Chapter VII

The sound of screams tore through the manor walls. Bells rung and guards from all over rushed to answer the call. Pulling his robe over his shoulders, Governor Ignatius walked through the halls at a hurried pace.

The bells had woken him, and he worried about the princess's well being.

"Move! Move now! Out of my way!" he ordered.

Pushing himself through the crowd, the Governor barged into a room so fast that he hadn't taken a moment to notice who's bedroom he had entered.

The Governor turned pale as he registered the horrid scene. On the floor of the room laid a lifeless body. Blade marks were present on the boy's chest. His wounds were fresh, wide, and deep. Rib bones were exposed and his intestines slumped from his gut. The Governor did all he could not to puke but alas, he couldn't help himself.

The governor's dinner was thrown up into the pull of his son's blood. He nearly fainted but was caught by one of his guards. Pushing himself up from the guard, Ignatius looked around the room and saw the assassin was also dead. The assassin was in bad shape, but the wound that finished the assassin was a dagger stabbed through the nape of his neck.

In the far corner of the room was a sobbing princess with her knees held tightly against her chest, covered in blood.

"Get her out of her and I want to know who this man is!" Ignatius shouted.

Servant girls moved to retrieve the princess and ushered her as fast as they could. Walking into the room, Artes observed the scene.

"The princess has to be moved. If assassin can get in then it isn't safe." Artes' calm voice snatched the Governor's attention.

"The Princess is fine. I don't need a lowly knight--"

"This was an attempt on her life, Governor. She was forced to defend herself because your son was less than an adequate warrior. Find out who hired him or we'll have to send word to the king and take over White Orchard until all of the conspirators are found." Artes then turned and left the room.

Walking back to his room, Artes made a quick detour to the servant quarters. Walking into the kitchen, the dark-haired elf Tor was watching over a bound dishwasher.

"Lawrence. It's your time shine. Spread the word. and your mother and sister will be safe. " Said Artes from the shadows.

"Release them and I'll do whatever you want. I swear it." Lawrence cried out.

"Your mother only. You can have your sister when this over. Now go and be a hero."

Toruviel let the servant loose and sent him on his way. The boy did exactly what he was told. By the morning, it was a common rumor that the assassin was Lord Ansel's man and a Redenian soldier.

Artes, Keira, and Princess Adda stood before the governor and waited for answers he was a bit hesitant to say but had no choice but to report.

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A few hours before the morning meeting...

"You disappoint, Ignatius. Governor of the county and you had no idea Ansel was in bed with Redenia? This Mistress is not pleased"

"I - I've lost my son..."

"You will lose more. The mistress has plans and Adda is in the way of these plans. You will inform your guest of Ansel's treasons, they will, in turn, notify the king. You have until the king's men arrive, to frame Ansel for the assassination."

"Then I will be blamed for not properly protecting here. The King will have my head!"

"The Mistress will protect you! Or do you want your little girl and her mother to be tossed in the fire and killed without an identity as common criminals!"

The Governor's body stiffened. "No! Please...Without Florian, they're all I have left."

"Then start the war you owe us. No matter Nilfgaard or Redenia. In the end everyone will bow to the crown!" The shadow of sodden burst into black smoke and vanished from sight.

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Present-day.

"You have something to tell us, Governor?" The Princess asked with a mix of fury and sadness.

The Governor swallowed and thought about his little girl and her mother in Sodden. "Lord Ansel is a traitor. He has partnered with Redenia and sent assassins after the princess. I have also learned that his current fort is not protected by mercenaries but by Redenian soldiers."

'Ida, gather the commanders and attack the Redenian transports. Pick a sacrifice to be captured. I want the sacrifice to use the governor's lie against him.'

'The Nilfgaardian connection?'

'Precisely, I'm sure the camp has already received orders from him. No matter what they are, you're to relocate the camp by nightfall.'

'Yes, Lord Artes.' Ida turned away and left the hall.

After the mental conversation between Ida and Artes was finished Artes looked at the Governor and said, "She has gone to alert the King immediately. My Lady Adda..."

Adda nodded to Artes then stepped forward and shocked the hall with her words. "The Governor's assets are now under Royal control. Your soldiers, resources, and manor will be mine to defend against the Rendanian invasion until my father sends word with further instructions."

"You. you can't do that!"

Artes gripped his sword and glared at the Governor. "I beg your pardon, Lord Ignatius. Princess Adda of Temeria has just issued a royal decree."

The governor looked at Artes and the electric sparks that came from Keira's fingertips. The man let out a defeated sigh and leaned back in his chair.

A put on a slightly psychotic-like smirk and turned her back to the Governor. "Keira, you know what to do. My love, shall we go?" she whispered.

"Aye," Artes replied.

Before the governor could act and contact the shadow of Sodden, Keira erected the last protective ward she had been saving, blocking all incoming guests besides those who walked through the front door without the aid of magic.

When the ward was erected, Keira and the royal guard cleansed the governor's manor. A list had been compiled of Ignatius' most trusted servants, and like the drop of the ball, Ignatius had lost everything. And by noon, his new room was a cell in the dungeon.

"What now Artes?" Adda asked.

"Now you choose, we can give everything we found to your father or handle this ourselves and take White Orchard."

Adda thought for a moment and gave a clear answer, "If my father doesn't accept our child, then we need an army of our own."

Artes smiled and kissed the princess tenderly. "Then we have to take care of Keira Metz," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked

"I don't trust her and events are about to unfold that will reveal secrets she isn't worthy of Knowing."

"Will you kill her?"

"No. But you will incapacitate her. She won't expect an attack from you."

"What do you need me to do?" Adda asked with a grin.

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Adda walked to Keira as she was ordering around soldiers to prepare the food and supplies for the commoners that were going to flock to the manor when the fighting began.

"Keira. Can we talk?" Adda asked with a saddened face.

"Of course. " She turned to face the princess.

Adda place a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, "Not here. I'm afraid my problem is one that shouldn't be known by anyone, not even my father." Said Adda as she caressed her stomach.

"By the gods," Keira gasped. "Come with me."

Keira led the teary-eyed princess to her room and locked the door behind her. "How far along are you?" Keira asked as she searched her shelf of bottles and boxes.

"Nearly two months. But I'm not sure right anymore. Artes has told me he's taken a liking to the Elven sorceress Ida. They've even... they've been together quite a few times. I just thought..."

"Men are all the same, Princess. Even now a friend a mine is love with a man who will never love her the way she loves him." Keira comforted the princess.

"But I'm a princess, Keira! He's supposed to love me. Only me! When we return to Vizimia I was even going to have his wife banished. Now that I'm with child, he does not need her. But I realized, I'm just like her. A sad girl who fell for a whoremonger!"

Adda slowly walked to Keira and put her head against Keira's chest and began to sob. Keira felt sorry for the girl. But, deep in her mind, Keira just wished that Triss would return and handle her courtly duties. Keira was tired of politics and scandal management.

Adda sniffled a few times and then began to raise her head. Looking at Keira, Adda tilted her head to the side and said, " But I still love him. And he doesn't trust you." Said Adda.

Adda's sad eyes became cold and cruel. As Keira was moved to step back in fear of a secret dagger, Adda threw a handful of powder into Keira's face knocking her unconscious.

Adda chuckled as she watched Keira fall to the floor like a sack of bricks. Opening the door Artes and Torvuiel walked in. Bending over Keira, Artes shackled the sorceress in a pair of Dimeritum cuffs created to keep a mage from using magic.

"What did you do to her?" Asked Torvuiel

"Obfuscation Powder. It erases the memories of the target. I tried it on a few servants first. I don't think it will erase her memories but it did knock her out as I wanted. Take her to the cell next to Ignatius." Said Artes.

Artes and Adda spent the rest of the day managing the manor. Across the county and along the Pontar River. Ida had Scoia'tael commanders attack supply transports and many of Lord Ansel's properties.

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Two days later In the Governor's Manor.

"I'm glad you can all make it" I address the Scoia'tael commanders.

In the room were four of Ida's most trusted Scoia'tael commanders. The first was Vernossiel, a brown-haired, blue-eyed elf with war paint upon her face that added to her beauty. Vernossiel is in charge of a 15 man team from Gros Velen., a province in west Temeria.

The next commander is Iroveth, a highly-skilled bowman and deadly swordsmen in charge of a 30 man unit.

The last was Toruviel, Toruviel was in charge of the unit in white Orchard. All of these commanders fell under the command of colonel Isendrim Faoiltiarna. Who in turn takes orders from Ida. Besides the fighters that each of them brought, the volunteers that gathered over the last two months were divided between the units.

"Killing Nordlings is what we do little lord," Isengrim replied.

I was pleased because I needed a lot of them dead. "In one month, we kill the lord Ansel and take White Orchard as our own. But not everyone will fight. Isengrim, you will take your Unit to Ellander. Hit soldiers, officials, and finally the family of Duke Hereward. You can take your time. The King is currently in Hagge. But don't be messy, it has to be quiet and clean ."

"Why should attack Ellander? it has no significance to us," he asked.

"But it means more land for me. More support and backing for the throne and or a coup if need be. Whether I am Governor, Count, or Duke. Wherever I rule, the Scoia'tael will have a home again. So the space of your home, the size of the territory that gives you freedom. It depends on you. "

The scoia'tael commanders looked at each other. Toruviel nodded in affirmation, Vernosseil and Isoverth looked at their Colonel with hopeful eyes.

"Fuck it, you want the Duke dead and Ellander crippled. Three months. That's what I need." Said Isengrim

"Three months you have, Colonel. Gather your men and set off." I said.

Isengrim nodded and left the Manor. We then divided food and supplies amongst the squads and plotted ways to draw Lord Ansel out into an open fight. Though the supply hits made impacts, it still wasn't enough to draw out the lord. But then again, the majority of the plan hinged on the sacrifice that was captured by Lord Ansel.

"One Month. If he doesn't come out. We go in." I said. "Ida, you should go back to Aretuza. "

"Why is that?" she asked.

"When this happens you need to be far away. When Keira is set free, she's going to where you were. You need testaments to your whereabouts. So, go to Aretuza. Everything will be fine here." I assured her.

Later that day, Adda and I rested and read the letters that were sent from Lydia. She was now a little over three months pregnant. And with the clam before the storm hanging over White Orchard, this gave me time to catch up with her, my hobbies, and breaking through to level 20.