Work Text:
Frigid winds whipped against the canvas of Cerydra’s war tent, but she paid no mind continuing to study the maps laid in front of her. It was a few hours until dawn, when the final battle in a near two year campaign would take place: the battle for Epos. Two years of marching troops across the entire North, ending here outside the final city. Her home of Hyperborea, Loukas, and Kadir all had fallen to her. And yet the arrogant fools of Epos still agreed for an open battle. They may have the home advantage, and well rested soldiers, but their loss was still a foregone conclusion. She could have handled a siege too, had they decided to wait her out, but winning one decisive battle was much better for morale. Soon it will be clear who Talanton favours, Epos or Cerydra herself.
One more week to instate her new regime, and then she could return to Hyperborea at last to rule over her new empire. Empire. The end of her plans was almost within reach, a giddy feeling.
She turned back to her maps, the city of Epos at one end and her army formation at the other. All in position. There was just one final piece to place. Where was best to put her?
~~
Another dawn, about a year and a half ago, saw Cerydra walking alone along the stony shore of Kadir. It had been a few days since she had taken the city, her first true battle after her successful coup to take control of Hyperborea. The march to reach it had been long, but it was an easy city to take with few defenses and fewer competent guards. A good start to her campaign. And more importantly, what the city lacked in fighting men, it made up for with ships. Merchant ships, true, but they were nonetheless vital for carrying her army over to Loukas, the second city to be taken.
The last few days had been trying her patience, long days of negotiations with her senior advisors and the remaining councilors of Kadir. She’d rather make plans to take another 50 cities than spend another day arguing with self serving cowards of daily minutia. Still, she had to console herself that after this minor annoyance, her laws would be laid and everything would be right. Even so, she needed a break. Some sea air to clear her head would do her well.
She found a particularly large smooth rock, and sat herself down, content to stare at the grey horizon for a while. Winds nipped at her exposed skin, and she drew her thick cloak tighter about herself. Then she paused, eyes squinting at where the land met the sea. Between the grey shore and greyer water, there was a spot of bright white, too still to be foam of crashing waves.
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she turned her head to look behind her. Despite coming alone, a couple of guards had still followed her, hanging back but still within shouting distance. She had rolled her eyes earlier, the show of loyalty was nice but fairly meaningless, but now they may prove useful. Cerydra pushed herself up off the rock and headed towards the sea. As she got closer, she started to be able to make out the shape of a person in white clothing with long dark hair lying prone as the waves lapped around them.
How curious. Where could a person have come from? They must have been washed up, but there were no ships she could see on the horizon, and there was no other land in that direction for miles.
Getting closer Cerydra could now see it was a woman, perhaps a couple of years younger than herself. The woman wore a long white dress, clinging to the contours of her skin from being drenched with sea water with dark hair plastered to her face. She was quite beautiful, Cerydra thought, though her lips were tinged with blue. This was no surprise, the seas around here were dangerously cold even in this season. Cerydra crouched next to her; however slight, she could still see her chest rise and fall. Alive then.
“Guards,” she called, clear voice carrying over the empty beach. Cerydra kept her gaze on the woman, studying the motion of her chest. Dull thuds and the clinking of armour alerted her to the arrival of the guards. “Pick her up,” she directed. “Take her back to my quarters.”
The procession of Cerydra and two guards carrying a half drowned woman through the streets drew many eyes, but they kept silent. Perhaps the common folk resented her for taking over their city, perhaps they would praise her ridding them of several corrupt council members; it mattered not to her.
Once back in the manse she was staying in for the moment, she instructed the guards to lay the woman on the bed of a spare room, whilst telling the servants to prepare a bath and hot meal. The servants left in a sullen silence, whilst the guards gave a short salute before leaving. Cerydra looked over the woman once more, then left for her temporary study. She had not stirred once during the journey, despite still breathing steadily. Cerydra caught the arm of one servant in the halls, telling her to be alerted when the woman woke. The maid dipped her head in acquiescence, and went back to attending the mysterious woman.
Almost an hour later, the maid returned. Cerydra rose and followed her back to the guest room. There she found the woman awake at last, in a loose nightdress and a blanket around her shoulders, sitting at the table digging into a steaming bread roll. Her long hair had been pulled up away from her face into a damp knot at the base of her skull. Steely blue eyes slid towards Cerydra as she took a seat at the table across from her. She slowly lowered the roll in her hands, cradling the warmth in her palms.
“Oh, don't stop on my account. You look half starved.” Cerydra waved a hand as she spoke, languid and calm. She was dying for answers about the woman, but wanted to at least seem hospitable first.
The woman blinked and resumed eating her bread roll. “Thank you,” she said once finished. Her voice was quiet and thin, perhaps from her ill state or disuse, but had the undercurrents of a somewhat musical quality. “It has been a while since I last ate.”
That much was obvious just by looking at her thin frame and hollow cheeks. “How long? And what happened to you to wash up on the shores of Kadir?” Cerydra had considered the possibility of her being some strange spy or ploy for her to let her guard down, but failed to see who would do such a thing. The councilors left alive were cowards trying to suck up to Cerydra to save their own lives, and news of the takeover of the city could barely have spread yet.
After a short silence, the woman spoke again. “I am not quite sure, perhaps about a week? It is hard to keep track of the days when you are just floating at sea…” she trailed off, listless.
Cerydra’s eyebrows rose. A week floating in the icy sea? It was a miracle she was still alive. “And how did you end up in such a situation? I won't ask again.”
Blue eyes peered at her again from under long lashes. Something about those eyes was unnerving, like empty depths, but Cerydra forced herself to meet them all the same.
“I shall start at the beginning then. I am from a small island in the middle of the Sea of Phagousa, it’s not likely to be on many maps. We are very isolated and don't get outsiders often. About a week ago, a great wave came out of nowhere and-” She stopped suddenly, eyes dark. Cerydra could guess where this story went. “Well it swallowed up the island, my village, my home. I was swept up by the waves too. I’m not sure how I survived or ended up here. I prayed to Phagousa to save me, deliver me somewhere safe. Maybe she answered and that's how I survived.” The woman let out a soft breath and looked up at Cerydra. “You must be the one who took me from the sea, thank you. I owe you a life debt for saving me. To whom do I owe this to?”
Cerydra let a haughty smile cross her face, eyes lighting up. “You have the honour of speaking to the Imperator of Hyperborea, Cerydra.” Never mind she only had the bare bones of an empire for now, the day would come when it was mighty and her title was feared. “My army has just taken the city of Kadir, and the rest of the North will soon follow!”
The other woman just blinked slowly at her, blowing on a mouthful of stewed fish.
“And you are?”
“He- Hysilens.” She dipped her head. “Pleased to meet you Emp- Imperator?”
Cerydra huffed but moved on, turning over what she had just heard in her mind. A woman, Hysilens she called herself, miraculously survived the sea to end up here. Someone from a place no one has heard of, and if she’s to be believed, that now doesn’t exist. She twisted her fingers together, contemplating as she looked at Hysilens. It certainly appeared like she had survived drifting for a week, perhaps her story was true? Hm, she said she owed Cerydra a life debt? Someone with nowhere to return to, and no other allegiances…
“How good are you with a sword?” She asked suddenly.
Hysilens peered at her curiously over her spoon. “I have trained in the sword art of my island since I was very young, although I have no actual battle experience.”
Humming, Cerydra smiled. It was not a wholly kind smile. “Then, what say you Hysilens, follow me. Be my blade, my knight. I can use someone sworn to protect only me, someone I can trust.”
It was hard to tell what Hysilens was feeling, face inscrutable, but she seemed somewhat surprised. “I will do as you ask. For saving my life, I will repay you by protecting yours.”
That settled it then, a new piece has entered Cerydra’s board. So much to experiment with. Hopefully, Hysilens would prove a useful warrior if nothing else, she needed all the strength she could get to complete her goal of conquering the North.
“Excellent. We head to Loukas next.”
~~
Hysilens had indeed proved capable. Cerydra had wanted to test her new piece, as well as crush Loukas so thoroughly they could never mount a resistance. After sailing across the narrow straight, there were many small castles and keeps watching over areas of land, liege lords sworn to Loukas. Cerydra and her army took them one by one as they marched towards Loukas. To send a message but also stop any help from reaching the city by the time they got there. And it was a good chance to put Hysilens into the field to see what she could do. Despite her lack of battle experience, she was formidable in the field. Watching her fight was more akin to watching dance, with the graceful way she drifted between bodies, twin swords flashing in and out of sight like darting silver fish. And her strength only grew; at Loukas she had been the deciding factor in taking the city, so many opposing people did she cut through. She had stood alone in the centre of a melee, the crush of bodies around her like a whirlpool, dragged to unknowable depths.
Whilst in the city Cerydra had rewarded her with a new suit of armour, dark steel shaped into spines. “As my blade, you represent me on the battlefield. You must look the part.” And it would better protect her from anyone who might be able to harm her, but Cerydra didn't mention that. Hysilens smiled softly like she heard anyway.
Cerydra had started to grow fond of her protective shadow. She followed Cerydra almost everywhere, and was fiercely loyal despite mostly staying quiet. When Cerydra couldn't sleep, she would often exit her tent to find Hysilens standing guard silently outside. There they would stare up at the stars together, until the bitter air grew too cold for either to stand and they retreated back into the tent.
“Imperator,” a soft voice called from outside the tent, jolting Cerydra out of her memories and back into the present. “The battle is about to begin.”
That familiar haughty smile spread across Cerydra’s face as she stepped out into the cold. She could almost taste the victory wines she and Hysilens would share later.
“All the soldiers are in position.” Hysilens was dressed in her armour, swords sheathed at her waist. “One final thing, where do you want me to go?”
Thick boots crunched across the snowy ground, coming to a halt at the edge of a sharp rocky drop. Cerydra’s army stood at the top of the steep sides of a glacial valley, banners snapping in the wind atop the hill. At the other end, nestled between the mountains was the city of Epos. A dark mass could be spotted winding its way out of the city walls: the opposing force. Rays of dawnlight spilled across the snowy ground beneath Cerydra's feet. The sun rising behind her meant it would be in the eyes of the other army as they attacked, helping to hide the legions of archers posted along the valley sides. Honestly, did anyone in that city have a tactical bone in their body? It was like they were just asking her to take the place.
Light footfalls came up behind her, and Cerydra turned. “Imperator?” Hysilens questioned again. She took to one knee, heavy armour thudding softly into the snow covered ground. Cerydra stared down into that beautiful face, those deep eyes.
“One moment,” and she took off sharply back into her tent.
When she returned, Hysilens was still kneeling, motionless in the same spot. Cerydra stood close before her, boots nudging into Hysilens’ own. She lifted the helm in her hands and lowered it carefully over Hysilens’ head, harsh steel sliding over cool skin. Gently, Cerydra took hold of Hysilens’ long ponytail and threaded it through the specially designed gap in the back of the helmet. Once the helm was in place, Cerydra slid her gloved hand over the ridges and spines in the metal, then over smooth skin flushed pink from the cold, until it rested delicately below Hysilens’ chin. With the smallest bit of force, Cerydra tipped Hysilens’ face upwards for their eyes to meet.
“You forgot the most vital piece of your armour, protecting the head is the most important according to other knights.” Cerydra could feel Hysilens’ throat bobbing as she swallowed, eyes deep and fathomless.
“You, my knight, will move in as the vanguard, after the archers launch their first volley. I trust you to deal with any opposing soldiers still moving.”
It may seem callous, sending such a valuable soldier right into the thick of it, but Cerydra trusted in Hysilens’ abilities. She would not disappoint. Hysilens nodded, chin pressing into Cerydra’s hand, warm even through the leather of her glove.
“Of course, my Imperator.”