Chapter Fourteen

Finding Destiny

The cold, rough wall of the tunnel was digging into Marci's back as she tried to doze. Even if she had been more comfortable, sleep would have still eluded her. She was too tense, too anxious, to sleep, as tired as she was.

A couple of hours before sunrise, Kunkka, Donté, Patrodis, Sagan, Nova and a few legionnaires had followed her out towards the estate. Nico had given her pretty precise directions, and they had found the hatch shortly before the sun started to climb.

It transpired that the hidden dock was not the only way out of the estate. Aridin had ordered the construction of a tunnel which led under the southern wall, its entrance concealed within the house itself. Nico had stumbled upon it after overhearing some of the House Guards gossiping.

Marci was grateful. She hadn't wanted to try her luck with the hidden dock again, and Aridin would have doubled the security there anyway.

The two guards who had been watching over the entrance were dead. They'd drawn their weapons, and Marci couldn't have allowed them to raise the alarm.

Now came the hardest part: the waiting.

Marci wanted to charge in, kill whoever got in the way, and rescue Mirana and her friends. But that was not the plan. For this to work, they needed Aridin to be cornered. They could not risk him running off with a hostage.

Marci didn't want him to run off at all. He had to face justice.

But she hated waiting like this.

And of course poor Mirana had to go through the day, and most of the wedding ceremony.

Marci sighed, caught Kunkka's eye, and shrugged.

'Not easy, is it?' Kunkka said quietly.

Marci shook her head.

'The battle's the easy part.'

Marci nodded.

'I've never liked waiting for a fight to start.' Patrodis agreed. 'I'd spend most of that time going over the battle-plans in my head, worrying that I'd made a mistake, that I'd get men killed, that the enemy would play some trick or bring in reinforcements.' He tapped the hilt of his sword. 'People say fighting is hard. It's not. There's less time to think in battle.'

Marci nodded again. She knew that fact well. It was easy to fall into the simplicity of action and reaction in a fight.

'Have you ever done something like this before, Legate?' Kunkka asked, passing over a flask of tea.

Marci was curious too. She knew that Patrodis was relatively young for a Legate, but his soldiers thought highly of him and she'd heard that he was a good commander—he was a clever tactician, but he preferred to lead from the front.

'I had to lead a raid on an enemy encampment once. Ursa. They'd taken some of our soldiers prisoner in a skirmish. Some of the ursa tribes eat humans. So we needed to get in there quickly and quietly.'

'How'd it go?'

'Could have been worse. Could have been better. Five men died, four were badly wounded—too badly to return to duty afterwards. But we saved most of the prisoners.' He shook his head. 'Shabarra never should have provoked the ursa tribes by attacking Icewrack. We have enough trouble with them as it is.'

Marci raised an eyebrow. She couldn't imagine Shabarra ordering the rescue of prisoners.

Patrodis noticed. 'We acted on our own initiative. There was no time to send word back to Rasolir.'

Marci gave him an approving look.

'What about you, Admiral?' Patrodis returned the flask.

'Pirates are always taking hostages.' Kunkka stated. 'And we're always retaliating. It's part of the reason why our military ships always have sharpshooters like Kardel aboard.'

'And clockwerks?'

'Oh, that's only because of our mission.' Kunkka explained. 'They can smash through walls and lines of pikemen, but they also come equipped with mortars and the like.'

Patrodis looked impressed. 'We could do with some of them in the legions.'

Marci doubted that the Mingin Accord would allow that, unless the Imperium earned their trust. So far, only the Cladd Isles had been allowed to purchase keenish war-technology.

After seeing what their skyships could do, Marci understood why. Strange metal rods which spat fire and death, ships which somehow flew without wings, all of it baffled and amazed her, and scared her a little.

'We have firearms in Nivan too, and cannons.' Donté said. 'But no flying vessels, nor any giant suits of armour.'

'Maybe in good time, you will.' Kunkka said.

'Maybe. Your technological advancements are impressive, but I doubt we'll keep up with the Accord.'

Marci leaned back against the wall, looking down the tunnel. There were legion archers in the shadows, ready to quietly eliminate anybody who came down too far, but so far they had been lucky. Aridin probably had his hands full with the wedding.

Marci sighed, and tried not to dwell on the waiting.

Mirana had barely slept.

She should have been calmer. Marci was out there. She'd found help. She was coming to save her, Luna and Aiushtha. Aridin would soon pay for his crimes, and she would be heading to Rasolir with her friends.

The delay worried her though. The Imperium should have been preparing for war, and hopefully Kashurra would be ensuring that. But even so, she felt like she needed to be there. She wanted to be there. She had asked them to prepare for war, for the soldiers of the Imperium to prepare to fight and die, she had to be there, she was responsible.

Hopefully it would not be much longer now.

Unwilling to remain cooped up in her room, Mirana summoned a maid to help her to dress, then asked to be taken down to the cells. She had some bad news to deliver, and it was better that it came from her than somebody else.

The sun was climbing slowly, casting a faint glow across the clear sky. It was going to be a beautiful day. A good day for a wedding.

Not a good wedding though.

Mirana sighed softly. She had to remind herself that this was a good thing, they needed the wedding to proceed. Bad weather sometimes resulted in weddings being postponed in the Imperium. The venues varied, but the vows were always exchanged at sunset under the sky.

Not that Aridin would likely have cared. He was too eager for this wedding to happen, regardless of the weather.

A good thing, she reminded herself. A good thing.

Nico was not on duty in the gaol, and the two guards Aridin had assigned to her were staying close. Perhaps he was afraid that she would change her mind and try to run—though how she would do that here was unclear.

The two guards staying so close meant that she was going to have to lie, or at least be careful. She might have to use elvish, and hope that the guards didn't grow suspicious.

Mirana stared when she reached the cells, her hand rising to her mouth.

Aiushtha looked downcast and miserable. Her hair was tangled and messy, her coat dirty. But that was nothing compared to Luna, who was curled up on the floor of her cell, shivering, her hair so filthy it was a dark grey in colour, her skin alarmingly pale.

Mirana sighed as she approached. 'How is she?'

Aiushtha shook her head. 'She had a seizure, last night.'

'What?' Mirana wheeled round, glaring at the gaoler. 'You let it happen?'

The man shrugged. 'She's alive, isn't she? Take it up with Nico.'

'Nico?'

'He was here when it happened.' Aiushtha explained. 'It's a good thing too. He took care of her, I told him what to do. He said he'd speak to you as soon as possible.'

'It's not his business,' one of the House Guards muttered.

Mirana ignored him, just grateful that Nico had been there to help. When this sorry matter was done with, she was going to ask him to accompany them back to Rasolir. He might have worked for a scumbag, but he more than deserved better.

'Luna?' Mirana knelt down, then reached between the bars.

'No touching!' one of the guards snapped.

Mirana ignored him, touching Luna's shoulder.

Luna shuddered and lifted her head. Between strands of Luna's filthy hair, Mirana saw a bloodshot violet eye peering at her.

'Oh, Luna!' Mirana bit her lip to keep her chin from quivering. She could feel tears in her eyes. She had been so happy to see Marci alive and well, to know that she was going to save them. Yet seeing Luna like this, a woman who had always been so strong and self-assured, reduced to this, suffering so much, was upsetting beyond words. 'Luna…'

Luna groaned. 'I'm not at my best, I know.'

'That's putting it mildly, Luna.' Aiushtha muttered.

Mirana grimaced. It stank down here. 'Do you clean these cells at all?' she demanded of the gaoler.

The man shrugged. 'Lord Aridin said not to bother.'

'He did, did he?' Mirana stood up and glared at him. 'I am the heir to the Solar Throne, and this land belongs to the Helio Imperium. I order you to clean out these cells and treat the prisoners with care. And bring in fresh clothes and something they can wash with.'

The gaoler frowned. 'This is Lord Aridin's estate, and my understanding is that he is soon to be Emperor.'

'What?' Luna dragged herself into a sitting position, looking wretched. She stared at Mirana, disbelieving. 'Mirana, what did you do? What did you do?'

Mirana turned away. She hadn't wanted to tell them like this.

'Mirana?' Aiushtha shuffled closer. 'Mirana, what happened?'

Mirana sighed, then knelt down opposite Luna again. 'Luna… I had to. For your sake and Aiushtha's. For the Imperium.' She wanted so badly to switch to elvish and explain, but the guards would grow suspicious now. They'd assume she was trying to hide something.

Mirana reached into the cell and held Luna's hands. 'Please, Luna. Trust me. Please trust me.'

Luna looked into her eyes. Her violet eyes were still bloodshot and red-rimmed, but they were focused, determined. There was still strength in her, that strength Mirana could not help but admire.

Luna nodded. 'I trust you.'

Mirana smiled at her. 'It's going to be all right, Luna, I promise.' She gave Luna's hands a little squeeze. 'I promise. Just hold on for a little longer, Luna.'

Luna closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling steadily. When she opened them again, her eyes will a little clearer, and she gave Mirana's hands a squeeze in return. 'All right. Just… I'm sorry I can't help you, Mirana.'

'You have nothing to apologise for Luna.'

Luna shivered. 'I do though.'

'You're strong, Luna. I've always admired that about you. Just hold on a little longer, please. This will all be over soon.'

Luna sighed. 'I don't suppose they'll let us see it? I know you'd look lovely in a wedding dress.'

Mirana shook her head. 'It might be better if you stay here.' Very carefully, she winked at her.

To her credit, Luna's expression did not change. She did not blink or even twitch. All she did was run one of her thumbs across Mirana's hand. Mirana could feel the callous against her skin.

'You won't be stuck down here, I'll make sure of that.' Mirana assured them both. 'But you'll have to wait. I hope you can understand.'

'Can you save us a bit of food?' Luna asked, forcing herself to sound upset.

'I will.' Mirana promised. She stood up and brushed the dust off her kirtle. 'Luna, do you want some—'

'No,' Luna's voice sounded much firmer, more forceful, than it had moments ago. 'I don't.' She fixed Mirana with a resolute gaze. 'Trust me, Mirana. Please. Like I trust you.'

Mirana nodded. 'All right. I'll… I'll see you after the wedding.'

Luna settled back on her haunches. 'I hope you don't mind, but since we're stuck down here, I'm going to try and sleep. It'll make the waiting easier.'

'It's fine, Luna. Sleep well,' she waited until Luna had curled up before speaking softly in elvish.

Luna twitched, but her face was hidden. That was good, because Mirana could tell that she was surprised, if not shocked.

'What was that?' one of the guards demanded.

'I was wishing her a restful sleep.'

The guard frowned.

'It's an elven custom, we used it in… our old lives.'

The guard shrugged. 'Are you ready to return to the house? The maidservants will need to prepare you for the wedding.'

'Yes, I'm ready.' Mirana answered. She looked back at Luna and Aiushtha as she left, trying to appear braver than she felt.

At least Luna had some inkling of hope now. It had been risky to resort to elvish, Mirana knew that, but Luna now knew that there was hope.

"She's coming for us, Luna. She'll save us."

Mirana sighed as she entered her chambers, closing the door and then leaning against it, eyes closed, fighting the urge to grab something she could use as a weapon and start a fight. It wouldn't help.

Aridin would pay for what he had done. Marci would be in position by now, waiting for the moment to strike.

There was a knock on the door, right against her spine. Mirana jolted, startled, and stepped away from the door. 'Who is it?'

'Nico, your Majesty.' Mirana was glad to hear his voice. 'Lord Aridin sent me.'

'Please come in.'

Nico stepped inside, bowed, then shut the door. He quickly indicated that they should move away from the door, in case the guards were eavesdropping. Mirana led him over to the far corner, out of sight of the window and the keyhole.

Nico glanced around, then reached into one of his pockets and held out a piece of parchment. 'Here, Princess. Something for you.'

Mirana unfolded the parchment and read the elegant script carefully.

'Your Imperial Majesty,

Gondar and I were sent out last night to track down Marci and her new allies. I made sure that Gondar failed. He was captured by our friends, but I told Aridin that we slew Marci and her compatriot, Lyralei. Aridin does not know about the keen.

I assure you, Marci is alive and well, and eager to reunite with you. If Aridin tells you about assassins being killed, act appropriately. He'll lie, of course, but we know the truth.

Yours sincerely,

Nico Hieronimo, your servant.'

Nico was also holding out a necklace, watching her expectantly.

'Thank you, Nico.' Mirana handed him the parchment and took the necklace, silver with sapphires. 'Aridin chose this?'

'I advised him to. I thought it would suit you,' Nico smiled, sounding proud of himself. 'Though these sapphires are far less beautiful than your enchanting eyes.'

Mirana blushed despite herself. 'You chose well. I suppose you chose a dress too?'

'Aridin said he would choose one himself, and that your handmaiden would see to any necessary adjustments.'

Mirana felt her stomach flip and she stared at him.

Nico noticed her alarm. 'He said that you needed a new servant. As a gesture of "good faith and intent" he has chosen one for you.' Nico scowled, but his voice remained calm. 'She will come with a dress for you to try, one made by none-other than the needle-master Drace.'

Mirana was surprised by that. Aridin obviously wanted to make this a memorable spectacle.

'I told Aridin that you would likely wish to retain your tiara.' Nico continued. 'He felt that it might clash with the dress.'

Mirana shook her head. 'You're right, Nico. Whether or not it clashes, my tiara is precious to me.'

'I understand.' Nico nodded. 'I'm sure you'll look splendid no matter what you wear.' He made sure the parchment was tucked away. 'There's also the matter of Luna…'

'I saw her this morning. Aiushtha told me what happened last night.' Mirana said. 'Thank you for taking care of her.'

'It was the least I could do, your Majesty. And to be honest, Aiushtha just told me what to do.'

'Could it happen again?'

Nico considered. 'It's… possible. I gather that Luna has been drinking heavily for many years. It won't be easy. Even after the worst of the withdrawal fades, she will likely feel compelled to drink again.'

'She wants to stop.'

'Then I'll do what we can to help her.' Nico promised. 'But I must go now, your Majesty, as much as I do not wish to leave your company.'

'You have a job to do, I understand. I'm grateful for your help, Nico, and your company.'

Nico bowed. 'I look forwards to the wedding, your Majesty.' He winked.

Mirana smiled. 'I'll see you there, Nico.' She extended her arm, knowing that Nico would follow Nivanese custom and kiss her hand. Nico accepted the gesture in his usual gentlemanly fashion. The man would have made an excellent Gallant.

The next visitor was not one Mirana wanted to see, and he came with unwelcome news.

Aridin went through the usual routine of asking her permission to enter, knowing that there wasn't much she could do to stop him.

Aridin was smiling as he entered. Like Nico, he looked pleased with himself.

Mirana was far less pleased to see him, but she forced herself to remain calm. Marci may have returned to save her, but she was far from safe. One slip of the tongue, one fit of rage, and the plan could fall apart.

'I bring good news, Princess.' Aridin grinned. His elation made her feel sick. 'The assassins have been dealt with, though sadly the effort cost Gondar his life.'

Mirana was glad that Nico had given her warning. She forced a look of relief onto her face. 'I'm glad that they've been stopped. I admit that I didn't much like Gondar, but I am sorry to hear of his passing.'

Indeed,' Aridin nodded. He didn't seem upset by Gondar's apparent demise. 'I'd also like to introduce you to your new handmaiden, who comes bearing your wedding dress.'

Aridin stepped aside to admit a young woman, dressed in simple servant's garb in the colours of House Nesrius, carrying a folded gold dress.

Mirana fought back the urge to either roll her eyes or express her anger. Aridin had gone through with his foolhardy scheme to find a replacement for Marci—not understanding that no-one could ever replace her.

The woman standing before her was short, roughly Marci's height, with short dark hair pulled into a bun—perhaps recently cut—and brown eyes (darker than Marci's, and not as warm or full of feeling). She looked a little put-out, as if she didn't feel like she belonged, and very nervous.

Mirana was actually offended by Aridin going to the trouble of trying to find someone physically similar to Marci to serve her. It would have been better if he'd chosen someone very different.

And he really did not understand. Marci's appearance wasn't what made her so special. He would never understand. He wasn't willing to understand. He did not care.

'I'll leave you two alone to try the dress. It's a fine dress, made by none other than Drace. I hope it's to your liking.' He bowed, then stepped outside and closed the door. She did not hear any footsteps outside. He was perhaps still at the door, listening.

Was he expecting her to…

Mirana grew more disgusted with him every time she saw him.

The servant remained where she was, eyes averted, trembling ever so slightly.

Marci had never been afraid to look her in the eye. She'd never been scared of her.

Mirana sighed. 'What's your name?'

The girl—she couldn't have been more than twenty, perhaps younger—hesitated. 'Lirien, your Imperial Majesty.'

'Mirana. My name is Mirana.'

'Yes, your Imperial Majesty.'

Poor girl, Mirana thought. 'I'd prefer it if you called me by my name, at least in private. I know that people will expect you to use titles in public, and that's fine. But I don't want you to be intimidated by me. There's no reason we can't be friends.'

Lirien seemed uncertain.

'I know who I am, Lirien. But I'm still a person, just like you.'

Lirien nodded shakily.

'Where are you from?'

Lirien blinked, surprised. 'I-I… I'm from Sereulus, your Imp… Sorry… Mirana.'

'How did you come to be in Lord Aridin's service?'

Lirien looked a little wary now. 'Sereulus has… it has little.'

'It's mostly farms, isn't it?'

'Yes. My parents thought I might have a chance to earn some prestige, maybe somehow end up in Rasolir, serving in one of the Houses. Lord Aridin said he would send for his staff, and their families—if they served well—when he returned to Rasolir.'

'Do you know much about him?'

Lirien shook her head. Mirana didn't think that she was lying, it wasn't unusual for a small village like Sereulus to miss out even on the biggest news. And the exile of a Senator wouldn't have mattered much to a farming community.

'I think I've been to Sereulus.' Mirana murmured. 'Or at least close to it. A long time ago. Or it feels like it. Six… no, nearly seven years now.' She sighed, knowing that she was practically talking to herself. 'Gods above… I've dreamed about returning home for years, but I never imagined it would be like this.' She ran her hands through her hair. 'Well… we can't stall any longer, can we?' She exhaled slowly. 'Let's… can you help me to draw a bath, please? Afterwards, we'll see if the dress fits. I'm pretty hopeless with complicated dresses. Marci always had to help me.'

'Marci?'

Mirana hesitated. 'My handmaiden. Before… before I arrived here.' She shook her head. 'I'm sorry. We have a lot to do before the wedding starts.'

'Of course, your… Mirana. I'll fetch some hot water for you.'

About two hours later, Mirana was standing in front of the mirror, now wearing the gold dress.

It fit pretty well, considering that Aridin hadn't had accurate measurements. It was a fancy thing, very complicated even for a trained handmaiden. As one of Drace's works, a great deal of effort had gone into it, and it had probably been expensive. Many brides-to-be would have been ecstatic to wear it—a dream in gold.

Mirana just felt ridiculous.

If Marci had been here, Mirana would have said so, and Marci would have smiled and been both honest and kind. She would have told Mirana that she looked beautiful regardless, but that she had a point too.

Gold… an interesting choice for a wedding dress, Mirana thought. She'd seen others since she'd left the Imperium. A year on the run, a few times hiding on the edge of villages and towns as a wedding was celebrated. In the Dark Moon Order, there had been no marriages. Monogamy wasn't something Selemene believed in.

Gold was the tradition in the Imperium though. Symbolic of the sun's warmth and kindness. The groom always wore red, symbolic of loyalty and protection. Old ideas and traditions, since the earliest days of the Imperium.

She'd fled the Imperium on the day she was supposed to choose a suitor. And now, upon returning to the Imperium, someone wanted to force her into a marriage.

A price of being the future Empress, she supposed. She was desirable, if only for the sake of power.

'You look incredible, Princess.' Lirien declared.

Mirana did not doubt her assessment, she just had the discomforting feeling that Aridin, and many others, would be spending most of the wedding staring at her breasts.

The neckline was far too low. Mirana had to resist the urge to pull it up. It wasn't as if she could actually shift anything in such a tight dress. She felt like the worse combination of a whore and doll, which she suspected was the point. Aridin wanted her and everyone else to know she was his plaything.

Lirien had also pulled Mirana's hair back into a sleek narrow sheet, held back by a fancy clip, otherwise she would have tried to drape some of her hair over her shoulders. Mirana was grateful to Nico for choosing the necklace though. It didn't trail down, it might at least draw some eyes upwards.

She still felt like she was some kind of spectacle rather than the Princess of the Helio Imperium.

'Can you loosen the back a little, please?' Mirana asked. She wouldn't have had to ask Marci, Marci would have realised it was too tight. But Lirien had barely been her handmaiden, whether Mirana wanted her to be or not, for more than a few hours.

Lirien did as she was told, loosening the back a little more. Mirana exhaled, feeling ever so slightly better. There was less pressure on her torso, at least.

'That's better, thank you.' Mirana peered at her reflection. It wasn't much better, but she could breathe a little easier. She only had to endure this for a few hours, just until sunset.

'Are you ready, Princess?' Lirien asked. She did not say that the guests and Aridin would be waiting. Mirana didn't mind keeping them in suspense.

'Hmm… I'm not sure about the shoes.' Mirana wiggled her foot. She noticed that they had not been raised and were relatively simple. She supposed that Aridin didn't want to make her seem taller than he was.

'I can get another pair for you.'

Mirana considered. She had probably stalled enough. 'No, it's all right. I'll cope.' She closed her eyes, exhaled, and steeled herself. 'I'm ready.'

Lirien nodded, smiled, and went to open the door.

Lyralei had strung her bow. Now she flexed it, gently bending it in preparation for the coming fight, drawing a little further back each time, then easing the string forwards when she was done—not just letting it go. Her various teachers had encouraged this practice, stating that it was good for the bow.

Some of the keenish marines were watching her with interest. They probably hadn't used bows for decades, and they had probably preferred crossbows before they had invented the handgun.

They were fully equipped now. The arquebusiers didn't wear much armour. They preferred to remain mobile, and to keep the enemy at a distance. The snipers were still wearing their improvised camouflage—which Lyralei had to admit was very effective. They also had a group of pikemen with them. They were better armoured, bearing their almost excessively long polearms, and possibly a bit redundant here. With Marci's plan, a counter-attack by the enemy was unlikely, and the team out here was just meant to keep people from fleeing and keep the guards pinned down.

Better safe than sorry, Lyralei supposed. The pikemen would form a defensive line to deter a charge and protect the handgunners.

And of course, there was Rattletrap. He would not be redundant. In fact, he would be taking the offensive, with the keenish handgunners providing covering fire.

The clockwerk was waiting in the shadows, a large hulking form looming over them. The cockpit was open, and Rattletrap was strapped in place, performing last-minute checks. He would fire it up only when the time came, the engine was apparently loud, and the big metal figure was hard to miss.

The keen may have been small, small and weak compared to the oglodi of the Red Mist or Bloodmist—whatever they called themselves these days—but they were clever, and they overcame their weaknesses with ingenuity. Lyralei may not have wanted a handgun herself—they were too noisy, cumbersome and fiddly—but she did admire the keen for their cleverness. They valued intelligence over strength.

'Nice shiny helmets on the walls.' Kardel murmured, adjusting his scope. 'Nice shiny targets.'

'Won't they deflect your shots?' Lyralei asked.

Kardel turned his head, looking at her with confusion, and maybe a little pity. 'There's very few kinds of armour which can stop a bullet. These things will even punch a hole through plate armour, and the unlucky blighter wearing it. The Bloodmist Army hasn't figured out a way to stop bullets yet, and I hope they never do.'

Lyralei stared at his rifle. She had seen the keen loading their weapons, and found it hard to believe that the little round balls they had loaded could penetrate steel. She had seen her own arrows punch through armour before, but that was expected with longbows, and her weapon was not an ordinary longbow.

Kardel finished his adjustments. 'This should be pretty easy.'

Lyralei twirled an arrow as she watched the estate. They did have the easy part, she knew that.

She wasn't sure who had the hardest part. Marci, who was within reach of her beloved Princess, impatiently waiting for sunset, or Mirana, having to dupe her captor with a gaudy pretence.

Aridin was waiting with two of his House Guards, dressed in a rich red doublet with gold clasps and capped shoulders. There were rings on his fingers, and his high boots, with their subtly raised heels, were made of drake skin.

He turned as Mirana stepped out of the house, her newly assigned handmaid helping her with the train of her dress.

Aridin stared, gaping for a moment. She looked truly gorgeous. The dress he had hoped she would wear emphasised her form, particularly her bust and her elegant neck. The only jewellery she wore was her precious tiara and the necklace Nico had recommended giving to her.

Gods, she was beautiful! She had a wonderful face, but he was having a hard time keeping his eyes solely on that, with that figure in that dress.

'My… you look stunning, dear Princess.'

Mirana did not look enthused by this endorsement. Whether she was happy or not, Aridin was certainly looking forwards to their wedding night, and what came after.

Power, raw, tantalising, naked power, was within his grasp, and Mirana too, just as tantalising and soon to be naked.

The weather was perfect for the wedding, and everything had been arranged. Long tables had been assembled on the lawn for the guests—such as they were. Exiles like Aridin didn't receive many grand visitors from the likes of Rasolir—and there was a ceremonial arch set up for the sunset at the end of the garden.

Exiled or not, Aridin had a few acquaintances, mostly noble families from provincial towns, towns mostly neglected by Shabarra. They no doubt sensed opportunity in winning favour with the man who would soon be Emperor. Of course, keeping the wedding secret from Kashurra and his spies had been a tricky undertaking, but it seemed that it had worked. From what Aridin had heard, Kashurra had his hands full preparing for some sort of conflict.

He didn't mind courting the favour of sycophants. Most of the Imperial Court was composed of sycophants. It would be good practice for Mirana—though ultimately, it did not matter for her. As Emperor, Aridin would take charge. All Mirana had to do was bear him heirs, something he was looking forwards to helping her with. Perhaps she could even learn to love him, after a fashion, but it did not matter if she did not.

'Come, Princess,' Aridin took her hand, not caring that she cringed. 'Allow me to introduce you to the guests.'

As Mirana had expected, Aridin's eyes barely spent more than a second on her face before descending to her breasts. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes or scowl. Davion, Donté and Nico may have been womanisers, but they had been far more respectful. Even Fymryn had been better than Aridin.

Mirana wanted to tear her hand away, slap him, and maybe kick him in the crotch for good measure.

As he introduced her to the bootlickers he considered his friends, sycophants, opportunists and scavengers, she kept reminding herself that this would be over soon.

Nico caught her eye as she was being led around like some kind of trophy pet. He gave her a subtle nod, then inclined his head towards the barracks.

Mirana returned the nod.

Nico propped his spear against his shoulder and sauntered off.

Luna was shaking again, but she'd not had another seizure.

Aiushtha watched her, praying that her condition did not worsen. With or without her staff, there was very little she could do to help, especially chained like this. 'Luna?'

Luna was trying to sleep, yet Aiushtha could see her digging her broken nails into her skin.

Aiushtha sighed and lapsed into silence. She'd thought that the battle at Dragon Keep had been terrible, but at least she had been able to move, fight and see the sky.

The gaoler was lounging in his chair, humming. He glanced at them, chuckled, and stood up, stretching and taking a metal rod from his table. 'Wakey wakey, Scourgey,' he sang as he approached the cells.

Luna didn't react.

'Look at you! The terrible, unstoppable Scourge, reduced to this! Pathetic!' He jabbed at her with the rod.

Luna twitched and curled into a tighter ball.

'Are you hungry, Scourge? Too bad, because I don't feel like feeding you.'

Luna still did nothing, not even when he jabbed at her again.

'Oh, I'm looking forwards to Lord Aridin punishing you when he's Emperor.'

Luna grunted. 'You forget that Mirana will be Empress.'

'Like Aridin is going to let that weak-willed whore take charge!' He poked her again, leering. 'Still, I expect she'll be a good lay. You, on the other hand, would be lousy in bed in this sorry state, and I doubt anyone will be taking you again, unless Emperor Aridin sends you to the Stygian Pits. They don't see many women down there.' He grinned widely. 'I could give you a taste of it. We don't see many women down here either.' He poked her again.

Luna lashed out, sending the rod flying into the corner. Despite suffering from withdrawal, she was still fast and strong.

'You dare?' the gaoler seethed, clutching his hand. Luna had nearly dislocated his fingers.

'You want some excitement?' Luna hissed. 'You're not going to get it from me, unless you want me to rip your cock off.' She glared at him with her bloodshot eyes. 'I'm not at my best, but I can still kill you with my bare hands. I wouldn't mind a distraction. Snapping your bones will do nicely.'

'Bold words for someone chained to the bloody floor,' the gaoler snarled. 'I hope they do send you to the Pits, though you deserve far worse for what you've done.'

'Gaoler?' Aiushtha turned to see Nico striding in. 'Is there a problem?'

The gaoler hawked and spat at Luna. Aiushtha noticed Nico grimace, and his grip on his weapon tighten a little. 'No problem, Hieronimo,' the gaoler said. 'Just reminding this bitch of her place, and what's coming to her.'

'I see,' Nico muttered. 'But why miss out on the wedding? The prisoners are clearly secure. You might as well go up, get some fresh air, and some good food.' Nico paused for a moment. Aiushtha thought that he grimaced again, albeit subtly. 'And believe me when I say that you shouldn't miss seeing the Princess. She could make even Zeus swoon today.'

The gaoler considered, clearly itching to torment Luna further, yet also desiring to do as Nico suggested. Eventually, greed and lechery won out. 'Why not?' he shrugged. 'Like you said, the prisoners aren't going anywhere.' He sneered at his charges. 'Maybe there will be some scraps for you, and Aridin needn't be the only one who gets to plough tonight.'

Unnoticed by the gaoler, Nico scowled.

The gaoler hummed as he ascended the steps, twirling his keys as he went. Nico waited until he was out of earshot before approaching the cells. 'I can't stay for long.' He reached into his pockets and held out a wrapped item for each of them. Aiushtha detected the scent of the bread and eagerly tore off the wrapping. Her stomach growled as she bit into the roll. Nico held out a flask of water for both of them next.

'What's happening, Nico?' Luna whispered.

'I have to get back before I'm missed, but you won't be prisoners for much longer.' He winked. 'And Aridin will pay for what he has done, I promise you that.' He backed away, a little reluctantly, then bowed to them before leaving.

'A shame he can't just let us out now.' Aiushtha swallowed the last of the bread before drinking from the flask. 'At least he got rid of that thug.'

'That's too bad.' Luna grumbled. 'I was looking forwards to smashing his face in.'

Marci turned the hourglass again. A few more revolutions.

It might as well have been a million.

Time felt like it was crawling past.

Marci sighed. She'd thought she'd be used to waiting, having waited on Mirana for years.

Kunkka held up a leather pouch. 'Dice? Offer's still good. We don't have to play for coin this time.'

'That's good, because I think they're loaded.' Patrodis muttered.

'I've just had a lot of practice.' Kunkka claimed, rattling the dice inside the bag. 'Not much to do at sea half of the time.' He held out the bag to Patrodis. 'Here. See if my dice really are loaded.'

It seemed strange for them to be playing a game right now, but nothing had come down the tunnel from either direction, and if it helped deal with the tension…

Marci wanted to remain watchful, but she kept half-an-eye on their game. She wanted to see if Patrodis was right.

People in many other nations often remarked that Imperium weddings were "backwards", or "reverse weddings".

Mirana did understand why. In most other nations, vows were exchanged first, then came the feasting and merrymaking. In the Imperium, however, the feasting and merrymaking came before the vows were exchanged—that final part always taking place during the sunset, it being a tradition for the soon-to-be-wed pair to begin the next day as a married couple.

The banquet was mostly seafood, and Mirana declined the oysters she was offered. Aridin had also managed to procure food from inland, from roasted sparrows piled high, to marzipan formed into intricate shapes, as well as familiar forms. Mirana even saw a small rendition of the Rasolir palace formed of marzipan, sugar and honeycomb.

Aridin was in high spirits. He had already drunk a concerning amount of rich red wine, and clearly had a sweet tooth.

Mirana was being careful not to drink much. She needed to keep a clear head.

She tried to think of other things. Better things. Like how Marci would have wanted to try as much as possible from a spread like this, and how she would have demolished the marzipan palace.

It was better than fixating on being sat next to Aridin, who was laughing loudly at a joke his neighbour had just uttered, nearly spilling his wine.

'Of course it would be my pleasure to see the ursa made into rugs!' Aridin guffawed. 'It's about all they're good for! And they'd be serving their betters.'

Mirana focused on her plate, picking at her roast pheasant. Aridin had been making no secret of the reforms, conquests and changes he wished to make as Emperor, or the fact that he was looking forwards to having Mirana bear his children.

That's all you want from me, isn't it? Mirana thought. You just want me to give you power and authority, and some heirs to continue your legacy.

It was very possible that he might quietly kill her once that was done, when she ceased to be of use, or entertainment. She'd heard of that happening in other realms.

She'd resolved to one thing, at least. She'd sooner stick a fork in his eye than allow him to defile her.

The afternoon was passing slower than she wished. She just wanted this all to end, to be free of this sham, and for Aridin and many other men to stop ogling her.

Nico had returned from his trip down to the dungeon. He nodded to Mirana. The gaoler had joined some of the off-duty guards in their revelry.

That was good. One less problem to worry about. With him up here, nobody would be tormenting Luna and Aiushtha, and they would be safe in their cells. It pained Mirana to leave them stuck in squalor, but Aridin wasn't going to release them even now.

'Music!' Aridin called. 'Come, my friends! Let us dance!'

Mirana inwardly groaned, but she forced a rictus resembling a smile across her face.

She just had to get through the dance, and maybe a little more feasting, drinking, small-talk and such before this ended.

The musicians started to play. As was expected, Aridin took Mirana's hand and led her out onto the lawn to dance first.

Mirana would normally have felt self-conscious. She still wasn't a good dancer. But that worry faded as soon as one of Aridin's hands wandered lower than was proper, coming to rest on her backside.

Angry rather than embarrassed, Mirana deliberately stepped on Aridin's foot. The hand ascended, though only a little.

Mirana kept her expression under control, and tried to pretend that she was dancing with Marci, or Luna.

It somewhat worked. Mirana managed to ignore the hand inching down her back as she wondered whether Luna could dance.

Lirien hovered nearby, watching carefully in case someone stood on Mirana's dress. More of the guests were taking to the lawn to join the dance.

Mirana tried hard not to cringe. She hated being this close to Aridin, hated the feel of his hands on her body.

She suspected that he knew. He didn't care. He might even have been enjoying it. He enjoyed having control over her, the heir to the throne, his plaything.

For now.

One of the House Guards approached and hissed something to Aridin. Aridin scowled and stepped back. 'Forgive me, my dear. A matter requires my attention.' He stooped and kissed her hand.

Mirana was glad to stop dancing with him, though she could not help but worry. Had the guards noticed something amiss?

Aridin and the guard withdrew to have a hushed conversation in the corner. A number of the male guests, and some of the off-duty guards, were eyeing Mirana, some whispering—daring each other to approach her.

Mirana had no wish to dance with any of them, or for them to grope her.

'Pardon me, your Majesty,' Mirana turned, and this time her smile was genuine as Nico bowed, extending his hand. 'May I have this dance? It would be a shame to leave you without good company.'

Nico, at least, Mirana could trust to be a gentleman. She gratefully took his hand. 'Thank you, Nico.'

Mirana had never danced with a pangolier before. He was bigger than she was, bigger than anybody she had danced with thus far, but he was dextrous in spite of his size, and his hands did not wander where they should not.

'You've done this before.' Mirana realised.

'Many times, Princess,' Nico beamed proudly. 'In Nivan, dancing is a popular pastime, an excellent way to express joy and passion. Everybody, from commoner to noble, learns to dance, and I pride myself on my skill in the art.'

'You are a good dancer.' Mirana lowered her voice a little. 'You got the gaoler out. Thank you.'

'Luna and Aiushtha will be quite safe. The guards will have their hands full up here.'

'Good. Do you know what spooked that House Guard?'

'One of the pegagriffs is injured. Nobody noticed until a few minutes ago.'

Mirana raised her eyebrows.

'No, not my doing, but it was fortuitous. Shrapnel, I think, from the gyrocopter. Pegagriffs are expensive, so Aridin needed to know.'

'As long as it's not something worse.'

'Just a little longer, Princess.'

'I know.'

Sooner than Mirana would have liked, Aridin returned, grinning widely, to resume the dance. Nico stepped aside when ordered, as expected, though Mirana could tell that he was reluctant to leave her.

Just a little longer.

Gondar stared at the nearest of his captors: the keenish pilot. He had been left with two other keen, one armed with an arquebus, the other with a short sword.

They'd left Aurel because he was injured. He could have held an arquebus, he'd said. But Kardel had pointed out that the handgunners still had to move around, crouch and stand, and be prepared to fix bayonets and rush into the melee.

Aurel was fiddling with some contraption, something salvaged from his wrecked gyrocopter.

Gondar watched him. He knew that the pilot had an injured ankle. He was armed with a pistol and a dagger.

He was the weakest link. A pilot. Not a soldier.

Gondar grunted.

Aurel looked round. 'Hungry?'

Gondar scowled.

'Thirsty then?'

Gondar continued to glare, then nodded.

Aurel shrugged, then reached for his flask.

Mirana endured another dance with Aridin, then sitting with him and putting up with his expectations of the return to Rasolir, what he planned to do as Emperor, how he and Mirana would bring forth worthy heirs to the throne. Again.

Mirana looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to descend.

She took a deep breath.

Aridin looked over at her, an unpleasant smile spreading across his face.

It was time for the vows to be exchanged.

Kardel looked to the odd little device he'd brought with him. He nodded, then pulled back the hammer on his rifle. 'Positions!'

Lyralei nocked an arrow. Rattletrap closed his canopy, but did not start the engine just yet. The other keenish handgunners and snipers all primed their weapons. The pikemen tensed and prepared to move forwards.

There was a single bored guard on the other side of the false wall, as Nico had warned.

Marci took hold of the handles. This would normally have taken the efforts of two men, and been slow to perform. But Marci yanked the wall aside in seconds, seconds in which the yawning guard was much too slow to react.

Kunkka and Patrodis seized him and dragged him into the darkness, where Kunkka knocked him senseless with the pommel of his cutlass.

Marci peered around the corners, and saw no other guards. She moved out first in a slight crouch, moving into the lounge and using a couch for cover.

Through the large windows, she could see that the wedding was approaching its culmination.

She gestured for the others to emerge carefully. Weapons drawn, Kunkka, Patrodis and Donté crept into the lounge.

Aridin took Mirana's hand. 'It is time, my dear. Now we become husband and wife, as it was meant to be.'

Mirana rose with him. She did not drag her feet as he led her to the end of the garden. The sun hung over the distant golden sands of Misrule and El'harath, bathing the garden in its light.

Aridin was beaming his oily smile as he took Mirana's hands in his. The other guests were watching them eagerly, believing that they witnessed the beginning of a grand new era: the union of the Houses of Caelum and Nesrius, and the rise of a new Emperor.

Nico carefully moved closer, the hand gripping his spear tense. He flexed his fingers, and subtly drew his falchion a little from its sheath.

Aurel removed the gag from Gondar's mouth, then moved the flask towards his mouth. Gondar shuffled towards it.

Marci had searched him well.

But not well enough.

Unnoticed by his minders, Gondar had slipped a tiny blade from its hiding place and had used it to cut through the ropes about his wrists. It had been a slow and painstaking process, and he had nicked his arm a couple of times. Now his efforts were about to pay off.

His arms snapped out, one hand seizing Aurel by the throat, the other hurling the small blade at the keen with the gun.

As the blade found its mark, Gondar yanked the pistol from Aurel's holster, spun it around, and pulled back the hammer.

From the temple came Aridin's resident priest, a man Mirana had not encountered until now. His rich red and gold robes flowing across the grass, head shaved and bearing an elaborate circlet with a golden sunburst at the front, the priest strode out to meet them.

The audience waited eagerly. Aridin's grip on Mirana's hands tightened.

'Honoured guests,' the priest inclined his bald head. 'Today, we stand as witnesses to the union of spirit and soul of Mirana, daughter of the House of Caelum, and Lord Aridin, son of the House of Nesrius.

Here with the hallowed sun as our witness, you shall exchange your vows, and let this be your last day divided.'

Lord Aridin's oily smile grew wider. 'My dear Mirana, I vow to be worthy of being at your side, as both Emperor and husband. Together, we shall lead the Imperium to its destiny as the greatest power the world has ever known. We shall know prosperity and glory, and that is what I vow to give unto you.'

'Pick your targets.' Kardel instructed, taking aim at one of the sentries. 'I'll take the one with the plume, next to the gatehouse.'

One by one, the snipers chose their victims. The other handgunners had formed firing lines on the edge of the forest, ready to advance and start shooting.

Lyralei bounced on the balls of her feet, an arrow nocked.

'Rattletrap,' Kardel called, not taking his eyes off his target, 'fire up.'

Behind Lyralei, the clockwerk's engines rumbled into life, spewing acrid black smoke into the air.

'Now, let's try this again.' Gondar growled, aware of the clockwerk starting up, holding Aurel at arm's length by the throat. The keen he had thrown his blade at was groaning and clutching his shoulder. Not a bad throw under the circumstances, but Gondar had been aiming for his head.

Aurel struggled in his grip, trying to dig his nails into Gondar's skin. Gondar eased the pressure just a little. He need Aurel alive for now.

'You!' he pointed the pistol at the third keen, who had been edging towards the fallen gun. 'Don't bother. Move away from it. Throw down your weapon.'

The keen glared at him.

Gondar shook his head. 'I can shoot you, snap the pilot's neck, finish off your friend, and be long gone before your friends get here. So don't be stupid. Throw your weapon over there,' he gestured with the pistol, 'then turn around, walk over there, and stand facing that tree. Behave and you all get to live.'

The keen on the ground had lifted his head. Gondar saw his arm inching forwards.

'No!' Gondar pointed the gun at him. 'Other hand. Don't try to cock it. Throw it away.'

The keen grimaced, drew his pistol with his other hand, and threw it away. The other keen threw down his blade.

'Untie my legs.' Gondar ordered. 'No funny stuff, or you all die.'

Aurel did as he was told, clearly unhappy. Gondar kept him at gunpoint as he stood up, eyes flicking over to the other two. 'All right,' Gondar turned Aurel around, pointing the pistol at the back of his head. He took the knife from him and shoved it into his belt. 'We're going to walk. You're going to pick up the guns. Don't try to set them off. It'll take you too long. But it'll only take me a moment to put a shot through your skull and just a few more to finish your friends.'

The guests clapped as Aridin finished his empty promises.

Nico moved a little closer.

'Princess?' the priest prompted. 'Please speak your vows.'

Mirana took a deep breath. 'For years now, I've wondered if I would ever return to the Imperium. Now that I am here, I feel more responsible than ever for the people of these lands, and so many others, given the burden that rests on my shoulders.

What I want, what I vow, is to protect the Imperium, and those I hold dear, and to defeat the coming darkness in whatever way I can.'

Something caught her eye. Something moving in the windows of the lounge. Something which made her heart soar.

A distinctive tufty tail of auburn hair appeared in one of the windows as Marci moved into position.

Just a few feet away to her right, Nico drew his falchion.

Mirana's eyes narrowed. 'But I will not do so with you. That is my vow.

You are a traitor to the Imperium, Aridin of House Nesrius, and I shall never be your wife.'

'What is that noise?'

The House Guard captain manning the gate frowned. Something was rumbling faintly in the distance, and there was a vague, hazy plume of black smoke rising into the air. His hand tensed about the hilt of his gladius. 'I'm not sure. Take up positions, just…' he stopped as something bizarre, but obviously dangerous, stomped out into the open.

It was in the shape of a large humanoid, but one made entirely of metal.

The torso was rotund, topped with a small head, fitted with a stylised spiky jaw, glaring blue eyes and a sharp crest. The right arm bore what appeared to be some kind of spear, with a four-sided head and an oddly shaped prong at the other end of the shaft. Mounted on the left shoulder was a strange looking tube, with smaller tubes atop it, and a spherical object tipped with a sharp cone.

The strange being was mostly steel-coloured, parts of it painted dark red and yellow. It stood at least ten feet tall, and it was advancing steadily on the estate.

The captain stared for another moment, then seized his spyglass and hastily extended it.

At first, he thought that some kind of wayward golem, perhaps some new creation of Stonehall, was attacking them. But through the spyglass, he could see the emblems of the keenish military and the Mingin Accord.

'Sir! There's more!'

The captain raised the spyglass, and saw smaller figures advancing, all bearing long metal tubes encased in wooden frames. A figure in green and yellow, with long red hair, darted out, too fast for him to keep up.

'Sound the alarm!' he bellowed. 'Sound th—'

He never finished. At that moment, there was a sharp crack!

The bullet punched through the man's steel helm, flattening as it travelled through his skull, and erupted trailing blood and brains. The captain crumpled, never realising what had just happened.

More cracks split the air, and more men fell.

As one, the keenish marines dropped to one knee, levelled their arquebuses, and fired.

The shock at Mirana's proclamation had barely registered when the gunfire began.

Aridin gasped, turning towards the gates, not understanding what was happening. Mirana had just refused to marry him, and now somebody was shooting at them!

'Marci!' Mirana cried, managing to confuse him further. Why was she yelling for her dead handmaiden? Had she truly lost her mind? He felt like he was losing his! 'NOW!'

Something flew through the window of the lounge, shattering it completely. It took Aridin a moment to realise that somebody had thrown his couch through the window. A small figure leapt through the wreckage, dressed in keenish colours, but wearing bracers made from some kind of golden scales. She wasted no time, charging forwards and leaping into the air, slamming the heel of her foot into one of Aridin's men.

Aridin stared in morbid shock as the man flew backwards and landed in a limp heap, unmoving, very dead.

More intruders followed, all of them armed, some wearing Imperium lorica and the colours of the legions. Two feline monsters roared as they pounced.

Nico curled into a ball and rolled straight at Aridin.

Aridin screamed, having wit enough to throw himself aside.

Nico uncurled in front of Mirana, pressed his falchion into her hand, and stood to defend her.

'Hieronimo!' Aridin yelled, trying to crawl behind them. 'Protect me!'

'I'm not fighting for you!' Nico snarled, shoving the grovelling man away with his foot. 'Consider our contract void.'

Aridin whimpered and scrambled for cover. The guests were shrieking and falling over their chairs and themselves. The guards, taken completely by surprise, were still fumbling with their weapons as the intruders attacked.

Lyralei pelted across the grass, pausing only to loose arrows, then flitting away before the enemy could strike her, using Rattletrap for cover.

Rattletrap's armour deflected the arrows and bolts sent his way. He had started to run, pounding towards the gates.

As he drew nearer, he reached up with his left arm and drew down the conical object atop his left shoulder.

Something flickered inside the housing, followed by a loud metallic whoosh and an eruption of flame from the end.

Lyralei saw it rush off the clockwerk's shoulder. It sped through the air, and she saw the result clearly. There was an explosion of fire and metal, and what remained of the gates, more ornamental than defensive, flew off their hinges.

Behind them, the guns of the keen continued to shout, peppering the walls with shot, forcing the enemy to keep their heads down. They had formed two firing lines, one firing as the other reloaded, each volley almost a single burst of noise as they fired. Those who were not killed by the fusillades were being picked off by the snipers.

Rattletrap reached the remains of the gates, smashed through the archway with his battlewrench, and stomped on an unlucky guard.

Lyralei sped past, a blur of red, green and yellow, going straight for the gardens.

At his direction, still at gunpoint, Aurel placed the last of the guns at Gondar's feet.

Gondar could hear the guns firing. He'd heard the explosion.

Aridin was a now a lost cause. A pity, Gondar had lost out on his pay. But Gondar had seen the firepower on display as the keen had readied their weapons. Aridin had never stood a chance, especially with the clockwerk and those two freaks in play.

The assault, however, would give Gondar ample cover for his own escape. He'd miss out on a lot of gold, but he would live to earn some more another day.

Gondar shoved the two pistols and the blade into his belt, picked up the arquebus and cocked it. 'Don't even think about trying to follow me. You want to do something smart? Go and tell your friends I'm making a run for it. Or you can be stupid and die. Your call.'

Gondar stepped backwards into the shadows, continued to back-step, sure-footed as a cat, then he turned and ran into the forest.

The keen did not give chase. They weren't cowards, they just knew how foolish it would be to chase someone who had three guns whilst they had none.

There was nothing noble about dying pointlessly, nothing profitable either.

Nico stayed close to Mirana as they moved across the lawn. Mirana did not cower behind him, she fought with him, though Nico kept putting himself between her and their attackers if he could. He had armour, she did not.

Sagan and Nova rushed around, bowling over mercenaries and House Guards unable to evade them and ripping into them with their fangs and claws. Mirana couldn't help but notice how well they worked together, protecting one another as they fought.

At Aridin's screamed directions, a large knot of mercenaries bunched up and moved towards Marci.

Kunkka saw, raised his cutlass, and whirled it around his head.

From the air around the blade, water gathered. When Kunkka swept the blade in an arc, a powerful wave formed and rushed forwards, sweeping through the tables and dragging panicking guards with it. The wave slammed into the mercenaries, shoving them away from Marci.

Marci whistled appreciatively. Kunkka saluted her with the blade before running forwards to attack a House Guard. His blade was no ordinary weapon, something he proved by slicing through the House Guard's armour with a single strike.

A shrill screech tore the air. Nico looked up to see the two remaining pegagriffs taking to the air, their riders aiming crossbows down into the melee.

Mirana cursed. If only she'd had her bow!

A blur of colour appeared on the roof. It resolved into a woman, taking aim with a longbow. Her arrow struck true, piercing the head of one of the pegagriffs.

The stricken creature fell from the air, its rider crying out, and crashed into the temple, sliding down the slanting wall and nearly landing on Aridin as he wailed and cowered.

The second swung round, its rider aiming his crossbow at Lyralei. Lyralei leapt from the roof, landed on the northern wall, and sprinted along it as the pegagriff gave chase, dropping lower at its rider's command.

Mirana issued a loud whistle and waved, indicating the pegagriff.

Marci nodded and took off, pausing only to grab a man by the leg and smash him into a table, splitting it in half.

By now, the pegagriff was hovering at the same level as the wall, its rider trying to bracket Lyralei with bolts. She kept evading them, but he doubted that she could do so forever.

Nico watched as Marci sprinted forwards, gasping as golden light flared from her skin and filled her eyes.

Marci leapt, then seemed to become a lance of light for a moment, flying forwards at impossible speed.

Her extended leg struck the pegagriff in the side, smashing its ribcage and pulverising its major organs.

With a weak cry, the pegagriff was thrown through the air and into the battlements, crushing its rider. Marci landed atop the wall, light still bleeding from her skin, her eyes glowing.

Baring her teeth in a feral snarl, Marci jumped, bearing down on a panicking guard and powering her fist into his chest. He was smashed into the ground, his lorica crumpled like tin. Nico didn't want to see the mess under it.

'Bonjour, mon ami!' Donté declared as he unfolded next to him, having just bowled over one of Aridin's mercenaries. 'Princess, stay between us! We will protect you!'

In truth, there was little left to protect her from. Most of Aridin's men were either dead or surrendering. Many of the on-duty guards had been drawn to the gates, and were being crushed by Rattletrap, or perforated by the keenish handgunners and snipers. The rest were in the gardens, and the few still fighting stood no chance.

Nico jabbed his spear into a demented mercenary as a column of water rose into the air, sending more men flying over the cliff, followed by a bark of laughter from Kunkka. Marci was taking on a large group all by herself, and winning, sending broken and battered bodies tumbling across the lawn. Lyralei had taken up a position on the wall and was sending well-aimed arrows into the carnage, dropping her targets with arrows in their skulls or chests. Patrodis and his legionnaires had the flanks covered, preventing the enemy from fleeing.

There was another explosion at the gates, more screaming, and bits of stonework flew into the air. More gunfire followed.

Marci slammed her fists into the last of the House Guard, pulping his organs and crushing his armour. Seeing this, the few remaining mercenaries still alive decided that it would be better to plead for mercy, rather than possibly become dinner for the lunar cats. They cast down their weapons and dropped to their knees, staring at their attackers in fear.

Nico could hardly blame them, not after seeing the strange and deadly abilities of Marci, Lyralei and Kunkka at work. For his part, he was glad that he had chosen to side with them. Not only was it the right thing to do, it was better than dying at their hands.

Kunkka took a horn from his belt and blew a single sharp note.

The sounds of battle started to die down, then subsided completely. No more gunfire, no more screaming.

Nico exhaled and lowered his weapon. After the chaos of the battle, it was all so quiet now.

Mirana moved past him and Donté, dropping the falchion as she ran to Marci. Marci's eyes had returned to their usual colour, and the light had faded. Amidst the carnage, Mirana swept her into a hug.

Around the garden, the frightened guests and servants cowered behind bushes and wreckage. Lirien slowly emerged from behind an urn, shaking with fear.

'Legionnaires!' Patrodis called. 'Account for yourselves!' He waited until his men had returned his call. 'All right. I need four of you to move the survivors over there, search them and secure them. The rest of you are to gather the weapons. Keep your eyes peeled.'

The legionnaires moved to their assignments. Nico had to admire their teamwork. The four who searched the guests and surviving guards worked as a team, one man searching, the others keeping watch—one watched the captive with his weapon at the ready, the others stood to defend against a surprise attack. The others moved efficiently through the garden, gathering up the discarded weapons and depositing them in a corner. One of them stood guard over the growing pile.

Nico heard a whimper and turned to see Aridin scuttling towards the temple. Hidden by the corpse of the pegagriff, he had gone unnoticed at first. Nico growled, raised his spear and advanced. 'Aridin!'

Aridin yelped and stumbled, falling onto his backside. He tried to scramble away, backing himself against the wall.

'No! Please spare me! I can pay you! I have gold! I can give you some! No! Wait! Take it all!' he continued to plead and wail as Nico pointed the spear at his neck.

Nico scoffed, disgusted. 'You're not worth the air you breathe, Aridin. And you're probably not worth the effort it would take to kill you, though that depends on the Princess. Believe me, I'd understand if she asked me to kill you.'

Mirana had heard. 'Just keep an eye on him for now. Put him with the others, please,' she instructed. 'Where's the gaoler? We need his keys.'

Nico glanced around, taking in the sodden ground strewn with bodies. 'I don't see him. Can somebody keep watch on this scum while I search for the keys?'

'Gladly,' Donté twirled his borrowed cutlass. 'Greetings, Lord Aridin. It's not a pleasure to meet you, and you happen to have cost me a nice sword.'

Aridin whimpered and pressed himself against the wall. Nico shook his head, glad that he had been brought low at last.

Luna and Aiushtha had heard the distant thunder above their heads, muffled by the stone and earth hanging over them. Whatever it was, it had been close, and it had not long subsided.

Nobody had come down, not even when the ground had shook. Aiushtha had wondered if a dragon had attacked the estate. Luna doubted it.

The door at the top of the stairs crashed open, and they both heard hurried footsteps, too delicate and light to be the gaoler or any of Aridin's men.

Luna tensed, wondering if she would have to defend herself.

She was unprepared for a beautiful, wondrous vision in gold to appear before her, her blue eyes wide with concern.

Luna stared at Mirana, her mouth falling open, lost for words—Mirana looked that stunning, even if there was blood on her dress. If anything could have surprised her more, it was the woman who followed Mirana down.

'Marci?' Aiushtha gasped. 'But… how?'

Marci merely shrugged, smiling widely. Luna should have guessed who Mirana had meant by "she". Saying Marci's name, even in elvish, would have been too much of a giveaway, but who else would have been so determined to save Mirana? Determined enough to cheat death, it seemed.

'She had some help.' Mirana explained briefly. 'Are you two all right?'

'More or less,' Luna answered. Even her tremors had subsided, though she doubted she was free of the withdrawal just yet. 'What happened up there?'

'Marci brought some new friends, and some old friends, to the wedding.' Mirana said. 'You'll see soon enough, but you needn't worry. I'm not married to Aridin, and he's going to pay for what he's done.'

'Good!' Luna was itching to make him pay, in her own way. 'And Marci, it's damn good to see you alive and well!'

'The feeling is mutual,' Aiushtha concurred, her confusion giving way to relief and a broad smile. 'I'd give you hug, but…' she lifted her manacled hands.

'We're just waiting for Nico to find the key.' Mirana said, realising that she should have asked Nico to take it from the gaoler before the fight.

Marci whistled and waggled her eyebrows.

'I know you could, Marci, but I thought you'd want to rest.'

Marci smiled appreciatively, then stretched her arms and wiggled her fingers.

'You know your limits,' Mirana supposed.

Marci approached Luna's cell, took hold of two of the bars, and braced her feet.

Luna had seen Marci perform some impressive feats of strength before, but she was still taken aback by just how strong she was. The bars crumpled under her grip and Marci bent them outwards, making a big enough gap to enter the cell.

Marci slipped between the bent bars and crouched next to Luna. Without preamble, she took hold of the chains and snapped them, one by one, until Luna was free.

Luna gave her a grateful smile and tried to stand. Tried to. She ended up lurching forwards, she barely had any feeling left in her legs, and would have slammed her head into the bars if Marci hadn't caught her. 'Oh gods…' Luna groaned, feeling pathetic and doubly wretched.

Marci just looked sympathetic as she helped Luna out of the cell, practically carrying her. She put her down carefully outside the cell before going to release Aiushtha next.

'Luna,' Mirana knelt next to her. 'I'm so sorry.'

Luna shook her head. 'I'll get better. Somehow.'

Mirana put her arm around Luna's shoulders. With her other hand, she started trying to return the feeling to Luna's legs by rubbing them.

Luna leaned against her, admitting to herself that the contact felt pleasant.

Aiushtha wobbled out of her cell, held up by Marci. Mirana continued to rub Luna's legs. 'We should give you both a bath. I'm sure Aridin will provide. He'll want to be a good host.'

'Food. And bath.' Luna murmured.

'Which first?'

'Doesn't matter. Both.'

Mirana chuckled. 'All right.'

'I've got it!' Nico called as he descended the stairs. 'I found the key. It wasn't easy to find. The Admiral's wave-sword swept it into a flowerbed, but… oh…' he had noticed that Luna and Aiushtha were free, and that their cells had been ripped open. 'I suppose you won't be needing the keys now?'

'Hold onto them,' Mirana told him. 'We might have need of the cells.'

'I may have to lean on you.' Luna mumbled.

Mirana smiled warmly at her. 'I don't mind, Luna.' Gently, she lifted Luna onto her feet, supporting her with an arm around her back, allowing Luna to keep one arm draped across her shoulders.

Luna winced as the light stabbed into her eyes. She held up one hand to shield her face, blinking rapidly to try to clear her sight. She heard Aiushtha gasp behind her, probably going through the same thing as Marci helped out of the barracks.

Luna lowered her hand as Mirana guided her forwards. 'What the… what did we miss?'

'Marci managed to enlist the help of soldiers from the Mingin Accord.' Mirana explained, sounding proud. '

Luna turned her head as something clanked and clattered, and saw a large metal figure kneeling, its front opening to allow a keen to hop out. There were other keen moving around the ruined gates, mostly armed with guns.

The garden was strewn with bodies, Aridin's mercenaries and House Guards. Only a few had surrendered, and were kneeling with the wedding guests and Aridin's staff off to one side, watched over by legionnaires. Many of them looked utterly terrified.

Seeing the carnage—guards beaten into bloody pulp, armour and all, bodies mauled by teeth and claws, forms hacked apart and stabbed or feathered with arrows—Luna could understand. Once she had revelled in bloodshed, but that dark joy had long ago grown stale, if not repulsive.

Many people were staring at her. She knew that she looked terrible, and that she was leaning on the future Empress.

Luna inhaled the cool sea-breeze, starting to feel better already. 'By the gods, it's good to feel the sun again!'

'Princess,' Patrodis snapped to attention. 'Everybody is accounted for. Just some flesh wounds on our side. We've removed the discarded weapons from the field. The prisoners are ready to be judged.' He paused. 'There is some bad news though.'

'What is it?' Mirana asked.

'Kardel just arrived. He says that Gondar escaped during the battle.'

Marci scowled.

'That's unfortunate.' Mirana sighed. 'Was anybody hurt?'

'One of the sentries took a blade to the shoulder.' Patrodis answered. 'He'll be fine. The physicians are seeing to him.'

'And Gondar?'

'Gone. Aurel says he took their weapons and fled, heading east by their reckoning. Do you want us to pursue?'

Mirana considered. Marci bounced a little on the balls of her feet, no doubt ready to call Sagan and give chase. Luna would have done the same, had she been in better condition. And Nova was already here, grunting softly and nuzzling Luna's shoulder. Luna reached up and tickled her behind the ears.

'No,' Mirana decided at last. 'If his reputation is anything to go by, he'll be long gone by now. We can worry about bringing him to justice another day. First things first, we'll tend to the wounded, then I'll need you to set guards on watch. We'll be leaving in the morning.' Mirana scanned the line of scared captives. 'Lirien?'

The young handmaiden blinked at her, her gaze roving from her to the soldiers to Marci—Marci seemed to scare her most of all—and back again, her eyes wide and fearful. 'Y-yes, Princess?'

'I need you to help me and Marci draw water for two baths, and I need two others to find food.'

Lirien looked startled. She nodded and hurried off, taking two servants with her.

Marci raised an eyebrow questioningly. Mirana shrugged in response.

'You're ordering my servants around?' Aridin, manacled at the end of the line, was almost spitting with shock and apoplexy. 'After you had your thugs attack my estate?'

Mirana scoffed as she approached, half-pulling Luna with her. 'How does it feel, Aridin? This could all have been avoided if you had stayed out of our way. Instead, you made yourself a traitor to the Imperium again. I may not be Empress yet, but I am still the rightful sovereign of these lands, and thus it is within my power to strip you of your lands and titles. You servants need no longer follow your commands.' Mirana shook her head, her eyes hard. 'I'd say this is just punishment, but I have yet to decide your fate.'

Aridin bared his yellowed teeth for a moment, then lowered his head. He looked as though he was about to cry.

Luna wanted to hurt him. He'd thought nothing of having his own countrymen slain, or of ruining Mirana's life, for his own ends. Not to mention would he might have intended to do with Luna herself and Aiushtha.

'At… at least spare my life,' Aridin begged. 'You can leave me here. I'll remain here and never trouble you again. Please!' His eyes darted to Marci and he shuddered. She was glowering at him with uncharacteristic loathing, as if she was giving serious thought to killing him then and there.

Luna would not have blamed her, or Mirana if she gave the order. Marci would have carried it out.

Mirana shook her head. 'I'm not going to decide your fate yet. Some of my allies have questions they wish to ask you,' she gestured to Kunkka. 'You will be held by them, until they return you to me.

I may not kill you, Aridin, I know the value of mercy, but do not think me weak. You will not enjoy luxury such as this ever again. You may well spend the rest of your life behind bars.'

Aridin whimpered, then seethed. 'After everything I offered you, you do this to me! We could have claimed a great destiny! Together!'

'My destiny never lay with you, Aridin.' Mirana gave Luna a significant look, and nodded.

Luna half-smiled grimly and stepped out from under Mirana's arm, still unsteady, but able to stand. 'You want to find your destiny, Aridin?' She waited just a moment. Then she lashed out, kicking him in the teeth.

Aridin wailed and fell back, many of his teeth flying through the air.

Luna stepped away, then spat at him before growling, 'Try finding your teeth first.'

Big shout-outs to Annbe11 and BarrissOffee99 for all their help with this one, including helping me figure out how the Imperium might do weddings, a few names, factoids about alcohol withdrawal and double-checking informations gleaned from the show.

And for those of you who are wondering, worry not, we'll be checking in with Davion and co. very soon...