Chapter 19

They arrived before the sun crested the top of the mountain. The chilling sound of thousands of feet marching to the beat of a war drum rolled across the valley. The flanking soldiers carried torches, lighting up the army, filtering through the trees and filling up the valley floor. A moving sea of enemies.

Trystan stood with his people on the ramparts watching their approach, no one speaking a word. Lines of archers and crossbowmen, soldiers and common folk who’d come to fight at his back, all wearing identical masks of fear. Trystan didn’t begrudge them that. He wasn’t immune himself. For most of these men and women this was their true first taste of war. It was unappealing. But underneath the fear there lay more. A current of courage and strength. Trystan had a sneaking suspicion the emotions were being magically enhanced by Ramsey.

Davi and Brown flanked him while Avery and Ramsey stood at his back. His advisors. Only two of them had seen the last war. For most of them this was new territory. It was overwhelming watching as the rising sun highlighted the army surrounding the castle on all sides. His father had been his most trusted advisor in every aspect of his young life, and if there was ever a time Trystan wished to hear his advice, it was now.

A hand gripped his as Rissa slipped between him and Davi. Trystan glanced sideways at her.

“About time you arrived, sister.” His voice was solemn.

“I had to finish preparing my archers.”

He nodded at her explanation. He’d given control over the army’s archers to Rissa without question. There wasn’t anyone who could lead them better. As he met her eye, he caught sight of the challenge that always gleamed there. It was as if she dared anyone to question her place in this battle.

There was a time when he would have. Not anymore.

“Your Majesty.” Alixa’s voice joined Rissa’s from over his shoulder.

He scanned her face, surprised at the shock of white paint stretching down the center. She stared ahead with a fierceness he’d come to expect from her.

The movement below them fizzled to a stop, but the drums kept going. The sound echoing through the valley rattled Trystan’s nerves. It was nothing but a fear tactic, he knew that. Albeit a successful one.

“I wish we had thought of drums,” Davi leaned past Rissa and whispered at Trystan. It was such an idiotic, Davi thing to say that Trystan couldn’t help but grin as Rissa snorted in his ear.

“Sorry, Dav. I was a little occupied preparing for this invasion. I didn’t think of everything,” he whispered back out of the corner of his mouth. “Besides, I think drums are something a second in command should be in charge of, don’t you?”

Davi nodded in all seriousness. “Duly noted. I’ll be prepared next time.”

Trystan knew Davi’s triviality was only a mask to cover his fear, but it was a welcoming break in tension.

“Next time? Are you aware of other enemies that will try to siege our castle as well?”

Davi shrugged, a tiny smile burgeoning on his lips. “That royal stick up your butt makes you very unreasonable at times. You aren’t the most easy-going of kings, Trystan Renauld.”

“Not the time for both of you to show your idiocracy,” Rissa grumbled at them both, even as her own smile threatened to erupt.

The drums stopped. Just like that. An unearthly silence followed, encompassing them like a shroud. The sun was just peeking over the forest. There should have been a cacophony of sounds inundating the air, but there was nothing. Trystan wasn’t sure what was worse, the drums or the silence. He glanced at Brown, but the captain looked as unsure as he did.

A line of soldiers on horses spanned the front of the army. Trystan focused his attention on them. Although they rode with Dreach-Dhoun banners, Trystan recognized Eisner right away. He pulled ahead of the rest of his soldiers, sitting atop his horse and staring up at the castle walls. Looking at them. He was too far away to make eye contact, but Trystan could feel the hatred and contempt emanating from that look. This was a man who rode here with one intent. Revenge for his son.

“Strange that Calis would send his lapdog instead of coming himself,” Alixa spat the word with just as much contempt. She had long since ceased thinking of Eisner as her father. Not for the first time the same thought entered Trystan’s head. This was a momentous attack on the castle of his supposedly mortal enemy. Why would he send Eisner to do his dirty work?

Ramsey stepped forward as he answered Alisa’s question “Calis doesn’t want the castle. Not yet. He wants control of your lands. The death of your people. He wants you to suffer before he comes for you. Eisner is just a taste of what’s coming.”

He heard Rissa’s sharp gasp as a movement began below.

“Archers prepare,” Rissa ordered, and they all snapped to attention as one, readying their bows and preparing to strike as soon as their enemy came into range. “On my command.”

But the moving army did not attempt to run at the castle walls. Instead they spread out, making room as soldiers dug into the lands surrounding the castle, just out of their attack reach. Trystan’s brow furrowed in puzzlement.

“At ease,” he commanded the soldiers as he turned the captain’s way. “What are they doing, Brown?”

The captain observed for a moment before reaching a conclusion. “They are building their own lines of defense, Sire. Digging up banks of earth which they will re-enforce with wooden palisades. A wall of circumvallation.” Brown’s eyes fell on him. “They are planning to stay awhile.”

* * *

Hours turned into days, but still no attack. No trying to break through the gates. No attempt to mine the walls. No fire bolts to burn down their store of supplies. Eisner and his men did nothing but sit outside the walls and beat those drums. Was that the ploy? To drive them all insane? To beat them all down into surrender? They hadn’t even used their magic.

Trystan rubbed at his weary eyes as he surveyed the exhausted members of his council sitting around the table with him. Their collection of dark, bruised eyes and pale, drawn features were a testament to their lack of sleep. None of them had gotten any more rest than he had over the past few days. Maybe Eisner’s plan was working after all.

“Report,” Trystan snapped at Davi the moment he stepped into the room. It had been his watch last night. Although he had been the one to stay on the walls last night with the men, he seemed to be more energetic than the rest of them combined.

“Good morning to you too, sire.” Davi grinned at Trystan, giving him a mock bow. “It’s nice to see the night’s rest has put you in such a good mood.”

“Report, Davion,” Trystan growled again and Davi sighed.

“As always. No movement. They are just sitting there watching us. Not one attempt to scale the walls. The men are getting restless, Trystan. I had to stop a couple of the fools from trying to pick off a few of Eisner’s horses that had wandered close, just to ease their boredom.”

Trystan pushed himself away from the table and stood up. Pacing around the room, he could feel the eyes of his councilors watching his every move.

“What does he want? If the surviving soldier is to be believed, they have treated no other settlement with mercy. Why have they not attacked us with the same ruthlessness? Is the true plan to starve us out?”

“That could take months,” Rissa said.

“And doesn’t make a bit of sense,” Alixa added. “That is not Eisner’s way. He is a vengeful man. He will want blood for Royce’s death and my betrayal. No, he has something else planned. Calis has something else planned.”

Trystan stopped pacing and nodded. “I agree. Lona, how…”

An urgent rapping on the door diverted Trystan’s question. The soldier standing guard reacted to Trystan’s nod and opened the door as a young messenger stumbled into the room. His eyes searched out the king right away as he performed an awkward bow.

“Speak.” Trystan ordered.

“Your Majesty, Captain Brown sent me to tell you an army envoy approaches the castle. He requests your command, sire.”

“Tell the captain I will be there shortly.”

The young man bowed again and left the room without another word. Trystan’s gaze flitted to those seated at the table.

“Eisner sends an envoy. Seems we are about to find out the terms of our surrender.” His gaze moved to the sword master. “Avery what is the protocol to meeting this envoy?”

“An envoy is treated with respect, sire, and is not to be attacked. We need to send our own to meet the envoy halfway and discuss. I volunteer to do as such.”

Trystan shook his head. “No. You are far too valuable and carry far too much information.”

“Mistress Payne will be in no danger.” Ramsey’s smile was filled with indulgence as he studied his grandson. “Eisner wishes to speak to us. If he meant to do us harm without speaking first, he would have already done so. And in the off chance that this is but a mere trick to get us to open the gate, none better than mistress Payne to keep the attackers at bay until we manage to close the gate again. Avery is the best choice to do this.”

Trystan still wasn’t convinced.

“Trystan, we will keep Avery shielded with our magic. We will not let any harm come to her.”

Trystan knew Lonara was as good as her word, but still he weighed his options.

“We don’t have a choice, brother.” Rissa joined in. “I no more wish to expose Avery to our enemy than you do, but we need to know what Eisner’s terms are. Besides, I’ll go myself if it means a night with no more dark drums pounding through my head.”

Trystan sighed knowing Rissa would do just that. “Fine. Avery, you will be our envoy. We will keep a close eye on you. If you suspect anything out of sorts, raise your sword and we will launch an attack. Understood?”

The sword master gave a curt nod. “Yes, sire.”

“Good. Now let’s go find out what Eisner requires.”

* * *

Trystan could hear the unmistakable sound of the gate beginning its ascent. It would only be lifted enough for Avery to squeeze out with the direct order to drop it and close the heavy wooden doors if there was even so much as a twitch from the enemy army. Rissa and Davi stood watch at the gates while Trystan and Lonara observed Avery’s mission from the wall, watching for any deceit on Eisner’s part.

Trystan never took his eyes from the field, even as he sent an order Captain Brown’s way. “They so much as cough the wrong way, send a volley of fire against them, understood Captain? No harm must fall Mistress Payne’s way.”

“Understood, your Majesty.”

Lonara smiled as the captain sauntered off to speak with his men, leaving them alone. “You care much for your sword master, Trystan. She is lucky to have such a caring king.”

“No, you’re wrong, Lona. It is I who is the lucky one. Avery has been with my family since before I was even born. She’s taught me everything I know about being a soldier and so much more than that. She helped mold me from that silly boy into who I am today. Rissa and I both owe her much. Avery may not be big on emotion, but she is big of heart. No one has been more loyal to the Renaulds than her. Do your best to keep her from danger out there.”

Lonara tilted her head as she smiled. “As you wish, sire.”

A lone soldier stood in the middle of the open field between the castle and the encroaching army. He waited as Avery began her cautious approach. Trystan’s gaze bounced between her and Eisner, but not one horse moved out of line to disrupt the talk.

The two envoys conversed for a few moments. At one point Avery seemed to reach for her sword and Trystan tensed. The sword master glanced toward the castle, but then continued the conversation, dropping her hand from her sword. Finally, the two drifted away from each other and Avery returned to the castle.

Trystan did not hesitate. As soon as he saw Avery heading back, he sprinted for the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he hit the courtyard the same time Avery was squeezing in under the iron gate. As soon as she was inside, the guards dropped the portcullis the rest of the way and bolted the heavy doors behind her.

Trystan stared at Avery, trying to gauge her mood, but her face was impassive as always. Beckoning to her to follow, he headed inside to his council chambers and away from listening ears. Whatever Avery had to say was sure to cause a panic. That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

He waited for all of his advisors to be present before he addressed Avery.

“So, tell us, Avery, did you find out why Eisner has not attacked us yet? What does he want?”

The sword master glanced about the room before her eyes pinned Trystan. She swallowed hard. “He has given his demands, sire. We have until dawn to hand over Davion, Alixa, and Lorelai to be taken back to Dreach-Dhoun and punished for their crime of treason. If we do not comply, Eisner and his men will attack at first light with orders to leave no one alive.”