9 Report from the Northern Border

"Your majesty," the prime minister bowed, "please issue the command to the minister for Rites,"

The king grinded his teeth. The minister for Rites was the prime minister's henchman, ready to do his every whim. But he had no choice...

"Minister for Rites?"

"Minister for Rites!" The eunuch serving the king repeated in a shrill voice.

There was no answer. The Right Assembly mummured among one another. The minister for Rites was absent. This was all going according to the prime minister's plan....

"Report!" came a loud voice from the outer hallway. A eunuch was ushered in, bearing a scroll.

'Where from?' asked the prime minister. The eunuch bowed.

"Respect to the Crown of Valencia! This is a report from the Northern Border!"

The atmosphere of the Assembly became icy cold. Even the prime minister was taken by surprise. Report from the Northern Border could only mean one thing: war.

"This is not good," the prime minister, shaking his head, complained to the noble beside him- she was the second force to reckon with among the Right Assembly, Noble Lady Kilhan, the fiery woman that ruled the south side of Valencia.

"We can't possibly strike the court while external war is ongoing." She replied out of the corner of her painted mouth.

"Except we make it a bloodless strike," the prime minister suggested in a whisper.

"Heh heh. General San is bloodthirsty, you know that. It will be hard to convince him," Noble Lady Kilhan chuckled.

"In any case, let's hear the report first. There is a tiny possibility that--"

The king was having similar thoughts. He had not asked the messanger to speak, and the eunuch remained kneeling, holding the scroll above his head. What was happening at the Northern Border? The king worried, but then a little hope crept in. If it was truly war, then the little game that the prime minister was planning would have to be postponed. He smiled when he noticed the prime minister's anxious expression. Aha!

"You may proceed," King Andros said in a commanding tone.

The eunuch rose and unfurled the scroll.

"From the table of General Zarin, marquis of Laph-- greetings and respect to your majesty, the Crown of Valencia. I ask pardon for my inability to present myself and this report in person at the Royal Assembly!" The eunuch paused.

"Pardoned," the king was eager to hear the report.

"Thanks to your majesty the Crown of Valencia! My inability to be present at the Assembly is as a result of me not able to leave the Northern Border defenseless at this critical time. Your majesty, the Royal Assembly, I hereby report that the Border garrison is under attack from a band of millitia from the villages on our axis known as Savitro Zhan,"

"What?" the king exclaimed and the Royal Assembly also looked shocked, some amused.

"A group of villages attacking Valencia's border?" General Harfad growled, "what is Zarin, that boy, doing with half the Valencian army?" It was no secret that the two Generals were at loggerheads.

"Proceed," the king said to the messanger, ignoring General Harfad's comment.

"Your majesty, Royal Assembly might be shocked that I am struggling with a bunch of villages when I have half the Valencian army at my command--"

"Yes we are," the prime minister commented.

"Proceed," the king ordered.

"--but your majesty, Royal Assembly will understand when I mention that they are the remnant of the safrohi, in other words--" the eunuch drew in a breath, "--magic users,"

The court was silent.

"Ma--magic users?" the silence was broken by a young man's voice. The ministers turned to stare in the direction of the tail end of the Left Assembly. Seeing that he caught their attention, Janus stepped out.

"Greetings and respect to the throne of Valencia," he bowed.

"What does junior rank marquis have to say?" the prime minister turned up his nose.

"Your majesty, pardon my forwardness--"

"Go on," the king said.

"It will be advisable to allow General Zarin to use the main force of the Northern Army to combat these millitants --"

"No one said the Northern Army was going to be deployed!" the prime minister retorted heatedly. The king raised a finger for silence.

"Messanger, is that all that Zarin, that boy, said?" General Harfad asked.

.....

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