The Shadow Throne (Ascendance 3)

Back when I suggested to Tobias that we simply mold a cannon and see if it worked, he had warned me that the danger lay in how the metal was cast. If it wasn’t thick enough, or welded together well enough to withstand the explosion inside, it would fail. Perhaps the injured cousin had been too close to a cannon when it failed.

The problem was that the cannon in front of me looked very thick and very strong. It would take far more than a normal burst of gunpowder to destroy it.

Then I smiled. No, a normal burst wouldn’t be powerful enough. But who said it had to be limited to that?

I opened the closest sack of gunpowder and scooped a generous portion into the barrel, then rammed it into the breech. Once I was certain it was packed in tightly, I replaced the ramrod and scoop exactly as they had been before. I started to close up the sack, then realized I was passing up an enormous opportunity. I scooped as much gunpowder as I dared to steal into an extra bag, then refastened the bag and made my escape back to Mystic.

Unless they carefully checked their cannon, Mendenwal had no idea they were now testing a loaded weapon.

I rode away, retracing my ride back toward Avenia. Less than an hour later, as I reached the arch of another gentle hill, the ground quaked violently enough to startle Mystic to his hind legs, and a thick plume of black smoke rose into the air several miles behind me.

I turned to look back and grinned. Avenia and Mendenwal were still terrible threats to Carthya. But they no longer had a cannon.

It was early evening before I found the place where Imogen was being held. The hastily assembled camp lay just on the Avenian side of the border near Libeth, but a hill descending toward the camp allowed me a good view of the interior. The swamplands surrounding Libeth butted up to the camp’s northern boundary. Due to its reputation for thick underbrush and poisonous snakes, no one would dare attempt any crossing of the swamp by foot, and it wasn’t much easier by boat. The other perimeters were surrounded by tall mounds of earth or iron bars with razor ends. It was a larger camp than I’d anticipated, with several buildings and tents of all sizes.

“Your Majesty?”

I swiveled around, sword drawn, as two men approached me. Realizing they had caught me off guard, they raised their hands in a gesture of peace and then each quickly fell to one knee.

When I recognized them, I replaced my sword and asked them to rise. The man who had spoken was Henry Evendell, a talented archer with a good heart who often stood as a vigil at my castle. I didn’t know the second man well, but Evendell introduced him as Herbert, a new but ambitious soldier, also from Drylliad. Both men had bows slung over their shoulders and quivers on their backs.

“Where’s Mott?” I asked.

Out of respect, Evendell inclined his head before speaking again. “He entered the camp this morning, sire, hoping to get to a tent we thought looked different from the others. But we’ve seen no sign of him for hours, and we’re concerned that he may have been captured.”

“Show me the tent.” Evendell pointed it out to me and I squinted, trying to see it better. Several vigils stood around it now. Either a royal was inside, or more likely, a valuable prisoner.

“Did he leave you with orders?” I asked them.

Evendell and Herbert eyed each other, and then Evendell answered, “Before coming here, we secured a small boat near the swamp, on the north end of camp. Once Mott came out with the lady Imogen, we were to use our arrows to clear a path for their escape into that boat.”

“Has there been any sign of her?”

Both Evendell and Herbert shook their heads. Herbert mumbled something that I couldn’t hear and I told him to speak up. Then he said, “There was one more order, sire, but you won’t like it.”

Whatever it was, by the squeamish expression on his face, I already didn’t like it.

“Mott warned us you might come,” he continued. “If you did, he asked us to remind you of your responsibilities for the safety of the kingdom. Not for him, or the lady Imogen.”

Which was a fine idea, except that Mott’s capture had just become the biggest threat to the safety of my kingdom. Also, I had never obeyed Mott before. I couldn’t think of any reason to start now.

“We have to get both of them back,” I said. “You have no idea where Imogen is being held?”

Evendell started to apologize and shake his head, but Herbert lifted his arm and pointed straight ahead. I followed his line to see a group of Avenian soldiers emerge from a tent deep inside the camp. In the center of that group was Imogen, her hands bound and mouth gagged. She seemed uninjured, which was a relief, and the gag didn’t really surprise me. Although we were friends, she’d still scolded me often enough. I could only imagine the blistering words she’d have for an enemy.

My panic rose when I saw Mott being led from the tent Evendell had pointed out. His hands were also bound, and he was limping. For anyone else, the number of blades on him would’ve been too much. But not for Mott. He was strong and fast, and if there were any fewer weapons, he could’ve fought them all and won.

From a third position in the camp, I saw a man walk forward with a barbed whip in his hands. His purpose immediately became clear. Mott would be asked questions about Carthya’s strategies in the war. If he refused to answer, that whip would be used on Imogen. They would force Mott to talk, or things would get worse. Much worse.

Reinforcing my fears, once Imogen and Mott were brought together into a small clearing, he was made to sit in a chair where more ropes went around his arms and feet. The soldiers escorting Imogen turned her to face a crude whipping post, then began retying her arms separately on each side of the wood.

Quickly, I turned to Evendell and Herbert. “Which of you is better with the bow?”

Evendell cocked his head and I told him to build a small fire and then gave him his instructions. Herbert was to come with me. He and I ran down the hill into a narrow valley of the camp, using the growing evening shadows to keep us hidden.

The closer we drew, the more we became aware of the bustle everywhere inside the camp. Vigils stood watch both at the gates and at elevated posts, and were stationed beside several tents within the camp. It would be impossible to get much closer without being spotted and likely shot.

Everything that happened next would have to be done quickly. Herbert nocked an arrow and moved into position. Hopefully, Evendell hadn’t lost us in the waning light and would be watching too.