minimal formal as we can get away with, two extra personnel per princess, one per prince. Ten personal guards, four nobles until we get to Earl Malkin's, then it's down to eight personal guards, four nobles until we get back, plus the required complement of soldiers. Gods that's a lot of people. Did I miss anything? Ah, sorry to the nobles who got demoted."
Dane laughed and Tairn shook his head. "You demoted the royalty to nobles. How can we complain?"
"I promise I'll make accommodations better than that sounds on my end," Ilena tried to make up for it. "Though we'll all be demoted to guard at the garrisons - which in my book is a big step up from 'patient in protective custody' that I was last time I was in one."
Obi grinned at her. "I could see if Field Surgeon Bonner still has that room available, for nostalgia's sake."
Ilena scowled at him. "I'd rather sleep on the roof."
Obi defended himself and laughed. "That can be arranged, too."
Zen smiled and felt better that they'd been present to lighten his mood a little. "That sounds good," he said. "Anyone else have anything to add?"
"Yes," Lord Aiden stood and walked over. "Zen has said I may request an assistant to help me, but should get it approved by Princess Ilena before he reviews it." Ilena looked at him with the same expression Zen used when he got titled in the office. He smoothly corrected himself. "Ilena, I think Zen would find Lady Brianna Welxom an extremely efficient and helpful aide. She is very practical, which others here may find a little stifling, but as her children are all grown - and she had six - I think she would be able to deal well enough."
Ilena looked at him sharply. "Would she say yes?"
"I think so. She mentioned to me last week she was looking for something to do." Lord Aiden's look was mild.
"Zen, I'll send her tomorrow." Ilena looked back at Zen. "She's on my approved list as Mistress Shirayuki's head nurse. Her husband died six months ago and she has just finished with putting her house back together again. She came for the wedding ceremony, which surprised me. I thought she might grieve for the full year." She looked back at Lord Aiden. "Is she really ready to return to a semblance of normality?"
Lord Aiden looked just a little sad, but nodded. "She is used to keeping busy. I think she would find it preferable to her alternatives at the moment."
Ilena nodded, then looked back at Zen. "This office would be good for her, too, I think. I'll go and speak with her next, before someone else can find something for her to do, if you approve."
Zen nodded. "If you've already approved her, then that's even better. If she has the approval of two of my aides, then I'll set aside time to talk with her tomorrow. Please let me know if you think of a second person to come and help." He paused and no one said anything else. "Then let us move on," he said and turned to his desk. "Ilena, you'll be in training with Tairn at the beginning of the trip as my personal aide and take over when we leave him and Dane at their father's. I know you're busy right now, so we'll keep doing the necessary work before leaving here and just bring you in last minute."
Ilena had frozen in place and her eyes were a little wide, but when Zen looked up at her, she bowed smoothly. "Yes, Master Zen."
"We would need a few hours the last afternoon, I should think," Mistuhide said to her. "You'll be attending the interviews and going on the inspections with Zen, then helping to write up the reports. You'll also be keeping track of these," he put his hand on the stack of folders. "There's one for each stop. You'll review them ahead of time and remind Zen what's in them, then carry it to hold the notes you'll make the reports from."
Ilena looked at the stacks. "Where will we keep them all and how do we keep them in order?"
"In the carriage, and they'll all be numbered and dated with the arrival date now that we have the progress plan finished out."
Ilena turned to Zen. "I use Leah to help me with this kind of thing. She will already be in the carriage, and likely bored. I would like to use her for this as well, if it's okay. I'll come on the inspections and sit for the interviews and take notes, but have her transcribe them into the reports. I'll review the reports before passing them on for your review. Is that acceptable?"
Zen nodded. He knew she wouldn't sit in the carriage, and most of the reports from her office were likely written by Leah already, and completely acceptable. "That will be fine." He sat down at his desk and the rest knew they were excused.
"Mitsuhide, I'll bring Leah with me so we both know what needs to be done, when we come. Aiden, will you please come talk with me?" Ilena looked at the older man.
He paused briefly, not quite looking her in the eye, then nodded. Her contingent went out to the balcony, past the two guards stationed at that door, and she motioned for the four Sons to head down to the ground. Obi stayed, but in the background. Lord Aiden stood with his back to the Rose office, close to the railing, and Ilena stood near him, also with her back to the office, but turned just enough to be speaking to him.
"You haven't said anything, Lord Aiden," she accused him gently.
He bowed his head slightly and took a breath. "It was a long time coming and not unexpected. It didn't seem it ought to be a distraction for everyone else."
"It will do no one any good if you don't take the time to heal, Lord Aiden. This coming three months will be difficult in particular, if you feel you must push yourself."
Lord Aiden hesitated, then turned and looked at her. "If I promise to take the time while I'm here by myself to properly heal, will you let it alone at that?"
Ilena looked at him. "You will promise to let the stacks stack up if necessary?"
He nodded. "I'll keep it sorted and manageable, but I won't force myself."
Ilena paused a little longer. "If Brianna is here, will you find comfort, or do you wish to be alone?"
Lord Aiden looked away. "We were childhood friends. It would be a comfort to us both, I think."
Ilena glanced Zen's direction. Lord Aiden shook his head, and Ilena sighed. "I think you should," she said, "but it isn't mine to say."
Lord Aiden looked at her again. "Thank you," he said.
Ilena put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, hesitating just a little longer, then she slipped over the banister to the ground below, landing carefully. Obi followed behind her. Ilena looked up at Lord Aiden one more time then the members of the Department of Intelligence ghosted quickly off. Lord Aiden stood there a while longer to recover, then went back to his desk to continue working.
