Page 73 of An Archer's Redemption

“Well, that is a rose amid the thorns, I suppose.” I sat back and pressed fingers into the bridge of my nose. “General, by my math, we now have a functioning navy with a dozen well-armed ships and twenty-five thousand able-bodied men in our army, ten thousand of whom are green recruits stationed at the far end of the Kingdom with another six thousand injured. We have no heavy equipment, and only a small fraction of our land transports used to feed and supply our troops remain. Does that about sum it up?”

“Yes, Majesty, give or take a thousand men.”

I turned my gaze to the man standing to Ethan’s right. The golden badge of the High Sheriff’s office glittered on his breast. I had only pinned it on the man an hour earlier.

“High Sheriff, what of our Constables? Surely, many joined the army and were lost. Are our cities secure? Is the capital?”

Bryan Cribbs, the new High Sheriff, bowed.

His unruly brown hair flopped as his head lowered, forcing him to flick it back into place as he rose. Curls flew in every direction. If the topic hadn’t been so serious, I would have laughed at the spectacle. Despite the man’s unkempt mane, his dozen years of service to the Crown had proved him an effective and loyal lawman. Of the eternal list of appointments pending my attention, High Sheriff had been the easiest. Cribbs was a good man and would make an even better Sheriff.

“Majesty, our ranks are thin but holding. Most of the losses to the army came from smaller towns and villages, so the capital and larger cities remain secure.” Cribbs’s eyes fell.

“What is it, Sheriff? What are you not telling me?”

“Well, Your Majesty, it’s just—”

“Spit it out. It is just the three of us.”

Cribbs looked back up. “I’ve received reports of . . . disturbances in a couple of our port cities.”

“Disturbances?” I leaned forward.

“Nothing violent, Majesty.” He fidgeted with his badge of office like some child standing before his teacher. “Priests of a new faith are entering the towns. They’re ministering to the poor, feeding the hungry, that sort of thing.”

“I am sorry, Sheriff, I do not follow. What is bad about any of that?”

“It’s not their good works that bother me. It’s what they’re preaching.” He locked eyes with me for the first time. “They are openly prophesying the return of the One.The Onetraditionally refers to Empress Irina, or some fictionalized version of her, but these clerics speak of the earthly return of some prophet or mystic god who will unite the continent’s people under one faith—andone banner.”

Ethan’s head snapped up. “One banner? Are they talking about their god replacing the Throne? Or the Queen being subservient to their faith’s leader?”

“That is what we fear, but they talk in circles. When pressed, they go back to discussing good works and encouraging the people to take care of their brothers and sisters, that sort of thing. I am not even sure the people know what they mean by their veiled political references, but they are gaining followers through their ministry. Our agents fear they are building toward something; we just don’t know what.”

I thought a moment. “What are they calling themselves?”

“The men and women are called Priests, and their faith is referred to as the Order. It is similar to old tales of Irina’s return and the insanity preached by the Children, but their Priests actually call Irina a ‘false prophet’ and blame her—along with King Alfred and Queen Isabel—for the disaster in Melucia.”

“They blamemy father? He never wanted war. That was all my mother’s doing. Her and Thorn.”

He nodded and cast an uneasy glance toward Ethan. “The reports are confusing and still a bit new, but I thought you should know everything as we learn it.”

“Thank you, Sheriff. Keep an eye on this group and update me regularly.”

“Yes, Majesty,” Cribbs said. He bowed again, took two steps backward, then wheeled and exited.

Ethan relaxed as soon as the doors closed. “I think he’s a fine appointment. You did well.”

“We will see.” I stood and stretched. “What do you make of that Order talk? With all of the wounded returning, the people need a little extra help these days. It all sounds harmless to me, save the part where they throw my parents in front of the cart.”

“Theology was never my strong suit, though many soldiers turn to the Spirits in the heat of battle. I suppose any group offering food to our hungry in the dead of winter is welcome, but the whole part about ‘the One’ and putting their religious leaderabove monarchs and rulers walks a dangerous path. We need to learn more about their true purpose.”

“And that is why I asked you to join these meetings today.” I turned and strode to the Council table, then seated myself at its head in the High Chancellor’s chair. Ethan took the hint and followed, taking the seat closest to me.

“So, Uncle Ethan—”

“You know,little Jess, you only call me that when you want something.” The corners of his mouth quirked into an easy grin.

“You think you know me,” I said with mock offense, then turned serious. “It seems I have several openings at this table.”

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