Chapter Ten

Marching As To War

The Scarlet Woman enjoyed a fine glass of Velunese fireamber wine when she considered a course of action. Not only did the drink’s crimson color appeal to her sensibilities, it was one of the finest and most expensive wines available in this part of the world. Needless to say, that made her enjoy it all the more.

She needed the wine to help her decide where she would invade. The monsters under her command were growing restless, eager for blood and treasure. She was growing restless too, as the lack of a formal title started to grate on her. She had a queen’s wealth and manners, and she decided that she deserved a queen’s formal title and dominion as well.

The only question was where to invade. The Lortmil Mountains were rich in precious stones and metals, and there were many kingdoms worthy of her rule. The Scarlet Woman had dispatched her human spies to several of those kingdoms, and they reported back to her.

“What news of Garnetholme?” the Scarlet Woman asked Dornelle, the spy she’d sent to that gnomish land.

“Strong and prosperous, my lady,” Dornelle replied, shaking her head. “They have one of the finest military machines in the eastern Lortmils.”

“They’d no doubt drain my forces of much of their strength before they fell,” the Scarlet Woman said, shaking her head. “That’s no good. Perhaps I should attack a dwarven land. Jahren, what do you know of Rockhome and Adamanhall?” she said, turning to another of her spies.

Humans and their appearance appealed to the Scarlet Woman. They were so numerous and common that they could walk into the communities of almost any other race and not attract much notice. The Scarlet Woman benefited from that as much as anyone, realizing that her appearance made her minions more at ease around her.

She did well not to smile at the irony of presenting herself as a lovely young maiden.

“Rockhome wouldn’t be worthy of my lady’s stature,” Jahren said. “Adamanhall likely would, but their defenses are nearly as fine as Garnetholme’s. My lady might win, but she would pay a great cost in lives and wealth before she did.”

The Scarlet Woman scowled before she took a long drink of her wine. That was no good. She wanted to conquer a place that would fall easily, but that would serve as a solid base for expanding her territory.

“And what do you say, Lynde?” she said, turning to another spy.

“Flinthold is vulnerable, my lady,” Lynde said, a confident smile crossing his face, “very vulnerable. They’re in a nasty dispute with Garnetholme over mining rights, and their ruling council is plagued with infighting. They’re also in an upheaval over some magical crown that was returned a few days ago.”

The Scarlet Woman was about to take another drink, when she suddenly stopped.

“A crown, you say?” she said, her eyes alight with interest.

“Just before I left Flinthold, my lady,” Lynde said. “I caught a look at it while it was being carried through the streets. A beautiful piece, and one suitable for my lady’s jewels. Even without it, Flinthold makes an ideal target for my lady’s assault.”

The Scarlet Woman took a long sip of her fireamber wine, before her lips parted in a thin smile. Flinthold was vulnerable and wracked with both internal and external conflicts.

In other words, Flinthold was the perfect target.

And then there was that crown. She’d heard legends of its supposed power, but even if the legends were just that, it was something beautiful.

More than anyone else, the Scarlet Woman deserved beautiful things.

“Let my minions prepare for war,” she said, her smile growing wider, seemingly too wide for her face.

“I will have my kingdom.”