Kingdom of Iron: Tyrant's Fall

With the Alliance broken and running, Lucy led her forces back towards Mornal Castle. The Free Companies she led were full of singing Knights as they marched along the road home. Even the wounded appeared to be in good cheer, though some of them were being carried in the few actual carts that Lucy had arranged for them to bring.

Lucy herself had joined him on the march back. She hadn't wanted to walk in the middle of the Royal First, however, and he hadn't wanted to ride in the middle of Eagle Company, so they'd compromised. He rode at the head of the Royal First, with two lifeguards on his left, while she walked at the back of Eagle Company, two Knights on her right. Suitably escorted, they had been able to have something approaching a reasonable conversation. Mostly.

She was once again walking alongside Nelson, whistling to herself as they moved. The warbuck had given her the occasional dubious look, but had settled on ignoring her the same way he ignored the Wargs around him. Interestingly enough, Snolt's Warg seemed far more wary of her, though Lucy had only given the massive warbeast a single look before dismissing it. Snolt kept peering at her as well, and the lifeguards seemed poised to react to the slightest hint of a threat.

Matt, on the other hand, just felt relief to be headed to a place of relative safety. He glanced down at her. "You sure you don't want a ride?"

She looked up at him. "No, thank you."

"He's very well trained, you know. You don't have to be afraid of him."

Lucy arched an eyebrow at him. "Who says it's the warbuck I'm worried about?"

He snorted. "You think I'd be more dangerous if you were up here with me?"

"Mm." She smirked at him. "Maybe."

He was getting dangerously fond of that smirk. "Look, it really is getting awkward to talk down at you from up here."

Lucy's smile deepened. "What? Are you really that thrown off by a height difference?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "No. I just want to have a civil conversation without having to shout, is all."

"Well, that's just insensitive to us short people."

He heaved a sigh. "Would it really be so bad to ride for a little? It's not like I can attack you. We signed a treaty, remember? What's the worst that could happen?"

Lucy shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. What's to stop you from riding off when you have me trapped on that thing?" Nelson huffed at her, as if the warbuck had somehow understood the indignity of being called a 'thing'.

Matt raised an eyebrow. "The hundreds of soldiers you have surrounding me?"

She gave a brief bark of laughter. "The ones who can't threaten or attack you? The ones that can't even keep you from riding straight home in any way?"

He thought for a moment. Then he chuckled. "Well, good point. Actually didn't think about that."

"I don't know if that should make me trust you more or less." Lucy shook her head, still smiling. "Still, is this what all you cowboys do? Offer women rides on your noble steeds?"

Matt frowned. "No. You'd be the first."

Lucy made a curtsey as she walked. "Well, I feel honored."

"You should." He shifted in the saddle and tried not to feel disgruntled. "I'm still a little hurt that you feel like I'm a kidnapper of some kind."

She laughed again, shaking a finger at him. "You can't blame a gal for being cautious these days. It's how we all ended up here." Then she paused and raised an eyebrow. "On that note, how did Tanya end up here? She never said, Mr. Not-A-Kidnapper."

Matt grunted. "That doesn't count. Someone else kidnapped her for me." Then he blinked. "That sounded better in my head."

"I bet it did."

Balred coughed into his hand where he'd been watching them. "In my liege's defense, he is being truthful. The Maiden of Art was brought to our Kingdom by the Western Coalition. She was to be his Consort."

Lucy's eyebrows climbed nearly to her hairline. "Oh, really?"

Matt winced when she turned her attention back to him, but before he could defend himself, Tiridine spoke up. "Yes, truly. It was unfortunate that they hadn't heard of the Counselor's prophecy before they acted."

She looked at the Orc, her expression fading into genuine curiosity now. "A prophecy?"

Gwelfed interjected next, her voice bright. "Yes! Normally our monarchs take a Consort or two to accompany them, but apparently our liege had found a master of predictive magic before he did so. He obtained the advice that he should abstain from having a Consort until the Kingdom was at peace."

Lucy glanced at Matt, and he saw her biting her lip. She seemed to see right through him in that one glance. "Did he, now?"

The Goblin scout nodded. "He did! The Counselor has been a secretive source of knowledge, but he's obviously helped our King several times." Gwelfed shook her head and sighed. "It is too bad, however. Even with so many Maidens in the Kingdom, now, he remains alone."

Tiridine grunted sourly. "It should not be so. He could take any of them he liked from their mates, but he cannot so long as our Kingdom remains under threat."

Rethferd scowled, clearly unhappy. "I also say it is not fair. He makes others happy, but he cannot claim any joy for himself! Tell me the gods have no sense of humor."

Lucy's eyes seemed to sparkle with restrained humor, but the Knight walking beside her murmured quietly before she responded. "A noble enough sacrifice, you could say."

The Knight on the far side grunted sourly. "Only a noble would allow things to get that complicated, Semath. Anyone with any sense would trust their own senses more than such predictions."

Lucy glanced at him and shrugged. "At the very least, he has plenty of motivation to find peace, wouldn't you say. Coth?"

Her bodyguard paused, and the other one laughed lightly. "You could say so, my Lady. Though I wouldn't mind having a few predictions from that Counselor myself!"

Lucy looked back up at Matt, still obviously trying not to laugh herself. "Would you care to share, King Matthew?"

He gave her an exasperated look; she had to know the whole thing was bullshit. "I suppose we'll see, once the treaty is signed."

"I'll have to make sure that happens, then." Lucy looked forward again, still seemingly cheerful. "Still, I do have one more question. What does the title Maiden mean? I keep hearing it when the other Humans are mentioned."

Matt spoke quickly, before any of the others could offer their ideas. "It's a title that they've earned in the Kingdom on their own, one that reflects the things they are interested in."

Lucy looked up at him again. "As opposed to who might be interested in them, I suppose?"

"It might have started that way, but I'd say it's grown beyond that now." Matt shifted in his saddle again, toying with the reins. "Tanya started it by building a whole art museum under my nose, and the others have kept it going."

Gwelfed nodded again. "The Maiden of Health has already put forth many suggestions for the healers to follow, and the Maiden of Books spends much time with the Speakers and the libraries!"

Balred muttered something under his breath. "I am not sure how the Maiden of the People obtained her title, but she has been speaking with many of the Low Folk. Including the Voices."

"I'm assuming that one is Jessica." Lucy grinned as Matt nodded. "And Miguel and Jordan?"

"The Minister of Building and the Master of Coin, respectively." He sighed. "I didn't have much say in those titles, either."

Lucy laughed this time, her voice high and delighted. "You know, it almost sounds like your people rule you as much as you rule them."

Matt shrugged. "I suppose. Someday, I hope they will not even need me." He heard a shocked series of murmurs building behind him, which he silenced with a glance. "At the same time, it has been my honor to serve among them. They have grown and learned more than I could have ever hoped when this all began."

She studied him for a few moments more, her eyes steady as they walked. Then her lips quirked, and she bit the corner of them again. Lucy looked back towards her own troops for a moment. It was a few quick strides before she spoke again. "Well, let's hope that our negotiations go well, then. I would hate to have to fight someone like you."

He chuckled and shook his head. "The feeling is mutual. You are quite the commander, Lady Adams."

Lucy glanced back at him and smiled. "Then let's get back to Mornal. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can finish this."

They arrived at Mornal Castle early on the next day.

The castle was not the most decorated place that he'd ever been. It was a simple fort built on top of a hill, with a keep that stretched high enough that Matt could imagine most of the surrounding countryside could be seen from the top. Unlike Bridgeton, the fort didn't have a village nearby, or a town wall surrounding it. Also, unlike the border town, it seemed to have been built far more recently; there was no ivy growing on the walls, and the stones still seemed to have been cut recently.

As the army approached, horns called from the walls, and the front gates opened wide. Most of the army spread out to camp around the castle; there were too many troops to camp inside the cramped walls. Still, Matt led the Royal First inside, following Lucy's Eagle Company as they marched into the open gate.

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A female Knight met them there, dressed in a worn suit of armor and with her helmet off. She saluted Lucy and gave Matt a suspicious glance. "My Lady."

Lucy nodded. "Commander Fargen. Is there any news about the wounded from the camp?"

Fargen drew in a deep breath. "Yes, my Lady. Most of them are still recovering well, though some of the… guests are less than cooperative." The Knight paused. "Elgal died, my Lady. The wound was too deep."

He saw Lucy close her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them and nodded. "I'm afraid we have brought more wounded to take care of, Fargen. Prisoners too, though I think most of them are going to be marched east as soon as we get things organized."

The Knight bowed. "We are honored to serve, my Lady. The healers were already standing ready for more patients, and one of our guests seems to think she can help." The doubt in her voice was thick enough to have been laid on with a trowel.

Lucy gestured patiently. "Let Alicia work. She has a lot of knowledge from our world." She glanced back at Matt. "Also, make space to welcome our friends from the Kingdom of Iron. It seems that they will stay here while we finish our talks."

Fargen gave Matt a narrow look, but she bowed again. "As you will, my Lady."

As they walked further into the fort, Matt dismounted from Nelson and handed the reins off to Snolt. He took a few quick strides to catch up with Lucy, who seemed like she hadn't slowed down since the battle at the Rohlplains. "She doesn't seem to like me very much."

"It's kind of a common opinion here, I'm afraid." Lucy gave him a narrow smile. "You're lucky to have safe conduct."

Matt nodded, glancing at his lifeguards to make sure they hadn't reacted to the indirect warning. They seemed calm, instead apparently studying every Knight that passed them. "About that. We should probably try to finish that treaty and send it off for approval. Otherwise…"

She grinned. "We wouldn't want you to run out of time while we wait, right?" Lucy glanced around, noting the various messengers and soldiers waiting to speak with her. "Meet me in an hour or two and we'll get it done."

He stuck out his hand, and she grabbed it without hesitation. They shook, and he watched as she strode off towards the menagerie of attendants waiting for her. It brought back memories of returning to Redspire after a campaign. At the very least, he didn't have to deal with that for now.

Of course, he had other things to attend to. Life never stopped, after all.

Matt turned the corner and paused as he recognized the two lifeguards on either side of the doorway.

They were a pair that made an impression. Harak was a Greenriver Orc who seemed to have been made out of leftover auroch parts; he was the single largest Orc that Matt had ever met. His battleaxe looked like it could take a piece out of anything he swung it at. When the man had ridden out from Redspire, he had made the greatelk beneath him look like a toy. The poor thing had seemed to suffer through the journey, but Matt had immediately started looking into finding a warbuck for him to ride.

By contrast, Waithaana was a Frost Elf who had joined the lifeguards late, after the rebellion in the north had been defeated. Tall and slender, she was sharpening a glaive that she could wield with incredible skill. The woman seemed no less lethal than Harak, but she seemed like she could kill a threat without troubling a hair on her head.

They glanced in Matt's direction and immediately straightened up in response. Both guards saluted him. Waithaana spoke first. "Sire. They haven't been disturbed."

Matt returned the salutes and looked at the door. "Are they healing well? Can I see them?"

Harak answered him in a voice that sounded far too gentle for such a large man. "Most of them have recovered well, my liege. Mulwan is even walking around, though the Maiden of Health still recommends that she rest." He paused. "Steward Gorfeld is still unconscious. He is stable, but no one is sure when he will wake."

He felt a twinge of pain at the news, but he just nodded and walked forward. Waithaana knocked calmly on the door in an apparent pattern, and the door creaked open. Mulwan peered out of it for a moment. The Goblin's eyes widened at the sight of Matt, and she pulled the door the rest of the way open. "Sire!"

Matt stepped forward. He'd heard the murmur of spell mantras in the room before Mulwan had spoken. They suddenly came to a stop at Mulwan's words, however, and he heard a few exclamations. "It's good to see you Mulwan. Are you—"

He didn't have the chance to finish the question before Tanya yanked the door open, her eyes blazing. "You're back."

"I am." He glanced past her and saw Riley, Jessica, and Jordan peering at him as well. "The Alliance lost. We're safe."

Tanya's face worked into a snarl. "Safe? After what we just—"

Matt heard Miguel say something inside the room. She cut off with something very close to a growl and looked behind her. Matt tried not to smile in response. "Can I come in?"

She whirled back to look at him. After a few moments of glaring, she stepped back and Matt followed her.

The room was clean and neat, with a series of beds set up with sheets hung between them. He thought that was probably Alicia's hand in things; he hadn't noticed healers working like that before. Miguel was waving at him from one of the beds, the big man grinning at him. "Hey."

Matt waved back. "Hey. How's the shoulder?"

Miguel shrugged and immediately winced afterwards. "Better. I'm starting to think a bit harder about the armor you recommended we wear."

"It's a lifesaver. Literally." He looked at Tanya, who was still glaring at him with a sullen expression. "How are you?"

Tanya looked away, but Alicia answered for her, in the tone of a disappointed teacher. "She managed to tear something on the way here, trying to lug that massive lump around." She pointed at Miguel, and Tanya muttered something under her breath while Alicia continued. "Still, she should be as fine as any of the rest of us."

Matt glanced backwards; Mulwan had already closed the door. "Have they been keeping you imprisoned here?"

Jordan shook his head. "No. We've been here on our own." He glanced at Jessica, who nodded. "We've been trying to practice our mantras, and we remembered you saying that they weren't supposed to be overheard…"

"Good choice." Matt set his mace down against a nearby wall. "Have they been bothering you at all?"

Jessica answered, her eyes intent. "A few Knights were being a little nosy, but the lifeguards… discouraged them." She shook her head. "The healers were a bit more professional, but they also didn't share much. What happened? Did the Alliance retreat?"

Matt nodded. "What was left of them." He gave them a half-grin. "Lucy took them apart and sent the survivors running. They took a bunch of prisoners too, but we're probably going to have to negotiate where they eventually end up."

To his surprise, Jessica seemed mildly shocked. Alicia didn't look any happier, though Miguel and Tanya shared a satisfied nod. Riley seemed to be the most enthusiastic about the news; she grinned openly and pumped a fist in the air. "Score one for the Maiden of War!"

He blinked at the title. "I… don't think she'd appreciate being called a Maiden, Riley. Especially not just for War."

"Why? It's not like it means anything." Riley frowned at him, as if he was being ridiculous.

Matt shrugged. "I think she appreciates making her own titles."

Jessica grunted to herself. "She's certainly gathered enough of them already."

Jordan gave her an exasperated look and then shook his head. "So we don't have to run from the Alliance here?"

"No. We should be fine as long as the rest of the treaty gets finished off. Then we'll go home." Matt paused, looking towards a corner of the room that had been walled off by curtains. It was just large enough for another bed. "Is that…"

His voice faltered, and Alicia gave him a nod. Matt returned the nod and then walked over to the spot. He hesitated as he reached for the curtains. Steeling himself, he parted them and strode inside.

Gorfeld was lying there, just as still as he'd been on the day of the assassination attempt. The Imp looked paler than he had before, and his torso had several bandages wrapped around it. Matt stared down at him for a long moment, his mind flashing through the memories they had forged together over the past few months.

There was a small stool there, with just enough space for him to move over and sit on it. It placed him near Gorfeld's head. Matt hovered there, looking down at his steward uncertainly. Then he sighed. "You know, it was you who got us into this. I should be angry at you for getting yourself shot and making me deal with it all alone."

The Imp didn't respond, of course, but Matt hadn't expected him to. He went on in a voice he hoped couldn't reach the others. "Then again, I'm not really alone. Not anymore. Between the lifeguards, the rest of the Kingdom, the other Humans… I have a lot of people around me. I'm not alone."

Matt looked down at Gorfeld, and leaned forward. "At the same time, those people are not you. I was told, once, that I wasn't allowed to die yet. Well, you aren't either. The job isn't done yet, and I haven't showed you everything. You can't just check out now before I show you exactly what we can do in this world."

He reached over and grabbed Gorfeld's hand, squeezing it gently. "So you sit there however long you need, and then you get up out of that bed and get back to work. There is too much to do for your people, for your family, to just lie there and let yourself die. Cause we made a deal, you and I, and I mean to keep it."

Silence was his only answer, and Matt squeezed Gorfeld's hand one more time. Then he stood and turned away. He paused, just long enough to give the Imp time for a dramatic awakening.

Yet there was nothing. So Matt nodded and parted the curtains again. As he'd told the man, there was work to be done—and he needed to be about it.

That night, Matt stood in the stables and watched as Gwelfed made her preparations.

The Knights hadn't had the most ideal situation ready for the Wargs to bed down in. After all, the builders of the castle had expected mounts like warbucks and greatelks, not massively oversized canines, and it wasn't like the Knights had been able to adjust things much. They'd done their best, however, fashioning a makeshift kennel in about half of the stables. He could hear the Wargs shuffling and growling in the dark, accompanied by the unhappy stomps and whinnys of the remaining mounts.

Gwelfed's Warg, however, was calm and alert, as if she knew that she'd been out of the castle soon enough. Her rider certainly was aware, and she was making as many preparations as she could.

Despite her obvious competence, Matt felt another spike of anxiety as he watched her prepare. "Remember. Avoid any troops, whether they seem familiar or not. Don't let anyone stop you at Bridgeton, even if they have a valid reason. Margrave Grufen should know better, but if he doesn't, then I am making this a direct order that he can't override. Understand?"

The scout nodded. "I understand, sire. Straight to Redspire, no detours, breaks, or stops." She adjusted her Warg's saddle again and stepped back to survey the job. "I think I'll be able to make the journey in three days. Maybe two if the roads are clear, four if I have to go the long way through the Grim Hollows."

Matt blinked. "Why would you—"

"In case the way through Bridgeton is blocked, sire." She grinned at him. "Don't worry, though. The swamps don't mean much to a Grimfen Goblin like me. Just a taste of home, and this gal won't mind it either." Gwelfed patted her Warg's flank, and the animal preened under the affection.

Matt nodded, running the numbers in his head. If the Council didn't dawdle, then they could approve the treaty well within the limits of the visitation contract. Then there wouldn't be any awkward spaces of time where he had wounded people technically under guard in a nation that remained at war with them. He continued in a voice that he hoped didn't sound half as nervous as he felt. "Remember, the treaty is in the first sealed cylinder, the one with the red ribbon. The orders for Grufen are in the grey cylinder—"

"The one for Morteth is in the blue cylinder, and the one for the public is in the green. I remember." Gwelfed raised her eyebrows at him. "I've done this kind of thing before, sire. You can trust me."

He grimaced and swallowed the rest of his apparently unnecessary reminders. Part of his nervousness came from the fact that he was worried that the Council or the Voices would try to override or protest part of the treaty. Jessica had looked it over and pronounced the 'score' between him and Lucy was eleven to ten, but from his perspective it got as much for the Kingdom as he'd given. Given the weakness of the rest of the Alliance, the situation with Gorfeld and the others, and the possibility of having an actual ally for once, it was worth giving a few relatively easy concessions.

Still, there was no accounting for stubborn pride, which was why he'd included another cylinder with a white band, meant to override any Voice-based objections. He couldn't afford to have Cholia strand him in Mornal out of some fit of discontent. Lucy had assured him that she had taken similar precautions when she'd sent it to the House of the People in Leiongard. Of course, the message would reach them in only a day, so hopefully they'd know that part of it far sooner.

Now all Gwelfed had to do was get home and finish things.

Matt watched as the Goblin clambered up on top of her Warg and settled herself in for a long ride. She'd boasted that she could reach Bridgeton before the moon was high. He hoped that she was right. "Ready, Gwelfed?"

She nodded. "Ready, sire." Then she grinned. "Just don't end the war before I even manage to get back, sire. I'd hate to miss whatever you do next!"

He felt his lips quirk in amusement. "I'll try to hold off for you, Gwelfed. Good Fortune and clear roads."

"And to you, my liege." She bowed slightly from the saddle, and Matt stepped back. Gwelfed trotted her Warg out of the door and headed for the gates. They creaked open just enough to allow her to slip outside and then began to close again. Matt watched through the narrowing gap as the Warg and rider vanished into the dark. One way or the other, there was nothing to do now but wait.