The moment the meeting ended, Captain General Harmakros bearded Kalvan in his tent. "You may be able to pull the wool over their eyes-as you call it," he said, pointing back to the direction of the clearing where Sargos and Nestor were drinking the dregs from the last wine cask. "But I know you better. And what campaign against Phaxos is this that our Great Queen brought to conclusion? When we left Hostigos, we were at peace with Prince Araxes."
"Where's Prince Ptosphes?"
"Back there with those two. Sometimes he'll start re-fighting the Battle of Tenabra in his head, as if he could at this late date change the conclusion. I don't think he heard a word."
"Good. I don't want him involved. He'll convince himself that he should have volunteered to stay in Hostigos Town and carry that bag of guilt with him, too, all the way back home."
Harmakros fidgeted. "What is all this about?"
"There was some dust-up over the Royal Foundry expedition to Nostor. The evidence pointed in Araxes direction. Queen Rylla-who's had it in for Araxes ever since he disclaimed his oath to Hos-Hostigos last summer-took it upon herself to declare war on Araxes-"
"What!"
"My thoughts exactly. Of course, she didn't see fit to inform me of this little fracas until it was brought to a successful conclusion. If she'd taken a beating, we'd of probably only found out about it when we crossed the borders of Rathon into Hos-Hostigos."
Harmakros shook his head. "Rylla, what have you done? We should have never left her alone with Sarrask-he's got to be the brains, well excuse the term, behind all this."
"Not according to Uncle Wolf Tharses' letter. Sarrask actually advised caution! Not that my dear wife listened. Dralm Damn her!"
"What about Prince Phrames?"
"No mention of our gentle prince. I suspect his council was not welcomed. I don't even blame him for not sending the bad news; where I come from they used to kill the bearer of news like this. My lovely wife has turned our diplomatic relations topsy-turvy. We'll be lucky if Hos-Agrys doesn't join the Harphaxi Army in next year's campaign season. This certainly squelches any hopes of winning over the Council of Dralm."
Harmakros nodded his agreement. "What happened to Araxes?"
Kalvan looked down at the second parchment, for once glad it wasn't paper since it would have fallen apart under his wringing hands. "Let me quote the Queen: 'Once the Army of Hostigos had breeched the walls of Tarr-Phaxos a sortie party went in and secured the person of Prince Araxes and the highpriest of Styphon's House he was holding under house arrest. We then had them both drawn-and-quartered and the body parts packed into one of the surviving cannon and shot like case shot at the carrion feeding outside the city gates. There was a great slaughter of buzzards and ravens. The former Prince-it could be said-cut a certain swathe through their collective body.'"
Harmakros shook his head. "That's our girl. The punishment was apt, since the Prince proved himself a traitorous cur, but it will be used by Styphon's House against us. Did she mention what the Harphaxi Army was doing while she burned Phaxos Town?"
"Only that the Royal Army of Hos-Harphax attended her like a nursemaid, but held itself back from any engagement. I would assume Phidestros made an appearance just to make sure the army did not decide to march straight to Harphax City."
Harmakros massaged his temples. "He knows our girl. She might have done it."
"I know, it scares me to death. I could have come back to Hostigos a widower and met an invading army, if her march through Phaxos had been any easier. She's had some difficulty finding an "acceptable" claimant to the princely chair so she's left our Sarrask of Sask in charge, as provost marshal, along with four thousand men-along with the 'prudent members of the Phaxosi Army, who had the wisdom to surrender and swear oath's to the Great Queen of Hos-Hostigos'-to keep the peace. Now, that's one for the books!"
Harmakros hooted. "Peace keeper Sarrask! I've heard everything now. Next you'll be telling me that men can fly."
"If I could, I know where I'd be going instead of playing nursemaid to these two knuckleheads, while we teach Soton a lesson in exceeding your grasp."
"Your Majesty, if you left Nestros and Sargos alone with their armies, they'd be at each other's throat in less than a moon quarter-the Zarthani Knights be damned."
"I know, Harmakros. It's going to be a long, hot summer."