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 deep breath, then looked outside. “I should

her voice rang out once again. She gave a speech to the people outside, updating them as to their new liege—namely,

the assembled were the 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 the first

until your idea works,” Anneliese punched Argrave in

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

want the knowledge you offer?” she pressed

worries seriously. “The larger point to this all is allowing you to

by saying such brash things,” Anneliese grabbed her forehead

walked in not so aimlessly—two people, to be precise. Galamon led Vera to Argrave, then

Durran brought me, and now this Galamon.” Vera bit at her lips, then surrendered, “I suppose it’s a bit

to be inconvenient, but if I can count on your help… it ceases to be troublesome. We can be back before our small army of

want me to be your coachman?” Vera’s orange eyes

pay, and some moderately influential passengers,” Argrave corrected. “I

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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 breath

seen their like before, he recognized them at once from all of Garm’s writings. These were necromantic creatures from the Order of the Rose. They outnumbered the royal guards and Melanie two-to-one, yet almost an hour ago it had been ten-to-one. As soon as they entered a stretch of the taiga, these things started to plague them and

tired her out. She fought with the hooked chains she concealed ably, and they whipped throughout the air tearing chunks of flesh

Order of the Rose creatures got hooked onto her chains without dislodging, and it whipped throughout the air as she swung the metal around. It crawled up her chain with

me!” Durran shouted, wielding

She swung her chain about with the necromantic abomination attached, and when it neared, Durran used both his own power and the force of her

play this game as a kid!” she shouted, stepping