In the northwest region of Vanura, bordering the Elven Kingdom of Lundale, stood the fortified Castle of House Apra. Built atop a small hill overlooking the surrounding area, the castle was whispered to be impenetrable, its reputation forged by centuries of fending off every enemy invasion. Its towering stone walls were a source of enduring pride.

  Standing on the walls of his castle, Lord Broi Apra gazed out across the green wheat fields and the river that flowed in front of his castle’s outermost walls. Above him, the House banner—a silver elk’s head stitched against a forest-green field snapped in the wind. He pulled the hood of his cloak up, keeping the early summer breeze from striking his face as he watched a messenger sprinting toward him.

  “Lord Apra! News from Baura! The seal is from Lady Dane!”

  “Dane? Why would she send word to me?” Broi asked, taking the small piece of rolled-up paper from the messenger. Unrolling it, he lazily scanned it, his wrinkled brows lifting in surprise. Rereading the message, his expression jumped through several emotions before finally settling on amusement.

  “Guards!”

  “My Lord!”

  “Find General Malthor. Tell him I require a meeting with him. I will be in my office.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Walking back to his office, Broi touched his stubbly chin as he fell into thought. A small smile played on his lips. Since his days as a common soldier under the former King, Broi was known for a single trait: the ability to see an opportunity and strike. It was that sharp instinct that had allowed him to quickly climb the ranks of the military, which eventually caught the eye of the King. A commoner marrying into nobility was rare—almost unheard of, but with his skill and luck, he had crossed the line most men believed uncrossable.

  Stepping into his warm office, he tossed his cloak onto a chair and reread the message. His instincts honed by decades of schemes told him this was an opportunity he couldn’t miss.

  “My Lord, you summoned me?” General Malthor asked, entering the room and closing the door after him.

  “Ah, Malthor, you’re here. I’ve just received word from Baura.” Broi said, stepping to a window and looking down at the city below. He let out a low chuckle. “According to this, the armies of Leora and Baura have been annihilated by the combined forces of Bovera and Para.”

  Malthor stiffened, his face pale. “What? How could Leora fall? Lord Leora is second only to Prince Hector in martial strength!”

  “According to Lady Dane, both Drake and Averell are dead.” Broi grinned, rubbing his wrists to ease some of their stiffness. “I suspect they fell victim to some sort of scheme; neither of them was ever known for their intellect. And now, Lady Dane is pleading for our troops.”

  “My Lord, are you considering sending reinforcements to them?” Malthor asked, shaking his head.

  “Why shouldn’t we?” Broi replied, turning and lowering himself onto a hard wooden chair. “With the deaths of Averell, his sons, and most of their army, Baura lacks the leadership and strength to defend its castle. This situation is practically an invitation for annexation.”

  “My Lord, if we attempt to take advantage of this, the royal family will not turn a blind eye. They will intervene,” Malthor argued.

  “You’re correct, Malthor—Salizia would object,” Broi said calmly. “That is why we must come up with a story—one that would satisfy them. At present, Yena is the fiancée of Averell’s second son, Viarop. We can use that as justification for stationing our army there. We will argue that, because all of Baura’s heirs are dead, Yena has the strongest claim.”

  “My Lord, that would not work,” Malthor said flatly, unimpressed. “Lady Dane is still alive, and Lady Yena was only engaged. She never married Lord Baura’s son. Salizia will immediately see through our claim and know we are attempting to seize House Baura.”

  “Once again, you are correct, Malthor,” Broi said, feeling his old heart pound as it had in his youth. He had missed this—the thrill of maneuvering against his enemies and allies alike. “But you are seeing only the tree and not the forest.

  “Currently, Salizia is still facing the threat of a religious civil war. They do not have enough soldiers to aid both Leora and Baura. If both houses request aid, Salizia would either have to split its forces or choose one over the other. I suspect they will choose Leora over Baura. By moving their forces to Leora, they will keep Bovera and Para in check.

  “It doesn’t matter whether they know of our intentions. In this situation, we are the lesser of two evils. They will allow us to use the flimsy excuse of protecting Yena’s claim and responding to Lady Dane’s request for aid to move our forces. Once we are there, we will slowly take control—using a pretext Salizia knows is false, but one that they will tolerate to preserve stability.”

  It’s been years since I’ve felt like this, Broi thought, rolling his shoulders back and looking at Malthor.

  “General, assemble three hundred men. You will depart for Baura tomorrow morning.”

  “Yes… my lord,” Malthor replied, clearly unconvinced.

  “Oh—and take Sena and her husband, Cassian, with you,” Broi added, almost as an afterthought.

  “Sena and Cassian, my Lord?” Malthor asked cautiously. “Are you entrusting them with ruling Baura? I mean no disrespect to your children, but Sena is not suited for political maneuvering; her strengths lie elsewhere. As for Cassian, he is a good man, and as the son of Lord Kon, his military tactics are exceptional—but he shares Sena’s weakness in diplomacy. Together, they may seize Baura, but they will not be able to hold it. I cannot support this decision.”

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  Broi nodded slowly and cleared his throat.

  “I am aware they are not fit to rule Baura,” he admitted. “I am also uneasy about sending them. But with you beside them, I have confidence it will succeed. Ideally, I would like Vihanna and her husband—your nephew, to go, but I suspect they will refuse.”

  Signing, Broi shook his head.

  “Malthor, that nephew of yours. I don't know what to do with him. We both know how exceptional Ludo is, but his lack of ambition troubles me. He should be leading House Apra, but all he does is laze around.”

  “My lord, can you not simply order them to go?” Malthor pressed.

  “I can try,” Broi replied, “but it may create tension between him and Sena. And whatever Sena lacks, she does not lack ambition. I will speak to him. Perhaps if he hears that you are going as well, he will follow your lead.”

  “Thank you, my Lord.”

  Ludo lay stretched across a couch; one leg crossed over the other. He opened his eyes as he heard his wife enter the room.

  “I heard you refused Father’s request to go to Baura,” Vihanna said, disappointment putting an edge to her voice.

  “I did,” Ludo replied, a relaxed smile on his face as he reached for a book. “And who told you? Your father? I was going to tell you later today, but it seems like he beat me to it.”

  “Why did you turn down the offer?” Vihanna demanded. Her disappointment turned to anger. “You didn't even consult me! This was the perfect opportunity for us to gather merit and reputation!”

  “Perfect opportunity? Does it look like one to you?” Ludo asked, opening the book and flipping to the page he was seeking. Glancing over the top of the book, he looked at his wife’s face.

  She looks pretty, even when she’s mad, he thought idly.

  “Yes, it is!” Vihanna snapped. “You know Father has been eying the lands of Baura for years. With Nazau to our east, and the mountains of Silkbug and Lundale to our north, the lands of Apra are surrounded! There are limited ways we can acquire wealth. Our only options are to invade Baura, attack Nazau, or find a trade path through the mountains. You know what happened when we took the silver mines from Nazau! And with this ‘new Nazau’ army marching around hunting bandits, we still can't invade!”

  “I told you we wouldn’t be able to hold the silver mines,” Ludo laughed. “Finding a path through the mountains would have been more reasonable.”

  “We’ve searched for a path for years, and so far, we’ve come up empty,” Vihanna reminded him, her lips pursed. “With Baura asking us for help, this is the golden opportunity we’ve been waiting for. Once we take Baura, taking Leora is not out of the question. Our House will control the whole western lands of Vanura!”

  Ludo laughed at his wife’s words. “I see that my wife’s ambition comes from her father,” he said. “Vihanna, you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. We don’t want to choke on the very food that we’ve put in our mouths.”

  Seeing the scowl on Vihanna’s face deepen, Ludo sat up. “It’s too early for such drastic measures.”

  “Too early? Choke? Why do you say that?” Vihanna demanded, her hand crossing in front of her. “With Lord Baura and his sons dead, they cannot stand against us. Even if they demand we leave, it would be too late.”

  Walking over, she snatched the book out of Ludo’s hand and threw it on the couch.

  Ludo glanced at the discarded book before answering. “Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it is. In situations like this, it is better to move slowly.”

  “Slowly? I know you aren’t accustomed to my family’s traditions, but in our House, the most capable child is made heir—regardless of gender or age! By surrendering the lands of Baura to Sena and Cassian, you are surrendering my claim!” Vihanna yelled, her face flushing red.

  “In a way, yes, but it is better for us this way. The situation is much more complicated than it looks,” Ludo explained. The tone of his voice changed. He was serious now. “First, we will not ruin your relationship with your sister. Considering Cassian’s capabilities in diplomacy, I doubt they will accomplish much. Second, your House and most of your citizens worship the Goddess Gera. Baura, on the other hand, overwhelmingly worships Alumus.”

  “Alumus worshipers? I thought they believed in a different god?” Vihanna said, frowning. She was relaxed now; Ludo’s seriousness had calmed her down.

  “They are part of a small Alumus faction called Delum—one that is extremely loyal to House Baura,” Ludo said. “But more importantly, what do you think would happen when those two religions clash? Just look at the capital! Salizia is on the brink of chaos. If we force your House's religion onto Baura, we invite the same disaster.”

  A heavy silence settled in the room as Ludo stopped talking.

  “If we handle this carefully, it should be fine,” Vihanna finally said, her anger slowly vanishing.

  “You’re right, but Sena and Cassian won’t be able to pull it off. You know how religious your sister is,” Ludo said, straightening his posture. “But there’s another reason that I don’t think we should go.”

  “And that is?”

  “I don’t think Leora is as weak as your father thinks. They have a hidden card,” Ludo said, the lingering smile on his face replaced by a sudden, serious glare.

  Vihanna frowned. “Leora? What do they have to do with it? They lost the bulk of their army, their Lord, and their heir. They have nothing left.”

  “Have you heard of Lord Leora’s firstborn son?” Ludo asked.

  “Karl? He died in the ambush. He’s of no concern,” Vihanna slowly replied, the space between her eyebrows wrinkling questioningly.

  “No, not Karl. I'm talking about Letius.” Ludo leaned forward. “You were young when this happened, so I’m not sure if you were paying attention to the gossip at the time. But Karl isn’t Lord Leora’s firstborn son. Nearly a decade ago, the eldest son denounced his claim to the House name and disappeared with his wife. It was a massive scandal.”

  “I’ve never heard of this,” Vihanna said, her wrinkles deepening.

  “Lord Leora used every bit of his influence to bury the rumors, but I’m surprised your father never told you. I’m even more surprised he doesn’t see the man as a threat,” Ludo murmured, watching his wife’s reaction. “In my opinion, he is the biggest flaw in our plan. Maybe your father’s ambition is finally blinding him.”

  “A threat? Is he truly that formidable? Enough to make us abandon Baura?” Vihanna protested, stunned by his caution. “He’s not even part of Baura! Why would he intervene?”

  Ludo stood up and picked up the book his wife had thrown. “Letius’ mother is Lord Baura’s cousin. It isn’t far-fetched to think he’ll claim the rights to those lands.”

  “Land rights? Those are concerns for the future! If we can secure Baura now, he won’t be able to do anything. And even if he does return, would the people of Leora even take him back? He denounced his House.”

  “They would if they’ve truly lost their elite warriors. His return will be hailed as a miracle,” Ludo replied, sitting back down and reopening his book.

  Vihanna crossed her arms, a stubborn look settling on her face. “What can one man do? Even Lord Leora died in battle! It would take years before Letius is as strong as his father. As long as we solidify our position, they won’t be able to touch Baura.”

  Ludo let out a short, dry laugh. “You don't understand. Letius was stronger than his father years ago. If I had to guess, even Prince Hector would struggle against him now.”

  Vihanna’s mouth dropped open. “What?! How could you possibly know that? If he’s truly as strong as the prince, his name should be legendary!”

  “When I was young, I witnessed his swordsmanship while he was practicing with his father,” Ludo said. “Although I was only a child, even I could tell he had far surpassed his father. Unfortunately, when he renounced his House, Lord Leora forbade anyone from speaking his name. The younger generation doesn’t know he exists, and the older one is too afraid to utter his name. But with his father’s death,” Ludo locked eyes with his wife, all traces of humor gone, “he will return.”