Page 63 of The Threadbare Queen

“Further back, being guarded."

“I would like to see them. Speak to them.”

Luc nodded. “Come with us.”

He narrowed his eyes when five other Jatan moved their mounts forward. Shook his head. “You can bring two with you. No more.”

Rafe had put a hand to his sword when the soldiers had moved, but Kym was staring at the Jatan soldiers further back, her face pale with shock.

“What is it?” he asked her.

She stared blankly at him for a moment, then shook her head.

“Nothing.”

It didn’t seem like nothing, but Tuart was watching them with interest, and Luc whistled, two sharp calls, and four of the Rising Wave soldiers hidden in the trees stepped out, two on each side.

Tuart flinched at the sight of them, turned and raised two fingers.

The Jatan looked unhappy about it, but only two of them nudged their mounts forward.

Rafe made room for them to pass and then blocked the way again, the four riders lining up with him to barricade the path.

Kym rode silently beside him, looking back at least twice.

Luc wondered who she’d seen that made her so twitchy.

She had been watching the Jatan border for months, it made sense she would recognize some of the soldiers. But why it would disturb her so much was something only she could answer.

When they reached the main unit, he saw Revek had allowed the prisoners to sit, surrounded by soldiers on horseback.

Hurst scrambled to his feet at the sight of Tuart, and his fellow soldiers followed his lead.

Tuart said nothing for a long moment as he stared down at them. Then he turned to Luc, without addressing his people at all. “Where are their mounts and weapons?”

“Given to the villagers for compensation for the harm done to them. Although, you and I both know that is not enough. We will send your Gathering a bill for the final compensation required when we return to Fernwell.”

“It was my understanding that you are Cervantes. That Kassia annexed your region and enslaved your people, and that your fight was to free them, not to take control of Kassia.”

In other words, Luc thought, he was asking why Luc gave a damn about harm done to a Kassian village.

“The way to keep Cervantes safe and let it heal is to control Kassia, and for Kassia to be as strong as possible. Strong societies treat everyone with the same respect. The rule of law cannot be for the protection of one group and not another. That leads to discontent. And look what my discontent has meant for Kassia.” Luc leaned back on his horse, his gaze never leaving Tuart’s face.

“All very well, but the Kassian people are the ones who pillaged your country in the first place.”

Luc tilted his head. “Very few Kassians had anything to do with what happened to my people. The Queen and her Herald made the decisions. In fact, the village you just plundered was equally plundered by the Queen’s Herald on his way to and from his border fortress. Many Kassians have no love for their former ruler.”

“And you plan to unite them all, is that it?” Tuart seemed to sneer at the very idea, but Luc had the sense he was simply trying to provoke, to move the conversation on to another topic.

The general didn’t want to address what Hurst and his soldiers had done. It could be seen as a declaration of war against the new rulers of Kassia. A war the Jatan were losing before, and would surely lose now.

“What I do or don’t plan to do is none of your concern. The new queen and I will communicate with your Council.” It was a slap-down on General Tuart’s place in this game, and his eyes widened as he registered Luc’s words as such. “You can be sure when we do, we will make it clear we consider what you and Captain Hurst did in that village as a provocation of war if an apology and adequate compensation are not forthcoming.”

“My father will not—” Hurst’s hands were fisted as his sides, his face red and his nostrils flared.

“Quiet.” Tuart chopped a hand in the air, and for the first time, Luc sensed some nerves from the man.

So, Hurst was a senior officer’s son. Someone at least the same rank as Tuart.

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