Blood of Empire by Brian McClellan

Author:Brian McClellan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2019-12-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 36

Vlora watched an approaching column with no small amount of trepidation, knowing that if she’d still had her sorcery, she could spend this time closely studying the faces of the men and women, gaining an early edge on her political enemies. Instead, she was left to stew in her impatience, while her mood grew darker with every passing moment.

Her army had stopped for the night, and she could smell the smoke from fires as company cooks began to turn rations into something vaguely resembling dinner. She’d been told she would enjoy venison herself—a bit of meat shot by one of the camp followers and sold to the general-staff chef. She doubted she would actually enjoy it. Everything seemed to taste of ash these days, even after her recent realizations.

One of her first duties as a commanding officer receiving politicians was to invite them to dinner. Vlora had no intention of doing so, and decided she would have to get her pleasure from the petty snub.

“That’s almost two thousand soldiers,” Bo said. Nila was off aiding the wounded, but Bo had elected to join Vlora. General Sabastenien was here as well. No one else had bothered. Delia Snowbound was not popular among any of the soldiery, and less so among the senior officers. Even under the best of circumstances Vlora herself had trouble dealing with Delia without losing her temper. It was not even close to the best of circumstances.

“The High Provosts,” Vlora spat. Even at this distance she recognized the flags flying above the infantry column. One of them was the classic crimson with the mountains and teardrop. The one below it was small but no less bold—a contrasting military blue with the same exact emblem, but an added chevron below the teardrop. The High Provosts were a wing of the military police created after the Adran-Kez War as a sort of royal guard for the new ministerial government. Delia Snowbound and her allies had managed to gain control of the High Provosts and turn them into a check on the military leadership of the country. It had been the High Provosts who oversaw the disbanding of much of the Adran Army.

Delia herself was insult enough. But the presence of two thousand High Provosts was a slap to Vlora’s face and a clear statement of Delia’s intentions—she wasn’t just here to make sure that Vlora played nice in a foreign war. She was here to remove Vlora from power.

Vlora couldn’t let Delia get the better of her. Not now. She had to remain calm.

Bo glanced in her direction and did a double take. “Are you okay?”

“I’m practicing a pleasant smile,” Vlora told him.

“You look like you’re about to chew your own leg off.”

“That’s why I’m practicing.”

“Maybe just not smile at all. Try total neutrality.”

Vlora rubbed at her jaw, trying to work some of the tension out of it. “How about now?”

“You look constipated.”

“Sabastenien?” She turned to her general.

Sabastenien cleared his throat, seemed about to say something, then think better of it.

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