The Wheel of Fortuna
Edessa Eastern Border
In just half a day, more than two dozen villages, two manors, and a small town were burning. The attack on such a remote place was completely unexpected. This area of the border was not located on any of the traditional paths into the province. It lay so far off the beaten track that even as the Edessans were captured by the thousand, the border guard remained oblivious to the situation. To them, it was still another ordinary day of dull peace, staring eastward where only a few stingy merchants passed each day. Their concerns were fixed on smugglers who randomly conducted their trade in the nearby forests or villages after dark, which meant nighttime patrols.
Thus, the Empire’s incursion went uninterrupted, spreading destruction without the Margrave’s army knowing. Most of the work was carried out by the irregulars. Motivated by profit and mostly free to conduct themselves however they wished, unbound by any real chain of command, and facing no resistance, the speed of their maneuvers was staggering. With ease, they isolated a wide swath of land, caught the rural population by surprise, and left few chances for escape.
The way they carried out this style of warfare was ruthless but efficient. Mounted scouts rode two days ahead, confirming the latest information on the number of villages in their path and whether there were armed forces or fortifications they needed to be aware of.
On the day of the attack, light riders at the front and on both flanks rode loosely as a screen. They hunted anyone who tried to escape, while their other forces plundered any place that was not fortified.
They were not unified. Each fought for their own. Many had even been bitter enemies and had stood against each other many times during the Empire’s succession wars.
But today, even with bad blood among them, the combined six thousand irregulars were united by a common goal, the fallen Imperium’s land.
Guided by a complex tradition that regulated who would plunder that day and how the plunder should be divided among them, the six packs trampled through a wide swath of land, burning and pillaging any population they passed.
As the riders pushed onward, a separate group conducted a thorough sweep behind them, taking food and valuables, burning houses, seizing donkeys and livestock, and even ruining vineyards before putting the population in chains. Meanwhile, the sick, the old, and the unwanted were gathered in the village hall and put to the torch.
There was no hesitation in their brutality. To the Navalnian irregulars, this was what war meant, and they had done so many times for generations.
This was their way of life. This was how they got paid. Unlike the regular army of the Empire, the irregulars received no salaries or support.
These armed ruffians only joined because there was a chance to plunder and to loot. In their eyes, their brutal treatment of the Edessans was nothing special. It was the same way they had done so among themselves through countless strifes and succession wars.
Meanwhile, two thousand of the Empire's advance guard lay low, building camps and securing food gathered from plunder, all to prepare for their Master's eventual arrival.
For them, this would be their greatest conquest in the history of the Empire. For a millennium, each generation of nobles had salivated over the Imperium's vast domains. Yet, as the Empire itself was always in a perpetual state of anarchy and consecutive succession wars, they had never been able to act on their ambition.
Even when they were united, they feared the Imperium, which commanded a ridiculous number of people. After all, the Imperium was the entity that had broken the Beastmen incursion through sheer tenacity and manpower. The Empire knew that despite all their military prowess, ironically honed through endless infighting, the Imperium would eventually overwhelm them.
But now, that entity was gone. The Capital was in ruins. And the mythical Ageless Emperor had likely died.
Thus, what had happened thousands of miles away had stirred turmoil in the heart of the Empire. Since whispers of it reached the ears of the powerful, plans were laid and a new coalition began to form. Power shifted, and infighting became unavoidable as each tried to secure their own advantage.
Too many realized they were on the verge of a great historical expansion. The vast Imperium was fragmented, and anyone who was not ambitious or who wished for peace was summarily removed. The many high ranks the Imperium only recognized as princes, viceroys, and governors turned against each other. Many were poisoned, while captured men were blinded or thrown into dungeons.
One governor survived two poisonings until he was finally garroted in his sleep when his wife's family changed sides. In the ensuing clashes that killed hundreds yet failed to spark an all-out war, a new coalition of power emerged.
In the face of this new coalition, the shrewd Emperor honored his nobles' wishes and pointed the Empire's might toward the west.
Even in his old age, the Emperor with the golden nose was still astute. Having been crowned in childhood, deposed in his youth at the cost of his nose, and only regaining his throne in his later years, he had gained many insights that kept him above the petty infighting. While on paper his power was absolute, he assumed his role as if he were an arbiter, knowing it would keep him away from their schemes.
He took no strong allies except his New Army and let his court settle their disputes on their own, with him quietly playing all sides.
But even he was surprised. Never had he imagined that the Empire's Great Houses, who had spent generations keeping blades pressed against each other's backs, would stand united. For the first time, they would bare their ferocious teeth toward a prize greater than their wildest dreams.
As the Empire mustered all its strength, the first forces had already crossed the border. The two thousand advance guard and the six thousand irregulars were impressive in number, but they were just the forerunners. They knew it would take all their strength and years to conquer even a fraction of the dead Imperium.
***
Canardia Castle
Lansius awakened as the sun was rising. He might have heard the chirping of birds, or perhaps he had imagined it. He drew a long, steady breath, finding himself in a place he recognized.
So I am truly home.
He turned his gaze and found Audrey already dressed in her formal black attire. “Morning,” she said, a little more cheerful than usual.
Lansius slowly recalled what had happened last night and understood there were several reasons for her good mood. Still lying in bed, he lifted his hand and gestured for her to come closer.
She leaned in, lowering her ear toward him, and Lansius whispered, “Good training last night.”
Audrey pouted playfully, but before she could say anything, Lansius quipped, “That is the only training I am willing to do with you.”
Her pout shifted into a threatening grin. “My Lord, you are going to train with me. With or without armor.”
Lansius chuckled, then asked while covering his mouth to hide a yawn, "Why so persistent?"
“Because you are irreplaceable,” she reasoned. “This whole House depends on you.”
“Everyone is irreplaceable,” he replied firmly.
“Do not be naive. You are irreplaceable,” she insisted. “Meanwhile, me? I am wholly replaceable.”
Her answer stunned him. “You are the mother of my son and my general. And you are even magical."
Audrey smiled softly but answered, “I'm not that special. With your power right now, you can recruit as many mages as you want.”
“Where is this lack of confidence coming from? Do not tell me…” He paused, recalling the gossip Margo had shared with him so he would know what the lower staff whispered about him, then asked sharply, “You think I am going to marry again?”
She turned aside, her lips parting in a faint, shaky breath that almost slipped into a whistle, then stopped, knowing Lansius would read it too clearly.
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He already had, grumbling as he rose from the bed. Lansius put both hands on her shoulders and guided her to sit on the bed. “Drey, my position is secure. I do not need to marry anyone to gain anything. I already have a vast domain. What more do I need?”
She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
With a hint of anger, he added, “And where did these wild gossips come from? Must be the ladies-in-waiting. I will put them in the stable. Duck stable.” He feigned a threat.
“No, no, no, let us not do that.”
Yep, it is them all right. I should have known it. Too much free time will cause this.
Standing, he stroked his chin, thinking. It happened because Lady Astrid was taking care of the three young ladies. Thus, the ladies-in-waiting had little to do.
“We still need them,” Audrey stammered. “Now that you said it… I am around, and I am going to train them. My way.”
“I do not need more shield-maidens. Besides, I doubt they have ever handled a sword. Let them be. I will assign them to the three young ladies. Tanya and Eleanor should take one each. But Lady Ella can have two.”
“But she already has Petra.”
“Even better. More good people so they can learn something from them.”
Audrey nodded, trusting Lansius’ judgment.
Lansius then remembered his own resolve to stay in good shape. “Anyway, about the training.”
“It is all right if you do not want it…” Her tone wasn't energetic.
“I will train with you if we use daggers.”
“You will train?” She stared at him, eyes wide, then frowned. “Daggers?”
“We are against assassins. Likely in a crowd or similarly tight situation. They are going to use daggers, and so will we.”
With practiced ease, she reached for the dagger she kept hidden in a pocket of her dress, flicked it into the air, and let it spin several times before it dropped perfectly into her hand. She turned the blade aside, checking the edge that caught the morning sun. “I am no assassin, but I think I can play the part.”
“No armor training then.”
“Just the brigandine.” But she quickly changed her mind. “Lans, dagger fighting is dangerous. You should use ringmail first. It's too close and too fast. Not even I am comfortable.”
He nodded. “I trust you. I will follow your lead.”
That simple statement, and his willingness to train with her, pleased her greatly. They agreed to train the day after tomorrow, since there were still things to settle.
As they ate their simple breakfast of vegetable soup and bread, the discussion turned to the Dawn.
“You know, of everyone, you do not seem troubled by my reveal that I am also marooned, like the Dawn’s ancestors," Lansius said.
“Why should I be?” she answered lightly. “If anything, it makes me feel better.”
Lansius’ curiosity grew. “And why is that?”
“The fact that the Dawn’s ancestors never returned means a lot to me. If even they, with their airships, could not go home, then you will be here forever and not returning.”
Lansius snorted, not expecting such an answer. “I did not know you were that possessive. Where is the squire who did not want anything to do with me?”
“Nothing has changed.” She giggled softly. “I am just a bit more honest now. My apologies that you are stuck with me.”
“Quite the contrary,” he said. “You are trapped with me.”
She stifled a laugh. After their light private breakfast, Lansius chose to enjoy a calm leisure break with his sister, whom he hadn't met for a full week. Audrey and the other staff had convinced him to do so, instead of letting him jump straight into his regular schedule.
...
On the open plains east of the city, where it was much quieter, Lansius finally made good on his promise to teach Tanya how to ride. It was a leisure time for him, away from all the talk of war and governance. Still, he couldn't ignore what Francisca had told him, that a group of messengers with a pair of carriages and twenty-two riders in full regalia had crossed into Midlandia bearing the seal of Earl Bengrieve.
Even when Lansius had thought Bengrieve would stay calm in Elandia, the man kept rising and now had secured an unimaginably powerful ally.
To even think he married Duke Louis’ widowed daughter.
It was a path nobody could have imagined. It was so far beyond anyone's expectations. To think that such a move would work meant Bengrieve was operating in a world entirely different from Lansius and his staff. His intelligence network ran far deeper than anyone had assumed.
He set that train of thought aside and watched as Tanya learned the basics from an experienced horse trainer who specialized in teaching children and ladies. While he or any cavalryman could teach her, it would be inappropriate for her to ride in a military style. He felt she should learn the fundamentals properly first.
With Francisca and the guards watching every corner of the field, Lansius felt secure enough to let his eyes wander toward a distant training ground. There, the men were training new warhorses. A lone warhorse was ridden straight into a group of men-at-arms who stood in formation with shiny armor and shields while brandishing their pikes and spears. Once the horse drew near, the men broke formation, allowing the horse to pass through.
The training was repeated on every mount again and again. Once the animals grew used to it, they did it on a slightly larger scale to build the horses’ confidence that there was nothing to fear from a line of men. The training encouraged them that no matter what, the line would surely break once they came near.
After days of training and once they were used to it, the warhorses were then taught to trust their instincts and head for the gap or the weakest link and punch through it.
This conditioning gave the warhorses the confidence needed to drive through lines of men, to even ignore the bristling spears or pikes raised against them. And in battle, this was exactly what happened. Rarely would the weakest links, usually the lines of levied troops, stand firm against a heavy cavalry charge.
But when the opposing line did not break, the warhorses would still commit, no matter how many spears or pikes were aimed at them.
Of course, after one such incident, the warhorses rarely did it again.
After all, they were smart animals. Once fooled, they would no longer trust their rider or their trainers. Such horses often refused to go to battle, or even to be ridden at all. A warhorse that had suffered such a shock might be broken for life.
Thus, the risk and the cost of a charge were always high and only done with the greatest confidence that the opposing side would flee at the sight of terror, or in deep desperation when nothing else worked. After all, the enemy, even when facing a heavy cavalry charge, did not always turn and run.
Lansius turned from the field of warhorses and glanced around. He quickly noticed a small crowd of onlookers had gathered behind the guards, likely pilgrims and curious folk. Even this far from the city, there were always people who tried to follow him. He considered meeting them, greeting them, even shaking their hands, but feared it would only make things worse. If word spread, then wherever he went, more would gather.
He sighed, though largely unbothered. Francisca, another of her kin, the four tall guards, SAR, and nearly fifty others, mounted or on foot, stood watch and held the perimeter with ease.
Not long after, as his trusted stable master from Korelia led over a suitable palfrey, the same one Tanya had taken a liking to, Lansius rose from where he had been sitting beneath a tree. He walked toward them and personally steadied the horse so she could take its reins and get a proper feel for the animal.
It was Lansius who wanted Tanya to learn how to ride on her own. Originally, Audrey had wanted to teach her, but knowing her method, Lansius decided to hire a professional, at least for the basics. He convinced her that her style of ride first, trust the horse, and fear later, was simply too advanced.
"I wish Horsie were here," Lansius muttered as he guided the reins while Tanya sat in the saddle. He had not realized it at first, but that horse had been unusually smart and calm.
As he walked farther, he noticed that this was a good place for practice. The grass and soil were soft yet firm enough not to sink. If there were a fall, the risk would be much lower.
While he gently guided the horse forward, Tanya spoke. “Brother,” she called, now that they were far enough from anyone else to hear them. “Aren’t you tired from the journey? You do not have to do this. You seem busy.”
“Don't mind this. I am always busy, but at least I can still do small things like this from time to time.”
“I see,” she said as the palfrey walked according to Lansius’ guidance.
“I will have plenty of free time in winter. You are coming to Korelia, right?” Lansius asked, trying to lift her mood.
“Really? Yes. I heard it from Mother. We are going to ride the airships, she said.”
Lansius nodded happily but warned her, “Korelia Castle is much smaller than here, and the weather is far different. So do not expect it to be all great and wonderful.”
“I will keep that in mind,” she answered with a smile.
The wind picked up, and her golden hair lifted lightly in the breeze.
After she grew used to riding on her own, Lansius attached a long separate training rein to the harness.
“You know… you could ask someone else to teach me,” she said as he handed her the reins so she could begin feeling how to guide the horse by herself.
He looked at her warmly and said, “As your brother, I would regret it for the rest of my life if I did not see you ride for the first time.”
With the training rein firmly in hand, Lansius gestured for Tanya to move, and she guided the palfrey forward. The animal was gentle, and her pace was easy on the rider's body. Lansius followed a few feet away at a comfortable distance. If things went well, he could take another horse so they could ride side by side.
As they went on, a commotion rose from his right. He turned and saw the spectacle.
A donkey came galloping madly down the nearby road, its buckteeth bared, its tongue lolling out with saliva flying everywhere as the beast charged straight toward the small crowd. The people panicked and scattered.
His guards reacted, but most of them simply laughed at the sight. It was, after all, a common occurrence. The donkey had likely been mindlessly eating wildflowers and angered some bees.
“What happened?” Tanya asked, her tone curious but alert.
“It is probably nothing. Just—”
Francisca and her kin suddenly dashed toward the donkey, which by sheer misfortune was now charging straight at Lansius. His eyes went wide. His first instinct was to touch his sword’s hilt to make sure it was there. He did not plan to cut down a donkey, but he would not hesitate if it came to that. Still, that was a last resort.
“We'd better get some distance.” Lansius hurried away from the line the donkey seemed to be taking, and the palfrey responded easily beneath Tanya.
But a heartbeat later, Lansius realized the rampaging beast was turning toward him again.
Tanya gasped as she saw where the donkey was headed now. Meanwhile, Francisca had outpaced her kin and drove herself straight at the donkey.
But before she could reach it, Sir Sterling came running with the guards and shouted a warning.
Hearing him, Francisca checked her charge and cut her approach short.
A second later, a perplexed Lansius saw that the donkey had a rider. A figure with golden hair clung helplessly to its back as the beast charged on.
Lansius reacted at once. “Tanya, hold tight,” he said, smacking the palfrey’s hindquarters, not enough to startle her but enough to push the horse forward and out of the way.
“Brother!” she gasped.
“Go,” Lansius ordered as he released the long training reins. He moved to break away, still unsure why the donkey was charging toward them or whether it was some mad assassin’s attempt to strike him.
But a shout tore through his focus. “Watch out!”
It was a woman’s voice.
Lansius had already stepped aside, and the donkey thundered past him safely, but the woman on its back either lost her grip or could not hold on any longer and fell.
Francisca rushed toward her, but she was more than a dozen steps away.
Meanwhile, in just a split second, Lansius recognized the woman, and he saw the swell on her belly.
“Oh fuck…” He dashed toward her, the gemstone flaring to life. It was not even ten steps, yet he almost could not reach her in time. So he hurled himself forward in a wide leap, hitting the ground hard with his arms stretched out to catch her and cushion the fall.
That day, the Lord Shogun remembered the taste of grass and dirt.
***
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