Casus Belli Ch. 01: Prelude to War

The Kang frowned at her, "That's out of the question sweetheart, it's way too dangerous for a young woman."

Brando's eyes had grown big after her statement, and now he nodded in agreement, "Your father is right my love."

Her eyes locked with his. She was torn, feeling happy about his desire to keep her safe, and feeling sad at his desire to restrict her freedom at the same time. She moved her gaze to her father and shook her head, "How am I supposed to learn about diplomacy, and about the dangers of the world, if you keep me in a golden cage? Do you want a sheltered girl as your heir? How am I supposed to rule Nigawa after you are gone? You can send an entire battalion as my escort; if that's not safe nothing ever will be."

The Kang looked down, clearly thinking, then slowly looked up again and locked eyes with her. "Alright, I get your point. You can go." She almost jumped, he grinned, "But General Marecomb leads the delegation..., and you'll listen to him. No adventures. Is that clear?" She swallowed, then nodded slowly. He shook his head, "I need to hear you say it..."

She grinned, "Yes daddy, I'll do as General Marecomb says, I promise."

With that the meeting was concluded, and she said her goodbyes to Brando, who was going to leave with the Drak immediately, to lead the army up north. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately, "You stay safe you hear," he said, "I have plans with you."

She smiled at him lovingly, "You take care too, don't make me a widow before I've even married you."

After Brando and the Drak had left, her father ordered the courier back to Bragstone, to inform the castle's commander that a diplomatic mission would be coming his way soon, and to instruct him to try and arrange a parley with the leader of the gathering orc army. After the courier left they discussed the exact composition of the delegation. The civilian counselors putting forward Sir Korbanak and Sir Fidion, two diplomats all of them held in high regard. Marecomb recommended a Major Gadrian, who apparently was fluent in the orcish language, as an interpreter.

Next it was decided that Cassandra would be allowed to take two of her maidens with her at most, mainly because it would be hard to arrange sleeping accommodation for more than half a dozen people on the route they would have to take. With that, everything was wrapped up. She walked back to her chambers deep in thought, then gathered and informed her maidens about the upcoming voyage. That led to some commotion, with all the girls eager to accompany her. In the end she decided to take Moiga and Polly with her. This would leave Denora, her most senior maiden, at home and in charge of her remaining three maidens.

They spent the remainder of the day packing and preparing, with everyone turning in early, because the delegation would be departing at sunrise. Unfortunately though, she proved much too excited to sleep well, and spent most of the night tossing and turning in her large bed. After a very early breakfast the delegation assembled in the courtyard, where three unmarked coaches were waiting for them. After saying her goodbyes to her father she and her maidens climbed inside one of them while the two military men and the two diplomats climbed into the other two. And then they waited for all the luggage to be loaded, which took about ten minutes.

The coach with Marecomb and Gadrian led the small convoy leaving the castle, with her own coach following behind it and the coach with the two diplomats bringing up the rear. Once outside the castle gates a company of Royal Guards on horseback joined and started escorting them. They crossed the Amunda River that split Iriskan in two and once they left the city's northern gate behind, two more cavalry companies joined them, including a number of supply carriages that inserted themselves behind the coaches. And then the voyage north truly began.

The first part of the journey led them through the Amunda plain, the flat land created by the meandering river through the eons, and largely covered in blooming orchards. Carpets of pink, yellow, orange and blue, for as far as the eye could see, and all the flowery perfumes that go with it. One of the escorting companies of elite soldiers was leading the small convoy while another had positioned itself as rear guard while the third was scouting the road ahead for trouble.

After an hour or two the cobbled road led into the wooded hills of Beldaine forest, which was a new experience for Polly who had never ventured far beyond the walls of Iriskan before. The explosion of color of the orchards was replaced by endless shades of green, and the flowery smells were replaced by the smells of earth and greenery, with a slight hint of decay. It took them an hour or two to reach the town of Evergreen and then a further two hours to get past the hills, at which point the land became open and flat again, though this time primarily filled with fields and meadows.

As soon as they left the forest behind them they made their first real stop for the day. By this time everyone was happy to be able to stretch their legs a bit, within the perimeter set out by the soldiers. Within half an hour or so the cooks served lunch from the back of one of the wagons. It was simple food, but rather welcome nevertheless. By the time they had finished eating one of the companies mounted up again, and headed out to scout the road ahead. After they left everyone else started climbing inside the coaches and mounting horses again too, and some ten minutes later they were on their way again.

Some six hours and a short break later the sun started to set, and the convoy stopped for the night at a cozy looking Inn. The soldiers immediately started setting up camp around it while Sir Marecomb led the delegation inside 'The Tasty Boar' to arrange for food and sleeping accommodation. As it turned out there were five rooms available, and with Major Gadrian volunteering to sleep with the soldiers outside, and Moiga and Polly sharing, this was just enough for the delegation.

After inspecting their rooms, and refreshing themselves a bit, they gathered in the large common room for dinner. The food turned out to be simple but excellent, the boar indeed proving tasty. It was also the first time Cassandra had had the opportunity to get to know a little about the new faces in the delegation. The major turned out to be a jovial and funny character, a sharp contrast with the ever overbearing and dull General Marecomb. The two diplomats proved not to her taste though; Sir Fidion was rather obnoxious to talk with and while Sir Korbanak behaved very amicably, the way in which his little piggy eyes followed anything in a skirt made her skin creep.

After dinner she really wanted to retreat to her room, but Major Gadrian had offered them all a drink, and she hadn't wanted to turn the friendly man down. But after finishing her glass of red wine she told them she was tired and excused herself, and so did Moiga and Polly, to the clear disappointment of the men around the table. The girls followed her up to her room, and after talking a bit about everything that had happened that day assisted her with getting ready for bed.

Cassandra wasn't used to sleeping outside the protective walls of a castle, with the luxury such a castle usually provided, but the mattress wasn't bad, the sheets were clean, and the soldiers standing guard in the hallway outside as well as around the Inn made her feel safe enough. Soon tiredness and the effects of the wine she drank during and after dinner negated the soft murmur originating from the common room below and sleep claimed her. The young Pryoness slept well that night, so when Moiga and Polly came to wake her at sunrise she was well rested.

The same didn't go for her two maidens though, who appeared tired and skittish. She first blamed it on the strange sleeping quarters and the wine, and thought breakfast might improve their condition, but it didn't. So once they were on their way again, and with their interest for their surroundings of the day before being replaced by disinterest and dreariness, she decided to find out what ailed them. "What's the matter with the two of you? You were so happy yesterday!"

She noticed Polly glancing at Moiga, who looked back at her in warning, before answering, "I guess the food didn't agree with us, milady."

Polly looked down, and Cassandra decided to have none of it, so she addressed her, "Well, Polly, are you going to tell me what's really the matter?"

Polly shifted uneasily, then she spoke up, with Moiga looking daggers at her, "Last night, about half an hour after we all went to bed, Sir Marecomb came by our room. He ordered Moiga to go with him..."

Cassandra's eyes darted back to Moiga, who looked down, evading her eyes. She noticed the girl's eyes moistening, and her heart fell, "What happened Moiga? What did Marecomb make you do?"

The pretty brunette whimpered softly, "I had to go to bed with him."

She felt it coming, but it still hit her like a ton of bricks. She swallowed, "But why..., how..."

Moiga whimpered again, "He's a powerful man milady, you don't want to upset someone like him."

She didn't really understand, "You're one of my maidens Moiga, he has no power over you."

The girl looked up, her cheeks wet, "I have family milady, and they don't work for the Pryoness..."

She slowly shook her head, "He wouldn't... would he?"

Both girls nodded in confirmation, Cassandra swallowed hard, "I..., I never knew. How common is this vile practice?"

Moiga wiped her face, then shrugged, "As your maidens we have our rooms inside your chambers, which places us out of reach of men like Marecomb, but in general, if you are a resident servant at the castle, and if you're young and pretty, you won't remain a virgin for too long. There are always a lot of powerful men at the castle..."

Polly whimpered too, she looked at her, "He'll be back tonight," the petite blonde whispered, "Order Moiga to sleep with Sir Korbanak. I saw it in that pig's face during breakfast. And then Marecomb will order me to come and sleep with him himself." A loud sob escaped the girl, "And I'm still a virgin."

She felt rage now, "I'm going to stop this! First here, and later at the castle." Then another thought arose, "My father, is he involved in this too?"

Moiga shook her head, "No, he isn't, your father is a fine man. But please, say nothing. Marecomb will know it came from me, and my family will suffer."

She frowned, "I'll take care to not make it look that way. And should he try to take it out on your family anyway, I promise I will protect them." It seemed to calm both girls, she swallowed as another thought occurred and she felt her face redden, "Brando..., did he ever..."

Both girls reached out and locked eyes with her simultaneously, then Moiga spoke up, "No milady, not as far as I know..."

Polly nodded her agreement, and a relieved sigh escaped her. Then she looked at Moiga again, "Do I need to arrange for some Korkumun tea for you?"

The brunette shook her head, "No, there's no need for that."

She frowned, "Aren't you worried about getting with child?"

Moiga blushed, "Marecomb didn't..., he took his pleasure in my backside..." Tears started running down her face again, "I had never... It was my first time that way... It hurt."

She watched Polly snuggle up to Moiga, hug the softly crying girl close, and barely managed to keep herself from following her example. As a Pryoness she was supposed to keep a certain distance from her servants; it had never felt as difficult before as it did now. She reached out and placed her hand on Moiga's knee, "I can't undo what has been done, but I promise you it will never happen again."

Moiga looked up at her, "Thank you for your kindness milady, I'll never forget it."

They sat silently for a while, concentrating on the ever changing views from the windows of the coach. They were traveling through farmland again, alternated with some woods now and then. When they passed a small farm next to the road they were treated to the scene of a mud covered man trying to catch a pig inside a corral without success. When he went down face first in the mud, outsmarted by the pig again, the three of them couldn't help but burst into laughter. From that point on they tried to keep their spirits up again, and it worked to some degree, but the carefree feeling of the day before didn't return.

Shortly after noon the convoy stopped for lunch-break again, just like it had the day before. After dismounting she walked around the coaches again, together with her maidens, stretching her legs. When the signal that food was ready sounded she led her small group to the carriage with the inbuilt kitchen, where they were provided with a bowl of soup and some bread. Once they had sat down on a spot with soft grass the other members of the delegation sat themselves down close to them.

Marecomb looked at her, "You seem subdued Pryoness, did breakfast not agree with you?"

She looked back at him, and seized the opportunity, "No, breakfast was fine. But I didn't sleep well, and I missed being able to summon my maidens without getting out of bed, and out of my room." She sipped a spoon of soup, and took a bite of bread, slowly munching it down, "I think I'll have my maidens sleep inside my room tonight, to keep them at hand."

His face showed nothing, but she almost felt his suspicion. "There won't be rooms with more than one bed, so where would they sleep?" he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

She shrugged, "They are just servants, sleeping on the floor for a night will do them no harm."

Both Moiga and Polly only showed interest in their chunk of bread and their half empty bowls of soup, their faces giving away nothing. She barely managed to keep a straight face herself too.

Marecomb shrugged, his face expressionless, but there was still that slight hint of annoyance in his voice, "It is, of course, your choice your highness, and it saves us the rent for a room, but I wouldn't be surprised if you change your mind when your maidens' mood turns sour."

She noticed Korbanak's face drop when she told Marecomb the girls would be sleeping in her room, which proved Polly right. It made her feel good, and it also strengthened her intention to put an end to such practices once they returned to Bromodin castle. She was the heir to the throne after all, and she wasn't going to stand for such vile things occurring inside her home. After they finished lunch, and got on their way again, she addressed Moiga, "Should Marecomb try something against your family, you tell me. If he does I'll take it up with my father, and see him buried."

That afternoon they passed through Windagon, a small walled city on the river Rodian, a tributary of the Amunda. They made a short stop, to take on water and supplies, and then they crossed the river and resumed following the road further north. Soon the terrain became slightly hilly, and more wooded, and it stayed that way for the remainder of the day. Shortly before nightfall they stopped at what had first looked like a small walled village located at the top of a large barren hill maybe half a mile from the main road. Only after entering through the gate did they discover a large Inn was the only building inside the walls.

The Inn was named 'Shandra's Haven', and the open space inside the walls was large enough for the three cavalry companies escorting them to put up their bivouacs. Shandra, the Inn's keeper was a middle aged tall and muscular woman who clearly ran a tight ship. The rooms were clean and well furnished, and the food might not have been on par with what she was used to but it was excellent nevertheless. What had also been excellent had been the wine, but it still hadn't kept her from turning in early. The faces Marecomb and Korbanak pulled when she took Moiga and Polly upstairs with her were priceless.

Once arrived at their room Moiga and Polly helped her prepare for bed, and once she was tucked in beneath the covers the two girls started looking around the floor for a place to sleep. She let them for a moment, watching amused as they discussed which floor mat was going to be used by whom. After a minute or so she addressed them, "Do you really think I'm going to let the two of you sleep on the floor?" They looked back at her confused, and she patted the bed on both sides next to her. "Let's just forget about ranks for tonight, shall we?" Watching their eyes grow big was amusing too, she winked at them, "Come on, I'm not going to rat on my maidens..."

Polly was the first to overcome her doubts, and slide beneath the covers besides her, but Moiga wasn't far behind. The bed was easily big enough for three slender girls, but that didn't prevent Polly from snuggling up to her once the lamps were out. She hadn't expected it, and reacted surprised, "Polly? What are you doing?"

The accusing reply came immediately, "But you said we should forget about ranks for tonight!"

She couldn't help chuckling, and then Moiga snuggled up to her too. It felt wrong for a moment, she wasn't supposed to be this informal with her servants, but at the same time it felt good. The warmth of their bodies felt pleasant against her, and the court was far far away anyway. So she just turned on her right side, her favorite sleeping position, facing Polly, who turned too in response, backing up against her. And then she felt Moiga snuggling up closer too, spooning her from behind like she herself was spooning Polly. Sleep came quickly that way.

Casandra woke when the body pressed against her back moved, it was an unfamiliar feeling because Brando had never spend the night before, and she had never woken up with him. She slowly opened her eyes, to discover Polly's angelic face only a hand's wide in front of her. She started, and Moiga chuckled softly behind her, "Wakey-wakey milady."

Polly opened one eye, and locked it onto her, "Oooh, must we get up already?"

She grinned at her, "Yes, unless you won't mind missing breakfast of course..."

The petite blonde's eyes flew open at that, "I smell bacon and eggs!"

She sniffed, and indeed, the smell was there, "You have a good nose Polly!"

They got up quickly, washed up at the simple basin, then got themselves dressed and headed down to the common room. When they entered they were welcomed by Major Gadrian who was already sitting at one of the many set tables. She sat herself down next to him, with Moiga and Polly taking the seats next to hers, and the four of them chatted a bit. The major had been abroad quite often and they all hung on his words as he told them about his adventures in foreign lands. It was a bit of a disappointment when the rest of the delegation arrived not that much later, cutting the major's interesting tales short.

With the delegation complete breakfast was served, and it turned out that bacon and eggs were just a small part of it. There were also sausages, and baked beans, and potatoes, and mushrooms, and thick slices of fresh bread. She discretely observed the others while eating, noticing the sour looks Marecomb and Korbanak were giving Moiga and Polly with glee. And she also noticed the much more discrete looks the major was giving the latter, which managed to put a small smile on her face. Polly was a lovely girl, and she didn't think the major was looking at her for just a night's pleasure.

Soon they were on the road again, heading up into the now quickly steepening hills, with the light and medium greens of the loaf trees that had dominated the woods up to now being replaced by the dark green of needle trees. And with the needle trees came the soft delicious smell of resin. Moiga was in good spirits, and repeatedly looked at Polly, smiling. "You noticed it too..." Cassandra said to her.