***CRASH***

Ahanu ducked under the plate of fruit Alsoomose chucked at him. The crystal plate splintered into thousands of pieces, and the fruit hit with enough force to make physical comics proud.

“Oh come on now dear, you know that is the main reason you ever spent time with me.” Ahanu was doing his best diffuse Alsoomose before the children figured out it wasn’t an act.

“You see, your wonderful, strong, beautiful mother was of the opinion that all men who couldn’t beat her in a duel were garbage.”

Kimi couldn’t help but laugh and cut in, “And that was everyone. She really did have a poor opinion of all the boys at the academy.”

“It wasn’t all the boys. Instructor Malanic always beat back my challenges.”

“Yes dear, but a 250-year-old veteran hardly counts as a boy does he? Anyway, by showing your mother that brains can beat brawn,” Ahanu glanced nervously at his wife, “and since I won occasionally, she would often challenge me to duels.”

“And he had the gall to cheat more than half the time,” huffed Alsoomose who had finally taken her seat.

“Come now, I followed the rules to the letter, but that’s really just how we came to spend so much time together. How I got her to marry me began—“

Loud knocking interrupted Ahanu mid-sentence. It would take quite an incident for his aids to interrupt his private dining. Ahanu turned and nodded to Ximani, the butler, who opened the door.

“Your Grace, I humbly beg your pardon for interrupting.”

“Given. What is it Eumenes?” Ahanu eyed the weary general up and down. Sweat and agitation reeked from his body. “What could have the Hammer of the East so concerned?”

“Your Grace, the Lamians have amassed south of the Aroostook. It would seem that they built a gate-head in the span of only 3 days.”

“Damn Antipater, and damn his bastard son,” exclaimed Alsoomose.

“Language, dear. The kids. Kimi, if you would be so kind, could you finish up dinner with the children and help see them to bed? I assure you Huritt will give you no trouble, right son?”

“Indeed father, I will, of course, endeavor to be the best host possible.” Talo kept up the best poker face he could manage at his age. That god promised me that it would be a peaceful country. What’s going on?

“I would be more than happy to help. Rebellion is no minor matter, and I’m happy to mind the young while the warriors wage their craft.” Kimi was no fool. Eumenes’s two sentences spoke volumes to the trained ear.

The Aroostook, or ‘good river’ marked the northern edge of the ducal lands. It was a violation of imperial law for anyone short of the emperor to gather troops in the duchy without Ahanu’s blessing. Next, the Lamians held a long sectarian grudge against the Axculi and the Grand Plains Alliance. Before the Empire had conquered the region, the three were in frequent conflict. The Axculi’s land purposefully extended through Lamian and Alliance lands so that it separated them from direct conflict.

Finally, there was the issue of the gate-head. The creation of a spatial gate of any size required imperial approval. Permissions were highly regulated and given close oversight against abuses in tariffs and smuggling. To make a gate-head, a spatial transfer point large enough to move machines of war, was beyond prohibited. It represented an act of outright rebellion.

Alsoomose and Ahanu nodded at each other, then stood and followed Eumens out of the room.

“How in the hell did they build a gate-head in three days?” Ahanu was livid despite his calm demeanor.

“We don’t know. A better question was how were they able to gather the materials without us noticing what they were doing. The Eastern Service was just as surprised at the news.” Eumenes earned his rank through great feats of military and political strategy.

The Empire had two main military commands, divided into the East and the West. The forces of the West served at Ahanu’s discretion, but the top leadership was almost exclusively from Eastern champions who received imperial appointment. The “Eastern Service” was the intelligence network run from Vindar, the capital.

“Antipater was a coward who could never raise a proper son. They’ve probably been plotting for years, and gathering scraps like rats.” Alsoomose held Lamians in particular disdain. Lamian assassins killed both her father and brother. Her family was renowned for its battle prowess, and her father subjugated most of the Lamian lands before his assassination.

The trio arrived in the palace war room. Priceless magical displays showed the locations of imperial and ducal troops. The navy held off a small coast guard that normally patrolled the river.

“Let’s keep things in context. They’ve suffered a five-year drought, and hunger can drive great men to war. They will lose, however, to a well-trained and fed force. What am I missing?” Ahanu sucked in all the information in front of him. None of this looks like they even have a prayer of winning. So what are they doing, he wondered.

“Bring the 1st brigade to the ford but do NOT initiate any exchanges. Take all of Ajax’s cavalry along a long loop behind them. I want them to be able to strike from Escanaba, and I don’t want the Lamians to see it coming. And Satrap!”

“Here, your grace.”

“Fly as hard and fast as you can to the Alliance. Invite Luke to join us for some light game hunting. We have rebels to harvest.”

⁂

Talo finished reading Wawetseka a bedtime story. He joined Kimi in saying prayers over the girls, who fell asleep in the middle of the petitions. Something about being literally born again made Talo more religious.

“Well little HurHur, you were quite a help in there. Would you like me to read you a story?” Kimi never expected Talo to be literate. The Lamian revolt provided her the opportunity to probe just how strange Talo was, and she wasn’t going to miss her chance.

“If Lady Kimi would be so kind, I do prefer Huritt. I thank you for your concern, but I think I can manage my rest with my handmaiden. It wouldn’t be fitting to pull you away from your children, especially little Wikimak.” I can only handle this for 10 more seconds before I run away screaming.

“If Lord Huritt prefers it, I will, of course, defer to your preference. I am merely concerned after your wellbeing. After all, your parents did leave you in my care.”

“And Lady Kimi attended me well through the evening. At this, however, I must take my leave, and I’m sure we will reach a more permanent solution by the morning.”

Kimi nodded deeply to Talo, aware that she couldn’t move him further. They were surrounded by palace staff, so it was not as if he was in any actual need. Further, if she really pressed him, she was certain that the same staff would get word back to his parents.

Talo bowed slightly, his first faux pas of the evening, then left the room.

“Paquine, would you be so kind as give me a water treatment before bed? You know how it calms my nerves.”

“Your will, my Lord. But know we are over our allotment of élan water, so it will at best be with holy water.” Paquine worried over Talo’s behavior. She shadowed him the entire day, as was her duty, but she had never focused on just how peculiar he was until she witnessed his interactions with Wawetseka.

The pair remained silent the remainder of the way back to Talo’s room. Once they arrived, Talo dropped his clothes and looked expectantly at Paquine.

Ohhh he’s just toooo cute standing there naked while trying to be in command. Paquine clapped her hands and two maids brought in a folding cot and a bowl. Paquine chanted softly and water condensed in front of her hands then fell into the bowl. “Mary, please fetch the holy water as well. My Lord, we will have to start with plain water at the moment.”

Talo nodded and lay prone across the cot. Paquine then began chanting softly and passed her hands back and forth over his back.

This is it, thought Talo. Reach out with my mana senses. Mmm... her mana is passing into my back…it tastes like a blueberry smoothie…feel it up to her hands…I can feel mana moving…now, Pull!

Paquine’s hands slammed down onto Talo’s back. “Oh My Lord, I’m sorry. If you wanted to take in my mana, you just needed to ask.” Paquine rubbed the section of his back she slapped then moved her hands over his shoulder blades. “Do try to be a bit gentler, that was my first time sharing mana, and it was a bit…rough.” She then pressed her hands into his back and tried to pool all her mana into her arms. Talo began to pull her mana directly.

Oh, this is great. This may better than breastfeeding. I can really mellow out and let loose. And there’s so much of it. So much more than little Wawetseka...

*Crash*

Damn, did I do that?