She had never been a healthy woman to begin with.
When he had last seen her the previous autumn, she had recovered a remarkable amount of her strength, but there was no guarantee that nothing had happened in the meantime.
He soothed the burning anxiety in his chest with a swallow of strong wine.
“Your Grace!”
How long had he been standing there, letting the cold mountain wind wash over him?
A familiar voice suddenly reached him from afar.
Turning his head, Varkas narrowed his eyes as he spotted Edrick Rubon riding through the mountain valley.
After passing through the checkpoint, the knight approached the palisade and called up in his usual spirited voice.
“Congratulations on your victory, Your Grace. Thanks to you, it looks like the Imperial Army will have little trouble occupying central Valto.”
“How are the Imperial forces faring?”
“The main army has already crossed the southern plains and advanced to the doorstep of Amasek, the rebels' stronghold. At this rate, we should be able to capture Blodar Keep, where Duke Heimdal has entrenched himself, within three or four months.”
Varkas took another drink of wine before giving the knight a slight nod.
“Come inside. I have an errand for you.”
Looking up at him with curiosity, Edrick dismounted and entered through the camp gate.
Varkas descended the watchtower stairs and gestured for him to follow.
Leading his horse behind him, Edrick asked,
“What sort of errand?”
“Go to the capital and deliver a letter.”
Varkas spoke calmly as they entered the tent, passing the mounted warriors of House Siorcan who were enjoying a brief rest.
Stopping by the entrance, Edrick made a dissatisfied face.
“Another letter? Everyone seems to think I'm some kind of courier.”
“It is a letter for His Imperial Majesty. I can't entrust it to just anyone.”
Answering absentmindedly, Varkas pulled out a chair at the desk inside the military tent and sat down.
After tying his horse outside, Edrick came in, scratching the back of his head.
“The main army has already submitted a report on the campaign. Why do you need to send another one yourself?”
“I'm not sending a battle report.”
Spreading a clean sheet of parchment across the desk and securing it with a paperweight, Varkas picked up a quill.
“I intend to ask His Majesty to propose negotiations to the Northern Noble Alliance.”
Edrick frowned in confusion.
“Isn't the war practically won already? Why should His Majesty be the one to extend his hand first at a time like this?”
“Precisely because we've reached this point.”
After dipping the pen into the ink, Varkas began writing in elegant script.
“Unless our intention is to wipe out the Valto people entirely, the wisest course is to show magnanimity while we hold the advantage. If we offer to punish only the ringleaders of the rebellion while granting amnesty to everyone else, the rest will abandon House Heimdal of their own accord.”
“But if we forgive the rebels so easily, won't that damage the Empire's authority? Other lords might one day begin entertaining thoughts of rebellion as well...”
“The longer this war continues, the deeper the people's resentment toward the Empire will grow. The northerners have already watched their castles and lands drenched in blood by the Imperial Army. If we do not show mercy now, they will remain enemies of the Empire forever.”
Finishing the letter in moments, Varkas melted red sealing wax and poured it over the envelope.
Silently watching the scene, Edrick rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
“I understand your reasoning. But the day His Highness the Crown Prince learns of this, all hell is going to break loose. Even now, he's shouting that every last rebel should be exterminated...”
“Then it would be best if His Highness never learned of it.”
After pressing his seal into the wax, Varkas handed the letter over.
Only then did Edrick realize that he had been entrusted with delivering a secret message behind the back of the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army.
His face turned pale.
“You know His Highness the Crown Prince already has a poor opinion of me. Why not send one of House Siorcan's own messengers instead of making me do this...?”
“At a time like this, if a messenger from the Grand Ducal House starts moving around, every pair of eyes will be on him. But an Imperial Guard visiting His Majesty is perfectly natural. This negotiation must appear to originate entirely from His Majesty's own will.”
Unable to find any argument, Edrick merely opened and closed his mouth before reluctantly accepting the letter.
A heavy sigh escaped him.
“If the day comes when His Highness the Crown Prince drives me out of the Order, you'll have to take me in, Your Grace.”
Without answering, Varkas merely jerked his chin, signaling that he was dismissed.
The sullen-looking knight suddenly grinned mischievously.
“Very well. If Your Grace has no intention of taking me in, I'll simply ask Her Highness the Grand Duchess instead.”