Valour and Victory by Candy Rae Page A

area.”
    “When do I meet
Susyc Julia?” asked the Duke.
    “Her second-in
command, Ryzcka Davin and his Lind Razdya are due here first thing
in the morning. He brings the first of the Lindars. Julia should
arrive the day after. She and Alyei left Settlement for the Island
Chain this morning. She is most desirous to meet you.”
    “And I am, as
are the rest of my War Guard. It is a novel situation for them to
be under the direct command of a woman.”
    “The first
transports containing battalions of Garda and Militia are due at
the port tomorrow,” Niaill continued, ignoring the Duke’s comment,
“You are ready for them?”
    “Baltei here
informed me that they were coming,” Duke William answered. “The
people who are being evacuated will be ready.” Thus Duke William
forestalled Niaill’s next question. “The jetties have been emptied
of all shipping and the dock-hands warned so the transports can
sail straight in.”
    “The staging
area?” asked Niaill.
    The younger
William Duchesne coughed. “It’s ready too,” he told Niaill. “Also
the routes from port and beach to the staging area have been marked
out with white flags. The escort has been detailed.”
    “The staging
area is on some farmland to the south of the town,” his father
added.
    “Horses and
carts are also waiting to help transport the equipment,” continued
the young man, “and we’ve been gathering together as many cattle as
we can persuade the local farmers to provide. Baltei said they
would be needed.”
    “He actually
said that the Lind eat rather a lot,” interrupted Duke William with
a laugh, “we thought it best to be prepared.”
    With that laugh
the strained atmosphere began to thaw.
    “There are
transports containing dead and live meat on their way,” smiled
Niaill, “Susyc Julia is very aware of how much food is required.
She doesn’t want to cause resentment as her army eats you out of
house and home.” : Taraya, tell all the Ryzck but Alfei and Deby
to go to the dom. Follow the white flags. Any problems report to
Alfei. We stay here with the Duke :
    Niaill turned
to Duke William, “sir, do you wish to remain here to welcome the
others as they come in?”
    Duke William
grinned at Niaill, “I wouldn’t miss this experience for all the
kala in the south.”
    : I take it
that was a yes : laughed Taraya.
     
     
    * * * * *
     
     
    The
Prince-Duke
     
    Xavier was
restless. He paced up and down the opulent chamber, one of the main
royal retiring rooms in the new palace.
    He was a King,
admittedly not of the entire Kingdom of Murdoch, only of the
southerly duchies but he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over that.
His hated brother was dead, his heir a boy of eighteen and who
would be able to do nothing to stop his uncle’s advance to
power.
    He had the
support of the southerly dukes and the northerly dukes would soon
be embroiled in this crisis with the Larg. By the time it was
resolved he would have consolidated his power-base and it would be
too late to attempt to oust him.
    Xavier would
come to an accommodation with his nephew Elliot in due course and
Elliot might get himself killed and then Xavier would be able to do
what he wanted. He had in his possession Elliot’s three
sisters.
    A thought
struck Xavier, perhaps he should marry the elder of the three? She
might be his niece but he was confident that the Church could be
‘persuaded’ to lift the rules of impediment, but even better, he
could marry his son to the younger niece, which would unite the
duchies again. He would send the two elder girls to a convent, one
of the Thibaltine houses by choice. Yes, that was the better
option.
    By now Xavier
was lost in his daydream. He was also becoming detached from
reality. He was also becoming aroused by the thought of his son
marrying young Princess Janet, aged nearly ten.
    Xavier liked
his women young. His town house here at Fort contained a number of
young love-concubines.
    Xavier he lay
back on the comfortable