Page 72 of Mad Dragon of Chaos

“Excellent!” Tyche clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “How about we get started? I could use a bath and a meal. Along the way, you could tell us more about The Citizens Restoration Group.”

Jules lit up, and he began talking faster than he could walk. Apparently, the vice president of the organization was waiting at the house to greet them. The president of their group was still in the capital of Olan, working with government representatives.

The walk to the house at the edge of Three Hills took an hour, and Jules talked the entire time without stopping. Adrian looked as if he were about to strangle the young man while Haru hung on his every word.

For the most part, Jules spoke of big ideas and dreams of what Uris-Oladul could one day become if they broke free of New Rosanthe. What Shey didn’t hear a lot of were concrete plans for how they were going to accomplish all of this. It was as if Jules believed that kicking New Rosanthe out would clear all their roadblocks. Shey didn’t have the heart to break it to him that New Rosanthe was only one of many problems in their path. There would always be opposition. People with different ideas of what the country should be. The path forward was always about collaboration so that everyone felt invested in the future of their home.

As they reached the house, Adrian, Haru, and Shey darted off to check out the woods that surrounded the structure.

“Don’t worry,” Tyche reassured Jules as Shey moved toward the rear of the house. “They’re just checking to make sure no one has been here while you were fetching us.”

Shey didn’t hear Jules’s response as he concentrated on conducting the security sweep. From the exterior, he could spot no cameras or other security features, which he took as a plus. There were no signs that anyone was there other than the car resting in the driveway. He pressed his hand to the hood and found that it was still warm. Whoever had arrived, they’d done it recently.

The backyard was empty. There was a wooden swing painted white that was big enough to seat two adults, and it faced the woods, creating a romantic spot to spend an evening. If only there was time…

The immediate area behind the house was cleared, offering about a dozen yards of space before the woods started. They’d be able to see anyone who approached from the rear. He continued to circle the house and peeked in the windows to find a man and a woman seated in the living room talking. The woman appeared to be middle-aged, with gray threaded through her dark-brown hair. She wore a pastel pantsuit and was neatly put together. The man was younger and wore a polo shirt and slacks. Shey had seen their type all his life—career politicians. Dangerous, but not the type to usually carry weapons.

When he returned to the front of the house, Jules was listing all the food they’d stocked the house with. By the tone of his voice, it sounded as if it were not the first time that Jules had reassured Tyche that there was coffee and a working coffeemaker.

“Woods are good on my side,” Adrian announced as he rejoined Shey.

“Same for my side,” Haru agreed, walking over a couple of seconds later. “It doesn’t seem as if anyone has traveled through them in a long time.”

Wrinkles formed on Jules’s brow as he looked at each of them. “Are…are you afraid that this is a trap?”

Tyche placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, but rather, there are a lot of people who want us dead. And even more people who want to make a fast buck on helping those people make us dead. You live longer by being cautious.”

Jules nodded jerkily, somewhat shaken by this revelation. This young man was too sweet to be in the middle of this. The quicker they could shed Jules, the longer he was going to live.

“I saw two people in the house,” Shey said, snagging Jules’s attention. “Why don’t you introduce us?”

Jules flinched as if waking from his swirling thoughts and pasted a smile on his lips, still looking nervous. He led the way up to the front door, but he now glanced at the nearby woods as if only now realizing the potential danger they could be hiding.

The people turned out to be Nancy Witt, the vice president of The Citizens Restoration Group, while Peter Harper was the head of the local chapter in Three Hills.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness,” Nancy greeted after shaking his hand, and they’d taken a seat. Adrian and Haru were once again searching the place for threats, while Tyche had perched himself on the arm of Shey’s chair as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There was something in his pose that was protective, or maybe possessive. Regardless, Shey was enjoying it.

“I’m sure you’re exhausted from your travels, so we’ll keep this visit short,” Peter stated.

“It would be appreciated. Our primary concerns are plans for entering Damardor and where we are to stay until it is time to strike.”

“Of course.” Nancy reached into a leather bag at her feet and pulled out a dark yellow envelope. “Inside are directions, addresses of safe houses, and a list of contacts. Jules will accompany you to Bellcairn and assist with your efforts. There is a rough plan for the day of the ceremony. Once you’re in Bellcairn, you’ll meet up with our sister organization. They have someone in the government who has access to the final timeline for the chancellor’s visit.”

Shey frowned as he accepted the envelope. He didn’t open it but looked over at Jules, who sat on the sofa beside Peter. “Are you sure you want to accompany us? This is going to be dangerous. People are going to die, and I don’t want you to be among them.”

There was a fierce light in Jules’s gaze as he nodded. “There’s nowhere else I want to be. I know I talk big about the future, but it’s important to me that I’m also right in the middle of these events, making things happen for our people. I don’t want anyone to be hurt—particularly me—but I recognize that sometimes it can’t be helped.”

Shey grunted. It wasn’t his job to choose what people were going to risk. If Jules was aware of the danger and still made this choice, Shey had to let it go.

“We have some good news,” Peter announced, breaking the tense silence that had gripped the room.

“Yes,” Nancy continued. “The government of Uris-Oladul has issued a statement that it will not allow Order forces to stage military efforts in our country. Parliament is finishing up its declaration of independence from what was New Rosanthe, and the president has promised to sign it.” She made a fist and pounded it on her knee. “At last, we are taking the first steps to break ties with New Rosanthe.”

That was excellent news. As Caspagir worked to kick the Order’s forces out of the country, the Order was going to be stuck in terms of where it could resupply and reorganize. Zastrad was usually willing to stay neutral in most matters, but the leaders of the country refused to take part in any military offensives. They had never allowed anyone to even briefly station troops or weapons in their country. With Uris-Oladul breaking with New Rosanthe, it meant that any retreating Order forces would have to pull back all the way to Damardor.

“Congratulations on these positive steps forward. I’m sure that once things have grown more settled in Caspagir, Queen Noemi will be happy to send new diplomats to Olan.”

To Shey, this seemed like an obvious choice for Uris-Oladul. If the country did nothing, it would follow the same fate as Damardor and lose even the little autonomy it had. They’d be swallowed up and forgotten.