Prince of Wrath (78 page)

Once sobered up, he had been summarily sentenced to death and hung from the fort ramparts. His body was swaying in the breeze in full view from the streets below. The rest of the prisoners were at that moment working in chains, cleaning up the fort, the grounds, and the streets. Later they would be made to clear up the harbour which was mostly unusable. There were so many prisoners that they had to be stowed aboard one of the unsailable ships. Guards were posted everywhere, just in case there were any of Volkanos or Duras supporters remaining.

Kiros Louk sidled up to the prince as Jorqel stood peering out of his window that overlooked the harbour. “Well, your highness,” he said in a clearly disrespectful voice. “My congratulations at another success.”

Jorqel frowned in irritation. “I wish you would knock!”

Kiros laughed silently. He slid a yellowed and crumpled piece of parchment onto the table.

“What’s that?” Jorqel demanded.

“My expenses and fee for a successful job, of course.”

“Hmph! I suppose you want me to pay you now?”

“Naturally, sire – I have delivered Romos to you as promised.”

Jorqel went to a small chest in the corner of his room and unlocked it. He threw a small bag of coins across to the spy who took it, weighed it experimentally, and nodded. “My thanks, sire. Is there any other service I can perform for you or the Koros family?”

The prince thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. “In fact I think there is. One of those sewer rodents escaped on a ship, Nikos Duras. I would like you to find him and kill him.”

“I’m no assassin, sire.”

“Hmmm…. Perhaps not but I would like him eliminated. I don’t know where he has gone, but he has a ship and a crew and as long as he is at large, I’m not happy. I want him dead.”

Kiros Louk bowed and backed away, leaving as quickly as he’d arrived. Jorqel scowled. The man was just too adept at sneaking past his guards. He was still pondering on whether the fugitive Duras would be found when Gavan arrived, slumping into a handy chair. “That’s all sorted, sire.”

“What is?”

The ship to Slenna. It sailed a short while ago. The town is secure, the countryside will be in next to no time, and then we’ll be up and working as smooth as a baby’s arse.”

“I doubt that, Gavan. This is just a small step, retaking Romos for the empire. Yes, we’ve cut out the pirate nest here and made the voyages to and from Zipria safer, and increased the standing of both my family and the empire by regaining this island, but its nothing compared to what we’re going to have to face in the near future.”

“Venn?”

Jorqel nodded. “Venn. That’s our real test. Look at our position. We’re the link between the mainland and Zipria, and the nearest military outpost to their forces on Cratia. We’re definitely a threat to them now. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a Venn invasion force arriving before the end of next year.”

“We can’t take on a Venn army with what we’ve got here, sire,” Gavan stated flatly. “Not without a decent infantry base. And this place – its far too weak to stand anything but a basic siege.”

The prince nodded and looked out of the window once more. “Which is why we must continue to strive to build ourselves up to face our enemies. Kastania isn’t finished by a long way, but we’re still terribly weak and a concerted attack by someone could cause us irreparable harm.”

“Won’t Mazag protect us, sire?”

The prince laughed and turned round. “Mazag will protect its own interests, and then only in Bragal, as it did at Zofela. They can do nothing for us here – we’re on our own, Gavan. Us and the three companies of the RIMM. That’s all we’ve got to defend Romos with; I can’t spare any of the men in Slenna and Lodria, for they need to be there in case the Tybar act, or bandits rise up. No, we will have to make sure this island is safe by ourselves. It’s going to be a hard task, my friend.”

“Will nobody else come to our aid?”

“No, Gavan. I doubt that very much. We must stand on our own feet and fight against whatever comes our way.”

He knew that the war against Venn may wash up against the shores of his newest province, and if it did, then he was not all that sure of being able to resist them forever. He just hoped that Venn would look to the richer prizes of Turslenka and Zofela.

Even as he was thinking that, across the sea and across the mountains, in the village of Drazino – the capital of the newly conquered province of Epros – three senior members of Venn’s military stood around a map set on a table, pointing at the passes through the mountains into Kastanian territory, and making their plans.

Alenna Duras………… Daughter of Lord Duras, later married Vosgaris Taboz

Amne Koros ............ Only daughter of Astiras Koros, Princess of Kastania

Argan Koros ............ Third child of Astiras and Isbel, Prince of Kastania

Astiras Koros ........... Emperor of Kastania

Burnas ..................... High Priest of Kastania

Clora ....................... Spy and lover of Demtro Kalfas

Demtro Kalfas ......... Merchant in Niake, acting as spy for the Koros

Elas Pelgion ............. Husband to Princess Amne Koros and governor of Frasia

Evas Extonos ........... Governor of Niake

Fostan Carras .......... Castellan of Slenna castle

Frendicus ................ Chief tax assessor of Kastania

Gallis ...................... Former priest now assigned to tutor Istan Koros

Gavan .............. …... Jorqel’s right hand man

Genthe…………………. Senior servant of Koros household in Zofela

Henne………………….. Sannia’s handmaiden and lover of Gavan

Iovan Sen ............... Tutor to Argan Koros

Isbel Koros ............. Empress, wife of Astiras, mother to Argan & Istan

Istan Koros ............. Youngest child of Astiras and Isbel, Prince of Kastan

Jorqel Koros ........... Heir to the throne, eldest son of Astiras

Kerrin Afos ............ Son of Panat, friend of Argan Koros

Kimel…………………… Trustee assigned to watch Zonis Kalfas in the rebel camp

Kiros Louk ............. Spy used by the Koros in Slenna

Lalaas ..................... New palace guard captain when Vosgaris Taboz leaves for Zofela

Lombert Soul ......... Rebel leader in Bathenia

Masar………………….. New major domo in Kastan palace when Pepil moves to Zofela

Metila ..................... Bragalese slave of Thetos Olskan in Turslenka

Nikos Duras ........... Rebel commander in Turslenka and, later, in Romos

Panat Afos ........... ..Military tutor to Prince Argan Koros

Pepil ....................... Major domo of palace in Kastan City, and later in Zofela

Renet ...................... Spy used by Demtro Kalfas in Niake

Sannia Nicate ......... Betrothed to Jorqel Koros, later marries him

Sasia……………………. Young Bragalese servant of Argan Koros in Zofela

Sepan………………….. Castellan of Zofela castle

Teduskis ................. Army general and right hand man of Astiras

Thetos Olskan ....... Governor of Turslenka

Vacan Fokis ........... Senior lawyer of Kastania, head of the House of Fokis

Valsan Duras ......... Head of the Duras family

Vanist………………….. Mazag army general in Bragal

Vasila Taboz………… Sister of Vosgaris, employed as a spy for Astiras

Velka Varaz ........... Young girl who befriended Argan Koros

Vosgaris Taboz ...... Captain of the guard, head of security in Kastan and then Zofela

Zonis Kalfas ........... Older brother of Demtro, former army general

Amne, daughter of emperor Astiras I Koros of the Kastanian Empire, despairs of finding love from her cold husband, Prince Elas. Her heart is set on the captain of the palace guard, Lalaas, but he refuses to submit to her advances. In desperation Amne turns to the handsome young nobleman Dragan Purfin, who has ambitions of his own, to rule Kastan City, and he eagerly begins an affair with the Princess.

Lalaas cannot stand by while the scheming Dragan tries to manipulate Amne into betraying her husband, and takes steps to bring the lust-addicted Amne to her senses. Meanwhile Dragan makes his plans to kill Elas and marry Amne in order to rule from the throne of Kastan City.

Emperor Astiras has worries of his own. His own infidelity with the Bragalese witch Metila has been discovered and his wife, the empress Isbel, is told by anonymous letter. Confronted by his angry wife, Astiras realises that it is part of a plot to topple the House of Koros from the throne, and enlists Captain Vosgaris to find out who is behind it before any more damage is done. Vosgaris’ enquiries takes him beyond the town of Zofela where the imperial couple are living, and closer to the heart of his enemies, and closer to deadly danger.