“I had hoped to meet you again in more. . pleasurable circumstances, Hirzg Jan,” Justi said as a page pulled back the heavy chair for him and he sat. He nodded to the gathering; the Hirzg seated himself across from Justi, and then there was the rustling of cloth and harsher groan of mail and plate as the others found their seats around them.
Justi glanced at a thick leather portfolio placed on the table in front of him, stamped with the rampant stallion insignia of Firenzcia. “What is this?”
“Those are my terms for your surrender, Kraljiki,” ca’Vorl answered easily. “Let me summarize them for you. You will abdicate your title in favor of me, and hand over control of the Garde Civile to Starkkapitan ca’Linnett. My army will continue through Passe a’Fiume to Nessantico City to retain order during the transition of government. Archigos ca’Cellibrecca will return with me; he would be permitted to retain his title as Archigos as long as I perceive that he is cooperating. For your part, Kraljiki, I will allow you to retain your ca’ status, your title of chevaritt, and the lands of the ca’Ludovici estates in northern Nessantico, but you will absent yourself from all affairs of the Holdings on peril of your fortune and your life. There are, of course, many more details set out in the agreement, but those are the broad strokes. All I require is your signature and we are done here.”
Justi glanced down once at the folio, resisting the urge to spit on it.
The man has always been arrogant, but this is beyond arrogance. . Some of Hirzg’s retinue were carefully smiling, amused by Justi’s discomfiture; his own people sat silent and stunned. Did he know what I’d planned?
Justi gestured, and one of the pages scurried forward to place a portfolio in front of the Hirzg.
“These are my terms,” Justi told the Hirzg. “Your army will immediately retreat beyond the Nessantico borders. Your starkkapitan and all a’offiziers of the army will surrender their arms and commissions to Commandant ca’Rudka. You, Hirzg ca’Vorl, will be taken to Nessantico as my hostage until the ransom I demand is paid by your family, at which time you will exchange your daughter for yourself as hostage.
Firenzcia will also pay damages to the town of Ville Colhelm and for your plundering of Nessantico’s land. Those who disobey any of the decrees in these terms will be declared outlaw by the Holdings, and also by the Archigos of the Concenzcia Faith. Henceforth, Firenzcia will no longer have a Hirzg, but will be under direct control of a representative of the Holdings.”
The smiles were gone from the Hirzg’s retinue now, and Justi leaned back in his chair as he swept the Hirzg’s portfolio contemptuously to the floor and thrust out his famous chin even further. “All I require is your signature, Hirzg ca’Vorl,” he said deliberately. “And we are done here.”
Ca’Vorl glowered and a deep flush covered his face. Justi thought that the man was about to go into a frothing rage, but instead ca’Vorl slapped his hands open-palmed on the portfolio and roared a laugh that was made louder by the silence around them. “Kraljiki Justi, I have underestimated you. When I’ve met you in the past. . well, I confess that I thought you entirely devoid of humor. I see that I was wrong.”
The grin vanished as quickly as it had come. His eyelids lowered, and he stared at Justi. “But that doesn’t alter the fact that I have an army perched before Passe a’Fiume, which is the doorstep to Nessantico, and I don’t believe that you have the forces or the will to stop me from walking through that door. The Garde Civile has been nothing but an adjunct to the Firenzcian army for two centuries now; it is Firenzcia who has fought the Holdings’ battles for the Kralji, not the Garde Civile. So. . let us talk realities here, not dreams. We both know what each of us want; neither will get it without bloodshed.” He picked up Justi’s portfolio and dropped it on the grass next to his chair. “What do you really offer, Kraljiki?” he asked. “What is genuinely on the table for us to consider?”
Justi sniffed. He ached to draw the sword ca’Vorl had given him and strike the man dead-he could do that, he was certain, before the man could react or anyone could respond. He wanted the fight; he could feel it. It would feel good, better than this fencing with blunted words.
It would ease the fury gathering in his chest and the fire in his belly.
Matarh might have enjoyed this word-dancing, but he did not. You have to continue. . You need more time to be ready, time you can buy here.
“Let’s define the true situation first,” Justi said finally. He could hear ca’Rudka relax alongside him; the man had tensed, ready-Justi realized-to defend him. Ca’Cellibrecca gave an obvious sigh of relief.
“Passe a’Fiume has never been taken in a siege when it has been guarded by a full complement of Garde Civile; it now has that full complement and more. You can’t besiege the city without controlling the western gates on the other side of the Clario, and your army, no matter how strong, has no easy crossing of the river anywhere close. Should you somehow manage to make the crossing and continue your aggression in Nessantico, then Archigos ca’Cellibrecca will declare your troops and your war-teni in violation of the Divolonte. The Marque of all your teni will be immediately revoked and any services performed by them will be considered empty and void. The blessings of Cenzi will be withdrawn from your troops-those who die will find themselves in the hands of the death hags. Any war-teni who are captured will suffer the fate of those who use the Ilmodo against Cenzi’s Will.”
Justi paused and glanced sharply at ca’Cellibrecca. The man looked ill. He was staring somewhere beyond ca’Vorl. “Archigos,” Justi snapped, and the man shivered, his jowls wiggling on either side of his jaw. He bowed and nodded, his gaze skittered past and around Justi’s face.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s exactly so, Kraljiki.”
Justi blinked angrily at the slowness of the reply and its lack of fire, but he could say nothing to ca’Cellibrecca, not here where they needed to present a unified front. “I’m prepared to allow you and
your army safe passage back to Firenzcia. I will permit you to retain your title as Hirzg and your estates, but the tribute Firenzcia pays to Nessantico will be tripled for the next three years to pay for the damages you have caused. Command of the Firenzcian army garrisons will pass to Commandant ca’Rudka and offiziers to be named by me from among the Chevarittai of Nessantico. That’s what is on the table for you, Hirzg. That, or you may attempt to siege Passe a’Fiume and have your army break here.”
Ca’Vorl yawned dramatically. “A fine, blustery performance, Kraljiki, but did you look out from the walls before you came here? Did you fail to see the number of cook fires or did Chevaritt ca’Montmorte and the Garde Civile who ran screaming form Ville Colhelm fail to tell you how well and fiercely my Firenzcians fight? Is the Kusah of Namarro sending troops to come to your aid, or the Fjath of Sforzia, or the Ta’Mila of Il Trebbio? — or are those rulers sending you empty pledges of support while they tremble on their own thrones and wait to see who finally takes the Sun Throne in Nessantico? Why, I don’t see any of their banners flying above Passe a’Fiume. . and I won’t, will I? As to the Archigos. .”
Justi saw the Hirzg’s gaze linger on ca’Cellibrecca for a breath. “In the Toustour,” the Hirzg continued, “it says that Cenzi listens to all those who pray to Him and that if their prayers are true and genuine, He will answer. I know we’re both also familiar with the Divolonte.
The Archigos might recall Admonitions, where it says: ‘Kralji, be concerned with the lives of the faithful before death, for that is your role; Archigos, be concerned with the lives of the Faithful beyond death, for that is your task.’ So, I will listen to the Archigos when he talks to me about my Faith, not about politics. In the meantime, I prefer to listen to Cenzi Himself, rather than those who claim to speak for Him. If Cenzi is displeased with me, then I call on Him to take away the power of the Ilmodo from my war-teni. I assume He is perfectly capable of doing exactly that. Otherwise. .” The Hirzg brought his shoulder toward his cheek. “Perhaps the Ilmodo will tell us whose prayers Cenzi prefers: those of the Archigos, or those of my war-teni.”