Chapter 54 Alliances
The Ridges above King Gutierre Lake.
Snowfall landed on the ridge near King Gutierre Lake smothly without trying to frighten her passengers. The attendees divided the messages among the three of them. The young blonde woman decided to stay with Pegasus. Her friends laughed as they left. Last night she had talked about the handsome rider many times.
Hernando: Hello again, beautiful.
Volker: Guten Tag.
The blonde: Willkommen, ihr stattlichen Männer. My name is Birgit.
Volker: My friend does not speak our language. And he needs no help to believe he is very handsome.
The woman laughed and Hernando pushed Volker by the shoulder with an annoyed look.
Hernando: My name is Ernando, and the boy is Folker.
Birgit: After tending to the beautiful Pegasus, would the handsome man and the boy like to have a beer?
Both men: Yes, of course.
The woman accompanied Snowfall to the empty nest to look over her feathers and offered her water and food.
Hernando whispered: Folker, help me. She is very pretty. Do you like women?
Volker: Yes, but I do not like all the women I see like you.
Hernando: But, they are all so beautiful, so soft, so great.
Volker whispered: Whore.
The three of them took care of Snowfall and the woman served beers to her visitors. Birgit and Hernando enjoyed almost two hours of flirting while Volker smiled and blushed. The three men arrived together carrying cases with messages. They exchanged the cases for chairs and beer. Birgit helped with the preparations for the Pegasus.
Hernando: I hope there are many reasons to return to the Ridges, beautiful Birgit.
Birgit: I hope so too.
She approached Hernando and quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Birgit: For luck.
Over the great sea west of Blasser Hafen.
Corsino and Red Sunrise had been flying cautiously to observe the fleet from Puerto Blanco. The eyes of a Pegasus could see things three times farther than those of a biped. She counted twelve large ships with ballistae on deck and many armed men. Then, the Pegasus saw more ships a little behind the warships.
Corsino: How many are there, my Red?
Red Sunrise: There are twenty. They are like the big ships that bring the animals. I see many horses in the open areas between the dead trees.
Corsino: Wood.
Red Sunrise: Wood, dead trees, it is the same.
Corsino: Yes. Are there men too?
Red Sunrise: Yes, many. They wear steel-reinforced clothing and carry objects made from dead trees with sharp steel points.
Corsino: Spears. They are knights. It is a formidable force. Good. We must fly south and find a larger ship.
Red Sunrise: There is a strong wind from the north, I can fly fast.
Corsino: Yes, but they can also travel fast.
The main passageway of the tower.
Tatiana: Esteban, Danilo, we need to talk in private.
The three of them found a vacant hall near the royal rooms.
Tatiana: What is your intention with the young people, Lupe and Marco?
Esteban: Ah, yes. They are innocent. The old man used them for his crime. We need to free them. Tomorrow?
Danilo: Wait a minute. They know that the king was assassinated. If they talk about it and Valero or Octavio hear the rumors, it will be a big problem.
Tatiana: Many know the same. The young maid, two pages. I believe the servants are loyal, and a few coins will be enough to win the loyalty of Marcos and Lupe as well.
Danilo: Loyalty from a whore? Seriously?
The warrier stood up quickly and pulled an axe from her belt. She pushed the axe blade to the throat of Danilo.
Tatiana: Repeat that word.
Esteban: Tati, please calm down.
Tatiana: Men talk very quickly about a woman who uses her body to eat, as if it were shit at their feet. But to a rapist like the king, you served him without uttering the words whore or monster.
Esteban gently took the wrist of his wife.
Esteban: You are right. But killing Danilo is not right either.
The warrior slowly lowered the axe to her belt.
Danilo: I am sorry. The situation is dire. If the nobles knew the king was dead, they would not support our alliance. We must keep it a secret. Only six people can speak of it, besides those in this room.
Esteban: What do you want to do, Nilo?
Danilo: You asked me for a solution. The priest deserves to be killed by axe. The five young ones are of no importance to the nobles, except to us. Gunther is a good boy. I love him like a son. But his life against a kingdom under the yoke of Aurelio or Valero?
Esteban struck Danilo with the speed of a snake. The priest was sent flying with the chair and lay on the ground, his mouth bleeding. Esteban got up quickly, grabbed his lover by the shoulders, lifted him up and pushed him against the wall.
Esteban: Do you want to kill five children?
Danilo: I must protect the secrets. The murder, the alliance...
Tatiana: The alliance? Our alliance is no secret... What alliance are you talking about?
Esteban: Tell me the truth, Nilo. I deserve it.
Danilo began to cry silently. His face reflected a mixture of fear and sadness.
Danilo: Marisela. She knows about us. She threatened to tell the king. You know how the king treats men like us. She used me to contact Duchess Lieselota. They are allies. The duchess wants to invade Costa Lunas and put her son on the throne.
Esteban released the priest. Tatiana took out the axe again and stuck it into the wall near the head of Danilo.
Tatiana: What is the plan? What do you know?
Danilo: A land force will attempt to delay the royal army by attacking its flanks. Meanwhile, the fleet captures the lighthouses and heads directly for the ports of Costa Lunas. Marisela will seize the ports with her soldiers, and both armies will join forces to capture the royal castle. There, they will assassinate Valero and Octavio and demand the loyalty of their soldiers to defend the city.
Esteban: And what about us?
Danilo: High positions at the royal court. Land for the three of us. We can live in peace and love, Steba.
Esteban sighed slowly. Anger and sadness were reflected in his eyes. The count took the dagger of his lover and put it in his belt.
Esteban: I arrest you, High Priest Danilo, for the crime of espionage against Princess Olivia and the kingdom of Costa Lunas.