jackal-among-snakes-16091326
chapter-35

“Damn it,” cursed Duke Enrico as he stared out into the distance at his domain. Now that war was upon them, he had donned his plate mail, the blue swordfish of Monticci embedded on its chest. He stood atop the walls of Mateth, right beside one of the giant marble statues, as he stared out at the rising smoke in the distance. “The boy was right, to the word.”

Nikoletta stepped forward to stand beside her father, arms crossed. The two seemed like echoes of each other with their similarly decorated armor—one plate, one leather. “You could not have known. No one knew, besides him.”

“And that’s the mystery. How did he know? Perhaps the royal family’s influence is greater in my domain than I expected. It’s pointless to consider now… henceforth, though, I’ll follow his advice.” He turned back. “Knight-Commander Ryger. Command the mage battalions to center their forces near the docks, preparing to counter magic.”

“At once, duke,” with his voice echoing through his helmet, Ryger bowed and then moved to obey. His heavy armor clanged noisily as he sprinted.

The Duke turned back to Nikoletta. “If we should survive this, I view Argrave as your most promising marriage prospect.”

“What?!” Nikoletta could not help but shout in surprise. “He’s my cousin!”

“He has no force backing him, so he won’t compete with you for control of the duchy when I pass. He’s a bastard, so he should have no issue adopting the name of Monticci. He’s a very promising mage and a brilliant strategist. He’s young. Above all, you like him,” the duke continued, unaffected by her outburst. “As do I.”

“He—” Nikoletta paused, taking a deep breath. “You’ve spoken to him but once, and you ‘like him?’ He’s a friend, nothing more. Worse yet, he’s near identical to Elwind. As I said, he’s already family.”

“That matters little. You have no shared ancestors beyond your mother,” Duke Enrico shook his head. “There should be no issues with your progeny.”

At the mental image her father’s words gave her, she shook her head frantically. “Father, please…!”

“No more discussions. When he returns… if he returns,” Duke Enrico amended, “I will send the proposal.”

Nikoletta opened her mouth to say more, but a voice from behind cut her off.

“Duke Enrico!” a lightly armored gatekeeper ran up, breathing hard.

“Catch your breath, then speak,” the Duke commanded.

The gatekeeper did, and then he took off his helmet and wiped his face with his wrist. “Two people are trying to enter the gate, duke. One of them claims to be Knight Ryles from Barden, bringing urgent news from the village regarding a mage. The other is a female mercenary with a giant sword seeking to help in the defense.”

“Argrave went to Barden,” Nikoletta said immediately.

“Oh!” the gatekeeper exclaimed. “That name was mentioned, young lady Monticci.”

The Duke’s expression hardened. “Take this token. Find and command a High Wizard of the Gray Owl to examine both people for magic trickery before they enter. Send Knight Ryles to me quickly.”

The gatekeeper took the token from the Duke’s hands and stared at it, bewildered by the responsibility he’d just been given. He saluted the Duke and ran off once again. The Duke retrieved a seeing glass and looked out at the coastline, watching the movements of the longships as they collided with the Duke’s caravels.

Nikoletta looked up at the statue beside them, a distinct lack of conversation settling between the two as they waited. Nikoletta tapped her finger against her elbow as though to speed up time. She could not deny she was worried. That the knight was alive was a promising thing, but the fact he returned mentioning Argrave specifically could not be a good portent.

The time stretched out for a long time, but it could not have been more than fifteen minutes before a knight rushed to them, partially covered in blood and sand and very exhausted.

“Duke Enrico,” he saluted once he’d catch his breath. “Knight Ryles. I was commanding the forces in Barden.”

“And what led you to abandon your post?” the duke questioned sharply.

“On the eve of the battle, a spellcaster came to us. He offered the name… I think it was ‘Argrave of Blackward,’ and claimed that he was the duke’s agent,” Ryles said, speaking as though he was telling a big secret. “He had the Mark of Monticci, and so I took his advice in the battle.”

“That name… I think he used that as an alias when he sold the Margrave’s horse,” Nikoletta offered.

The Duke nodded to Nikoletta and turned back to the knight. “And?” the Duke pressed.

“Later, he lured a force of metal… creatures, to the site of the battle. He used this horde to gain parley with the snow elves. He claimed he was an agent of the duke, assigned by you to stop the invasion.”

The Duke furrowed his brows, and then ran a hand through his blue hair. “What is he…? Well? What happened then?”

“He spoke to the snow elves’ leader, and they came to an agreement,” the knight hesitated as the questions did not head the direction he wanted. “I believe he intended to sail with them to return to Veiden in condition for cooperation killing the metal creatures.”

“Did you see them sail away? Defeat the metal creatures?” the duke questioned, stepping closer.

“No, I thought he seemed too close to the snow elves, so I thought…” Ryles trailed off, taken aback by the intensity.

The duke grabbed the knight’s breastplate and pulled him closer. “You let Argrave fight that horde of monsters alone, and then let him sail to Veiden by himself?” He released, pushing the knight away. “Damn it. This boy… I have no idea what he’s up to. And you.” He pointed to the knight. “Join the garrison. You’re stripped of command of Barden.” The knight was rattled, and he stood there mute.

Nikoletta, too, was startled by the news. She thought back on all of Argrave’s actions. Each of them had seemed bizarre and arbitrary, but ultimately, they had clear purpose. He had returned her thesis to keep Monticci’s reputation intact. He had gone with the Margrave despite the dangers to keep their House’s relationships stable. He had attacked the druidic scouts, alone, to bring the invasion to their attention. And now…

“Father,” Nikoletta said, stepping forward. “We can’t do anything for him now, anyway. He acted alone, but I’ve never seen him act without a plan. Realistically, what he’s done doesn’t change what we need to do. We need only prepare for the defense.”

Duke Enrico turned back to his daughter. After a time, he nodded.