The Cerberus Rebellion (A Griffins & Gunpowder Novel) Read online

“Excellent.” Hadrian put some bacon and honey bread on his plate and waved to a steward. “Eggs, please. Four of them.”

  “Yes, milord.” The steward bowed and disappeared through one of the hall’s side doors.

  “There isn’t enough forage to host this many soldiers,” Hadrian noted. He poured himself a horn of mead and took a sip. Sweet honey.

  “Indeed,” Darrik Blackmer agreed. “And there are more soldiers arriving every hour. The latest estimates put our force at one hundred and fifty thousand. With those coming by sea, we’ll be close to three hundred thousand.”

  “Mostly the soldiers from the duchies,” Hadrian said. “I was told that Lord Seward called his full levies as well. Ninety thousand soldiers.”

  “And Lord Ridley only brought a fourth of his full levies,” Haldane pointed out. “Though I wonder why he bothered with anything more than his personal guard. We’ll need to sail by White Ridge on our way to Aetheston. He could have left them there to wait.”

  “I’m sure Lord Ridley wants to make a show of his contributions,” Cedric said. “He is barely a man and the opinion of his peers likely weighs upon him.”

  It likely weighs less than you, Hadrian thought.

  A boom interrupted Hadrian as the doors were flung open by a pair of guards.

  The Dukes Dalton Croutcher and Preston Ridley strode in, a throng of nobles behind them. Raedan loomed massive among the smaller men around him.

  Jerren Weston, Rodger Fletcher, Trevyn Barton and Austen Towles, Claybourne Blakely, Tristen Burkes, and Spencer Alvey, barons all, followed behind their liege lords in a cluster.

  “My Lords,” Preston Ridley said by way of greeting to the gathered nobles. At just nineteen years old, he was a shadow of a man. He sat to Lord Strong’s right, the place of highest honor.

  The Duke of White Ridge stood a pair of inches shorter than Raedan but had none of the mass of the Clyves; it was a joke among his servants that he resembled an elf more than a man. His fair skin was marked by a thick batch of freckles and he had the wisp of a mustache growing on his upper lip. His large, light blue eyes betrayed both his intelligence and his inexperience.

  His father had not been loved by all of his nobles and lesser lords, but the nobles sworn to other duchies had come to respect the wildly successful merchant duke. His territories had seen an unprecedented increase in trade volume and the territories that swore allegiance to him had benefited from the trade agreements that he had secured.

  “Earl Chadburn will be joining us shortly,” Dalton promised. He sat to the left of Baron Strong. “His train arrived very early this morning. We expect Lord Seward and his remaining lords will be here by midday.”

  “Then we can get underway?” Cedric asked. By the looks on the faces around him, he was not the only hopeful person.

  “We will make our arrangements once Lord Seward arrives,” Dalton said. “But the plan is to move within the week.”

  “Good. My men grow weary of waiting,” Cedric said brashly.

  “I’m sure that everyone wants to get underway as soon as possible,” Dalton agreed. “But we’ll not move without a plan.”

  A tone in Dalton’s voice that caught Hadrian’s attention. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but a quick glance at Raedan told him that he wasn’t the only person who had heard it.

  The servants poured into the hall with more trays of sizzling bacon, flagons of honey mead and sweet wine, and loaves of honey bread. Plates of eggs were brought to those nobles that requested them and sausages were soon ordered as well.

  Hadrian carried on a conversation with Dalton, mostly about Raedan’s arrangements to marry Earl Garroway’s daughter. The tone in his liege lord’s voice was a concern that sat in the back of his mind as they talked until he could stand no more of it.

  “You’re hiding something,” Hadrian whispered. His voice was so low that Dalton could hardly hear him.

  “I am,” Dalton confessed. He took a long drink of his mead. “But all will be revealed when Lord Seward and his nobles arrive.”

  “Why did you wait so long?” Hadrian was confused and insulted. He had held himself as one of Dalton’s closest friends and advisors.

  “It’s not a personal slight,” Dalton said quickly. “We told no one of our plans. You will see why.”

  “I see.”

  A dozen ideas raced through Hadrian’s head as he slowly drained another horn of mead. None of the thoughts had any solid evidence, at least as far as he knew. If the dukes of Western Ansgar had something planned, it would not have been planned in the short time since the arrival of the King’s Summons. It would have to be something that they had been planning for a long time. The recent events would only be a trigger, or had merely quickened their actions.

  Hadrian’s thoughts wandered to the massive encampments around Arndell. Dalton could have called his full levies from the population of his largest city, but it would require nearly every able-bodied man to answer the call. A city the size of Arndell could not sustain the loss of every man of fighting age, not even for the time it would take for the rest of the soldiers to be summoned. Which meant that Dalton had called his full levies before the message from the King had reached him.

  “A word, brother?” Raedan asked. His eyes were insistent.

  “Of course,” Hadrian said and turned to Dalton. “With your leave, Your Grace?”

  “By all means.” Dalton waved a hand dismissively. But his suspicious eyes gave lie to his casual attitude.

  Raedan led Hadrian through one of the small doors on the side of the room. Once on the other side, he slid the bolt into place and looked down the passage to ensure they were alone.

  “They’re hiding something,” Hadrian said before Raedan had a chance to ask. “From the way Dalton said it, it’s a pact between the dukes only. No one else knows.”

  “I don’t like this,” Raedan told him. A trace of panic flashed in his younger brother’s eyes. “We were told to attend today’s meetings without our advisors or guards or lesser lords.”

  “I noticed that condition as well,” Hadrian said. The nobles held the ability to have their guards with them at all times as a fundamental right of their titles. To have that right refused was both unusual and alarming. “I’m sure that there is a good reason for the exclusion of our advisors and guards. We’ll just have to wait for Lord Seward to arrive.”

  “I’m going to make preparations, just in case,” Raedan said. He fingered the onyx stone in his heavy amulet.

  “Just don’t do anything too direct,” Hadrian implored. He fell silent at the sound of heavy footsteps.

  "Ah, the famous Lords Clyve.” Slayton Norwich’s thick white cloak flapped behind him as he strode around the corner.

  The earl was one of the few nobles of Ansgar who could claim that they were taller than Raedan. House Norwich had intermarried with noble houses from Nordahr, Beldane and Steimor more than any other house in Ansgar. He was older than Hadrian by several years but had not so far been afflicted with gray hairs.

  “I hope that your journey was uneventful?” Hadrian asked with a smile. He and Raedan bowed slightly. “I had heard there were storms.”

  “Some wind, some snow,” Slayton confirmed. Hadrian stepped in front of the door; Raedan slid the bolt out of the lock. “Has the gathering started already?”

  “We are expecting Lord Seward’s ships by midday. Once he and the last of his nobles arrive, we are to get started,” Hadrian announced. “Do you have any ideas as to why we’ve gathered here?”

  “I had thought it was to enjoy the scenery,” Slayton said with a smile. Hadrian was not amused. “Fallcrest has the most extensive deep water harbor on the main rail lines between Arndell and Aetheston. White Ridge has larger ports, but the rail lines aren’t as well-kept and you would have to circle around the mountains to get to the city. And I supposed the dukes want to get us all on the same page before we go before the King. Make sure that we all know what they intend to do.”

&
nbsp; “As if there is much choice in that.” Raedan shook his head.

  “I suppose we’ll have to wait until midday.” Slayton breathed deeply. “Is that bacon?”

  ***

  By the time Lord Putnam Seward, Protector of the Southern Shore and Duke of Sea Watch, arrived at Strong Castle, half of the nobles gathered in the great hall were drunk. And several of them had fallen asleep in their chairs.

  The duke’s arrival was unannounced and uncelebrated. He and the last of his nobles strode into the hall an hour before midday. They still wore the thick cloaks and woolen clothes that had kept them warm through the brisk winds of the bay.

  Putnam Seward was a few years older than Raedan and a hand shorter. Gray had crept into his short orange hair at the temples and had spread to his thick beard. His dark brown eyes were cold and humorless.

  “My Lords,” he said as he strode through the hall. The sleeping nobles were nudged awake by those around them and all eyes were on the last of the western dukes to arrive.

  Haldane Strong stood. “Lord Seward, I’m glad to see the bay did not best you. The winter seas are known to be hazardous.”

  “There isn’t a storm that has been able to best me or my ships,” Putnam bragged. “Though with as many men and supplies as I brought, I’m surprised the ships didn’t sink on their own accord.”

  Half of a dozen lesser nobles followed behind the Duke of Sea Watch. Most swore their fealty to Dalton Croutcher but held lands closer to Sea Watch than to the main rail lines.

  Elvin Arington of Seaguard, Branton Kerby of West Gate and Emory Blackman of Black Mountain still wore their salt stained clothes. Their faces were wind burnt and their hair was in tangles.

  The dukes stepped out of the hall and the lesser nobles found their seats among the tables as stewards flowed into the hall once more. They carried long furled banners and moved to hang them around the hall.

  The stewards refilled the flagons with wine, beer and mead and finally cleared the breakfast plates. The midday meal would be presented soon and Hadrian wondered what they would be served. The Tirrell Barony was known for its spice market and it was always a source of mystery when the expert cooks were put to work.

  Lord Simon Cardwell was seated to Hadrian’s left. The boy had been the Earl of West Shore for nearly half of his sixteen years, but had only just come out from under the regency of his mother. Despite his relative youth, he carried himself with more authority than many of the nobles in the hall.

  “My lord.” Hadrian greeted the earl with a nod.

  “Lord Clyve, a pleasure to see you.” Simon inclined his head in greeting and poured himself a mug of mead. “How long have you been encamped?”

  “I arrived five days ago,” Hadrian said, pouring himself a mug too. “I was tasked with collecting the levies for my wife’s father, and some of his lesser lords were reluctant.”

  “How is Lord Tullen?”

  “He is aging poorly,” Hadrian confessed. “I fear that if this expedition carries too long I will not be present to see his passing and ease my wife’s grief.”

  “I pray that Hedron will stay his reaping until you are able to return to your lands,” Simon offered. Few were so bold as to pray to the God of Death, but Hadrian would not point that out to the young man.

  “I thank you, my lord.” Hadrian raised his mug. “Milord, would you pardon me? I see a few old friends that I feel compelled to greet.”

  “Of course,” Simon said.

  Conversations sparked as the nobles were seated and Hadrian found his way to the floor to greet some of the newly arrived nobles.

  Lords Burnard Paullin, the Baron of Ridere, and Harleigh Leaman, Baron Saewald, had found themselves seated with Raedan and Lord Weston.

  “Ah, the other Clyve,” Harleigh greeted. “What brings you down to chatter amongst the minor nobles?”

  “Harleigh,” Burnard chastised, but the man waved him off.

  “A joke,” he offered with a smiled. Hadrian grasped his hand and shook it firmly. The discomfort in Leaman’s eyes was obvious. “I understand that your sister was wed just before we received the King’s summons.”

  “Indeed,” Hadrian confirmed. “To the younger son of Earl Odwolfe.”

  “Your influence just continues to spread,” Harleigh noted.

  Hadrian ignored the jab. Harleigh had wanted his heir to be married to Stephanie and when Hadrian had refused the match, the Baron Saewald had tried to involve their liege lords. That move had been ill-conceived and Lord Croutcher had extracted a gold payment out of the lesser noble in payment for the poor manners.

  Raedan seemed to sense the tension, as he said, “Midday meal should be served soon.” His fingers caressed the onyx stone in his amulet and his eyes narrowed.

  “I’ve heard that Tirrell’s cooks are the best in Ansgar,” Harleigh said.

  “Have the ham, if it is offered,” Hadrian suggested. He heard someone clear his throat and turned to see the dukes had returned. “If you will excuse me.”

  Hadrian was back in his seat before the dukes had taken theirs. A heavy gavel slammed onto the center table and the stewards scurried from the room. Every door was shut and Hadrian quickly noted that everyone except for the nobles had left the room. Everyone’s attention was focused on the center of the dais.

  “My lords.” Dalton’s voice cut through the silence after an uncomfortable pause. As the senior noble present, it was his right to speak first. “I know that you are all wondering why we have called you here instead of waiting for everyone to assemble at Aetheston. This is a natural staging point for our journey to Aetheston. It is better suited than any of our duchies to gather troops via land and transport them by boat to the capital.”

  Dalton paused. Hadrian noted the words and the way that they were said. The duke was being very careful how he approached the matter and the words that he left unsaid were as powerful as the words that he spoke.

  “But all of that, all of everything that we have done since we received the letters from King Garrard, has been a ruse. That His Majesty called our levies, and requested that we gather at Aetheston, was convenient. If he had not done so, it would have been difficult to explain our actions. Many of which were, in fact, planned years ago and put into action before His Highness knew that there was a war brewing across the Vast Sea.”

  “To what purpose did you make these plans?” Cedric McKinley asked.

  “To the purpose of freedom.”

  The room exploded with shouting, mugs pounding on tables and the excited chatter of the nobles. Hadrian’s eyes narrowed; Raedan leaned back in his chair.

  “The issue has been discussed amongst the Dukes of Western Ansgar for more than one hundred years,” Dalton continued. “When Kerberos invaded our eastern lands, there was a serious discussion on whether to answer the call of King William or to leave him to fight the war for himself. And this king has only made the situation worse. Many of you have felt the effect of his higher taxes and of his unfair trade practices that favor Eastern merchants and nobles. Some of you have felt the results of his inaction.

  “And now he asks us to call our levies to arms and sail them thousands of miles to fight a war that we have no interest in.” Dalton stood and pressed his palms to the table. “Gentlemen, Lord Seward, Lord Ridley and I have called our full levies to arms as a sign that we are not like our king. While he would stand by and let you and your men sail across the Vast Sea to fight a war for his friends, we are willing to lead our own soldiers to battle for ours.”

  “Your Grace, if we do this…” Slayton Norwich let his voice trail off in suggestion.

  “If we do this, we will be branded as traitors. The King will likely claim our lands for the throne and will call his levies to arms. Freedom will not come without a cost, My Lords, I assure you of that. But at the end of the day we will be free, or we will be dead.”

  “The King will not stop at our own lives. Our wives, our children—”

  Putnam spoke. “Lord
Alvey, I have a wife and children as well. And I know what it will cost them if we were to fail. But isn’t freedom worth the risk?”

  “We will not force anyone to join us,” Dalton announced. “If you decide that this course of action does not suit you or your territories, we will not force your hand. We only ask that you remain neutral in the matter.”

  “How many soldiers do you request of us?” Hadrian asked. Their initial levies would not be sufficient to withstand the wrath of the king.

  “We ask for one of every four able men. Half of your full armed levies,” Dalton said. Some of the nobles complained loudly, others remained silent. “The other half will remain in your territories to act as your home guard. The duchies will contribute two thirds of our levies to the effort.”

  “And who is going to fund this insurrection?” Cedric asked. He was heir to one of the most wealthy territories in the west.

  “We will leverage our manufacturing, raw materials and volume of trade for loans where necessary. Taxes, however, will provide the majority of our funds.” The nobles that had previously remained silent joined their fellows in uproar as men shouted and pounded mugs on the tables. Dalton remained stone faced and waited for minutes until the noise finally subsided. “Do you not pay taxes to the Crown? The King claims five silver shields out of every golden crown that you bring into your coffers. We will not ask any more of you or your people.”

  “You say that now,” Burnard Paullin said. “But who is to say that when we are in the middle of this revolution that you will not suddenly ask for more?”

  “And what is to stop you from recalling your troops and begging forgiveness from the King?” Preston asked as he leaned forward in his chair. Dalton suppressed a grimace but Hadrian saw the twitch in his jaw. “Even if we have to purchase food and powder from across the Vast Sea, taxes will be able to sustain our campaign for many years.”

  “We brought you together here because we believed that you felt the same way that we did. We believed that you were willing to do what was necessary to bring our lands out from under the boot of a king thousands of miles away. We excluded anyone that we believed would not agree with our actions. That is why Earl Irwin is not present.”