I had caught some of that in the books, but it was nice to get a first-person account. “Why?”
“Rellas is a kingdom of knights and merchants. There is a reason why knights are listed first. We are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Without the protection of the knights, the merchants would not exist.”
“But the Hrebans are not the only non-martial Great Family.”
Reynald nodded. “True. However, the other three contribute in their own way. The Yolentas provide steel for weapons, the Jals produce grain for provisions, and the Graives build roads and castles. The Hrebans buy and sell a great many things but produce little. They made their money trading in luxuries and precious metals, and they are proud of it, which is why their crest is awash in gold. Gold is soft and heavy, Maggie. You cannot make a sword out of it.”
Also, true. Not that Ulmar hadn’t tried. Once he’d decided that he wanted power, Hreban realized that he needed martial achievements. Ten years ago, he got his chance. An impregnable castle had rebelled, and Sauven needed someone to go and sit on it until the rebels saw the error of their ways.
The campaign promised to be long and boring, with minimal casualties and few opportunities to show off, and nobody except Hreban wanted to deal with it. For some bizarre reason, Sauven decided to let him.
Hreban was given two battalions of the King’s Army, all seasoned troops to compensate for his inexperience. He marched them to Lerem Castle, and then he hurled them against the walls again and again, in defiance of every military strategy and against the advice of his knights, until the defenders literally ran out of soldiers and arrows. He took the castle in a month, but he lost more than sixty-five percent of his army.
After, when Sauven screamed and threw things at him, Hreban countered that he had saved the kingdom money because none of those casualties would need to be paid and new soldiers could be recruited for less. To Hreban, the loss of experienced, battle-seasoned veterans meant nothing, because in his view, people were expendable and infinitely replaceable. There were always more of them. He would’ve made an excellent modern CEO.
That campaign made Hreban into a laughingstock among the knighthood. He had never gotten over it.
“If what you told me is true, then the Fool of Lerem Siege suddenly became a master strategist,” Reynald said.
“As I said, it’s likely he has allies. Someone with a greater vision who is behind him steering his boat.”
“Do you know who that is?”
“No.” I knew who it wasn’t, but that still left plenty of suspects.
He gave me a long, probing look. “There is something you’re not telling me.”
There was a whole lot I wasn’t telling him. “Yes.”
“You mentioned there would be three murders. The second is Kiel, the crown prince. Who are the others?”
I really didn’t want to have this conversation.Let me out of this boat.
“I don’t want to tell you.”
I should’ve thought of some clever answer, but instead the truth came out.
Reynald studied my face. “You don’t trust me.”
“I do trust you. I told you about my magic. I’m alone in this boat with you.”
I’d been in his head. Reynald would kill me if I became a threat, but he would never backstab me.
“Then what is it?”
Reynald was a knight kardar, fromkar, an old word for banner. In battle, he led his own detachment of knights and fighters with junior officers under him. He was used to being in command. He also had serious doubts about my ability to get things done. Oh, he believed I could see the future, but like he said, my first plan had ended with me dying. If I wasn’t careful, he would bulldoze right over me, wreck the flow of events beyond repair, and then get himself killed. He knew just enough about the future now to royally screw things up.
I had to earn his trust. I had to demonstrate that my schemes worked, and that I was capable. I had to come up with a brilliant plan . . . and I had nothing.
Making grand pronouncements about bringing Hreban to justice was good and all, but now I had to actually do it, and when I tried to come up with a plan, all I got was a dark emptiness with a faint buzzing sound. The enormity of the stakes paralyzed my poor traumatized brain. If I made a mistake, Reynald and the kids would die and Rellas would collapse. No pressure.
I had to buy some time.
“You’re half right,” I said slowly. “It is a matter of trust. You don’t know me, Reynald. If I told you to do something right now, would you do it?”
“If I understood the reasons behind it and agreed with them.”
“Exactly.” I nodded. “You wouldn’t act just because I told you to.”
