Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Convergence

Reynald paused on one of the open garden patios, letting the warmth of the summer sunshine warm his skin as he tried to shake off the last couple of hours. Behind him, he had left the Princess in her private offices, where they had spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon poring over and strategizing the documents they had just received.

He hadn't been surprised when the Queen had refused to even look at the papers, though it had made his heart heavy. He had sworn to protect both women, do to what he could for them, giving his word to his dying friend. He had failed Queen Solara, though he couldn't say what else he could have done for her. She had rejected him from the moment of her husband's death.

The Princess was teetering, unsteady, and thrust into a role that needed her to be so much more than had ever been asked of her, with no allies to lean on within her own nation.

He was already preparing his more trusted soldiers to be ready to move the Princess out of the Palace, out of Clairval and somewhere safe. He would do his best to save her life, but he wasn't sure if he had the power to help her hold this Regency together. Corvin could not be allowed to continue, but he was the last of the notable Peers that had remained aligned with the Regency.

He knew that those aligned with Rakier and del Rei had been speaking about rebellion for months now, not openly declaring any insurrection but loudly voicing their desire for civil war that it was common knowledge. Not to mention the incident with the pirates from earlier in the spring. They had still not replaced the Admiral, though the Queen had not been happy to find out that Morningside had been the ones who had probably saved the Princesses' life. And it had caused a lot of unhappy people with Akina insisted on the Regency paying the Captain, who had turned out to be the second born Rakier, a loose cannon that Reynald had not heard a great many good things about.

They still didn't know what motivations could be behind the uncomplicated aid, either. The woman was known for rushing into trouble, causing more, and risking more than she should, out of obligation to save a single life. There had even been a wild story a couple of years ago down on the docks that she had jumped into shark infested water to save a puppy near Dromea.

It had been a thought by some courtiers around the Queen, to use the second Rakier's clear lack of respect for rank and protocol to build dissension within Morningside's allies. Though no one could figure out how to manipulate a situation involving the unpredictable Captain Rakier.

Reynald had heard rumours that Lady Valencia Rakier was calling her sister in to face punishment for acting in a way that benefitted the Regency, so even the small amount of hope that Akina had been carrying that she could build a bridge with either of the Rakier sisters was a fool's errand, by his esteem.

The Princess was alone and facing catastrophe on several fronts.

A wise tactician would strike now, when the Regency was off balance. Eventually word would carry, Akina would have to make a decision and react to the damning plot by Corvin, but those who clearly wanted to topple the regency would not look at it as a way to swear fealty, they would act like the wolves waiting in the Wilds and go for their throats.

With a sigh, he shook his head and turned to continue towards his own offices, knowing there were far more things for him to do than he had hours in the day. He had to find reliable people and start bringing good news to Akina, even if he had to scour the countryside for allies.

He was halfway to his offices when his second in command jogged up, pulling off her helmet and giving him a hard look. "Sir, this day isn't getting easier."

Reynald matched her gaze, raising a brow. "What is it now?"

"Lady Darya Rakier has arrived, only minutes behind of the runner we had at the last way house. She's only got two knights with her, but she claims she has messages from Lady Rakier and Duchess del Rei for the Queen." The woman offered an apologetic shrug and nodded at his look of surprise. "I don't know how they were missed along the route before this, sir. We have people all along the roads. We didn't even know that she had landed back in Clairval until earlier this morning."