Ardent Read online

  “Are you sure? There are ten guards down there,” he pointed to the road.

  “You wear Severin’s colors. I will save Cantemir from a great embarrassment.”

  “Save?” Vlaicu asked, frowning, then his face lightened in mute laughter. “You will save him from,” he glanced again at our soldiers, “Severin’s army.”

  “Something like that.”

  “You know more than how to win a battle; you know how to win the peace too.”

  “It’s always harder to win the peace. I need your sword. Don’t worry; I will leave you mine as a hostage.”

  “That makes sense; your curved swords are even better known than you are,” he grinned. “I will not be upset if you want to keep mine.” We took off our belts at the same time, before exchanging them. “It takes a while to get accustomed to wearing two swords,” he said, twisting his body left and right.

  “You’d make a good dancer.”

  “When I was young, somebody told me that good swordsmen make good dancers.”

  “It may be true. Vlad, take this sword,” I gave him the one that belonged to Vlaicu. “I need yours. Just to hide the tracks better,” I winked at Vlaicu. Cantemir knew the other me, Tudor, the one who wore an Arenian sword, the twin of my brother’s sword that I gave to Vlad the winter when I stayed in their farm in Litvonia. “I will go down now. Wait for me to meet Cantemir and guide him inside the forest. When all Orban’s men are hidden, ride through the forest, until you are about two hundred feet away from our position. Wait for a few minutes before going down onto the road and revealing yourself. Then wait for me at the Black Rock.”

  Vlad and Pintea rode with me half the way down, until the risk of being heard became too great, and we stopped at the edge of the forest, behind some thick bushes, thirty feet away from the road. Unaware, Cantemir and his guards appeared from behind a curve in the road, a minute later.

  “Wait for me to meet them, then you ride down too. Vlad first. Some soldiers may know you. When we hide in the forest, on the other side of the road, you settle some thirty paces from them.” As Cantemir’s party neared, I pushed Zor to ride down to them. Having good reflexes, most of Orban’s soldiers had already unsheathed their swords, and two of them moved to cut off my way toward Cantemir.

  “Let Tudor come!” Cantemir shouted before his soldiers could attack me.

  “Get into the forest!” I shouted too, and gestured savagely.

  Cantemir was a fast thinker; it did not take him long to understand and order the same thing to his soldiers. Vlad and Pintea joined us at the same time, and we passed the first row of the trees a few moments later. There was no need to tell Cantemir that we needed to talk; he joined me away from his soldiers, followed by their impatient stares.

  “Cantemir, you should hire better protectors.”

  “Why?” Smiling thinly, he feigned some surprise.

  “That’s why,” I gestured down the valley, where Vlaicu and his soldiers were now galloping.

  “Some remnants of Severin’s army,” Cantemir said, thoughtfully. “We will deal with them soon. That does not detract from my gratitude to you. I would have been caught with my guard down.”

  “I doubt that you can deal quickly with Severin’s army.”

  “What army?” he shrugged. “It was destroyed in Mehadia, and we have now more than one thousand soldiers tightening the noose around Mohor’s neck. I came here to claim the prize.”

  “I doubt that you can claim that much,” I said, and waited patiently.

  “Tell me.”

  “Your first army was defeated two days ago, not far from Severin. Sorry, not defeated, destroyed. Its remnants fled east.”

  “Well... It’s hard to believe...”

  “Your second army has laid siege to Severin, but they are too few, and harassed by Severin’s army. Their supply lines are cut. It’s a matter of days until they must leave. Run.” Not days, but...

  “It looks as if my prize will be smaller than I thought. So, our first army defeated Severin in Mehadia, then our luck reversed. Aron led them to defeat. Who led them to victory? It must be that young man,” he said, without looking at me. I was struggling to maintain my composure, waiting for him to pronounce my real name. “I forgot his name... Aron’s son.”

  “It could be,” I said evasively, thinking that his mistake would suit me for a while. “Severin has had some good luck, but not enough to keep the city of Mehadia, and the northern side of the Seigneury.”

  “The circle is closing,” Cantemir said. “No, not the Circle for which I am a faithful Sage,” he reacted to my mute question. “Just a general remark. I remember when we first discussed the ... actual state of things. You mentioned the same opportunity to me.”

  “Some people realize that I give good advice.”

  “Yes, yes, they realize, but I still want to ask for more from S’Severin.”

  “Of course you will ask for more, that’s the point of any negotiation.”

  “I did not express my thoughts well. Quite a bad thing for a Secretary. I want to get more, like most of Mehadia, apart from the land Mehadin took from Mohor twenty years ago.”

  “Duke Stefan’s army may be here in two or three days. I know Orban has a deal with the Duke, but the Duke will not shy away if the opportunity arrives. You have two days to settle the treaty. One and a half,” I pointed to the sun at its highest point.

  “One day and a half,” Cantemir agreed. “If I make it to Severin today,” he stared at me. “You may be the only Lead Protector I know who can find a way.”

  “I am the only one you know here,” I grinned. “The best way is to contact Vlaicu, the Chief of the Severin Guard. He was leading that troop.” I gestured down the valley, toward the small river going toward Severin.

  “I just go and say hello to him.”

  “No, I will say it for you.”

  “You know him.” It was a statement, not a question, and I just nodded.

  “I suppose you will serve S’Severin two courses: Mehadia and the marriage between Orban’s son and Lady S’Severin’s daughter. The marriage that will never happen.” I knew from our last encounter how Cantemir planned to propose a new marriage contract between Saliné and Orban’s son, just to force Jara and Mohor to cancel the existing contract with the Devans. That would break the alliance between Severin and Deva. Mohor still doesn’t know that the alliance is a sham. The new contract worried me just because of its effect on Saliné. It’s awful to be forced to marry the son of the man who killed your father, and it could take a while until I was able to explain everything to her.

  “Ah, that is a thing of past. The little girl is pregnant, and it did not happen with Devan’s son.”

  Cantemir knows already... There was not enough time for a courier from Severin to arrive in Arad and inform him after that evening when Saliné revealed her pregnancy to us. He was informed earlier. Bucur... He poisoned Jara ... and profited from Saliné’s pain to... He informed Cantemir. Aron was in Mehadia. The memory hurt me, and I guessed that my expression was not very intelligent at that moment, as Cantemir served me a thin smile, remaining silent. “Hmm,” I mumbled to gain some time. “You ... you should not put so much trust in Aron.”

  “Hmm,” Cantemir copied my strategy of gaining time. “Aron, interesting. What make you think he is in ... touch with me?”

  “I heard something in Mehadia,” I said, vaguely. “I suppose that Devan is already informed.”

  “He should be by now,” Cantemir said curtly.

  By now... To arrive in time, Orban’s embassy to Deva left Arad the same day I arrived in Severin. Bucur informed him.

  “Is she pregnant or not?” Cantemir asked, sourly.

  “I would say not, but I don’t follow gossip about young girls. Let me talk to Vlaicu about your entry to Severin. Don’t leave the forest.”

  I gestured at Vlad and Pintea, and pushed Zor onto the road. It took us a few minutes to arrive at the Black Rock, a piece of basalt con
trasting with the orange limestone predominating in the valley. The road was blocked by our soldiers. Seeing me, Vlaicu came forward, until no soldier could hear us.

  “Cantemir accepted your ... hospitality,” I laughed. “Let me write some things.” It did not take long to write, the words were already playing in my mind. “In Severin, present this to Jara or Cernat. It’s a little game, but it’s important because of the existing links between Mohor and Aron.” I gave Vlaicu the paper, and let him read it. I needed to convince him to forget for a moment that he was Mohor’s Chief of the Guard.

  “Give Orban only the town of Mehadia and the northern territories,” Vlaicu read. “Cantemir is under pressure from the wider situation and will accept. Are you sure?”

  “I told Cantemir that his army was destroyed, and that S’Severin’s army is besieging his besiegers. He was not ... aware. And I told him about Duke Stefan’s army arriving here in two days. That he already knew, of course, but it was a good time to remind him about the hostile environment.”

  “Keep Aron out of negotiations and don’t talk about me with Cantemir,” he continued reading. “It may not be so easy to sideline Aron.” In silence, he folded the paper, and hid it in his pocket. “Jara or Cernat. Let it be.” He frowned and said nothing more.

  “Take twenty soldiers, and go back to pick up your guest. He is hiding in the forest, not far from here. Vlad will come with you. I will enjoy the view from there,” I pointed to the hills in front.

  Chapter 4 – Jara

  Cantemir left Severin before the ink of was fully dried on the treaty. Like a haunted man, he was in haste from the first moment he entered the castle, and the negotiation was short. Strange behavior from a Secretary well known for his negotiation skills and toughness. His quiet mask was here with us, the man hidden behind it leaving us more questions than answers. And even stranger was the sensation of seeing him again after so many years. Cantemir had left Midia when he was still very young, eighteen years old, if I remembered well. I recognized him, but it would take a while until my mind was accustomed to the look of the mature man. Malin made few mistakes, but Cantemir was one of them. If only he had let Cantemir marry Liana. It’s too late to change something.

  “Strange,” Mohor said thoughtfully, making me smile; the same word was haunting me. He was reading the signed treaty again – for the third time. “It happened exactly how Codrin predicted it. No, I think that I am wrong. It happened as Cantemir and Codrin had already negotiated before Cantemir came here. It looks as if I was needed only for the signature. Isn’t my writing beautiful?” he laughed.

  “We survived. One week ago…”

  “Jara, forget that week, we are celebrating now, not mourning. Well, we are mourning our soldiers too, but there is mourning and mourning.”

  “Yes, yes.” It’s such a small step from mourning to celebration. It’s even smaller in the reverse. “Codrin is more than a good army commander. That paper proves it. Are you still worried about his links to Cantemir?”

  “That will always worry me, but at quite a low level right now,” Mohor shook the paper with the treaty.

  “I am not worried.”

  “No, you’re not,” he said absently, and started to read the treaty for the fourth time.

  “They are leaving.” The window overlooking the meadow in front of the gate gave me a good view of Orban’s first column riding north. Mohor raised his head from the paper, blinked, and said nothing. “I’ll go and tell Saliné that Codrin is to return soon.”

  Our army entered Severin late in the afternoon. Vlaicu and Bucur were the first to pass through the gate in front of our guards, and they came to report to Mohor. It was a brief session, as Codrin was expected to give a full report in the council. Together with Aron, Bucur entered the castle and Vlaicu joined his guards. For whatever reason, Codrin came at the end of the column, with Vlad and Pintea, and I ambushed him as soon as he dismounted. To Mohor’s disappointment, I took Codrin to see Saliné first, when he wanted to talk about war and peace. That can wait, I smiled.

  “Yes, yes.” Mohor frowned at me, but then he smiled too.

  “Saliné is waiting for you,” I took Codrin by the arm, and pushed him gently toward the stairs.

  As soon as we got inside we heard shouting, and hastened to turn the corner into the corridor that led to Saliné’s and Vio’s rooms.

  “You are not allowed to enter,” Vio raised her voice at Bucur.

  “Saliné is my betrothed,” Bucur said, and tried to shove Vio from the door.

  With her unusual speed, she dodged his hand, and stepped aside in a split moment. Her foot sprang at the back of Bucur’s knee, before he could react. He stumbled, and leaned on the wall, as she did not have enough strength to put him down. While Bucur was not as massive as his father, he was not a weakling either.

  “Girl!” Bucur raised his hand, but Vio was already at a safe distance, half behind him, her foot ready to hit again.

  “Bucur,” I growled. “What are you doing here?”

  “I want to see Saliné. You agreed about this with Father.”

  “You were supposed to see her only once and only in my presence. You forfeited that by coming alone. Now leave. Sorry,” I said to Codrin. “We had some negotiations with Aron.”

  “He is always one step ahead of you,” Codrin said coldly. He wanted to say more, but Vio jumped in his arms, and he twirled twice with her.

  “Thank you, Vio.” I ignored his words, and pushed him inside the room, Vio still in his arms.

  “Codrin,” Saliné said from her bed; she was still too weak to walk.

  The coldness vanished from Codrin’s face, and leaving Vio, he sat in the edge of her bed, taking her hands in his. “I see some color on that face again,” he smiled.

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  “I have to go now. Codrin, we will wait for you in the council room. Take your time,” I said before he could answer, and headed toward the door, gesturing discreetly at Vio. “I canceled the agreement with Bucur regarding his visit,” I glanced at Saliné. “I don’t know why he tried to enter here in my absence, but the outcome suited me.”

  “I think he wanted Codrin to find him with me,” Saliné said, bitterly.

  “They are one step ahead of you,” Codrin repeated, and our eyes met for a moment.

  I nodded, relieved that he did not mention that ‘betrothed’ thing, maybe to avoid upsetting Saliné, and I left the room with Vio, imagining a hundred ways to kill Aron and Bucur. Burning alive, I decided, and laughed silently, knowing that I could never stomach such a thing, not even for Bucur. I went with Vio to her room, and I embraced her. “Thank you, Vio,” I whispered. “You are a brave girl. And well trained. I have to go to the council now,” I ruffled her hair.

  “Bucur tried to enter Saliné’s room when I was not there,” I said to Mohor when I arrived in the council room. He was alone with Father. “Saliné thought that he wanted to be found in her bedroom by Codrin. What a snake. Bucur even dared to say that she is his betrothed.”

  “Technically, he is. We signed that marriage contract when…”

  “Mohor!”

  “I did not say that they should marry. The contract with the Devans should prevail.”

  “I think that Codrin should prevail. He agreed to be our army commander with one condition: Saliné.”

  “I was afraid that you would say that.”

  “And?”

  “I agree with Codrin,” he sighed. “But we may have problems. Now let’s see what he has to say about the war and the treaty,” Mohor whispered as Codrin just entered the room. “Should I pat you on your shoulder to ascertain your state of health?” he joked, reminding us how we found out about Codrin’s wound after his first victory against Mehadin. In silence, Mohor filled four glasses with wine, and set them on the table. “To honor and to mourning,” he raised his glass, spilling some drops on the floor, and we answered.

  “I am fine,” Codrin said, throwing himself in a chair,
and at that moment I realized how tired he was. “Just a small scratch.” He touched his left shoulder.

  “Take your time and read it.” Mohor pushed the paper with the treaty to Codrin.

  “It looks fine,” Codrin said after a while.

  “This is not the first treaty you have read.” Mohor stared, amused, at Codrin, who just nodded. “Why was Cantemir so pressed to sign it?”

  “He understood that the position of his army was not tenable in the medium term as we had cut their supply lines. They did not have enough men to take Severin, and in one month they would have found themselves without food. Soldiers don’t fight well on empty stomachs. And we surprised them with that early morning attack. Cantemir is not a soldier, but he is an intelligent man. I suppose that he was also advised by Doren, the new Spatar of Arad, who leads their army here and is a good commander. There was no time to write everything on the paper I sent. It was a chance encounter.”

  “And he was advised by you too,” Mohor said, with a trace of humor. “All that, and Duke Stefan’s army made him sign,” he added after a while, as Codrin did not take the bait.

  “Duke Stefan’s army is not here to help you. Orban allowed the Duke’s army to pass through Arad. The Duke has some interests in Severin,” Codrin said.

  “Yes,” Mohor rubbed his chin. “He has a plot of land in my custody. Each year I send him the revenue. The couriers that go to Peyris with the money cost me more than the revenue. So what other interest may he have?”

  “I don’t know. The land is only a subterfuge.” Lost in some inner thoughts, Codrin played with his glass. “I was told that he just wanted to be heard in the event that Severin fell to Orban.”

  “Don’t say that again,” Mohor growled.

  “Say what?” Codrin started.

  “Is Stefan prepared to move against Severin?” Father asked, leaving Mohor time to recover.

  “I don’t think so.” Codrin sipped some wine, looking slightly uncomfortable. “He is not your ally, but he is not your enemy either, at least not yet.”