Page 80 of Shadows and Roses

Taking a breath to order the woman to obedience—again—Anais paused as hurried footsteps approached from the hall. Vern pushed open the doors to her study.

He glanced at Thakris. "You cannot go, my Queen."

In his hand were four scrolls, each marked with one of the other nations’ symbols.

Her lips thinned. Duty was a bitch. She nodded at Thakris. "Do not kill him. Do you understand, Escort?"

Bowing deeply, Thakris loosened her stiff limbs. "Yes, my Queen. I swear I will do everything to bring Castien back alive."

"I know you will. Be careful."

The rescue plan was simple. It should be easy. Rebels would infiltrate the Nadrakenan capital, Coriante Castle. Their mute insider had provided a map to Castien’s location. Thakris and a few Drantarian spies would cause a distraction. In and out, and back home again.

Anais' entire body thrummed with the need to leap out of her chair, onto a horse, and ride south into the deserts like an arrow to the target her heart yearned for. She itched to place a blood-red rose on the bitch queen’s pillow. But her crown weighed down the bowstring. The arrow clattered to the floor.

As soon as Thakris turned away, Anais stood. "Are they waiting for me?"

Vern inclined his chin. "In the General’s study."

A map of the five nations lay on the table in the General’s study. Laureline and Trishve bowed as she entered. Anais glanced through the scrolls.

Northern border, attack, Fort Grand taken. She'd read them later. "Are they all attacking?"

It was a risk. A small one, she'd thought, without an official declaration of war and more major troop movements.

Vern frowned. "Not directly. Delia, yes," he said, nodding at her scroll. "Shoni’i appears to be targeting Nadraken."

One piece of good news. Drantar maintained relatively cool and less aggressive relations with their eastern neighbor, who preferred to stay in the mountains. Shoni’i primarily raided estates and castles to kidnap the occasional noble. Few were returned.

Laureline tapped another scroll. "Akerami has ceased trade with us, and their ships are blockading our ports."

Opportunists. All of them were, but Akeramians preferred non-violence. Trade blockades were effectively their unofficial declaration of war. There was nothing vital traded between Drantar and Akerami, but the luxury-loving snakes of her court would complain about their deprivations. They would manage.

Altogether, the situation was acceptable. They could handle two fronts.

"Have we sent reinforcements north?" she asked Trishve.

Her General nodded once. "As soon as I was notified of the attacks."

"Thank you. Handle Delia, please. As carefully as always. We will take care of Nadraken."

"My Queen."Trishve bowed and left the room.

The less she had to hear of Delia, the better. Of all the nations, they wallowed in pain and blood the most, caring for nothing except their Goddess.

She picked out Nadraken's scroll. "How is the distraction going?" Threatening war as a distraction. She rejected guilt. This was not for Castien alone; Nadraken's actions required a decisive response. Would she have done the same without his involvement?

"Fairly well," Vern replied. "Nadraken is either slow to react or reluctant to commit more soldiers. I believe the latter, considering their losses so far and Shoni’i’s interference."

The good news was almost worrisome, but there was no point in digging for rot where there was none.

Her dreams weren't so merciful.

—

Three weeks passed before news trickled back. It was remarkably quick—a week to send a message to the border, several days assessing the engagement, and another week to return a report to the palace. It wasn’t nearly quick enough.

Her court grew leery of her mood as her tolerance of their games narrowed.Distracted by a whore, the rumors murmured. She authorized scouts deeper into Nadraken, changing the rumors towar.

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