Jackal Among Snakes

“Your Majesty won’t be attending as… well, as yourself?” Diana questioned Argrave.

Diana had donned different dress than the casual things she had been wearing the days before—now, she wore an elaborate dress of white fur. She had a large silver circlet embedded with sapphires and pearls resting atop and partially weaved into her blonde hair. She stood alone with Argrave and Anneliese in the spacious yet warm palace of Quadreign. The warmth was new—though the Flame of the Tenebrous Star projected no heat, the Quadreigns of ages past had engineered it in some way to manifest as such. That was another bizarre oddity Argrave had no answer for.

Dismissing his thoughts to answer her question, Argrave shook his head with a pleasant smile on his face. “No, I’ll be staying in the shadows for a while longer. No need to draw undue attention just yet. When we march south into the former kingdom of Atrus to converge with Elenore’s force… I can have the grand reveal then. For now, you have people to greet,” Argrave looked to the door of the castle.

Diana sighed. “Indeed. It’s been some time since such a large number have gathered in Quadreign.”

“And in the days to come, yet more will gather. Then, we head south in force,” Argrave nodded. “For now… good luck, archduchess.”

Diana nodded evenly. “I hope that my daughter Svetlana receives the same well wishes from the crown when she takes my place, and even her daughter after her.”

“I have meant to ask… why does Quadreign disqualify its males from succession?” Anneliese asked curiously.

“The only way to ensure purity of bloodline is through the female line,” Diana explained. “The woman cannot bear a child not her own, unlike a man. That is the crux of it, despite what rumors persist about the woman’s role as a life bringer engendering benevolent rulership.”

“Really? I thought…” As he spoke, Anneliese looked at him, and Argrave scratched the back of his neck. “Guess I had things wrong.”

“If only you admitted your wrongs on other accounts so easily,” Anneliese said pointedly, still ill at ease after their conversation regarding visiting Erlebnis.

Diana looked between the two of them, probably not wishing to get involved in their dispute. She prudently changed the subject, asking, “And this outing you mentioned…”

“Provided we can enlist Vera’s aid, it’ll be no more than a day,” Argrave nodded his head. “We’ll be back before nightfall.”

Diana took a

castle. Once she left, a few seconds passed before her voice rang out once again. She gave a speech to the people outside, updating them as to their new liege—namely, Argrave—and their duty in coming to the south. She promised protection

old guard of Quadreign that had been disbanded only by Vasquer’s conquest. Diana was able to work them into a fervor easily. Argrave smiled when

forbid you to smile until your idea works,” Anneliese punched Argrave

retaliated, “Hey, come on now. That’s too tall an order. I’m the Smiler, or

does not want the

his levity, realizing he needed to answer her worries seriously. “The larger point to this all is allowing you to be exposed to whatever Llewellen says that you need to grasp his method of

not tempt fate by saying such

precise. Galamon led

don’t like being fetched… first, your man Durran brought me, and now this Galamon.” Vera bit at her lips, then surrendered, “I suppose

explained succinctly. “It’s far enough to be inconvenient, but if I can count on your help… it ceases to

your coachman?” Vera’s orange eyes

and some moderately influential passengers,” Argrave corrected.

#####

bleeding lips. He cast a spell of wind and then swung his glaive in a wide arc. The wyvern bone glaive caught and wreathed itself in the spell, and blade and magic both tore straight through the necromantic abomination with ease. Though it was with ease… doing it dozens of time was wearing at him, and his

creatures from the Order of the Rose. They outnumbered

air tearing chunks of flesh out of her foes. She looked exhausted, and her

got hooked onto her chains without dislodging, and it whipped throughout the air as she swung the metal around. It crawled

Durran shouted, wielding his

and when it neared, Durran used both

game as a kid!” she shouted, stepping back as more approached her. “Have a few