for his entire career, but for some reason, the Princess was intimidating in a way that Illiad could never have been. Those purple eyes could see right through the plate armor and read him like an open book.
“You know that I can tell when you lie. An odd shade of orange to say the least. If you don’t remember, we had this discussion once already. You can’t expect to make me your queen and try to keep me dissociated with the things you consider below me. I don’t have the privilege of only hearing the things that are ladylike if I am to rule.” Balinor did indeed remember that frosty conversation and begged the fates that another one was not forthcoming.
“Lortin attacked the soldiers that were stationed at the mouth of the Outlands.”
“And? Red is a color that usually means that you are omitting something.” Balinor glowered at Em’risi until he lost his nerve and glanced away.
“He recovered three of our supply wagons.” Em’risi squinted as Balinor squirmed uncomfortably.
“Balinor?”
“He slaughtered them all and lost ten of his own.” Balinor got the reaction that he had feared. Em’risi seemed to pale and wilt for a few seconds. When she recovered, it was with another question.
“How many?”
“Nearly seventy-five.” Em’risi shook her head.
“He disobeyed an order. He wasn’t supposed to engage them. How have you punished him?” Balinor made a mental note about ensuring that Lortin departed before the Princess had a chance to give the young major one of her talks. He desperately needed the support of house Eltanin and didn’t want to risk losing them. He flinched as Em’risi narrowed her eyes in focus on what he could only guess was a flare of red light. He answered hurriedly in the hopes of warding off another pointed question.
“He has been ordered to build the signal fires along the Sea Wall. It will take him a few weeks at the very least. Hopefully, by the time he returns, he will have acquired a certain amount of restraint.
“This is a light punishment for killing seventy-five men ruthlessly for three wagons of food.” Balinor forced himself to avoid thinking about the taxes that had also been recovered. He feared that she would elect to give it back to the people. Em’risi didn’t seem to notice the omission as she was looking towards the sky thoughtfully.
“They were our enemies.” Balinor found himself trying to defend the impulsive major.
“They were my subjects who thought that they were fighting in my name! There is nothing that we can do about it now. We will have to decide when he finishes his mission, but until then, we have other things to worry about. How are Keom’s defenses coming along?” After the arrival of the Princess and following her abolition of taxes, the few people living in Keom had been more than willing to let Balinor and his men take over the city. Many of them even sought employment with the army and most were happy with a mere pittance when they had no need to save up for the yearly tax. There were a few builders in the army and among the inhabitants of the city so they had been tasked with restoring Keom’s once magnificent walls. It would take time to restore everything. The cliffs on one side coupled with the wall built along the river to the edge of the cliffs that plummeted into the crashing surf had, according to local legend, turned back armies and thrived under sieges.
“We are focusing on the basic necessities like repairing the breach in the wall and restoring the drawbridge. The walls atop the cliff are in fair condition already so it is likely only a matter of a month to a month and a half before we are in a defendable position. We discovered a sealed passage during the repairs that leads out onto a fortified ledge under the cliffs that can be used should anyone try descending the cliff face.” Em’risi nodded as Balinor pointed to a few of the repairs as they passed. The walls atop the cliff were defendable, but the added layer of defense was reassuring. Above the walls was a sloping rock slide that terminated in another cliff high above. There was no way to go around and attack Keom from the south unless one entered the Garoche Heights much farther north and managed to move an army through some of the most treacherous terrain in the Heights.