Casus Belli Ch. 01: Prelude to War

Moiga smiled, "I already noticed yesterday, but this morning it was even more obvious."

Polly looked at the both of them questioningly, "What are you talking about? Did I miss something?"

Moiga smiled at her, "Nothing important, just that someone has an eye for you." Polly blanched, and Moiga chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the major isn't going to force you into anything."

Polly blushed, "The major? But he's old enough to be my father!"

She watched Moiga shake her head before answering, "He's also rather well off, and he isn't a noble, so it wouldn't be too far below his standing to marry a servant girl..."

She decided to chime in, "Moiga's right, and you aren't just a servant girl Polly, you're a maiden to the future Kangess." She swallowed, "I have been lucky that Brando happens to be a noble of good standing, and that my father didn't feel the need to use my hand in marriage for diplomatic gains. I could easily have ended up being given away to some Loras or, god forbid, Mercandon noble, old enough to be my grandfather." She watched two pairs of eyebrows rise in front of her. "Yes, being a Pryoness can have drawbacks too," she grinned.

With that the discussion turned to the major's actual age, and the advantages of marrying a man of considerable means, for a while. She informed her fellow travelers that, if memory served her well, the major was thirty six years of age. Which they all agreed upon was still 'acceptable' in the right circumstances. Polly looked uncertain, "But why would he be interested in me?" It got her two pairs of rising eyebrows, and she cupped her small breasts in response, "My chest is way too small to be attractive..."

Cassandra chuckled, "You have the face of an angel, and your breasts are perfect for that small and slender frame of yours. You're what men call 'a hot piece of ass' when they think there are no women around to overhear them."

Polly blushed, and Moiga nodded her agreement, "Not all men prefer large breasts Polly, there are many who prefer to have just a handful. The major has good taste, you're gorgeous."

Cassandra nodded, "I didn't select my maidens based on looks Polly, but the people doing the pre-selections surely saw good looks as a basic requirement. You're gorgeous indeed, all of my maidens are."

Her remark resulted in a slightly uneasy silence descending for a while, until a surprised gasp from Polly drew their attention. Following her eyes, they both gasped too. The coach was just clearing the saddle between two hills, granting them a first look at the majestic ochre flanks and snow-capped peaks of the Leviathans as they emerged out of the morning haze. It was a rich ochre which flared with brilliant oranges in the rays of the rising sun. It was also a color they were well familiar with, as it was the color of Brag, the smaller of Mundea's two moons.

The three of them took in the sight in awe, until the coach descended into the next valley, blocking the mountains from view again. She soon realized the descents were getting shorter and the ascents longer, indicating the hills were starting to rise up to the foot of the mountains. What she also noticed was a slow drop in temperature as the road reached higher altitudes, and a thickening of the coniferous forest surrounding it. The scenery took all their attention now, with the prime attraction being the views of the snow-capped ochre mountains rising from the lush deep green carpet at their feet.

It was close to noon when Moiga suddenly pointed at something she saw, "Look, there's a castle there!"

Cassandra leaned forward, following Moiga's finger, and got her first look at their destination. "That's Bragstone castle," she exclaimed, recognizing the building from an old illustration she had seen of it, "We're almost there!" It took another half an hour, and a rather steep climb, before their coach finally rolled through the castle gate, and came to a stop in the courtyard. Dismounting from the coach they were welcomed by the castle's commander, Captain Agnious. Looking around she saw that the castle was still in the process of being rebuilt.

The most obvious deficiency was with the keep's huge main tower, which had half collapsed, and hadn't been rebuilt yet. A very high wooden watchtower had been built against it, no doubt to serve as a temporary replacement. Next to the ruined tower was the castle's central keep, which in contrast to the tower looked fully restored. That was to be expected of course, winters were harsh at the foot of the Leviathans, and the first priority of the castle's defenders would have been warm and dry accommodation.

After the entire delegation had dismounted the captain led them inside the central keep while servants appeared to handle their luggage. Once inside he took them up the stairs personally, to show them to their rooms. Unlike the inns where they had slept the previous nights, the large rooms at the top floor of the central keep had been designed with noble guests in mind. They came with adjoining rooms for servants. She almost felt sorry that Moiga and Polly would not have to share her bed again; the experience had proven nicely warm and cozy after all. It had also helped her with not missing Brando so much.

It took a while for all their luggage to be hauled up to the top floor, after which Captain Agnious invited them to join him for lunch in half an hour. They used the time to freshen up, and then took the stairs down to the keep's main hall, where they found a table set for them. Once lunch was served the captain brought them up to speed with developments on the gathering orcish army. He told them that it had increased in strength dramatically, and that there were still no signs of its buildup nearing completion.

After that had sunk in, the captain told them he had some good news too; he had contacted the orcs as instructed, and had succeeded into getting their leader to agree to a parley. This announcement was received with enthusiasm, because one of the main concerns had been that the orcs might not be willing to talk at all.

After the captain was finished Marecomb took the floor, "We'll have to make him commit to talks as soon as possible, to keep him from attacking. And it's also in our interest to keep him talking for as long as possible, to give the army more time to move up north and properly deploy." He frowned, locked eyes with Captain Agnious, "Have you already discussed a time and location?"

The captain nodded, then smiled, "Believe it or not, but he agreed to meet here, at Bragstone, at our earliest convenience." He looked to the side, at the large wall mounted chronometer, "It's almost one now, and a messenger would need about an hour to get to their main camp, so I could probably get him to agree to be here for a parley at four o'clock or so..."

Marecomb sat back stunned, "So he expects us to respect a flag of truce. How remarkable, for an orc." He frowned, "And he sure doesn't lack confidence either." He thought for a moment, his eyes focusing on infinity, then they locked with the captain's again, "Alright, set it up, the sooner the better, and that still gives us plenty of time to prepare. But don't agree to him bringing a large retinue with him."

Captain Agnious chuckled, "Of course, I'm no fool..." Then he rose and left, to instruct the small party of men that had contacted the orcs the day before, and send them on their way.

They finished their rather excellent lunch in high spirits, with Marecomb telling everybody how they were either going to convince the orcs to go home, or stall them long enough for the Nigawan army to get into position. Casandra listened in silence, wondering if it would all turn out to be as easy as Marecomb said it would be. She had never doubted the man's capabilities before, but neither had she doubted his decency, up to recently.

While sitting at the table, and on returning to their chambers, she had kept quiet about her doubts, but once they were in the privacy of her room she vented to her maidens. The girls couldn't really help her with advice, but it felt good talking to someone about it anyway. After she got it off her chest she decided to take a rest, to make sure she would be fit for the coming talks. Her father might have instructed her to do Marecomb's bidding, and do nothing but observe the talks, but she sure wasn't going to just stand by if things got out of hand.

Cassandra rested for about an hour, and then got herself dressed for the coming parley. She chose a simple but elegant dress as usual, this time in a deep emerald green, which she combined with a matching necklace and bracelets, made from silver and clear deep golden amber. Once clothed her maidens took care of her hair, just giving it a good brush. By the time they were finished it was close to three, the earliest time the group that went to contact the orcs was expected back, and thus the time the delegation members had agreed upon to gather in the keep's main hall again.

When she entered the main hall she found it emptied of all furniture except for a single massive rectangular table. On one side there was a row of five chairs facing the main entrance; four of them were already occupied by the other delegation members. General Marecomb was sitting in the center, with Major Gadrian, the interpreter, at his right hand. Both men were in full dress uniform, the familiar green on gray of the Nigawan army, in Marecomb's case decorated with more medals then you could shake a stick at.

The two diplomats were sitting at both ends, primarily dressed in dark blue. To her relief she found Sir Korbanak was sitting beside the major, leaving her a place between Marecomb and Sir Fidion. Walking over towards the table she noticed the heavy bench positioned at the other side of the table, a furniture choice she found curious to say the least. Was Marecomb aiming to humiliate the orcs even before the negotiations started?

There was also a protective detail standing in front of the wall some six yards behind where the delegation was sitting. It consisted of a dozen Royal Guards, all men with familiar faces as they were the same ones that normally guarded her quarters. She had already recognized them during their stay at the first inn. Her father had provided her with protection he knew would take her commands over Marecomb's... When she arrived at the table it was Major Gadrian who got up and pulled out her chair for her.

Once seated she thanked Gadrian and then addressed Marecomb, "No chairs for the orcs, general?"

Marecomb shrugged, "Their leaders are huge, and we simply have no chairs that would be safe for them to sit on. Better offer them a bench that can take their weight than risk them falling through their seats..."

She hadn't thought of that, and concluded he was right, "I see, good thinking, general..."

Marecomb nodded and she leaned forward to pick up one of the clear crystal carafes with water positioned near the center of the table in front of her. She filled her glass and took a sip, then put it back down on the table. Movement drew her eyes and looking up she watched the large entrance doors in the opposite wall swing open. Captain Agnious strode inside with three slightly weary looking men in tow. He stopped in front of the table and locked eyes with Marecomb, "The orcs have agreed. Bashuk, their warlord, will be here within the hour. He will be accompanied by two of his chieftains, and the six males of his personal guard."

Marecomb nodded, then focused his attention on the leader of the three men who had just come back from the orc camp. "Did they blindfold you when they led you to that warlord of theirs lieutenant?" The man shook his head, and Marecomb continued, "Can you give me an estimate of their current strength?"

The lieutenant nodded, "Yes sir. I estimate they have about seven to eight thousand warriors assembled at the moment. But they are still building up, there was still a continuous stream of warriors emerging from Baelok pass." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Don't underestimate their leader, general, he's far more intelligent than his heritage would suggest..." Marecomb looked at him questioningly, and the lieutenant cleared his throat, "It's the way in which they are deployed, and the way everything is organized in their camp. This very definitely isn't the undisciplined mob that history would lead us to expect, Sir."

Marecomb nodded slowly, "I see, thank you for sharing your insights lieutenant. You and your men are dismissed."

The three men saluted, then turned and marched out of the main hall, leaving Captain Agnious behind. The captain seemed in thought for a moment, then looked up and addressed Marecomb, "When you and your delegation are busy dealing with that warlord I'm going to keep an eye on the situation outside the castle. They might sneak in a small army and try to take the castle, with this negotiation group functioning as gate openers... I'll give you a heads-up when Bashuk and his merry orcs arrive." With that he turned and walked out of the main hall, the two castle guards posted in the hallway outside closing the large doors behind him.

As soon as he had left Marecomb addressed the delegation, "If the estimate is right, and I see no reason to doubt the lieutenant, the situation is reasonably stable at the moment. They shouldn't be able to take Bragstone with the forces they have in place, and even if this Bashuk manages to double his army in size in the coming week or so, by that time the Drak should have deployed the army, more than compensating for the orcish reinforcements."

Major Gadrian frowned at that, "I agree with you on the current situation regarding our defenses, but I wouldn't be so sure about the balance of power a week from now... orcs come in many flavors, and going by what that lieutenant just told us this particular flavor might have some nasty surprises up its sleeves."

Marecomb then started this lecture about the advantages a modern disciplined army had over barbaric hordes, and Cassandra quickly lost interest. Her thoughts drifted away, to how the swiftness of the recent developments had taken her by surprise. First with the arrival of that courier at Bromodin castle just three days ago, turning her peaceful little world upside down from one moment to the other, and now it had happened again. She had never seen an orc in the flesh before, and arriving at Bragstone, barely three hours ago, she had expected for that to remain the case for at least a day longer. Now she found herself about an hour away from meeting her first real live orcs!

Conflicts far in the past had turned orcs into unwelcome guests in the lands of men. As a result the creatures had always been almost mythical to her, savages from faraway lands she was unlikely to ever cross paths with in her lifetime. Even last year's invasion hadn't really changed that, as it was generally seen as a one time thing, as an anomaly highly unlikely to ever repeat itself. Now she found herself thinking, ruminating what she actually knew about orcs; big green skinned humanoids with ugly beast like faces, uncivilized savages controlled by their basic instincts. Major Gadrian apparently didn't agree with that picture though.

Her thoughts got interrupted as she realized someone was calling her name. Looking around her eyes met Marecomb's, who smiled at her, "Are you still with us Pryoness?" She nodded apologizing. "I was reminding you I'm leading this delegation. And advising you on how to behave during the negotiations."

She swallowed, "Sorry general, I got distracted for a moment."

He nodded at her, "Alright, just remember that you're here as an observer, your highness. And that you're strongly advised not to reveal your true identity, and not to interfere with the negotiations." She had no trouble remembering her father's instructions, and nodded her understanding. Marecomb nodded again, then turned his attention to the diplomats, "Alright gentlemen, any fresh thoughts about the financial and economic aspects of these negotiations?" Cassandra's attention soon drifted away again.

Over half an hour passed with the men discussing the most boring of details. Finance and economics had been compulsory fields of study for her, and she had tackled them both with ease, but had never really liked them. Now she found herself wondering what the problem was exactly. They had a limited amount of money and produce available to buy the orcs off with, and that was it. She noticed her throat was feeling dry and picked up her glass, as she took a sip a soldier came in through one of the large doors, and addressed Marecomb, "The orcs, they are here Sir."

A couple of minutes later heavy footsteps announced their arrival, the large doors swung open and she watched six orcs in leather armor come in and quickly check out the hall. She had thought that the stories and illustrations had provided her with a solid image about what to expect, but meeting the notorious orcs for the first time in the flesh made her realize that nothing could have really prepared her for their brutish real live appearance. They were built broader than men, and all of them were easily as tall as the tallest men she had ever met. The one at their center walked back into the hallway, gave a hand sign, and then he came back inside again. She watched the six of them position themselves against the opposite wall, mimicking their own protective detail behind her.

"God they are big," she whispered at General Marecomb. The gray haired general grinned, "These are special troops, but even the normal soldiers are bigger than a well-built man. Their chieftains are even bigger, and their warlords..." He stopped talking as the orc delegation entered the room, there were three of them.

These orcs were wearing leather armor too, but it was much more elaborate. Going by the size difference two of them had to be chieftains, and the third one had to be their warlord. The latter was simply huge, maybe 7'6" tall, and built like a mountain. He had to weigh some four hundred pounds, and it was all muscle by the looks of it. She knew orcs and humans were sexually compatible, could even produce mixed-race offspring, but confronted with them she found it difficult to understand how such a thing would be practically possible.

And that was without taking their bestial features, their tribal tattoos, and their long black braided hair into account. Which human female would want to have sex with beastly creatures like these? The three walked up to the table, and looked down at the bench. The leader placed a leather booted foot on top of it, clearly testing its strength. The wood creaked, he shrugged and sat himself down on it, his chieftains following suit to both sides of him. The bench creaked, but didn't collapse.

Once the orcs were seated general Marecomb welcomed them. He started by apologizing for the bench and explaining they just didn't have chairs big and strong enough for orcs. After he finished speaking Major Gadrian started to translate his words into Orcish. Their leader interrupted him, "There's no need for that, we speak common."

His accent was heavy, and his voice sounded dark, but he was perfectly understandable. "Your common is excellent," Marecomb reacted.

The big orc nodded, then he spoke again, "I'm Bashuk, leader of the Green Vale Orcs. Did you invite us to this parley to offer your surrender?"

Marecomb visually stiffened, "So your army does gather with hostile intent," it clearly wasn't a question.

The big orc shrugged, "Yes, so you now have to choose between surrender or death." Marecomb swallowed. "Resistance will get you total war," the orc added without showing any emotion. "Your lands will be burned, your towns and cities will be sacked, and the entire nobility will be put to the sword. If you surrender though, we will spare the land and the people. And the nobles will be allowed to keep their lives and personal freedom, but nothing else."