that it will be his responsibility to shield the population of Riva as he evacuates them to the Calderon Valley. Have him coordinate with your husband to make sure this happens as quickly as possible."
Amara frowned and inclined her head. "And you, Your Highness?"
Aquitaine shrugged languidly. "I would have preferred to drive straight for the Queen as soon as she revealed herself. But given what's happening, she has no need to put in an appearance."
Amara began to ask another question.
"Neither does my ex-wife," Aquitaine said smoothly.
Amara frowned at him. "The Legions. You're asking them to fight wild furies and the vord alike. Fight them while a horde of refugees staggers away. Fight them while they themselves retreat."
"Yes," Aquitaine said.
"They'll be ground to dust."
"You exaggerate the danger, Countess," Aquitaine replied. "Fine sand." Amara just stared at the man. "Was... was that a joke?"
"Apparently not," Aquitaine replied. He turned his face toward the lines again.
His eyes were calm, and veiled...
... and haunted.
Amara followed his gaze and realized that he was staring at the screaming casualties on the ground, the men whose proportion of agony to mortality had run too high to rate immediate attention. She shivered and averted her eyes.
Aquitaine did not.
Amara looked back to the battle itself. The legionares were holding the enemy tide at bay - for now.
"Yes," Aquitaine said quietly. "The Legions will pay a terrible price so that the residents of Riva can flee. But if they do not, the city will fall into chaos, and the civilians will die." He shook his head. "This way, perhaps half of the legionares will survive the retreat. Even odds. If we are forced to defend the city to our last man, they will all die, Countess. For nothing. And they know it." He nodded. "They'll fight."
"And you?" Amara asked, careful to keep her tone completely neutral. "Will you fight?"
"If I reveal my position and identity, the enemy will do everything in their power to kill me in order to disrupt Aleran leadership. I will take the field against the Queen. Or Invidia. For them, it would be worth the risk. Until then... I will be patient."
"That's probably best, Your Highness," Ehren said quietly, stepping forward from his unobtrusive position in the Princeps' background. "You aren't replaceable. If you were seen in action in these circumstances, it's all but certain that Invidia, or the Queen, would appear and make every effort to remove you."
Amara drew in a slow breath and looked past Aquitaine to where Sir Ehren hovered in attendance. The little man's expression was entirely opaque, but he had to realize Aquitaine's situation. His recent storm of new orders had, effectively, stripped him completely of the support of his peers in furycrafted power. The others as strong as he had been dispatched to protect their Legions.
Leaving Aquitaine to stand against his ex-wife or the vord Queen - should they appear - alone.
One gloved fingertip tapped on the hilt of his sword. It was the only thing about him that might have been vaguely construed as a nervous reaction.
"Either one of them is at least a match for you," Amara said quietly. "If they come together, you won't have a chance."
"Not if, Countess," Aquitaine said, thoughtfully. He slid his finger over the hilt of the sword in an unconscious caress. "I believe I've had my fill of 'if 's. When. And we'll see about that. I've never been bested yet." He pursed his lips, staring at the battle, then gave himself a little shake, and said, "Take word to Riva. Then return to me here. I will have more work for you."
Amara arched an eyebrow at him. "You'd trust me enough for that?"
"Trust," he said. "No. Say instead that I have insufficient distrust of you to make me willing to waste your skills." He smiled that razor-thin smile again, and waved a hand vaguely toward the battle lines. "Frankly, I find you a far-less-terrifying enemy than our guests. Now go."
Amara considered the man for the space of a breath. Then she nodded to him, somewhat more deeply than she needed to. "Very well," she said, "Your Highness."
Chapter 19~20
Chapter 19
In the hours that followed, Isana listened to the vord Queen assault and savage the collected military might of the Realm.
She never left the glowing green chamber beneath the earth. Instead, she simply stared upward, into the glowing light of the croach, and gave Isana a running commentary of the battle. In neutral, unhurried tones, the Queen reported the outcomes of maneuvers