Free Arrows of Promise (Kingmakers Book 2) by Honor Raconteur

of two things be happening right now.” Broden
put his hands comfortably in his pockets, rocking a little on his heels. “Two
gangs have lost a lot of manpower because of us. It belike caused a power
vacuum. Odds be that they be fighting it out with the other gangs, struggling
to hold onto their territory. Whether they win or lose no’ be important to us,
but it does buy us peace and time.”
    Ashlynn nibbled at her thumb, thinking hard. “How long will
this last?”
    “No way of knowing. Now, other thing be this: they likely
had a few that escaped us, running tail back home. Those that did will report to
their bosses and tell them all they know. So, could be we have other gangs
eyeing us as a prize. Could be they decide we no’ be worth the effort. That too
be any man’s guess.”
    “Broden.”
    “Aye.”
    “That was not in the least comforting,” the Estolian King said.
    “My apologies on that.” Broden shrugged, resigned. “I been
fighting around these thugs most of me life, Edvard. Their tactics do no’
change much. I give it good odds it be one or the other happening now. Whether
they come again in the future? Well, I do no’ know for certain but I give it
fair odds they will. Aside from attacking Senn, and Cloud’s Rest itself, they
do no’ have much in the way of ready targets.”
    Edvard scrubbed both hands over his face. “Noted. But I
can’t dwell on what-ifs right now. We’ll arrange protection for the miners,
once we find a place to mine the metals we need, and hope for the best. Troi,
take that into consideration as well.”
    “Sire.” Troi gave a proper bow as both acknowledgement and
dismissal before turning sharply on his heel and leaving the study.
    Broden studied his king with narrowed eyes. Edvard’s hair looked
downright unruly, and even though he was as neatly turned out as usual, the way
his shoulders sagged spoke of fatigue. “Edvard. Pace yerself.”
    Edvard looked up at him with a dry smile. “I take it I look
terrible.”
    “You do,” his blood-sister informed him bluntly. “I think
you need a nap.”
    “It won’t do any good,” he negated wearily. “My mind won’t
shut off and let me rest.”
    “Then I’ll give you a very nice potion that will fell a
whale. Sleep, Edvard. No one makes good decisions while sleep deprived.”
    Wise words. Edvard apparently realized the same, as he
braced his hands on his desk and pushed himself up to his feet. The way he did
so was akin to a man lifting the whole world on his shoulders.
    “Fine, Ashlynn. Give me your wonderful potion but wake me
before dinner. And while I’m sleeping, the two of you can think of a solution
to feeding people, as I don’t think we’ll have enough food come spring.”
    Not at the rate their population was expanding. Especially
since all trade with Iysh was now completely cut off. That was one problem that
magic couldn’t just conjure up a solution to.
    “We be thinking about it,” Broden assured him. “Now, shoo.”
    “Shoo, is it?” Edvard chuckled softly as he weaved toward
the door. “Shoo, he says. This from a man that was nervous and awed the first
time he met me.”
    “I will be properly awed again after yer nap,” Broden
drawled.
    The sleep-deprived king thought this hilarious. He laughed
all the way out the door. Ashlynn apparently decided that this signaled an end
to his sanity, as she grabbed him by the shoulders and frog marched him the
rest of the way to his room. Broden followed as far as the man’s bedroom door,
then stayed there and guarded it. Anyone that tried to approach, he re-directed
to someone else. Really, half of the questions they had should have been asked
of another person. Edvard’s attempt at delegating to his provosts was not
working well. The man needed to be more firm about sending requests to the
right people in charge. Otherwise he would set a bad trend and work himself
into the ground.
    Ashlynn came back out, shutting the door firmly behind her
and