Page 35 of Rise of the Vicious Princess

“Which would end the war.” He sounded cautious, as though worried she might be seriously thinking of consigning those who remained in his village to permanent captivity.

“At what cost? Leaving our people to be captives of Montevallo? Showing King Alaric that with enough violence, he can take whatever he wants from us? What if he decides he wants more than the north?”

Tal was silent.

“And then I have Lady Ollen, Lady Whitecross, and the rest of their faction demanding that we take the war into the mountains and burn Montevallo to ash, but that’s a foolish proposition. Montevallo has the high ground, and their cities are fortified behind walls. We’d lose more people and gain nothing.”

Tal made a noise of agreement.

Charis began pacing. “There has to be another solution. Something that pacifies King Alaric but gives justice and safety to our people.”

“I’m not sure justice and King Alaric belong in the same sentence.” There was a shadow of bitterness in Tal’s voice.

Charis turned to him. “What if we could grant Montevallo usage of Ebbington’s port and safe passage there and back? But only if they withdraw troops and return our lands and our people?”

“And why would he do that when in another year or so of battles, he will take the port by force?”

“Because it spares the lives of his soldiers as well as ours.”

“I’m not sure that motivates him the way it motivates you.”

Charis frowned. “What do you mean?”

Tal ran his hands through his hair and stared at the star-flecked sky. “Living in the north, I spent all my life in the shadow of Montevallo. I’ve eavesdropped on their camps, watched them in action, and had a front-row seat to their conversations, the orders the king sends, the way their minds work. King Alaric isn’t just fighting because he wants to use our port without paying tariffs to the Caleran throne.”

“Then why is he fighting?”

Tal paused as though thinking, and then said in a carefully neutral voice, “Because your grandmother, Queen Rhys, broke the terms of her trade agreement with King Alaric’s father, King Orwen. She decided she wanted higher tariffs on goods transported to and from the port, and when Orwen said no, because his people couldn’t survive tariffs that high, she offered to make Montevallo a colony who would pay tax to Calera in jewels mined from their mountains in exchange for free trade at the port.”

“That’s what Montevallo thinks happened?”

Tal stared at her. “What do you think happened?”

“King Orwen stopped paying tariffs altogether, and Queen Rhys sent him a demand for back payments, plus a fine for failing to give Calera its due. Instead of paying, Orwen had her killed, and we went to war.”

There was a long moment of silence, and then Tal said, “Montevallians believe in Queen Rhys’s treachery. They believe they were cut off from the port, and thereby unable to trade the jewels they mine for goods they need, because of Calera’s greed and dishonor. Their people are starving and have been for years. There are shortages of basic goods in every Montevallian city.” He met her gaze, starlight glittering in his eyes. “They aren’t fighting to avoid paying tariffs, Your Highness. They’re fighting for their honor and the honor of their starving people.”

Charis shivered as someone shouted from the inn at her back and a nearby guard answered. “If they believe they’re fighting to avenge their honor, they won’t stop until we’re utterly broken.”

“I know.” The misery was back in Tal’s voice, and Charis reached out to place her cold hand on his arm.

“Don’t despair, Tal. You’ve given me good information. The first step to winning a game, even a game as bloody and terrible as war, is to understand how your enemy thinks. Thanks to you, I have that now.” She looked across the hills toward the north, where somewhere far from her, Montevallian troops huddled around fires, polishing weapons they planned to use against her people. “There’s an answer here. I just have to find it.”

His hand, warm and callused, briefly covered hers. “If anyone can find it, it will be you. Now, may I send for your cloak?”

She pulled away and rubbed warmth into her arms. “That won’t be necessary. I’m ready to return to the inn. Let the coachmen know I expect us to leave for Arborlay at dawn. And don’t even think about telling me to get my rest. I can’t do anything more sitting here at the camp. I have to get back to the palace so I can get to work.”

“I wouldn’t dream of telling you what to do.”

“Liar.”

He laughed as they turned toward the lights of the inn, and she found that the weight of the stories she’d heard from her people was a little easier to carry.

Fifteen

CHARIS SPENT THE next week mulling over Tal’s words while she kept up with her relentless schedule. Understanding what drove King Alaric and motivated his soldiers and spies was the key to stopping the war. She just had to find the connection between what he wanted and what Calera was able to give. And to do that, she needed the factions that divided Calera’s nobility to give her a little bit more time before demanding she and the queen declare a new course of action.

If today’s committee meeting was anything to go by, time was something many weren’t willing to give.

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