Chapter 4
Anya rushed through the halls of the tower, the moment they had gotten word, Gustus immediately agreed to aid Titus in orchestrating the running of Polis in Lexa’s stead and Anya ignored all of her prior duties to run to her old seken’s side. Lexa needed someone to be there for her, to protect her and lead her, and that was Anya’s job. It always had been.
Nothing could have prepared her for what she found upon entering Heda’s bed chambers.
The head, it was gruesome, Anya would admit. But the way Lexa sat next to it, back leaned against the footboard of her bed, staring listlessly at it, that’s what scared Anya the most. She’d been ready to console tears, raging, even hysteria, but Lexa wasn’t there.
“Lexa?”
No response.
“Goufa?”
Nothing.
“Strisis?” Anya approached slowly, crouching in front of Lexa, just to the side of Costia’s head. “Beja, answer me.”
Finally, Lexa’s head turned, only barely, her eyes focusing in and out on her once mentor. Anya hadn’t called Lexa her little sister since before the Ascension, but that didn’t mean her affection for the girl had lessened any at all. Anya had raised this kid since she was able to hold a sword –barely- and watched Lexa grow from a bright eyed little girl to a calm, wise, brilliant young leader. It was the trembling of the bottom lip that signaled to Anya the depths of her agony.
A tear tracked down Lexa’s face as she seemed to crumble. “I-“ She choked.
“Hush,” Anya murmured. “There’s nothing to explain.”
Lexa shook her head. “My Keryontai.”
Anya tilted her head. “Chit?”
“They’re squeezing their hand. Like they mean to hold my hand or something. It feels like someone is holding my hand.” Lexa whimpered, withdrawing even further. “I can’t- They’re trying to comfort me.”
Anya swallowed the lump in her throat, now was not the time for her own emotions. “L-“
“They’re left handed.” Lexa blurted. “It doesn’t mean anything, but they’re left handed. They’re squeezing their right hand with their left. They’re left handed.”
“Lexa,” Anya interrupted her rambling. “Gustus and I have bought you a day to mourn.” It was time to cut the chase. “I’ll have one of the guards build a funeral pyre. We can burn her with her murderer, that ripa Toronto.”
Lexa shook her head again. “No, I want him alive. He’s important alive.”
“Why?”
“He’s a messenger.” Lexa raised her eyebrows, as if Anya should know what that meant. “Clan doctrine indicates that the execution of a messenger is grounds for war. But if he is alive, he is a prisoner and an intruder, sent to intimidate my people. His life means the Kongeda forgoes the vote. War has been declared. It is our move now, she expects me to be fearful.” Lexa growled. “She wants me scared and vulnerable.”
Anya schooled her features immediately. Anya could see the vulnerability, the emotion and pain in Lexa, despite her attempts to hide it, but showing Lexa that she saw her vulnerability would ruin the girl. Her mask was all she had now. “What do we do then? Heda?” She added after a second’s hesitation.
“Our move must be that of strength.” Lexa huffed, avoiding looking at the head as she shakily stood to her feet, smaller than Anya had ever seen her, even when she was only five summers old and fumbling through her stances.
“And her funeral?”
Lexa bowed her head. “Build the funeral pyre in front of the healer’s hut. Inform her family and the healers, including Lydik. Allow word to spread. She was beloved among Polis. Allow the anger and the tragedy to dredge up emotion among our people.” Lexa took a shaky breath. “It will spread the word that Azgeda attacked a citizen inside the walls of Polis, there will be no question of borders or Nia’s knowledge. Toronto was a member of the Prince’s guard. With the armies of the Kongeda we will wreak revenge on the Azgeda.”
Anya nodded, she could plan a war. She was a famed general among the Trikru. But comfort a girl after the loss of her lover? Anya didn’t know what to do. So she followed orders.
It took until nightfall to finish preparing for the funeral, and Anya was entirely shocked at the number of people attending. Many weren’t even Trikru. The girl had done so much good within the community, though, Anya supposed she should have expected such respect and mourning.
Standing by the unlit pyre, Anya found Costia’s closest friends, and her parents. Her brother was away on assignment, and he wouldn’t hear of his sister’s torture and death until much later. She approached Costia’s parents, silently gripping their arms in solidarity. “Her death will not be in vain.” Anya vowed. “The Commander will be sure of that.”
“She knows that it wasn’t her fault?” Costia’s mother begged. “Lexa is the type to take responsibility for this.”
Anya fought back the urge to collapse to her knees and beg for the woman to visit Lexa, but that would be unfitting of a general. “She is, and I’m not sure she does know that.” Anya admitted. “But with time, she’ll learn.”
The woman fought a sob. “Lexa is our daughter too. She must know that.”
Anya squeezed her shoulder. “And she will. For now, we mourn.”
Anya turned as the crowd parted rapidly, Lexa was arriving. She wore her coat and sash, the gear of the Commander and her war paint, unconventional for the funeral of a lover. Though, Anya supposed, everyone in Polis knew of Lexa’s relationship with Costia anyway. Lexa certainly didn’t need to wear a disguise. Perhaps it was more for Lexa than for the people.
Lexa stopped at a respectful distance from the pyre, as if she were just a distant spectator rather than Costia’s lover. “Today, we mourn the loss of one of Polis’ finest healers.” She spoke so that everyone could hear, but her tone was carefully controlled. “Costia was captured by Azgeda invaders, tortured by Azgeda warriors, and sent to me as a threat from Queen Nia Kom Azgeda. Let no one forget the person we mourn, her light, innocence, and talent. But let no one forget why we mourn her. She was taken from us. An act of war. An innocent was killed without the declaration of war, instead of targeting our strength, Nia, the coward, targeted our youth, our beauty. This will not stand. Her death was meaningless. But her life will not be. Costia valued peace and prosperity. She healed anyone who asked her for help, no matter their clan, no matter their bloodline.” Lexa’s eyes burned in the light of the torches surrounding the large crowd. “We will honor her love, her desire, for peace. But peace comes at a price, and it will be paid with the blood of the Azgedakru that did this to her. And once that debt is paid, peace will reign.” Lexa stopped to allow her words to echo in the silence. “Jus drein jus daun.”
Chanting began, a call for war among every mourner, every spectator, every man, woman, and child in the crowd. Blood must have blood, and blood they shall have. Anya watched silently as the crowd grew to a fevered pitch before Lexa raised a single hand. Silence fell almost immediately, but the atmosphere was that of anger and energy. Costia’s death would be avenged.
“Now, we mourn.” Lexa spoke softly, nodding to Costia’s parents.
With shaking hands, they reached for the torch handed to them, and set it atop the pyre. In an instant, flames roared up, the crackling of burning wood the only sound to be heard among the crowd. Lexa watched for a few respectful moments. Anya was shocked Lexa herself hadn’t lit the pyre, but instead, Lexa turned to leave shortly afterwards, not bothering to wait for the fire to die down.
Anya hurried after her. Lexa shouldn’t be alone right now. “Heda,” She greeted, reaching her side.
Lexa didn’t answer at first as they reached the empty market square, glowing golden from the fire burning a street away. “I was going to ask her to marry me.” Lexa stated, nearly coldly, as if she were detached from herself. “I planned on carving a necklace for her. Or give her a small dagger, something like that. I wasn’t sure.”
Anya’s heart broke. Lexa had been so close to happiness. So close, and it was taken from her.
“Nia will die.” Lexa hissed. “Tomorrow, I will meet with the ambassadors in my war room. Nia expects vulnerability, she expects me to be hindered by emotion. We will show her force. I will not defeat her in battle. She will surrender to me by her own volition.” Lexa raised her chin. “It will be the most humiliating day of her life.”
Lexa squared her shoulders, standing taller. “Then it will be her last.”
“Titus, I have had enough of you.” Heda snapped, baring her teeth. “Toronto will not be harmed. Do you understand me?” She raised her voice, startling the bald man for the first time in his life. “His life is valuable. I will question him myself.”
“Heda, there is no point, he is a natrona! He killed his own Keryontai, that’s a grave crime, we can’t let him get away with betraying the girl!”
Titus had no time to react before Heda had rounded on him and set her dagger to his throat. “You will silence yourself Titus, or I will cut your tongue from your mouth. If you really have no faith in me to uphold our laws and guard my citizens, all of them, then you may find yourself at the end of a rope hanging from the edge of my balcony. Fleimkappa or not. Today, I will discuss war with my ambassadors and if you continue speaking I will have you thrown in the dungeons alongside the ripa.”
Titus didn’t believe Heda would do anything that she threatened, and Heda herself wasn’t so sure, but it certainly felt good to put a knife to the man’s throat.
Heda swept into the war room, Titus following silently at her heels, and with a glare, he was forced to remain silent in the back of the room like a punished child. The chaos and shouting that usually followed her entrance to a meeting with the ambassadors was oddly lacking. It was clear to everyone that she was not to be prodded today. Anya sat in the seat just to the right of Heda’s own, and the ambassadors sat, crowding the long table covered in maps and numbers and notes. Each ambassador had a couple of aides and advisors to help them negotiate and plan what is best for each clan. Also included in the war room was Gustus, and a few of the older Natblidas.
The Natblidas wouldn’t speak, their role was to observe and watch as Heda conducted the meeting. They would need to learn about conducting war in the case of her death, and this was a prime opportunity to watch it happen.
There was no need to call for silence in the giant room, everyone waited for her to speak. “The Azgeda invaded Polis yesterday, Toronto Kom Azgeda delivered to me the head of a citizen of Polis. The Azgeda had kidnapped this civilian, tortured her, and then used her as a pitiful attempt to intimidate the Kongeda. This is tantamount to a declaration of war, and therefore must be met with the solemn and serious focus of warfare.” Heda’s voice was made of iron, there was no questioning her today. “Today we will discuss this war and our plan of action. I expect complete obedience. My orders are final, disobeying my orders will be considered and punished as treason. My suggestion, is to follow these orders to the letter.” Heda warned.
“To begin, I call upon the armies of the Eleven Allied Clans, every available warrior is to be at my disposal. Trade with the Azgeda, of all kinds, is to be halted. They will be cut off from every resource not available to them in their immediate area.”
“Heda,” An ambassador from the Plains Clans interrupted. “Are we to invade Azgeda territory?”
Heda walked to her seat, remaining standing, and levelled a serious, studious, gaze at the woman. Sensing no disdain in her tone, Heda answered her question. “Not yet. I will wait to gather our numbers. The Azgedakru are formidable because of their unknown numbers and their difficult-to-traverse territory. Until we are ready to move in, we will choke them until the Azgeda people are ready to flee their home to avoid starvation.”
“My people will not participate in an invasion, Heda. Luna will not stand for this.” The Floudonkru ambassador spoke.
“And what warriors -pray tell- do you have available to send?” Heda snapped sarcastically. “I do not ask the Floudonkru for warriors, as I never have in the past. I am quite familiar with the Floudonkru law. Should the Azgeda attack the Floudonkru right this moment, there would be no stopping Nia’s complete conquer of your clan, so if you desire protection from the battles that will follow come our official declaration of war, I suggest you shof op.”
The Floudonkru ambassador paled and snapped his mouth shut with a clack of his teeth.
“Now, the Floudonkru will levy a blockade upon the Azgeda vessels, preventing passage into territory that does not belong to Azgeda. Warriors from the Delphi and Lake Clans will accompany the Floudonkru on their vessels for martial protection. Any Azgeda vessel to attempt to cross the blockade is to be sunk.” Heda growled. “All trade along the river routes and over land are to also be halted and blockaded. No Azon is to cross the blockades, their supplies confiscated.” Heda leaned over the table to pull a large map with known territory and borders hand drawn on yellowing paper. She took the paper weights Anya handed her. “This is where the blockades will be set up. They will be five miles inside Kongeda border. Away from the Azgeda guards that will attack upon seeing warriors enter neutral territory, but close enough to insure there will be no trade between the Allied Clans and the Azgeda. We will seal the Azgeda within their own territory by force.” She set the paper weights down in the locations she indicated.
Heda paused. “Anya, have the Trikru increase security around the villages nearest the northern border. Extra warriors only necessary for villages within forty miles of the border. Plains Clan, do the same for the northeastern border of the Riders’ territories.” Heda ordered. “Nia will attempt to counter with attacks to the bordering villages. I want every warrior from all eleven clans guarding some part of the border within the month. After that we begin the next stage of our attack.”
“And what is the next stage?” Anya asked quietly.
Heda set her jaw. “I have chosen three villages. They’ll be razed to the ground. No building standing, not even a latrine. No civilians to be harmed, but any and all warriors or villagers that attempt to attack or defend will die. I will take no prisoners.” Heda’s eyes glittered with conflicting emotion. “If Nia chooses to be savage, then we will respond in kind. She will not see me weak, ever, nothing she can do and can break me.” Heda raised her chin. “She will surrender, or watch her entire clan burn to ash.”
As she left from the war meeting towards the end of the day, Lexa felt pressure on her right hand again, a sign from her Keryontai. “I’m here.”