Page 62 of The Study of Magic
“I don’t care.”
“You don’t have to listen to them complain.”
“Neither do you.”
Ambrose grunted in amusement. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Only one adviser per general is allowed into the war room during your meetings. And no weapons allowed. I want everyone searched before they enter.”
The Commander raised an eyebrow. “Except for me and you?”
“That goes without saying.”
“All right. There won’t be any meetings on the day the generals arrive. They’ll need time to rest from their journeys.”
The next morning, instead of following Alea, Valek put his plans into action. The door to the war room was normally locked when not in use, and then guarded when the Commander was in residence. Even though he was all about simplicity, functionality, and unpretentiousness, the Commander loved the tall and narrow stained-glass windows that striped three quarters of the round room, and would frequently work there. He also scheduled all meetings with the generals there.
Valek entered the war room and locked the door behind him. The early morning sunlight shone through the windows, spraying a prism of colors onto the walls. A large egg-shaped conference table occupied the center. Extra chairs with their backs up against the stone walls ringed the room.
Valek inspected the entire space, looking for places to hide weapons. He figured Alea’s daggers would be hidden and secured underneath the table. At least, that was what he’d do. Then he studied the room, getting a sense of the colors and the shadows. The Commander always scheduled his meetings early in the morning. When he was confident he had the feel of the place, Valek spent the rest of the day collecting supplies.
It was trickier than he’d expected. How could he carry the items back to his suite without anyone noticing? Not wanting anyone to speculate on his actions, he ended up putting them into a pack and stashing it in a hidden corner outside the castle, where he could retrieve it under the cover of darkness.
After the Commander retired for the evening, Valek waited for him to fall asleep before he crossed over to his own suite. There, he changed into his sneak suit and went out onto the balcony. The cool night air bit through the thin, skin-tight material, but he needed flexibility rather than warmth.
High gray clouds skittered over the half-moon, blocking the light from time to time. Valek rolled his shoulders experimentally and stretched his arm muscles. Still tender, but at least they didn’t ignite with pain. He climbed over the railing and, after finding the familiar hand and toe holds, descended the stone wall. Reaching the ground without trouble, Valek found the pack, slung it onto his back, and returned to his suite.
Pulling the heavy black curtains over his windows, Valek lit all the lanterns in the living room until the place blazed with light. His gaze immediately went to the left side of the couch, which Yelena had ‘claimed.’ A small pile of books she’d been reading rested on the end table along with an empty teacup. He wondered if he’d smell lavender if he sat in her spot. How he loved that scent. Perhaps he should buy a bottle of perfume and?—
Valek huffed in annoyance. Focus. He cleared a space on the floor and then unloaded the pack, spreading the supplies out. Then he unrolled his scrim, which was made from gauze cloth. He’d used it a few years ago and it still looked good. Picking up a paint brush, he set to work. It took three hours, but he thought his efforts were adequate. He’d have to double check.
Leaving the scrim to dry, Valek searched for his box of wooden practice knives. He carried them to his carving room and spent the next couple hours altering them. Then he returned to Ambrose’s suite in time to catch a few hours of sleep.
* * *
The Commander assigned Advisers Dema and Chelle to welcome the generals and get them and their retinues settled. According to Dema, Chelle turned into ‘quite the tyrant’ when they had both taken charge after Brazell was arrested. It made her a good choice, because she wasn’t going to tolerate any pushback from the generals regarding the Commander’s orders. Normally, the Commander would greet them, but Valek had advised against it.
After breakfast, Valek stopped in the war room. He hoped tomorrow would be equally sunny and the warm season’s annual rains would hold off another couple of days. As expected, Valek found the daggers that Alea had stolen. She must have put them in place the previous night. Their sheaths were secured to the underside of the conference table. Glue? Or something else? It didn’t really matter, as he’d figure it out later. Just in case Alea checked them again that night, he’d wait until right before the meeting to replace them.
Valek hurried to his suite and changed into his sneak suit and grabbed his pack. Then he climbed up the castle. There was a flat section of roof that was in a shadow most of the day and had a great view of the courtyard. No matter which gates the generals and their entourages entered, they’d go to the courtyard on the south side of the castle to be formally greeted and welcomed.
While he waited, he unpacked his knapsack, which held his black cloak for warmth, a spyglass, a water skin, and travel rations. He figured he’d be up here most of the day. Valek yawned and squirmed into a more comfortable position.
He looked through his spyglass. A foot long when closed, it was made of crystal and bronze and had three sections that slid out, increasing the length to three feet. A gift from the Commander, it was one of Valek’s most prized possessions.
Scanning the edges of the courtyard, the southeast barracks, and the training yard, Valek searched for Alea. He found her along the fence, watching the bouts. No doubt waiting for her cohort to arrive with the generals.
The first general to arrive was General Hazal from MD-6. The castle and Castletown were technically in MD-6, but he had no authority over them. Hazal brought two advisers and twenty soldiers. Rather modest overall, the general was the least demanding and the most pleasant.
Valek aimed his spyglass at the courtyard. Would Alea make eye contact or acknowledge her accomplice? Dema and Chelle approached the general and words were exchanged. It was easy to tell when the general learned of the change of accommodations for his advisers. Hazal straightened in surprise, and Alea’s gaze darted to the left. A tall male adviser Valek didn’t recognize was turned in her direction. They shared a look as she probably informed him about the trap. Gotcha.
Eventually, Dema led Hazal into the castle as Chelle escorted the rest to the barracks, where Major Granten would ensure everyone was settled. The top floor of the building had nice apartments for visiting officers. One apartment would house both of Hazal’s advisers.
General Tesso of MD-4 arrived next. He brought four advisers and thirty soldiers. Anger blazed in his eyes when he learned of the Commander’s orders. Three of his advisers glanced at each other in concern. The fourth, a woman, looked right at Alea.
The rest of the day played out mostly the same. Generals Kitvivan’s, Dinno’s, and Franis’s initial reactions ranged from surprise to anger before they tried to intimidate or bully Chelle and Dema. When that didn’t work, they tried to ignore them, which also failed. It was all very entertaining. Chenzo and Rasmussen accepted the new development with diplomacy and grace. In each case, Alea exposed her accomplice. All advisers. Not a surprise.
General Ute arrived last with only Adviser Kirwin accompanying her. A great choice. The older adviser had worked for Brazell before Mogkan arrived but had then been limited to balancing the budget. Kirwin had been helpful during the transition from Brazell to Ute. Ute had also brought ten soldiers, which was the smallest entourage. Kitvivan had the largest with fifty soldiers and five advisers.
