| Предыдущая глава |
↓ Содержание ↓
↑ Свернуть ↑
| Следующая глава |
The girl hadn't had time to get some night shoes, and she didn't want to put her bare feet on the dirt floor or pull on her boots, so she said in a low voice:
— Jeanne, give me my bag. A travelling bag with a long strap.
The maid complied silently and sat down on the bed again, staring at her mistress. She rummaged through the compartments of her bag, pulling out a flask of sleep potion. Rosa didn't like to use it, but she had to at times, especially at the Academy, when she had to get a good night's sleep before classes. Students of the Faculty of Medicine traded various potions both legally and "from under the table", but the girl learnt to make sleeping potions herself. After all, among the purchased potions could always be made by a freshman. And Rosa valued her health. Pulling the cork, she drank half of the contents and tightly corked the bottle. She said, smiling guiltily at Jeanne:
— I'll go to sleep now, and I won't disturb you again. If I don't wake up for breakfast in the morning, wake me up in the harshest way possible. You can even throw water on me.
— Yes, madame. — The black-haired warrior nodded. — And... you didn't disturb me. I didn't lie down.
— Why? — Rose raised her eyebrows. — Because of the battle? Shall I give you a sedative?
Girl handed the woman the bag and the potion flask. She accepted them, but put the flask back where it belonged and hid the bag behind the bed. Maid shook her head:
— No. Thank you.
Shrugging, Rosa took off her glasses and pulled the blanket up to her chin. For a minute or two she lay there, feeling Jeanne's gaze on her. Suddenly the woman asked:
— And why are you... like this?
— Like what? — Rose turned her head, but without her glasses she saw only a blurred black silhouette.
— Good. — Jeanne said the word as if it were an insult.
— You've known me for two days, — Rose smiled. — Maybe I'm just pretending. I'll become a necromancer and start doing horrible things....
— Milady always said I had a knack for people. — The potion began to take effect, and the girl did not immediately realise that the maid was referring to the murdered Duchesse de Chanon. She thought of Vittoria first. — I believed her.
The minutes of silence stretched out again, and Rosa lowered her eyelids and began to drift into slumber. The nausea and pain receded, her breathing slowed. Jeanne's voice was barely audible to her ears:
— When you live for others, the death of all loved ones is liberating. For the last year, I knew I could fail, I could die, I could make a mistake, and it wouldn't hurt anyone who mattered to me. After all, they're already dead. Revenge was sweet. Killing not to protect, to punish. Not to fear for anyone. And now I'm becoming the same. Because of you. Disappoint me with something, madame Rosa. Before you die.
The woman seemed to think the student was asleep and was talking to herself. And yet Rosa's mind came up with an appropriate and witty answer. She didn't have time to say it, because she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
...Waking up in the morning, Rosa, of course, had completely forgotten what she had wanted to say to Jeanne. In fact, she now doubted whether the night's conversation had been a dream. Although the lamp stood in the very place where the girl had seen it, and the oil in it had burnt out completely. The two of them had a leisurely breakfast, after which Jeanne began cleaning her armour, and Rosa dived headlong into the necromancy book she had borrowed from her mentor. She was soon distracted from her reading by Luka. The dead orangutan entered the tent and handed the girl a piece of paper. Unfolding it, Rosa read: "Waiting after breakfast in the camp square." It was hard not to recognise Donna Vittoria's handwriting, the necromancer's penmanship was painstakingly small.
— I wonder why in the square? — The girl gave the note to Luca, and he walked off at a leisurely pace. — It's about time. Jeanne, are you with me?
— Of course. — The bodyguard maid finished changing the strap on her steel cuff and took her gloves from the chest.
As it turned out, the invitation was not theirs alone. People were streaming towards the centre of the camp from all directions, and at one point a wall of backs appeared in front of Rosa. Jeanne overtook the student and moved first, clearing the way. It was obvious that the former guardswoman had considerable experience in this kind of business — she skilfully threaded herself into the crowd, pushing the gawkers apart with her shoulders and elbows. People, however, shied away at the sight of the tall woman in the black suit. Surprisingly quickly, Jeanne pushed the young sorceress forward. She herself stood behind her, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder. She whispered:
— We're a little late.
In the exact centre of the camp square, with her paws tucked under her and her head held high, lay Toad with an important look. On her broad back, as on a podium, stood three men, Don Marius, Donna Vittoria, and Marshal de Cotoci. Rosa's tutor was making a speech, and Marius was casually supporting her under the elbow, evidently fearing that she might topple from the dragon in front of everyone.
— ...and fought alongside the allies, but first and foremost, this is our victory! — Vittoria reinforced each phrase with a spectacular wave of her hand. — The first, but not the last! Everyone contributed to it! Without the dragon that broke through the gap in the vanguard, without the cavalry that came to the rescue, without the infantry that consolidated the success, without mages, without commanders, without ordinary soldiers — there would not have been this victory! An entire army retreated under our onslaught! We are not a nameless crowd of refugees and deserters, as Auguste the usurper makes us out to be! Together we are a force to be reckoned with!
The red-haired donna nodded to the marshal. He lifted his chin:
— Listen to me, soldiers! From today, our army has a name! Our banner is black. Our emblem is a black shield. Black is Queen Octavia's favourite colour and a sign of our grief for her. We are the Black Guard, the last soldiers of the true Queen!
The crowd met the marshal's words with whispers and excited cheers, which gradually merged into a growing rumble.
— They loved it, — her maid said behind Rosa's back. — It doesn't take much to get people excited.
— What's it like for you? — The girl looked over her shoulder.
— Primitive pathos. — Looking in the dragoness's direction, Jeanne twitched the corner of her lips. — It always works with large crowds.
Rosa quickly turned away to hide her pink cheeks. The speech of the Donna and the Marshal had also impressed her. After waiting for the noise to die down, de Cotoci announced that the Loyalist cavalry had been given the special right to be called the Black Shields, and then ordered everyone to disperse and prepare for new battles. The soldiers, militia and refugees left the square reluctantly, in groups of seven or eight, talking as they went.
When the crowd had finally dispersed, Donna Vittoria climbed down from the dragon. Rosa realised at once why her mentor wait until the last minute — she didn't look very majestic as she crawled clumsily up the harness. The fewer people who saw her like that, the better. After a brief conversation with de Cotoci, the necromancer looked for Rosa and beckoned her over. She said as the apprentice approached:
— I'm sorry I didn't mention you and Jeanne separately. Your merits are no less than anyone else's, but I don't want to draw too much attention to you. Marius is in the public eye anyway, he's allowed.
— Madame and I attract no attention at all, milady, — Jeanne nodded grimly, pulling on a black man's jacket, worn where the cuirass had touched it. — We are invisible. Like shadows.
The red-haired donna snorted and replied with a chuckle:
— It's a question of who gets looked at more. I try to draw all eyes to me and Marius.
— Why? — Jeanne asked with her usual directness.
— Oh, that's just what I wanted to discuss with you today. — De Cotoci had already left with a dry farewell, so that the four of them were alone near the Toad, not counting the gawkers who had not yet left the square. — You've already eaten, haven't you? Follow me, then. We'll continue in a quieter place.
The women reached the necromancer's tent at a very leisurely pace, giving Marius time to take Toad away from the camp. When the knight returned, everyone was seated, and the red-haired donna showed Luca the way out. The dead orangutan hid behind the canopy, apparently standing guard. Vittoria leaned against the table, fingers intertwined in front of her face:
— This conversation should have happened sooner. But in the end, it's for the best. Now is an even better time.
She leaned back in her chair, rested her palms on the tabletop. She glinted at her glasses:
— You already know there's something I want you to do. But before that, let's summarise some information.
— About the strangers? — Don Marius suggested.
— About them, — Rosa's mentor nodded. — Ten years ago, the Empire's war with the Coalition ended. It ended without a winner, but we barely survived. After that, both sides began actively searching for a weapon of victory for the next war. I don't know much about the Imperials, but our research was also kept secret. Including from their own. King Octavian the Third, Octavia's father, created a sort of secret order of mages, merchants, and influential people from all over the Coalition. They conducted daring experiments in various fields of magic, with generous funding. And in one such experiment, they opened a portal to another world. A world like ours, but without magic. In this world, humans had developed technology to amazing heights.
— Guns firing without reloading... — Jeanne's cheeks showed jaundices, her tightly compressed lips turned white.
— Machines that fly through the sky faster than dragons, devices that transmit voice over distance without magic... — the red-haired donna nodded once more. — And many other things. Negotiations began between the Order and one of the countries beyond the portal. The Order was interested in their technology, the outsiders in our magic. And resources. Some resources not used by us are extremely valuable to them. Rock-oil, for example.
— Such an alliance could be the salvation of the Coalition. — Rosa frowned, already realising that things had taken a much worse turn.
— Yes, if an equal alliance interested outsiders. — The necromancer grinned crookedly. — They decided it was better to put people on the thrones of our world who owed them a favour. So they took out King Octavian first. With his entire family. If his youngest daughter hadn't miraculously survived, Augustus the Strong would have sat on the throne much sooner — he's one of the leaders of the Order. So he had to weave a new conspiracy to get rid of Octavia. This plot was uncovered by chance by my friends in the bailiff's office. We started to investigate, but we were too late. We couldn't save the Queen.
— That's why Auguste wants you dead.
— That's right. I was the coordinator of the investigation, and all the information flowed to me. I know a lot. And outsiders rely on stealth. Only a handful of local allies work directly with them. The rest are used blindly. — Vittoria drummed her fingers on the table. — There's one more important point we'll touch on here. The portal to a world without magic was opened by accident. The Order is still trying to replicate the necessary conditions, but without success. There is only one portal, and its capacity is limited. This prevents outsiders from bringing an army here and simply conquering everything. They make concessions, supporting the ambitions of people like Auguste with their weapons, magic-insensitive agents, and technology. In return, they get influence, materials to study magic, access to rare resources. And promises to look for ways to expand the portal.
— If the enemy has the only supply line... — Jeanne began, straightening in her chair. Her dark eyes flashed.
— Cut it off, — Vittoria said. — That's exactly right. But it won't solve our problems. Auguste is already in power, and he relies on local forces. Losing contact with the other world will undermine him, but not crush him.
— You've thought of something, though, — Rose said affirmatively, looking her mentor in the eye.
— Of course. — The red-haired donna's smile warmed. — The plan is very simple indeed. I intend to fulfil Queen Octavia's last command. To uncover the conspiracy.
— And... how does that help? — Don Marius asked. — Auguste is already on the throne, some of the Coalition duchies are ruled by alien prot"g"s....
— If presented with the right sauce, to the right people and at the right time, you can show everyone that Auguste is not a strong leader who took power in troubled times, but a puppet in the hands of others. That he did not sit on the throne, but was planted. That he depended on outside help. — Vittoria splashed her hands. — Some of those in power would wish to hang on to the same threads themselves, some would want to cut them, some would be horrified at what was happening... Some would follow the example of the Duc de Velonda. By shedding light on the interference of outsiders, we will change people's attitude to the situation. This war will no longer be the usual crisis of dynasty change. At the very best, I expect to plunge the entire kingdom into chaos, where every lordly duke, general, governor and burgomaster will start their own game.
— Is collapsing the kingdom the best outcome, do you think? — Marius glanced worriedly at Rosa. She tried her best to look calm — something she had assumed from her mentor's past reservations.
— To fall apart to put back together again. — The necromancer raised her palm soothingly. — The outsiders have netted the entire Coalition, and they've even ventured into the Empire, though they've had their hands full. We are outnumbered against them. If we lose, the entire west of the continent will be ruled by people who don't care about our world. For whom we're just a source of resources. Once they've taken over the Coalition, they'll start a war with the Empire, since they can't subdue it in secret. It's in their plans, and Auguste won't mind, with his ambition. To guarantee victory, they've brought in non-magical weapons capable of incinerating entire cities. Atomic bombs, it's called. It's so terrible, the outsiders do without it in their wars. Our world is different. Its mass use would hit the Coalition a little weaker than the Imperials, if the descriptions are to be believed. We, my friends, have no choice. Victory is life. And it's worth creating chaos for. To deepen the turmoil in Daert. To become one of the centres of power. To rally those who would oppose Auguste and the aliens. Deter the aliens, nullify their influence, take control of their weapons...
| Предыдущая глава |
↓ Содержание ↓
↑ Свернуть ↑
| Следующая глава |
