Chapter 31
Far away, under the cold desert moon, the line of carriages bumped slowly over the sand. Inside one, Sir Karlos looked at the worried faces of the nobles traveling with him. Lord Tyrell and Lord Rowan still looked unsure, their eyes filled with the fear of leaving everything behind.
Karlos leaned forward, his voice low but strong, cutting through the creaking sounds of the carriage. "Stop worrying," he said, his eyes sharp. He looked from one nervous face to the other. "Yes, we left the kingdom. But that doesn’t mean we’ve given up on it."
A surprised murmur went through the carriage. Lord Rowan frowned, shaking his head. "What are you talking about, Karlos? We ran away! The King still has his army. We don’t have the power to fight him, especially not now."
Karlos allowed a small, cold smile to touch his lips. "Exactly. We don’t have the power alone. That’s why we are going to the Roland Kingdom." He tapped the map spread out before him.
"They hate our King. They will be happy to help us get stronger, to give us soldiers and money. We will offer them secrets, information they can use against our old kingdom. With Roland’s help, we will go back."
He paused, letting that sink in. Then he added something else, his voice dropping even lower, like he was sharing a secret weapon. "And I didn’t leave our old home completely helpless. Before we left, I made sure things were set up."
The other nobles leaned closer, listening intently.
"There’s a group," Karlos continued, "an... international criminal organization. People who work in the shadows, mercenaries and spies. I let them spread all through my city, Crestport, before we rode out. They owe me favors. They will keep things messy there, make sure the King’s control is weak. They are my eyes and ears, and they hold a part of the city for me, even now."
He saw the surprise on their faces turning into understanding, even a little bit of fear at his planning.
"And one more thing," Karlos added, his smile widening slightly. "Many of the city guard posts in Crestport? The captains, I didn’t hire loyal men for those jobs in the last few months. I gave those posts to thieves, smugglers, men loyal only to gold... or to me. They won’t be helping the King’s men when they arrive. They will help us."
The nobles stared at Karlos. They knew he was clever and power-hungry, but this level of planning, this willingness to use criminals and foreign groups, surprised them.