Schism of Blood and Stone (The Starfield Theory Book 1) (38 page)

Archduchess Salena Teton-Sten

Duchess of Danvers, Archduchess of the Magdeborg Commonwealth

Sten Palace, Magdeborg, Magdeborg Commonwealth

______________

Night had fallen on Magdeborg and Archduchess Salena Teton-Sten paced the bedroom. She kept her hand hooked under her chin and she dared anyone else in the room to make a noise.
How did we miss this? How in Amrah's name did three entire companies launch simultaneous attacks across the continent without us knowing about it? And, where is Filipov? Damn him! He hasn't checked in all day.

She reached the end of the room, then turned back, her feet plodding over the rich carpet.
How did Conrad Sten plan this entire operation right under my nose? Damn that Damien, of course he was behind it. He pulled all the attention on himself, allowing Conrad free movement.

Richard Teton cleared his throat, “Sal-”

She wheeled on him in mid-step. Salena held up her index finger, commanding silence. He seemed smaller, even more pathetic seated as he was on same chair Alos had occupied earlier.

“The Commonwealth is now in civil war. My quisling brother has decided to damn us all to save his spurned ego.”

“There's nothing we can do about him now. Because of his status he has free reign to move as he pleases. The Azuren will not stop him and neither can we,” Richard continued.

“So he escapes then,” Salena hissed.

“Not necessarily. There are few places he can go where we can't track him,” Richard said, trying to offer reassurance.

“He's probably returning to the front. We knew Goteborg was next on the Dominion's list and it was only a matter of time,” Magnus explained. He was standing, his hand on the hilt of his blade. He looked tired. The Sørensen resistance was proving difficult to lock down and he'd been harassing her with repeated requests to take to the field himself. She'd denied him.

“He goes to gather allies,” Salena growled, then resumed her pacing. “He will be the hero of the border houses. They will rally to him.”

Magnus nodded. “We have to work with the Conclave and condemn Damien's actions and his lies and strengthen our own ties with the other noble houses. Many of them will be upset over the stunt Damien pulled at the funeral. He interrupted and politicized the burial of our Archduke. That will not sit well with the Conclave or the people.”

“We should have arrested him as soon as he touched down,” Richard said.

Salena felt her patience running out.
Should have, would have, could have, who cares? What's done is done.
“No, we had to allow him access to Magdeborg. By imprisoning him we would have looked like tyrants and inventing a crime would have been hasty business. Far better for him to make his own mistakes and let him suffer the consequences,” Salena said.

“But now he's committed a crime,” Cassandra pointed out. “There's no need to falsely accuse him, everyone saw it.”

“Exactly,” Magnus chimed in, agreeing with his sister, “Damien can't hide from what he's done. Someone will hold him accountable, preferably us. I can find him and bring him to justice.”

“Will you? Are you so grand a strategist that a few Sørensen holdouts can elude you, but the greatest general in the Commonwealth will be easy pickings?” Salena snapped at him.

Magnus eyes bulged and he looked like he was a child again with his hand in the cookie jar. Salena felt her heart sink to cause her son pain, but there was only one way to curb his misplaced ambition.

Magnus flexed his synthetic arm, but offered no retort then looked away and bit his lip.

Salena sat on the chair opposite her husband feeling her knees creak, enjoying the respite. She was not old by human standards, but a stressful life added years to her body. By natural means she could persist for decades and the medicines could keep her alive for almost another century. But she would be worn and tired. Stress killed as many dukes and duchesses as assassins.

“Damien will return to his stronghold on the border where the houses protect him. I did not expect Conrad to throw his lot in with him, but he has made his choice. Damien needed legitimacy. That was why they sprung Dietrich Sørensen. I'll tell you, Dietrich is no friend of Damien. This was no humanitarian mission,” Salena said.

“What about those people he mentioned? Uncle Peter's heirs?” Magnus asked.

Salena paused. She had rehearsed how she would respond to such a question over and over again in her mind.
Tell the truth,
she determined.
It will be easier to handle them if they know the truth.

“He lied,” she said instead. “There are no more heirs.”

“Then Uncle Damien will be coming for the throne himself,” Magnus intoned as if telling a patient his illness was terminal. “There will be a bloody battle here.”

“He has to deal with the Dominion on Goteborg first,” Salena pointed out. “They have already landed and will be giving Damien's protege a beating until Damien can return and take control of the situation.”

“Why don't we just have one of our allied houses arrest him at their stargate? We execute him there and the Dominion wipes out Sir Aaron's army at Goteborg. We kill two birds with one stone,” Magnus said smashing his synthetic fist into his real palm. He seemed to wince slightly, not entirely accustomed to the limb's strength.

“No, brother. We need Damien to defeat the Dominion at Goteborg. The longer he is there fighting the more depleted both he and the Dominion become. The two birds you need killed are Damien and Pershing, not Damien and Aaron,” Cassandra said. “Sir Aaron is not the ambitious type. He will not come after the throne if Damien dies, but Pershing will continue to push toward Magdeborg if he isn't stopped. Uncle Damien must win at Goteborg.”

Salena smiled sweetly at her daughter. She had always been more patient than her brother, more willing to wait and plot then move against her enemies. Cassandra would have made a good Archduchess, but the accident of birth would leave her out of the succession.

I've already witnessed what happens when the eldest is skipped in favor of the younger. Damien was furious with our father for the remainder of his life. Magnus would be too dangerous to make angry. But Magnus is not Damien.

“Fine,” Magnus continued. “Damien defeats Pershing on Goteborg. Then he turns our attention to us.”

“Damien would not dare attack Magdeborg. He will be a good solider and protect the border as he is told,” Salena said.

“How? You have no way of knowing that. There's nothing stopping him,” Magnus shot back.

“Yes there is.”

Before Magnus could respond, Richard interrupted him, “Damien has a child.”

Salena smiled.
He does pay attention! They are learning how to play this game.

“Yes, a daughter named Rebecca.”

Magnus sighed heavily. “So we can take her out, too?”

“You are awfully bloody minded, my son,” Salena said. “Be careful that does not corrupt you as it did Slader. That being said, yes, removing Rebecca would alter the political conditions, but she is far more valuable alive to us than dead.”

“How so?” Magnus asked.

“Reports from the space port indicate no children were seen entering any of the ships that departed which means she's on Magdeborg, in this very city. She got left behind. I ordered Filipov and his team to pick her up and take her to a safe place. She will remain there until things settle down. Damien has no other children and he will not endanger his only heir.”

“Keeping his concubine and child hostage will not win us many friends. Who kidnaps a child?” Richard asked, clearly unnerved. He headed towards the windows and peered out them. He was illuminated in the moonlight and appeared almost pensive.

“They will not be ill treated,” Salena said to his back. “In fact they must be very well treated. As long as they are safe, so is Magdeborg and so are we.” She smiled at them all. “Now all of you, to bed. We will have much to do tomorrow in condemning Damien and rounding up the criminals he and my misguided uncle let loose.”

Magnus frowned at the prospect of hunting down more escapees, but held his tongue. The three of them bowed slightly then left the room in silence.

Salena traced the designs in the table for a moment with her finger.
I'd like to meet this child of Damien's,
she thought.
She will be very valuable to me if she is not damaged by her upbringing or her genetics. Maybe this concubine will be weak and easy to mold.

She noticed Richard's shadow move along the floor behind her. She could use a shoulder rub after today, but he did not lay his hands on her. She turned around, “Richard what's-”

But Richard had left with the children. Her brother, the Archduke Peter Sten stood behind her.

Salena screamed.

Lord Damien Sten

Duke of Hidelborg, Defender of the Border, The Gray Knight

The Stoneman,
Magdeborg
,
Magdeborg Commonwealth

______________

Damien felt the comfortable push of the ship's massive engines as it blasted its way through Magdeborg's atmosphere. He leaned back his armchair in the private guest quarters deep in the ship's bowels. Conrad would be there shortly with a full report from the day's combat. There would be casualties, of course, but they died fighting for the right cause.
They will not be forgotten when this is over, except for the ones who have no one to remember them.

He finally had been able to light a candle and he spent the better part of an hour watching the flicking flame. There was so much uncertainly in these times, so many surprises and twists and turns.
What else can you reveal to me, my friend?
Damien asked the flame. It flickered silently.
What should I expect tomorrow?

The flame swayed in time with Damien's breathing.
More importantly, where is Anna? Where is my child!?
He nearly screamed at it.

It mocked him with its silence, impervious to his anger. It knew he could snuff it out at any moment, but it wouldn't matter. Threats did no good. The flame was not interested in self preservation. It offered its safety in its light and warmth and asked nothing in return.

Any sort of reply was cut off by the beeping indicating someone was at his door. Damien leaned back and sighed, irritated that someone had interrupted his interrogations. He cast a final glance at the flickering flame, lamenting his inability to drag from it the solutions to his problems. He hit a switch on the desk that would open the door.

Conrad Sten stepped into the room and threw a salute, “Lord General.”

Damien returned the gesture, but remained seated, surprised as his uncle's formality so far from his mountain retreat. “Lord Colonel, please come in.”

Conrad took a seat on the couch, leaned back and closed his eyes.
He's exhausted
, Damien realized.
Planning the activities of the day has drained the man. I must remember, he is not as young as he used to be.

“Today went well,” Damien said.

Conrad nodded, then wiped his face with his hands. “Fortunately we did not lose many people. No knights lost their mounts and we managed to load most of our vehicles. All in all, we caught Salena by surprise. We'll be at the stargate in a day. Negotiating passage with the Azuren is going to be difficult.”

“I don't anticipate any trouble. Salena can tell them what she will, but I am a Lord General of the Commonwealth. They will let us through. We carry military forces to protect Goteborg from the Dominion.”

“And they'll buy that?”

“It's true. We have that much going for us. The Azuren are more interested in stability than in listening to Salena's paranoia. By now Morlan Pershing will be landing on Goteborg and Aaron will be preparing the defense. The faster we get there, the better.”

“We just declared war on half of the Commonwealth,” Conrad warned, his brow narrowing. “How do you plan on fighting a two front war?”

Damien leaned back in the chair and rubbed his forehead. “I don't have to. Salena wouldn't dare attack me on the border. The longer we sit there, the more the Conclave houses will demand she act. They coddle that child general Magnus; he is no threat to us, but his marriage to Kendra Mason is. If Houses Mason and Teton-Sten, merge we will have a fight on our hands. They will make a move in desperation and all we need to do is keep Kristoffer safe until we can march on Magdeborg.”

“But why throw our forces against the Dominion at Goteborg? Let Salena's troops deal with them,” Conrad offered leaning forward, his hands on knees taking on what Damien identified as a grandfatherly stance. “It would force her to spread her defenses and waste troops against the predations of Pershing. It would give us time to gather our forces and strike when we are more powerful!” Conrad punctuated his statement by slapping his hand into an open palm.

Damien shook his head. “We need the support of House Evers, even if we lose Goteborg.”

“If we lose Goteborg, Evers will have few other holdings. What use can they be?”

Damien held up his index finger indicating his point. “Ah, but House Evers has powerful allies. They are a duchy capital remember, which means they hold a lot of sway amongst the border houses. By showing our support for them, we gain their allegiance. If they see Salena as abandoning them to the Dominion, they will be looking for leadership.”

“And the heirs? What of them?”

“I believe I can answer your questions, Lord Conrad,” Dietrich Sørensen said entering the small room.

Conrad stood up and bowed to the even more ancient Sørensen leader. “Lord Dietrich, I am glad to see you well.”

Damien stood, but offered no words. Dietrich had been wheeled onto the ship on a gurney. He was badly dehydrated, starving and cast in the pallor of death. Damien doubted he would survive the journey. Yet, here he was, tired, shaken and clearly ill, but fighting. He had to give the old man some respect.

“Well? Pah!” Dietrich spat. “Salena showed me no comfort, deprived me of my own walking stick, even. Now, please, sit down. Enough pleasantries. I'm in no mood.”

Damien obediently resumed his seat, the sudden movement causing the flame to leap and smoke. He glanced at it, watchful for any signs of revelation.

“If I understand correctly Kristoffer is safely on Goteborg under the watchful of Damien's protege by now. He will need to be moved away from Lord Morlan's advances as soon as possible.”

“You were right then, Damien. I was wise to trust you,” Conrad said with noticeable relief.

Damien nodded. “I would not lead you astray, uncle. There are few wise men left I'm afraid.”

Dietrich hobbled to the couch and sat heavily, his frail body seemed almost lost in the fabric. Damien ignored a concerned look from Conrad.

“The more pressing concern is maintaining enough of an armed force that can win on Magdeborg when we are ready. Even with the House Guard and what few of my knights you managed to take with you, we will be outnumbered. We must take steps increase our power,” Dietrich said.

“Which means, what, my lord?” Conrad asked.

“Knights errant,” Dietrich answered simply for him.

Conrad blanched, actually showing physical disgust as his upper lip curled in a sneer. “Mercenaries! We cannot. They are soldiers for hire and untrustworthy. They completely betray our beliefs as noble warriors.”

“My Lord Sørensen is correct, Lord Colonel. We will collect some knights errant from the houses who have lost their territory. Furthermore, there are a number of mercenaries we can contract from Dashamar. I have already taken the liberty of contacting them and I expect to hear some requests for proposals soon,” Damien said, referring to the bloody, ruined world near the Azuren homeworlds. It was full of tiny fiefs, destroyed empires, and brutal, lifelong warriors. “Wars are fantastic opportunities for those looking for money. And we have two.”

Conrad frowned. “I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with that. How do we pay these people?”

“The border houses,” Dietrich said tapping his cane against the floor. “If they recognize Damien as their liege they will be required by law to provide military forces and money. They will not want to send their own house troops with the Dominion threatening their territory so they will contribute mercenaries or the money to pay for them.”

Damien nodded. “That is precisely the plan.”

“And if they refuse?” Conrad asked.

Damien flicked his gaze to Dietrich, but the elder Sørensen seemed unwilling to answer. “Then they will face the Dominion alone. The houses will need to weigh the collective good against their own survival. If they join us, they will receive the full benefit of the entire movement and if they don't – well, let Salena worry about them.”

“Enough Sørensen warriors were liberated from the prison that we can field some additional sections if we can locate the material,” Dietrich added. “But we will need to stop the Dominion cold on Goteborg if we have any hope of opposing Salena. Aaron must hold the line and bloody Pershing's nose before we arrive. He must do nothing rash.”

Damien flicked his gaze to the elder warrior. “Aaron will not fail.”

Aaron is young, but competent. He's a good fighter and solid tactician. All he has to do is hold Pershing. He doesn't even have to defeat him.

“Then what? After Goteborg, I mean,” Conrad said, resting his elbow on the armrest and holding his chin in his open palm.

“We will need a base of operations. Somewhere we can take stock of our existing force and expand,” Damien said, placing his hands on the table. “Hidelborg will be safe enough for us.”

“I should point out, we still have the real coronation to attend to,” Dietrich said. “Crowning Kristoffer as Archduke must be public and spread wide and far. It is shameful, but we must use him and his image to rally others to his cause. I don't know his personality well enough to know if this will come naturally to him or if he will need guidance.”

“He will adapt. Stens are remarkably flexible,” Damien said.

“I hope you're right, Damien. If not, we have wasted this effort,” Dietrich murmured. “Pray to Amrah that they are indeed safe and capable.” Dietrich stood, using his cane heavily. “Now if you will excuse me. I must rest.” Dietrich slowly limped to the door, his cane whacking against the floor with authority.

Conrad nodded and went to follow Dietrich. As he walked by Damien's chair, Damien grabbed hold of his elbow. At Conrad's confused glance, Damien held up his hand, asking him to wait. Once the door closed behind the sage Sørensen, Damien stared into the fire and spoke. “What of Anna, Conrad?”

Conrad pursed his lips. “My troopers got to the address, but the apartment had been ransacked. There was evidence of a struggle, some blood. Anna was not there. We didn't get to her in time. I'm sorry, Damien.”

Silently, Conrad walked briskly out of the room, leaving Damien to stare into the flame. No words could form in Damien's mind. He saw only the smiling faces of his lover and the daughter he never knew dancing in the flames. Then like a half remembered dream they slowly faded away.