“I hate to think of what those Ithicanian monsters did to my granddaughter,” Katarina continued. “She would have been a queen for the ages.”
And still could be, for the Amaridian princess was very much alive. Nina was on Ornak, a large and heavily fortified island on the very outskirts of Ithicana’s territories that had become their interim center of command because it was too far from the bridge to be of particular interest to Amarid. The waters around it were treacherous, and short of a dedicated attack that would cost the attacking force soldiers beyond count, it was impenetrable.
“Is thereanysign of the Maridrinians?” Katarina’s heels thudded as she paced the room. “I want to be gone from this shithole.”
“The last report I received was that they were waiting for the tide to be low enough to exit the bridge pier, Your Majesty.”
The shithole in question was the Midwatch house. It had an elevated construction to protect it from flooding, which meant that there was space between the ground and the floor. Most of it was constructed from stone, but in deference to recent events, the Ithicanian builders had included escape routes from most of the rooms into the open space Ahnna currently occupied. She had sneaked in through the waterfall and had spent the day lying in the mud with the snakes and the insects, silently listening to Katarina make ready for the Maridrinians’ arrival.
As she had done every day since the Crimson Widow had arrived in Ithicana.
A knock sounded on a door, and a moment later, a new male voice said, “The Maridrinian official is here, Your Majesty. He has only a small company of soldiers as escort, and there is no sign they intend violence.”
“He may not,” Katrina answered. “But Sarhina is another matter. She may not be fooled by the deception that Ithicana was overrun by plague, and might suspect our involvement. We must not forget that she was trained by Silas’s Magpie, which means she’s more intelligent than most.”
“We have scouts watching from lookout points north and south, and heavy forces within the bridge itself,” the soldier answered. “Queen Sarhina might suspect, but I do not think that it can be denied that by undercutting her own authority in Maridrina, she lost the ability to take meaningful action.”
Katarina gave a soft snort. “Idealistic woman. She’s no better than her brother, and God knows that Keris nearly destroyed Maridrina. The time of the Veliants is over.”
“As you say, Your Majesty.”
“Bring him in straightaway,” Katarina ordered. “I have spent enough time in this snake-infested jungle to last me a lifetime.”
As if hearing the queen, the snake resting on Ahnna’s legs lifted its head, tongue flickering in and out.
Moments later, the space echoed with the heavy thud of boots, and the snake slithered away, threatened by the noise.
“Hector Adrias, member of Maridrina’s esteemed parliament,” someone intoned.
“Your Majesty,” a male with a Maridrinian accent said. “It is an honor. I had assumed I’d be speaking with one of your representatives.”
“We have found, of late, that we must do things ourselves if we wish for them to be done correctly,” Katarina replied. “We desired to speak with you ourselves so as to judge your intent, for Maridrina has not always acted with honor in recent alliances.”
“You refer to the actions of the Veliant kings.” The man’s voice was stiff, though Ahnna was not certain whether it was from offense or fear. “Maridrina is now governed by a parliament elected by the people, and it acts for the benefit of the people, not to achieve the personal goals of those who hold power by virtue of the blood in their veins.”
“We would be one such individual.” Katarina’s voice dripped with amusement. “But do carry on.”
“I speak not of you, Your Majesty,” Hector swiftly amended. “Amarid’s queen is known to be a fair and just ruler who acts in the interest of her people.”
“Is that what we are known for?” Katarina laughed. “I confess, such rumors have never reached our ears, but we appreciate the flattery. Yet what we would appreciate more is if you would speak to what you aim to achieve in this meeting.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” The Maridrinian cleared his throat. “As you know, for months now, no trade has passed through the bridge, and with the storm season as violent as it has been, few ships havedared venture across the Tempest Seas. We are aware that this is Harendell’s doing in retaliation for the murder of their king, but the nation behind King Edward’s murder is no more.”
The man coughed and then cleared his throat again, his discomfort palpable even though Ahnna could not see him. “The plague that has decimated the Ithicanians is tragic, Your Majesty, but we also cannot deny the need for trade to flow. While relations with Valcotta are much improved, their herds are suffering from wasting disease and they may face famine of their own. Maridrina has long-established relationships with merchants in Amarid that have been severely disrupted, and this cannot continue. A deal must be struck and the markets reopened, and as Mistress of the Bridge, only you have the power to see this occur. We are at your mercy.”
“You are at King William’s mercy,” Katarina responded. “His blockade on Northwatch remains in place.”
Ahnna bit the insides of her cheeks, her heart racing.
“We understand the Harendellians are yet unaware you hold the bridge, Your Majesty,” the Maridrinian said. “Although that deception cannot continue for much longer.” He coughed. “It strikes us that, given the ongoing conflict between Harendell and Amarid, King William will maintain the blockade and go as far as to attempt to wrest the bridge from Amarid by force. In the meantime, we suggest making hay while the sun shines. We will give you information learned while Maridrina held Ithicana, which will allow you to fill the bridge using access points other than Northwatch. Trade will flow immediately, and while it does, steps can be taken to come to terms with the Harendellians.”
Katarina was silent, and Ahnna held her breath, waiting to see if the queen of Amarid would take the bait.You know you want this,she silently willed the queen.You know you don’t want to share with Alexandra.
The silence stretched on and on, and then Katarina spoke. “No. No, we don’t think that is how this will go.”
Ahnna’s stomach dropped.
“You don’t want trade to flow?” Hector demanded. “If that is the case, Your Majesty, I fail to see what the point was in claiming the bridge.” There was a hint of anger in Hector’s voice that indicated he was not quite fooled by lies about plague.
