Fortress Walls

Synopsis and Chapter IX, Part 1

Hey readers!

I’m a little later back than I intended, so thank you for your patience! This first section of Chapter 9 is a little shorter, but it introduces a new character that I’m pretty excited about—she’s one of my personal favorites. I also included a brief summary of what’s happened so far, since it’s been a while.

Fortress Walls Synopsis:

Chapter One

We meet Phineas Clade and his family, including his father, Lord Kieran Clade. Phineas and his father are at odds over Phineas’ level of freedom as Phineas prepares to leave for University. Later, Phineas meets with his friend Cass, the king’s second son, who tells him that Lord Clade has been embezzling money from the royal treasury.

Chapter Two

We meet General Zarael and Captain Thierry as they begin to put together a list of young soldiers to test for an elite special forces corps. Lord Clade learns of this and orders his aide Hektor to keep tabs on them, as Zarael is an old enemy of his. Hektor is also in charge of watching a young soldier whom Clade suspects of being his son, crippled at birth, whom he thought he killed long ago.

Meanwhile, Cass reports Clade’s crimes to his father the king, and he and Phineas leave for Twdich University.

Chapter Three

We officially meet Tariq as he and some others are selected for ESAIC (elite corps) testing. He is not happy to be chosen as he is paranoid and likes to remain under the radar. The king begins investigating Clade, and we meet Hilary, the heir to the throne.

Chapter Four

Phineas and Cass arrive at University. Tariq takes the test for ESAIC and is admitted into the corps. Hektor, Clade’s personal servant, disposes of the evidence against him so that when the investigators arrive, they aren’t able to press charges.

Chapter Five

Clade finds out that Tariq is certainly his son; he pulls Tariq out of training to tell him and warn him to keep it a secret on pain of death. Tariq is very disturbed by the news and attempts to end his own life. The general finds him and gets him medical help.

Chapter Six

Tariq recovers from the incident, but Clade isn’t done and insists on seeing him again. At first he is able to refuse with the excuse of being bedridden. Meanwhile, the crown prince has a life-threatening accident, and Cass must rush home from school, so that the second prince will be available if the heir dies. His friends Phineas and Sutton come with him.

After about a week, Tariq can no longer avoid visiting his father, and Hektor escorts him to the Clade mansion. Clade suspects that Tariq has told the general about their first meeting, and he tries to get Tariq to admit it, but Tariq insists he hasn’t said a word. Clade leaves in exasperation just as Phineas arrives home and walks in on Tariq alone in Clade’s study.

Chapter Seven

Phineas finds out Tariq is his twin brother. When Clade realizes, he tries to kill Tariq, but Tariq stabs him in self-defense, badly injuring him, and runs off. He considers running away but gives up quickly and turns himself in.

Chapter Eight

Tariq is put on trial and sentenced to death, but his brother Phineas believes the sentence is unjust. He comes up with a plan with the general to break Tariq out of prison. He and Cass and Sutton help Tariq escape, and the brothers set out to leave the country.

Chapter IX, Part 1

“My lady?”

The knocking grew a little louder, and grudgingly, Mercedes stirred. She rolled over, entangling herself even more in the sheets, yawned, rubbed her face, and sat up with difficulty.

“My lady,” the call came again from outside the bedroom.

“What?”

“I have your coffee, my lady.” The voice was Gregory’s, and he sounded apologetic.

She glanced at the clock. It was, indeed, precisely eleven. She growled and began the task of extracting herself from bed. Her hand happened to land on her pillow, and she grimaced. She’d been drooling. Probably snoring, too, if that was so. She’d kill anyone who dared mention it, she thought to herself.

“Shall I bring it in?” Gregory called, sounding a bit desperate by now.

“Yes, bring it in.” She was untangled but not quite upright when he came in. He glanced at her face, smeared with yesterday’s makeup, as he set the coffee tray down on the vanity.

“I’ll bring a washcloth and basin,” he said.

“Thank you.”

He left, shutting the door, and Mercedes slid out of bed and threw on her robe. When Gregory returned with the basin, she was slumped at her vanity, gulping moodily at her coffee.

“You made it a little sweeter than usual today,” she said as he came in.

He didn’t answer, but picked up the hairbrush from the desk and began teasing the snarls from her disastrous mane of dark hair.

“I like it,” she said. “Thank you, Gregory.”

“I’ll make it like that again,” he said, working patiently on a giant tangle.

They fell into silence, Mercedes sipping, Gregory brushing, but it was a comfortable silence. The old manservant was like a father to Mercedes—he had practically raised her. He was one of the very few people she liked, perhaps even the only one.

“You ought to get a lady servant, Mercy,” he said, the furthest he was willing to vent his frustration over the hair.

“Whatever for?”

“It’s more appropriate.”

“Rubbish,” said Mercedes. “I have you.”

“A lady servant could help you with a lot more.” He didn’t specify anything.

“Do you think I can’t get myself dressed?” she teased.

Gregory pursed his lips and smoothed out another tangle.

Mercedes laughed and dismissed the subject, for the hundredth time, with a wave of her hand.

~

Half an hour later found her washed and dressed, her hair up and her makeup impeccable, sitting at her desk while an aide went through the letters that had come that morning. She listened, disinterested in most of them.

“From Prince Charles D’Agny of Tyafel.”

“Throw it away.”

The servant obeyed.

“From Baron Napier.”

“Throw away.”

“From Karim.”

Mercedes smiled venomously. “My dear big brother cared to write, did he? Set it aside.”

The servant did.

“From Elias Lafayette.”

“Ooh. Give it here. That’s important.” She started ripping the envelope open as the servant read the next name—another suitor—and she ordered him to throw it away like the others.

“From Kieran Clade.”

Mercedes dropped the letter from the Laderan general and looked up, frowning.