Kiara Lyns bent further over her horse’s neck, feeling the wind in her hair as she thundered down the road. Her smile was unrestrained, free where no one could see it.

After a long moment of enjoyment, she sat back and lightly tugged on the reins. Her horse, well-trained as she was, slowed down immediately, dropping from the gallop into an easy trot. Kiara sat deep in the saddle, weathering the bumpy gait with the ease of long practice.

It was not a minute too soon. The area around them opened up, and after the curve in the road they came upon the castle right away. Kiara glanced back at her escorts. They had fallen back a little during her wild gallop, but had caught up now.

She slowed down further to a fast walk, straightening up. The men gathered beside the path and guarding the gate did the same as she approached. She noted that most of them saluted with the local fist-to-chest gesture instead of bowing, which she approved of. Maybe it was because of her own more martial appearance.

She already knew some of the ladies in her father’s court would be scandalized. Here she was, not just spurning the side-saddle, but actually wearing trousers! Of course, if she did wear skirts, they would be either an annoyance, stifling in the summer heat or she’d risk more impropriety, especially at a fast gallop like before. In any case, Kiara did not care too much. She wasn’t the only woman to act like this, whatever the sticks-in-the-mud might think, and normal court life was far away.

War tended to do that, she’d been told. She smiled to herself at the thought.

She was wearing not just trousers, but also light chainmail over a thin gambeson, though her helmet dangled off the saddle for now. The short riding sword at her side felt comfortable, and while she was not hoping she would have to use it, she was confident in her ability if it came to that.

The castle and its surroundings were still a bustle of activity, although Kiara knew that this belied how many people were actually here. She’d been to this castle before, of course, several times, and knew well that it was considerably smaller than her father’s main seat in his capital. There weren’t many more soldiers around than normal, and many of those men who had been called up in addition were with the king’s army, gathering to leave for Nerlia, for the actual war. Most of the rest had been sent to various forts and holdings closer to the forest.

Still, there were several hundred men gathered here, a sizable reserve force. She had heard the reports on the levy and the conditions of the roads and knew it would not take too long to reach any spot where trouble might break out, either.

She was aware that her father, Marquis Lyns, hoped that none of them would be needed, that they would not have to fight the elves, in the forest or otherwise. Although a part of Kiara couldn’t help but think about the glory and valor that might be earned in such a case, she knew he was right. She had been raised to put her duty to the march before her personal desires as well as to support her father loyally, and she didn’t doubt her ability to do that, either.

He might not quite see it the same way, though. After she dismounted in the outer courtyard and handed the reins off to a servant, she looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her father. Instead, she saw the latest addition to his court, and her own entourage, come towards her.

“I hope your ride was pleasant, Milady,” she said, smiling tentatively.

“It was productive,” Kiara replied. Then she forced herself to return the smile and continue in a more pleasant tone. “We familiarized ourselves with the surroundings and checked on the progress of the fortifications nearby.”

Janis nodded seriously. Kiara peered at her for a moment, looking for a sign of aversion or confusion, but found none. Perhaps she should not use her usual standards, she chided herself. The red-haired girl was young, more than a year younger than Kiara, but she was a mage. And a largely self-taught one at that. There was her background to consider, too. Kiara was not blind to what it meant about the girl’s talent and potential, or her usefulness.

She still couldn’t help but feel a little disgruntled that her father had foisted Janis off on her. The girl barely knew any spells and was still at a relatively low level, and hardly the knowledgeable, educated advisor you wanted in a court mage. But Kiara knew it could simply be that her father saw Janis' potential and wanted his daughter involved in cultivating it, forming bonds early that might earn her the loyalty of a powerful asset later.

And having a mage along was probably a good thing in these times, all else aside. It wasn’t like they could just be found on the street.

“Milady, a high-level man arrived from the direction of the capital a few minutes ago,” Janis reported, interrupting her thoughts. “From his aura, I estimate he is at least over level 40, more likely 60. He came on a horse, but did not seem used to riding. I believe the marquis is meeting with him either already or very soon.”

Kiara nodded and gave the mage a more genuine smile. “That is good to know. Thank you, Janis.”

The other girl bowed her head, then fell into step with Kiara as she hurried around the other horses and men and towards the doors.

The soldiers at the sides of the gate snapped to attention and pushed it open for her. She nodded at them before she stepped through. Showing respect to her men was one of the lessons her father had drilled into her, even if he had always done it with a bit of a strange look on his face.

It wasn’t hard to find her destination. A familiar servant greeted them and showed them up the stairs to a side room. The castle’s main keep was in good shape, but not big enough to get lost in.

Kiara slowed down as she approached and entered. It looked like her father was entertaining the messenger, and she saw a servant walk in holding a tray of refreshments. When she entered, she found that he was accompanied by two of his senior commanders and advisors. They all looked up as she entered, but Kiara was focused on the middle-aged man sprawled on a comfortable chair, his boots and clothes dusty from riding.

Kiara tried not to show her surprise. She recognized that name, although the mage appeared to have left his famous wyvern behind. She was a little surprised that Janis had apparently failed to recognize him, although she supposed that she would have had little opportunity to see or hear about him in her village.

“Kiara.” Her father nodded at her. His clothes were immaculate, but she noticed the shadows under his brown eyes, and the gray in his dark hair looked more pronounced today than usual. “Take a seat.”

She bowed her head and pulled out one of the chairs, while Janis quietly took up a position at the wall of the room a few steps behind her.

“Sir Derrek, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

The man grunted. “I’m not a knight.”

Kiara shrugged slightly. It had been a polite courtesy, but he was said to be blunt and not fond of honeyed words. She didn’t let it faze her.

“This is my daughter, Lady Kiara,” her father introduced her, rather unnecessarily. “The heir to the Lyns march.”

“Oh, right.” Derrek sat up a little straighter, although his tone was still casual. “I heard that there was bad news for your family. Lady Lyns had a miscarriage, if I’m not mistaken. Again.”

The marquis nodded, his expression a little stiffer now. “Yes, that is correct.”

“You have my condolences. It must be quite upsetting.”

“Yes, we are all quite sad, but we will bear with it.”

Derrek looked at her, and she saw a glint in his eyes, what might be amusement or irony, as he raised an eyebrow slightly. Kiara narrowed her eyes.

She found it hard to pretend to be sad that her mother still hadn’t born a son for her father. And why shouldn’t she? She’d been raised as her father’s heir since she was a child. If her parents had a son, he would inherit the title instead. A newborn babe would be considered her better, regardless of all those years of experience and expectation, just because it was male. Kiara certainly didn’t want her mother to suffer, but she hoped she would simply have no more pregnancies. At least that was not unlikely at her age.

“Regardless,” Derrek said after a moment, turning his attention back fully to her father. “I didn’t come here for family drama, m’lord. The king sent me.”

The marquis sat up a little straighter, and Kiara felt her attention sharpen as well. It was an open secret that her father and the king did not see eye to eye. That he sent such a strong messenger was not a good sign.

“Of course,” her father replied. “If you brought a message, I would read it right away.”

“No need. It’s a verbal message.” Derrek’s lips twitched slightly, but she wasn’t sure if it was a smile or a smirk.

“Then, we’re all ears.”

“His Majesty wishes to inquire about the number of soldiers you sent him. It is known that there are far more fighting men in this march. He is dissatisfied with your contribution and expects you to promptly rectify the matter.”

Kiara saw her father stiffen slightly, although he kept his face blank. “We need men here to cover the march. In case it escaped you, we share a border with the elves. I sent His Majesty the soldiers I could spare, and no fewer than many other lords, according to my correspondence.”

“Of course your need for fighters to cover your lands is clear, although we expect most of the fighting to happen in Nerlian parts.” Derrek leaned forward slightly. “Still, you should have more men. Is your march not well-populated?”

“Do you expect me to draft every village hunter? To use barely trained, under-leveled conscripts?” There was an angry glint in his eyes now. “The harvest is not far off either. Men I send to the war are unlikely to be back and able to work during harvest season.”

Derrek shrugged, casually leaning back. “I am simply passing on His Majesty’s words.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Kiara cut in. She frowned at the mage. “What do we need to gather this many fighters for?”

He nodded, giving her an approving look that didn’t make Kiara feel any less angry. She couldn’t help but think that the king was deliberately giving them a greater burden, just out of pettiness, or maybe to weaken them and cripple their ability to rebel against him.

“You are correct,” the thaumaturge said. “His Majesty also commands you to start pushing into the forest. You do, as the marquis just pointed out, share a border with the elves. While the major part of the fighting will be on Nerlia’s side, it will be helpful to put some pressure on them from here. We want them to know they cannot expose their borders. To that end, you will launch some raids and a few deep strikes into elven territory. More will not be needed. The king is reasonable.”

Kiara’s father stood up. Judging by the pulsing vein on his forehead, he did not find his liege particularly reasonable. “You are asking for more men and also want me to send fighters into the forest after the elves? That will expose the march if we don’t get any reinforcements. You are asking too much.”

Derrek Zephyr stood up as well, slowly. It emphasized that he was taller than the marquis. Slowly, he laid his hands on the table between them. “Let us get one thing straight, Marquis Lyns. I am not asking for anything. Your lord and king is commanding your obedience.”

The marquis sputtered. “This is a brazen -“

Kiara stood up as well, taking a step back before she caught herself.

Zephyr suddenly seemed to loom larger than before. His hair stood up slightly and sparks crackled around him, off his skin and in the air surrounding him. The shadows in the room seemed to deepen as he appeared backlit by a menacing light in alternating brightness and darkness. But all of that was mere theater that only emphasized the magical aura emanating from the Thaumaturge, which suddenly seemed to fill the room like a thick, cloying fog.

Kiara drew in a shuddering breath. She did not usually consider herself a weak person and she was even proud of her magical senses, for a level 15 Arcane Warrior. But this moment showed her how very far she still had to go.

“You will do as you are told,” the thaumaturge said, and his voice thundered through the room, shaking the tapestries on the walls, with an echo that grated in her ears, feeling like it ripped at her skin and the mana beneath it.

After a long moment, the light brightened slightly and his voice was a little less thundering as he continued, “or you will not like the consequences of your faithlessness.”

Silence hovered in the room, no less heavy than what had preceded it. Kiara’s father and the king’s man stared at each other. Until finally, the marquis reacted, moving his head in a jerky nod. “Of course we will,” he said.

“Good.” The mage sat back down, smiling, suddenly cordial again. “I will have to take advantage of your hospitality for one night and then leave tomorrow. My power is needed where the actual war will take place. Of course, you will not be left to your own devices out here, never fear.”

For the rest of the meeting, Kiara found it hard to focus. Luckily, it did not drag on for long. Her father and Derrek Zephyr made some more strained conversation, before the Thaumaturge excused himself with smiling eyes and a short bow.

“We have a lot of things to organize,” her father finally said, glancing at the door as if to make sure their guest was really gone. “We’ll need to assemble the rest of the commanders. Let them know we will meet in half an hour. Kiara, please make sure the servants know to look after our visitor properly.”

Kiara nodded and turned around to leave. She’d almost forgotten that Janis was in the room, too. The young mage peeled off the wall and followed her out quietly.

They walked in silence for a short while. Kiara took a detour to a small balcony that opened onto a walkway around the keep, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

“You’re from the village closest to the great forest, aren’t you?” she finally said, turning to her companion. “How dangerous is it?”

Janis looked concerned. “I’ve only ever been to the outskirts. Its stronger monsters were culled in the monster horde, but they were already trickling back. Farther in, there are far more powerful ones. The elven city is also said to have impenetrable defenses.”

Kiara grimaced, but nodded. “Alright. At least we won’t have to assault it.” She shook her head. “We’ll send raiding parties into the forest, of course. We’ll need to send quite a few fighters. But those might actually profit from the opportunity to earn levels.”

Janis still looked hesitant, worrying at her lip as if she was trying to chew on further words.

“What is it, Janis?” Kiara asked. “If you have something else to say, please do so.”

The red-haired mage hesitated, then seemed to gather herself. “Milady, monsters and elves aren’t the only things we might meet in the forest.”