***
After lunch, the leaders of all five Finger States assembled in my dining room. The oversized tables were laid out in a pentagon, with each country having its own table. Flags flew at each end of each table, identifying which country sat at which table.
Once everyone was assembled, I stood. "I've called this meeting for one purpose. To inform all of you that Maximillian Bedard is assembling his troops on the Landish border just north of here. Once his army is ready, he'll invade Landish, kill the high sage, and claim his throne. The high sage has requested our aid in his upcoming battle with Dunre. The question is: do we join Landish in their war against Dunre?"
I sat and waited to hear what the others had to say. Not surprisingly, Roehl Tharrington stood up next.
"If Dunre is indeed planning on invading Landish, like you claim, then they are doing it for all of us. The high sage has allowed piracy to run rampant on the Istansada River. The King of Dunre has visited him repeatedly, warning the high sage that he must take steps to curb this piracy. Landish has become a lawless land and Maximillian Bedard is trying to restore order to this lawless land. I say, we would be better off with him on the throne of Landish instead of the young fool that currently sits there. Kavel opposes aiding the high sage."
Murmurs of agreement issued from Roehl's table. Roehl sat and took a sip from the goblet of wine we placed in front of him. A goblet that contained some of the paralyzing powder Iderra gave me. Little did he know, he had just spoken some of the last words of his life. As he sipped from the wine, I said to myself, "That's for Catlett, and Edgerton, and everyone else you killed the last time you were here."
The King of Tash stood up next. He was a tall, skinny, pimple faced teenager of fifteen. He looked more than a bit uncomfortable at having to speak in front of all of us.
"Tash believes the King of Dunre merely wants to put an end to the rise in piracy, just as the King of Kavel states." The boy seemed to lose his train of thought, until one of his advisers whispered something in his ear. He nodded, then continued. "Plus, we have no defense treaty with Landish. As long as the Finger States are not directly threatened, Tash opposes any military action against Dunre."
The young man sat down, looking relieved that he didn't have to speak anymore. It wasn't surprising that Tash would side with Kavel. Dunre lay directly north of both countries, while neither country bordered Landish.
Shu stood up next, speaking for the Princess Vanessa, who sat on her right. "Unlike some of you, we in Holt know a little something about the pirates that have been causing havoc on the Istansada River. Even though they sail in Landish longboats, the men controlling these ships work for Maximillian Bedard. This so called piracy is nothing more than an excuse to give the King of Dunre a reason to invade Landish and claim the high sage's throne for himself. We believe that when Bedard has conquered Landish, he'll turn his sights on the Finger States. We believe it would be in our best interest to stand with Landish."
Shu sat and everyone turned toward the King of Enid. The short, rotund, teenager who looked like a chipmunk cheeked version of his late father. He listened to the man on his right, then stood. "Enid also believes it would be best to stand with Landish."
Holt and Enid's positions weren't surprising. Landish bordered Holt to the east and the north, while it bordered Enid to the north. If Dunre invaded Landish, then the ensuing war would occur on both Enid's and Holt's northern borders. Both countries feared Max's army would turn south and preferred to join forces with the Landish army.
"My country cannot and will not declare war on our northern neighbor," Roehl Tharrington said. "A neighbor who has never made any threatening moves against us and has been a good trading partner. If this council decides to go to war against Dunre, then it will do so without Kavel's army."
Roehl sat and took another sip of his wine. A second later, he began to jerk spasmodically. His eyes rolled back into his head and foam sputtered out of his mouth. A few seconds later, he collapsed face first onto the table in front of him, spilling what was left of his wine.
I stood. "Why don't we take a short break. It appears the King of Kavel has taken ill."
Roehl's people scrambled out of their seats and huddled around their fallen leader, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with him. Not that they would figure it out. Only two people knew what was wrong. Myself, who poured the powder into his wine, and Iderra, who gave me the powder. Before they took Roehl Tharrington home, I would make sure he knew what had happened and why. So he could spend the rest of his life, such as it would be, thinking about the people that he killed.
My personal physician appeared and took a look at the young man. I had no idea what he would conclude, probably that Roehl's heart had temporarily failed him. I doubt if anyone in Roehl's camp would suspect poison. After all, the King of Kavel was among friends.
With the meeting having paused because of Roehl's sudden illness. I met in a corner with Vassa's four barons. The Baron of Selve. The Baron of Reilly. The Baron of Elleby. And the Baron of Larimore.
The Baron of Selve spoke first. "We cannot go to war against Dunre unless all of the Finger States are united. Plus we owe nothing to Landish. It's a heathen land that worships heathen gods. As far as I'm concerned, the world will be a better place with the King of Dunre on the high sage's throne."
I looked at the Baron of Selve. "Wouldn't it be better to fight the King of Dunre now, while we can join forces with the Landish Army?"
"There's no guarantee that he'll turn his army on us," the Baron of Reilly said.
"He killed Queen Catlett," I said.
"And he gained nothing from it. Vassa is as strong as ever. Perhaps stronger. He knows it's folly to move against a country that worships the One God."
"Bedard's feud with Catlett was personal," the Baron of Elleby added. "He never forgave her for rejecting his marriage proposal."
I looked at the Baron of Elleby. "If that's all it was, then why did he kill the kings of Holt, Enid, and Tash? I believe he did it because he plans on invading the Finger States."
"We're not ready for war," the Baron of Larimore said. "No matter what we believe will happen. We're just not ready. We need more time to build and train our armies."
"You're right," I conceded. "We're not ready for war, but whether we like it or not, war is coming. I guarantee it, for I know something of the man behind Maximillian Bedard. The man that's pulling his strings. The question is: is it better to let Landish fall and build up our forces, or take what we have and fight with the Landish Army?"
"Build up our forces," the Baron of Selve said.
"Build up our forces," the Baron of Larimore said.
"Build up our forces," the Baron of Elleby said.
"Build up our forces," the Baron of Reilly said.
"Do I have your guarantees that when you go home, you'll build up your armies? That your words aren't hollow?"
"The Dunre-Landish border is north of my land," the Baron of Larimore said. "I have no choice but to build up my army and move it to the border, less the fighting spill onto my land."
"My land also borders Dunre," the Baron of Elleby said. "I have no choice but to build up my army and move them to the border, just to keep the King of Dunre's army from thinking they can move south onto my land. I suggest you do the same, Your Majesty, seeing how your northern lands also border Dunre."
"It's already been done," I said. "Fifty members of the queen's guard were dispatched to my northern border along with fifty newly trained recruits. They can't stop a full scale invasion, but they should be able to intercept any scouts that Max sends south."
I called the meeting to order. Once everyone was seated, save for Roehl Tharrington, who had been taken to his room, I stood and let everyone know Vassa's opinion.
"Vassa is not yet prepared to go to war," I said. "We do believe that war between Dunre and the Finger States is on the horizon, for we know full well who was behind the death of our beloved Que
en Catlett. As such, we will build up our forces, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. We urge the barons, dukes, stewards, and kings of the other Finger States to do the same, acting with haste, for time is short. With that said, it appears this meeting is over. By a vote of three to two, the Finger States have decided not to get involved in the Dunre--Landish war. I will inform the high sage of our decision, which he will find regrettable, but not surprising."
A sense of relief filled the room. No one wanted to go to war, including me. Did I think we were better off joining forces with the high sage or waiting? I thought we were better off waiting. According to Sardis, the queen's guard was getting ten new recruits a day. At that rate, we would have six hundred new recruits in just two months. A force nearly equal to that of the high sage's army. Plus, I knew what kind of training our recruits were receiving. I didn't know what kind of training the high sage's army had.
"Are you disappointed?" Iderra said to me. She spoke in Adan, so those we didn't trust couldn't understand us.
"It went as expected," I said in Adan. "We'll be no worse off if we wait."
"Will you take the Queen Catlett back up river? Inform the high sage of our decision?"
I shook my head. "I can inform the high sage of our decision without traveling upriver."
Iderra switched to the Common Tongue, so everybody could understand us. "It's a shame the King of Kavel took ill."
"Let's hope it isn't serious. For he is a good friend."
"Perhaps, you should pay him a visit this evening. Nothing cheers up a young man quicker than the sight of a beautiful woman."
"Perhaps, I shall," I said.