Our forces easily overwhelmed theirs, especially with the help of the Nestori powders. Between the knockout and hyblatha, we managed to keep casualties low. But there were still too many for my heart not to feel heavy with guilt.
Aithne was found in the square with an arrow through her chest, and Malka had died in the assault on the castle. Fifteen of Jax's vigilantes had died, all of them with multiple wounds. They'd fought well and to the bitter end, as had the Forcadelian soldiers that Katarine and Felix had led into the city, of which we'd lost thirty-two.
Luard reported twenty Niemenian casualties, but thankfully Katarine and Elisha had made it out all right. But the largest toll had been from innocents caught in the crossfire—both Forcadelian and Severian.
"That's a part of war," Luard said heavily. He and his sister had gathered in Ilara's former office to give me an update. "It was unavoidable."
"And the larger goal was achieved," Katarine added.
"And the prisoners?"
"Many of them laid down their weapons when they found out Ilara was dead," Luard said. "Those who didn't are locked up in the brig on our warships. Perhaps a hundred."
"We'll transport them back to Forcadel," I said. "But I want the rest of the ships focused on bringing Forcadelians back to the city."
"There are vastly more people than ships," Katarine said. "And it will take some time to go over the ocean."
"I know." I still hadn't figured out what to do with the river flowing from Niemen into Aunela. If we swung the gate back, sending water to Forcadel, Aunela would revert to the deserted town it had been before, and all the people living here would be in dire straits. But I also needed a water path back to Niemen, my strongest ally.
There was a knock at the door, and Felix came inside. He wore his Forcadelian uniform proudly now, and seemed glad to be in his familiar colors.
"I've implemented a curfew," he said. "And soldiers have their patrol routes within the city. If there's any unrest, we'll put a stop to it." He paused, then added, "Gently."
I snorted. "Thank you. I hope there won't be any. With the supplies coming in from Niemen, we should have enough to keep the Severians happy for a while."
"They won't remain that way," Luard said. "No matter how much you placate them, you are still the queen who took their kingdom from them. They'll always resent you."
"I know," I said. "But at least my own conscience will be clear."
"I…uh, also paid a visit to our favorite traitor," Felix said, a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. "He looks so miserable in the bottom of the Niemenian ship behind thick bars. I told him it was a good look for him."
"Try not to gloat too much," I said with a shake of my head. "Has he begged for his life yet?"
"No, actually," Felix said. "The coward asked if we'd just go ahead and kill him."
I snorted. "I'm unsurprised. What did you tell him?"
"I told him you don't like killing," Felix said with an overly cheery grin. "He told me to, well…"
"I can fill in the blanks," I said with a laugh.
"We'll make sure to have a nice cell ready for him back in Forcadel," Felix said.
"And what of the other task I gave you?"
His eyes grew somber. "I'm not sure I agree with it, but we've gathered the Severian dead and put them in the town square. The Forcadelian and Niemenian dead have been placed on Kieran's boat, and we'll send them out to sea in the morning."
"I want to be on that ship," I said. "And I want everyone in attendance tonight."
When the sun began to set, I joined my Council and soldiers in the town square. It was filled with bodies covered with white sheets—every single Severian who'd lost their life in the battle. I walked along the line of bodies, my heart breaking at the sight of so many lives ended so abruptly. In nearby buildings, the shadows of living Severians looked down on me from above. For them, we would honor the valor of the soldiers who'd fought against us. As well as for the woman in the center of the square.
I pulled the sheet from Ilara's face, resting it on her chest. I'd told Felix to allow the Severians to prepare her body, and they'd adorned her with the same purple flowers she'd been wearing when she arrived here. Her skin had grown paler in death, and her lips blue, but she was beautiful and formidable.
"Rest in the Mother," I whispered.
After replacing the shroud, I lit the pyre. Behind me, Forcadelian soldiers did the same to the others, illuminating the square with a ghostly orange flame that reached toward the sky.
The sweet sound of music echoed from the edge of the square. A gathering of young Severians, wearing their school uniforms, were singing. I had no idea what it was, but it felt like a funeral song. A tear came to my eye as I listened to their young voices swell over the sound of the crackling fire.
"Brynna," Felix came up beside me, "we must tend to our own now."
I nodded, following him out of the Severian funeral with my head held high.
At first light the next day, I joined Felix, Luard, Katarine, and Jax onboard Kieran's ship and headed out into the ocean just beyond the bay. On the deck and in the belly of the ship, each of the soldiers we'd lost were wrapped in shrouds of their own. I made Felix and Luard tell me every name of every soldier we slipped into the water while Nils played a somber song on his lute.
"These fifteen are mine," Jax said, stepping forward. He reached into the slingbag at his back and pulled a mask that he placed gently on top of the wrapped body. To each of them, he whispered a prayer that was lost to the wind. And when the last fell into the water, he wiped away a tear and stood next to me.
"I'm tired of losing people," he said.
"Me too," I said, glancing out at the faces of those gathered. "But I'm grateful for those I have left."
Nils began to play a different song—the Niemenian royal anthem, if I were to guess. Asdis, Ivan, Hagan, and Luard escorted the Niemenian dead to the edge of the boat. With a prayer, they joined their Forcadelian brethren in the water.
We stood on the deck, listening to the sound of the water lapping against the hull between the song Nils strummed. But finally, I gave the order to return to port. We could mourn our dead no more; it was time to rule.
Immediately following the funerals, I installed a Forcadelian governor in Aunela, but I also gave him a council filled with both Severian and Forcadelian members and explicit instructions to listen to all five of them equally.
Next, I instituted a lottery system to divvy up who would get to go home first and saw the first group over the open ocean with the Kulkan warships. Lieutenant Kalila gave me her word she would safely deliver them to the port city before continuing back to Neveri.
"Please thank your prince for his help," I said, shaking her hand. "I hope that Kulka and Forcadel can rebuild their alliances."
"Let's also hope Neshua remains healthy," she said dryly.
"Your Majesty," Aline said, coming to stand next to us. She, too, was back in her Forcadelian uniform and seemed comfortable there. "I'll start the process of preparing the castle for you when I arrive."
"Thank you," I said. "But your first priority is to settle the Forcadelians peacefully." I shook her hand. "And thank you for everything you've done and will do. I'm lucky to have you in my army."
Kieran's ship would presumably get back to Forcadel long before the Kulkans. He, too, shook my hand when I climbed on board to say my goodbyes.
"Still too late for pirate king?" he asked with a charming smile.
"I believe so, yes," I said with a laugh. "But if you'll settle for friendship, I would be glad to have it."
"Can a queen be friends with a pirate?" he asked. "Seems like it would be against the rules."
"Good thing I get to make the rules now," I said with a smile. It faded slightly when I spotted Jax helping with the rigging. "Is he going with you?"
"He volunteered," Kieran said with a nod. "Seems like he's tired of being in charge. Offered himself as my second-in-command if I'd have him. I can't see much daylight between being a thief and a pirate anyway."
My heart sank but I nodded. "I'm sure you'll cause more than a little bit of trouble on your adventures."
"When those adventures send us into Forcadel," he said, taking my hand again, "I'll be sure to stop in and say hello." He kissed my knuckles. "Fare thee well, Queen Veil."
That afternoon, I boarded a Niemenian warship destined for Skorsa with Felix, Katarine, Luard, the Niemenian guards, Joella, and—
"Mother above, where's Elisha?" Katarine huffed.
"Right here!" She slid down a rope from the scaffolding above, landing on her feet in front of her mother.
Katarine pursed her lips and put her hands on her teenager's shoulders as they looked out onto the bay. "Beata's going to have words with you when we get back. Her last letter was…not very pleasant to read."
"I read what I could of it," Elisha said with a grimace.
"I'm sure your mom will put in a good word for you," Luard said, joining them on the railing. "Or perhaps the queen might."
I winked at Elisha, earning me a smile.
The journey back to Skorsa was slower, but much less terrifying than the journey to Aunela, as we were traveling against the current. But after a week had passed, the land had turned green and lush again, and the large gate keeping the water from going south became visible, along with the encampment.
As predicted, Beata was waiting on the dock, her hands balled into fists and her face red. But instead of berating them, she gathered Katarine and Elisha into her arms and held them there, sobbing openly in relief. My heart warmed at the sight of Elisha's contented smile, and of the grinning faces of all the other children who joined the group hug.
"Brings a tear to your eye," Felix said, walking me off the ship and into the city beyond where Joella was waiting for us.
"Your Majesty," she said, bowing. "We've been investigating your idea, and I think it'll work."
"What idea?" Felix asked.
"You'll see," I replied with a smile. "And what of Mark's former charges?"
"Many of them have agreed to lay down their weapons and retire," she said with a bit of a grimace. "They don't…well, they won't rise up against you, but they don't want to join your forces, either."
"That's fine," I said. "Let any go who want to. There's no need to keep them prisoner."
Felix nodded. "What about Captain Mark?"
"He won't pledge his allegiance to you," Joella said. "We've been trying to get him to for days, but he refuses. Even after hearing Ilara had died."
"Then let me talk with him," I said. "Perhaps I can make him see reason."
"Captain Mark," I said with a smile on my face. "You're looking well. Captivity suits you."
He made a dismissive noise and said nothing. He looked rather pitiful sitting there by himself, and I couldn't find it in me to hate him.
"Forcadel could use a captain such as yourself," I said. "I promise not to fire you this time."
"And yet, here you are, demonstrating ignorance," he said, looking up at me. "I served your enemy and you offer me a job."
"You did what you had to do in order to protect your soldiers," I said. "But we'll need help to put our country back together, so I can't be picky."
He sniffed and looked the other way. I waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. With a heavy heart, I knelt before him with a key, reaching for his hands. His eyebrow quirked when he looked down and when the shackles fell from his wrists.
"You can go," I said, rising. "But if I ever see you in Forcadel again, rest assured I won't be so merciful."
Later that afternoon, I—and the rest of those gathered in Skorsa—stood in front of Ilara's massive gate, which had already been decorated with small bags of varo. Luard and Ivan had inspected the gate and chosen the spots most apt to blow, and were excited to try this new exploding sand.
"In our tests, it appears to have the same effect as ond, but without the massive explosion," Luard said, rubbing his hands together. "The possibilities are limitless."
"Quit yammering and blow up the thing," Beata barked at him, her hand resting on Gerda's shoulders. "I want to go home."
"And you're sure there's enough water for Aunela and Forcadel?" I asked Joella.
She nodded. "It won't be as deep as it is now, but it should hold enough for ships to pass south and east. The longer it flows, the deeper it'll get, too."
"Good," I said, nodding to Elisha and Luard. "Will you do the honors?"
Elisha struck a match and lit an arrow Luard had nocked into a bow. Luard lifted his aim and fired, sending the arrow sailing toward the gate and landing exactly where it meant to.
The gate exploded in a fireball, smaller than Neveri's, but no less loud. Beata and Katarine cast Luard a dirty look as they checked the children, but all the Niemenian prince could do was laugh.
I reached for the coins at my neck, grateful they'd still remained with me throughout this journey. But my heart swelled as the rushing blue water overtook the remnants of the gate to flow southward once more.
"What now?" Felix asked.
"Now?" I smiled. "Now, we go home."