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[Ardas]

They entered the city rather quietly, with people silenty observing the marching soldiers. Few cheers were heard there and there, but mostly because people got to see their families and friends again. Shortly after entering the barracks, Nikephoros was approached by the captains of the more militant units, who declared their leave from tha army due to dissapointing outcome. Graciously enough, they deposited money in his office.

The commoners were upset. Rumours were running uncheked. The weight of this bloody country was on Niko's shoulders more and more often. But he was prepared to deal with this.
Queen needs to be consulted; no, she will have to accept new set of rules and new way of doing things. Avitus and Kathos will most likely agree, but there is also the situation of the militant mob.
As he sat down to writing, he penned a short note, informing captains of double guard duty in and around the city. At least 2 regiments are to be deployed country-wide and on watch for any seditious activity.

Then he wrote two notes, both the same. Another meeting of the council had to be arranged.

Meet me in the univ. tower.

N.

[Shootandrun]

Kathos entered in the tower quietly. He did not say a word at first, but his mood was obvious. He was unhappy - as usual. He had not smiled once during the last weeks and he looked twenty years older than a month ago. He was always tired, always rude, always aggressive; especially when someone talked about the queen. He had not seen the queen since the retreat. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.

"Good morning, marshal. I would like to talk to you about a few things... Before Avitus gets here, if you do not mind. You arranged this meeting because you wanted to talk about the aftermath of the war, eh?"

[Ardas]

Is there anything else to talk about?
 Nikephoros looked as bad as Kathos, if not worse. Few gray hairs in his beard and on his head betrayed the nerves and exhaustion of the last weeks. But insted of anger, it was a look of mental exhaustion, melancholy and apathy.

"If you deem it important enough to speak of it only in my presence then go ahead."

[Shootandrun]

Kathos hesitated for a few seconds. When he spoke, however, there was an edge of determination in his voice.

"I think it's time, general, that we face the truth. The Queen is mad. Mad with anger, mad with ambition. There are times when she is perfectly normal... And there are times when she has no connection with the reality."

He sighed.

"When she attacked the Arctic Fox, I did not react in time. She was polite, she acted intelligently, she was patient and above all, calm. And then, as the general walked away, she simply tackled him. There was no sign, no change in her attitude until the last moment. It happened again when she ordered to attack the city during the night. She did not care about the odds at that moment. She cared about the glory, about the possibility of ending a 'boring siege' after only a few nights."

He was not looking at anything in particular. He seemed to be talking to himself as much as he was talking to the general.

"I've met men and women like that before. You cannot control them. And while these men were peasants or sometimes soldiers, this woman is the Queen of Ligoria. She sits on the throne because one day she decided to murder all of her family because she was in a bad mood. Her reign so far is quite impressive... She built an arena where criminals are forced to fight to death, she changed the laws to make sure that self-defense counts as a murder, she sent one of her nobles in exile because he did an incredible job, and she somehow managed to loose a battle where all the odds were on our side. In two years.

This Queen is the worst ruler that I've ever met, Nikephoros. As long as her arse's on the throne, Ligoria will remain miserable. We both know that. I think it's time that we start thinking about the good of the kingdom, instead of the good of the crown."

[Ardas]

Nikephoros listened carefully, saying nothing.
He stared out the window upon the city below when he spoke.

"I understand. I understand this situation more than you can imagine. And it pains me. I've spent my life as a sellsword and a vagabound, with no alliegiance and no cause. I lost my chance at normal existence and so far I wandered with no aim. But to leave nothing but trail of dead after my departure from this world is not a legacy I want to leave behind."

"When I see this country and I see myself, I do not see a job or a temporary living. I see my future homeland. It may sound silly from a mouth of a mercenary, but with my station and the situation here, I must stay and make this country grow. This will be my legacy. And I shall commit myself to the cause of Ligoria first and foremost."

He turned to Kathos. He suddenly changed his voice and stance from relaxed to determined.
"Laythe may reign, but she does not seem fit to rule. And I won't let more blood be spilt becaue she wants to play queen. This may well be my third and last mistake, but I want to see that the people won't suffer anymore. They are afraid and in turmoil and they seek a way out. She clearly sees nothing and continues to do nothing. She must accept the presence of a council that will govern the country in her name."

He returned to his relaxed stance. "My only hope is that she will not object too much. But she cannot make more decisions by herself. She simply cannot be allowed to do that anymore. Not without our say in the matter."

[Shootandrun]

Kathos listened patiently, and when he spoke there an inch of sadness in his voice.

"She will not accept, Nikephoros. She's ambitious. She wants her empire. If we even try to suggest such a thing to her, we'll end up like William, or worse. Even if we gave her absolutely no other choice, I think she would still try to keep the throne for herself. It's sad to say, but... We'll have to betray the Queen if we want to end her reign. She is not going to go away peacefully."

He spat.

"If we wish to make a move, we will need to do it quickly, Nikephoros. Talk to your captains. Evaluate their loyalty. After the siege of Mileth, there's got to be some officers hate the queen. Once that's done, I can make sure that a messenger comes from my estate, spreading stories of bandits raiding some villages. You will be able send loyalists away, hunting for bandits, while we keep the forces that will choose to fight with us inside the city. And then... We could simply storm the palace, disarm the queen's guards and have a little meeting with the Queen. Then, she might be reasonable."

[Ardas]

"No doubt some of the soldiers will follow me, for the love of the crown seems weak. Hell, if I tell them the truth about her, maybe the whole army will side with me. But Is Avitus going to join us or will he betray us? Once we tell him, there will be no turning back for him. For he will stay silent either way..." He added darkly.

He mused over the proposal and spoke again. "If we are to move now and quickly, do you think you would be able to mobilise the crowd against the queen? Will my leadership and your call to arms be sufficent to turn on queen? Maybe. But of her? Do wee keep her as a figurehead or do we put her on trial and crown someone else? Or maybe we marry her off to someone and send her to a distant estate?" He added the last suggestion half-jokingly.

[Shootandrun]

"Avitus does not need to know. He will understand that we need to be as quiet as possible about this. We know, and you can tell the soldiers who are absolutely loyal to our cause. No one else."

He smiled weakly.

"The population will not be too much of a problem, I think. If we put all the blame on the queen and we make sure she loses the power, we will be giving them what they want. And if things get too heated... I can control a crowd as easily as you can control soldiers, Nikephoros. If they try to react, I'll just talk to them a bit and when they'll go home they'll think that they always hated the queen. As for the Queen herself, we'll see. If she is very reasonable, we could keep her as a figurehead, but that would be risky. However, she must not leave the kingdom. You can be sure that one day she'll come back, with an army behind her."

[Taricus]

The queen marched back to her Palace with her personal guard in tow. She wasted no time preparing for the inevitable backlash.

"Right, send some messengers to the nobles, I want to meet with them at the end of the week, schedlue an audience with the lower level commanders and Marshal Vandire before then, and earlier than that summon Kathos for a private chat. Get the spys out into the city, get them to see what those rebels want.I don't want any incidents on the level that Mileth was. Understood? And if the crowds get too restless, organize a lockdown of the Palace"

The queen was weary. From the incident that started this, to Mileth, and now this. Some could say that the queen was at a breaking point...

[Dwarmin]

Tala and Pasha had ridden in the city along with the rest of the Nobility-on the same horse.

The meaning was not difficult to decipher, especially for those perceptive enough to notice the new ring and necklace adorning the man and woman, and the way they leaned on each for support. Indeed, Tala was not used to such brutal conditions-the army had moved double quick as Home was closer, and the foul weather had plagued them all the way-but she had remained strong as she could.

It was hard for her. Every face was anxious, pained-awaiting the sight of a loved one. Tala saw many of the women directed their gaze against her-either in melancholy, or true anger. After all, her man had returned...and some of theirs would not. So, what was it to her? Should she feel guilty? What could she have done...aside from executing the Queen herself? There was no easy answer, no neat solution that pleased everyone. Grief mingled with exhaustion. Tala's head drooped. It was just...too much. She heard someone talking to her, but didn't know who it was. She tried to respond, turning in the saddle...then everything seemed to tilt at the wrong angle

..

Tala got half way to the palace before falling off emerald and landing on her back. She felt the scant rain falling into her open eyes, and saw Pasha leaning over her worriedly-bending down to pick her up with his strong, gentle arms, before she fell into a deep sleep. Since she knew Pasha was there for her, she slept in relative peace-a mercy, considering.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Both Pasha and Tala had spent the ride home in silence. There was a lot to think about, for both of them, and he didn't have any doubt the others (Ralia, Thunderblade, Vandire) had their own concerns to worry about. For his part, he was still adjusting to the idea of willingly giving away his freedom. As a child, he had been a vagrant, sleeping under the stars and getting what food he could by whatever means he could, usually ending up spending a few days in various cells and dungeons for theft or trespassing, until his talents had been discovered by a nobleman. Then he had spent his days in various contracts, aligning himself with one house, and then another, until his father had come to claim him. For six years he had found himself shackled to the name Marlax, and tried his best to fit in, to belong... even if it meant becoming the monster his father was.

And then, he had thrown it away and been imprisoned once more. When he was freed he had decided he had had enough of being tied to anyone else's fortune and he would make his own... but maybe his destiny wasn't supposed to be a lonely one. Pasha Alanis... at least this time it's a name I'm choosing to take rather than one I've been given. He turned his attention to his future bride and noticed she looked even more tired and worn down than usual. "Tala? How are you feeling?" She started to turn to him... then slid and fell from the saddle.

In a flash he had dismounted, his own pain and weariness forgotten in that instant, and knelt beside her. "Tala!" He picked her up, one arm under her shoulders, the other under her legs, and stood. She's all right, she has to be. She's a strong woman. A little fall like that isn't going to hurt her, he thought, trying to convince himself of it as he started carrying her towards her estate. Emerald, as loyal to her mistress as ever, followed in his footsteps.

[Dwarmin]

The Doctor lowered his primitive Stethoscope to Tala's chest. Noting Pasha's look of concern-and confusion at his methods-he reassured him.

"Just a precaution...I can hear the Ladies heart...it beats steadily."

His diagnosis is pronounced.

"She's running a mild fever...suffering exhaustion and dehydration. But, thank the Shining One, I don't think she's caught whats been tearing apart the lower class these last few months. At least, I don't see the normal signs. She should be fine in a day or two. I suggest you just let her sleep for now-and inform me if her condition worsens. Make sure she gets plenty of liquids. Keep visitors to a minimum."

The look in the Doctors eyes is haunted. He's watched far too many graves dug lately. Especially small ones. The worst part is how little he can do about it. He has expensive rememedies, yes-far out of the price range of the commoners, even if they sold all their worldly possessions. But those don't always work.

The Doctor tips his hat and leaves. Hoping he was right-that the fever will break by the morning. He's not always right.

For now, Tala remains insensible-thought she had begun to talk quietly in her unconscious state, a collection of phrases which Pasha cannot help but think relates to her 'work', or to him personally. The first sort of things would get her killed, most likely, if heard by the wrong person.

"It's not against castle rules to tell me that right...I wouldn't want to get you in any trouble..Now, we have privacy...I did have occasion to speak to Retcyl Jementeten...I have my family reputation to attend to, after all...Make it look good-you'll have to throw me off in case anyone is watching...I am not so much a bibliophile I would ever turn you down, Pasha...Eternal Glory to the Dragon Empire...Pentagram sends his...her regards...

...One day, we'll settle down. I've always loved horses..."

Tala almost seems to smile in her sleep at the last phrase. Wherever she is, it's no doubt a beautiful place.

[Ardas]

"Then I guess this settles it then. No doubt she will want to talk with us beforehand about the unrest, but we will have to put our plan in motion immediately. As soon as I know how many soldiers are with us, I will let you know whether we need the false bandit alarm. Then you can raise the rabble and the palace can be surrounded."

I don't know if Avitus will be here, but he will have to go with whatever we do in the end. His talents are mainly administrative, and we have force on our side."

He then turned towards the doors.

"If you don't mind, I will take my leave and get to work. You can stay behind and talk to Avitus if you deem it necessary."

With that he left.

----------------------------------------

This had to work. It was little else that was to be done if this kingdom was to survive.
It had to be done delicately and with finesse. He knew that the troopers tended to trust the marshal. He trained them, he shared their sentiments and he knew not ask more than what he was prepared to do himself. He was one of them to an extent. But he had to know he general mood and if the captains would follow him. During the next day, he invited all regiment leaders one by one and talked to each one individually. He briefly spoke of the situation and the importance of obedience to the superiors. He also emphasised how he is the head of army and that he wants to know the ultimate allegiance of each one of them in an event of an extreme emergency. But he tried to be as discrete and careful as he could. The discussions were conducted in the spirit of the current emergency being assesed, so he knew that his questions were not out of ordinary given the circumstances.

Find out the allegiance of the regiments and the mood in the army.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Thank you, doctor," Pasha said, breathing a sigh of relief. If she had caught the plague, or had been seriously injured from the fall... he didn't know what he would have done. For now he saw the doctor out and closed the door after him, then took a seat at her side and held her hand between his. It was a little colder and slightly clammy - the doctor had said her fever would probably cause that. I'll get her some water as soon as she wakes. She was talking in her sleep. Fever dreams, most likely, born of her memories. He smiled and brushed some hair from her forehead, where the sweat was making it stick.

I wonder who Retcyl is. It doesn't sound like the sort of name people around here have... probably just a contact of hers. He felt bad about lying to Queen Ralia, at least as far as his allegiances went; his only real loyalty was to Tala, and hers was to the Dragon Empire. For now he stood beside Laythe only because Tala did so. If there ever came a time he had to choose between the two women, the one he would follow was obvious. Perhaps it's selfish of me... but decisions are much easier when you care for so few things. Ligoria, the Dragon Empire, the Storm Coast, the Gods people worship, all of it could end tomorrow and I wouldn't care at all as long as we remained together.

Yes... that was all that mattered. Tala was the only person he would follow. He didn't belong anywhere but with her, and that suited him fine. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Rest easy, my love. I'm here to watch over you. I'll always be here to watch over you..."

[Dwarmin]

In the Kingdom of sleep...

Tala was dreaming of floating in peace-she could see nothing but warm green light. Normally she might be falling, but Pasha was here, there and everywhere-holding her hand, to keep her afloat. To keep her from drowning. There words, she could hear her other self somewhere below, confessing all the sins they had done, happily doing so. Maybe she could have stopped her...but why ruin this peace? They were both happy enough here.

Pasha was the walls of this vivid jade fortress. Infused and suffused inside and outside of her at the same time. He kept the nightmares at bay. Even Nod the King of Dreams was forced to turn back from his planned torment with a sigh.

Tenderness.

...Rest easy, my love. I'm here to watch over you. I'll always be here to watch over you....

These words floated from some place. Pretty voice. Pashas voice. May I have this dance, my love? she asked...Both in the real world, and the dream world.

In the real world, her hand tightened over Pashas own-as in the dream world, they took each others hands, and began to spin in perfect harmony, to a heavenly choir that no mortal had yet conceived in this age.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Houses of Healing...

Scout Captain Wilheim was also being tended to by a doctor-he had given him some foul tasting tea to drink, that was supposed to speed his recovery. His wounds were serious, but he would survive. Not like so many of his men.

Detroyed. Thats what they said to him. Half his men gone. Incapable of combat.

Only when he had reunited with the column of troops-waking up to be borne on a stretcher by Lady Alanis's bodyguards, did he realize how bad the numbers really were. How many he had lost in the retreat.

He had shared meals with them. Laughed at the same bawdy jokes. Mended their broken arms and sliced open calfs while they winced in pain.

Now? Dead, dead, dead.

Wilheim was not usually an angry man-he prided himself on his self control. He ran a trembling hand through his red hair.

Then he threw the cup into the wall.

Then he laughed. Who cared about old Wilheim? He had lost his regiment. The Queen would not reward him with another. Neither Marshall Nikephoros nor General Kathos had spoken to him on the matter. He supposed that was proof enough of his failure, they had forgotten about him. From his point of view-as a soldier-he had failed his mission, failed his Queen, failed his country. He deserved this.

He did not want to believe what they said about the Queen-the other soldiers in the hospital, or the nurses. Everyone was saying something...No, he took it all on himself. He was a good soldier, loyal to his commanders.

He wondered if anyone would visit him. Probably no one. Then what? He takes his final pay cheque...and?

The lovey-dovey couple who had technically rescued him (ironically, he had trained Tala for a time) had a future ahead of them. A good one, if the Gods were kind-he wished them well. But, he didn't have one, not that he could see.

Wilheim thought he saw a shadow by the door. Marshall Nikephoros?

No, just a trick of the light and shadow...he closed his eyes. Sort of wishing that he was just imagining it.

OOC: I hope no one minds. Wilheim technically has no forces any more to command, so his loyalty won't affect the plot anyway.