Frederick, the Duke of Haverset, grunted softly as he settled into the comfortable chair by the roaring fireplace in his solar. The last eight years had aged him considerably, but as Thomas the Duke of Swetford, sat beside him he began to feel young again. "I've received word from Heste. Their planned invasion of Braden has started. How are things on your end?"
"Well enough, Frederick. I have three hundred mounted knights ready to move when you are." The Duke of Swetford was about the same age as Frederick, and the two had been friends since their youth. Their Duchies neighbored each other, though in the years since they took their seats, their politics had brought them apart. Swetford had long been a supporter of the old king's desire for an alliance with Heste, while Frederick believed that Zentara should seek a closer alliance with Thesta or Sandora. It didn't matter now though, as events had made the issue moot. Queen Jeanette had chosen an orc alliance instead.
"I can bring four hundred and fifty. I wish it were more, but we daren't trust any of the men-at-arms or levies with this. They are too loyal to the Queen."
"Whether we like it or not, her reign has been good for the peasants and the merchants. Well, not counting those in Braden of course. But the writing is on the wall, even if they cannot see it. All one has to do is look to Braden to see what will happen if we allow the orcs to continue to gain power in court. While the Queen can keep them under control, when the crown passes to her son the hand will be off the reins. Already the greater orc chieftains are starting to marry into the lesser nobility. By the time the young prince seeks a bride, they will have infiltrated up even into the Dukedoms."
Frederick nodded solemnly as he poured Thomas and himself a goblet of wine. This talk was too sensitive to be having servants overhearing. "Which is why we need to take him in hand now. A strong regency and a good, proper, upbringing will turn him into the kind of King Zentara needs. But first we have to wrest him away from his father and all the orcs at court."
"Seven hundred and fifty knights ought to do it. The strength of Zentara will be marching on Braden to confront King Connor. We know that Jeanette will not march with them. The capital will be practically undefended, and we can take the Queen, the royal family, and the capital into custody. If Turogg turns around to return, Heste will fall upon his back. If he presses forward, he will dash himself against Connor's troops in the pass." Thomas grinned jovially and took a long swig from his goblet. "We have them just where we want them!"
Frederick smiled, though there was a hint of wariness in it. "Do not underestimate the Queen. She will have noticed that we did not send our knights and levies to aid in the war. She expected it, given how things have been between us, but she won't have overlooked it. For all her bad decisions, she's still clever and intelligent, and dangerous, until she's in our power."
"As you say. Has anything changed with the Lords? Do you still expect them to offer no resistance when we pull this off?"
"I shouldn't think so. Willem has seen the refugees spilling onto his lands through the Pass, and knows what orc misrule has brought to Braden. He cannot openly defy the Queen, but will accept a regency for the prince. The other Dukes are the same, or will be when their people return with tales of what's been happening in Braden. It is the merchants we need to be concerned with. They've amassed a fortune with the stability brought to Thesta and Sandora, and through the orc trade connections beyond the March. The Queen is still quite popular with the commoners as well. She has brought them peace, stability, and wealth."
Thomas shrugged away the Frederick's concern. "Do not overestimate the love of the people for Jeanette. It is true they hold her in great affection still, but they also mock her, even if good naturedly. You've been gone from court so long Frederick, so you do not see it. The way she dresses...they way she acts...in taverns across Ruar men call her 'the orc's whore', and in brothels they have special shows where women dressed up as the queen get ravished by orcs. It won't take much to turn them against her." Thomas paused there, a more pensive look crossing his face. "I am more worried about Thesta and Sandora. Have your emissaries learned anything about their intentions regarding Heste?"
"They have not heard anything official, but I am sure they will wait until the Queen contacts them. Unofficially, I do not think they will intervene. Their treaty with the Queen does not require it, and they are only too happy to see the balance of power restored to what it was. As long as we can assure them that the orc tribes will not be returning to the old ways of raiding their borders, we should be fine. How do you think we can turn the people against the Queen?"
Thomas leaned forward and took another sip from the goblet. "We start by turning them against the orcs. Violently against the orcs. Most men already dislike them to begin with, but they accept them because they are strong, and they provide wealth to the merchants, which means work for the commoners. We need to make the people see the orcs for what they truly are. The most violent orcs went to Braden, and have shown their true colors. The more peaceful orcs, the traders, the herdsmen, the educated ones, they went with Turogg into his new lands. They have been peaceful, even productive. The commoners are simple people, they don't see the damage the orcs are doing to our society. We have to make them see."
Thomas paused again, draining the rest of the goblet. "Did you know that there is an orc caravan traveling through your city even now? It's carrying goods from the Elfish Isles to Ishiantar, beyond the March. But it is also carrying women, human and elf, to be sold off as concubines to the nobles there. We can use that. We can show the people how the orcs are carrying off women, despoiling them, plundering our wealth and shipping it off. We turn them on the orcs, and Jeanette will have to defend them. Then they will turn against our Queen."
Cindy turned the street corner looking for a likely customer. Though she wasn't sure exactly how old she was, she knew she was too young for the lines that had begun to appear on her face, or for the luster to start fading from her golden locks. Working as a prostitute ages you, especially when you have to work the streets instead of a nice establishment. The Duke of Haverset didn't approve of prostitutes, and didn't allow brothels in his city. Women had to work the streets to pick up any trade, and even then they had to be discreet. Most guards would look the other way, but they usually wanted 'consideration' for the favor.
Working the streets of Shropfordshire was driving her to an early retirement, or at least, an earlier one than she ever intended. Still, it was preferable to staying in Ruar after the Queen passed her new laws. Cindy spotted an overweight merchant shuffling down the street. He was dressed in fine robes of Elfish silk and bedecked in jewels. Perfect, she thought. Cindy sauntered towards the merchant, a bright professional smile on her face. "Good day Milord, fancy a bit of company on your walk?" Cindy leaned forward, the loose bodice of her peasant dress flashing a generous amount of skin to the merchant.
The corpulent man's eyes dropped to the exposed breasts. "Uh, erm, y-yes of course, miss..." Cindy wrapped her arm through the merchant's, walking along the street beside him.
"I'm glad Milord, on a day like this, in times like these, a young woman needs a big strong man to protect her. And I can just tell you're a big strong man who can take care of a girl like me." Cindy resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and instead kept the smile plastered on her face.
The merchant recovered from the surprise solicitation and began to get aroused. He reached his hand across his chest to lift and squeeze Cindy's breast as he turned them to walk down a secluded alley. They way her dress was loosely tied in front allowed him to push his thick hand into the top to grope her warm flesh directly. His broad fingertips pressed down on Cindy's nipple as he leered at her, beginning to feel more confident. "How much then, dove?"
"Four bits and you can have me any which way you like, Milord."
The merchant barked out a harsh laugh. "Four bits? I wouldn't pay four bits to fuck the Queen herself. I'll pay you one, and you're lucky to have it."
"Three then, Milord, and I'll treat you extra nice."
The merchant squeezed Cindy's breast a little harder and pressed her against the stone wall of the alleyway. His hand bunched up her skirt until he could slide it beneath and stroke up her thigh. "I'll be generous and give you two, whore, but you suck me like the Queen does her orc."
A shudder ran through Cindy at his words, but she at least managed to keep from blanching. She nodded her head, and the merchant pulled out the two pieces of silver and shoved them into her hand. Two bits was average, but with so fewer customers here than in the Soiled Dove, she was making half as much a night.
Cindy sank to her knees, running her hands along the merchant's fat thighs. She quickly found his cock and began to rub it through his pants. The man was already hard, which boded well for her. The faster she could get him off, the faster she could hopefully find another client. Her free hand worked the man's breeches, untying them to release his member. She gave a strangled cry as she saw the circular cork-screw design of the orc's cock, her hand sliding up the grey flesh.
"A bit bigger than you're used to?"
The merchant's coarse laugh snapped her out of it. It's not an orc, she thought, this isn't he Soiled Dove. There are no orcs here.