The mortar teams moved into position, and Dominic jogged to the cliff, revealing himself to the convoy.
"Halt the convoy! Don’t make this difficult when we’re feeling peaceable." He shouted.
The escorts drew their blades, and Dominic heard the mortar teams complaining about losing the advantage of surprise.
But the convoy stopped.
Out of the ornate steam-powered transport that the Princess had identified as belonging to Viscount Boscom, a dark-haired man emerged to glare up at Dominic.
"What is the meaning of this? Are mere border guards turning on their rightful King?" He demanded.
"Viscount Boscom? Or perhaps King Boscom now?" Dominic asked, confirming his suspicions.
"That is me. Who are you to stop my convoy."
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I am Royal Sorcerer Dominic Wavemates of Cygnia, and I am afraid that your presence will be required for a meeting here before we can allow your convoy to depart back west." Dominic replied.
"Back to the west?" The Viscount asked.
"Part of what we need to discuss. You see, as of now, everything east of the Skiptondal River is under the control of the Cygnia Royal Army, or will be within the next few days." Dominic explained.
He wasn’t sure that it was true, but all the major cities were, and the smaller ones should be soon.
They hadn’t seen a Dagos Airship since they got here.
"And what if I do not come peacefully?" The Viscount asked.
"I have five hundred magitech light cannons in the gorge. I suspect that you can be persuaded to act reasonably."
With that, the front rank of mortars rose to their feet, showing off the brass tubes on their shoulders.
The soldiers looked along the lines, knowing that even if they drew their bows now, cannon fire would tear them apart before the arrows even reached the cliffs.
"Do you even have the authority to negotiate with me?" Viscount Boscom asked.
"I am a Royal Advisor, and I have someone here who will more than qualify as a Royal Negotiator." Dominic agreed.
One of the Regimental officers ran out a rope ladder to let the Viscount scale the cliff, and Princess Alexis moved to stand next to Dominic, but didn’t speak.
The Viscount recognized her immediately, even with her hair dyed black, and headed for the cliff with a group of his guard behind him.
The Regiment moved back, so they wouldn’t be taken as a threat to the Viscount, especially if he was already confirmed as the new King of Dagos.
Dominic extended his hand to help the Nobleman to his feet at the top of the cliff, then his guards as well.
Someone brought forward camp chairs, but the Viscount shook his head.
"We can retire to your camp to discuss. I trust Her Highness not to have me assassinated at this point." He insisted.
Alexis shrugged. The Viscount was happily married, and he had never struck her as a creep. There was no harm in letting him sit in the camp as they talked.
The Princess led them to an empty set of seats around a cooking fire, still burning low from the afternoon meal.
"Forgive the informality. This setup has proven to be more comfortable than the standard arrangement. First, for the sake of formality, have you officially taken the throne?" Princess Alexis asked.
Viscount Boscom shook his head. "Not yet. The official transfer of title ceremony was supposed to be in the next week after I led the relief of Picleshowen. You weren’t far off when you said that everything east of the river is controlled by Cygnia.
Except for the villages, and rural areas, that is."
Princess Alexis frowned. "Don’t you know? There are no villages left. When we passed through, everyone had either starved, been taken by force for the military recruitment, or fled. The villages all the way to Theton River, over five hundred kilometres, are empty."
Boscom didn’t look convinced, but his intense scrutiny didn’t shake the Princess.
"And what sort of discussion might you have called me up here for? I would assume that you’re not going to demand the surrender of Dagos." The Viscount asked.
Princess Alexis smiled at him.
"No, I think that we can come up with something much more amenable than that.
Did you know that Cygnia has magitech to operate irrigation systems? A large portion of Dagos has fallen to drought even before the war started, but the technology exists to make those fields viable again.
It might not be cheap, and Dagos is certainly going to be deep in debt after the war finishes, but if you can stabilize the throne and bring an end to the war, I can guarantee a favourable armistice agreement.
Realistically, you’ve only got two months left anyhow.
Once the east falls, the airships will begin to firebomb the northern regions of Dagos, until there isn’t a single farmer or field left in the country to feed the cities.
You look like a reasonable man to me, which is why we’re willing to let you turn around and take care of business. If it was Prince Kaizon in the carriage, there would not have been a discussion at all." She informed the Viscount, her tone turning dry at the mention of the Prince.
Viscount Boscom sighed. "That man holds too much influence with the army to easily displace him. But the Nobles are turning on him with every day that passes and every city that falls.
Deposing the bastard Prince who controls the armies will not be a fast process. I long ago stepped away from Royal Duties in favour of a love marriage into the Viscount Boscom’s family.
So long ago now that even some of my own children have been casualties of the war."
Dominic nodded in understanding. He had been the one to kill the Viscount’s son at the airship docks in Burton.
The Viscount got a wistful look on his face and then addressed Dominic instead of Princess Alexis.
"It would be uncouth to ask the Princess directly, but if I should fail, what is the plan?"
Dominic smiled. The Viscount should already know, but he wanted someone to tell him again, just to hear the words.
"If you should fail, and the successor to the throne should be deemed unsuitable, the largest group of Nobles in Cygnia are pushing to have the Crown Prince of Cygnia and his bride installed as the Queen and Prince Consort of Dagos, annexing the nation and making it a secondary title of the Cygnia Crown when the Crown Prince ascends the throne." Dominic insisted.
Princess Alexis was glad that nobody was looking at her at that moment because her shock at his plan would have ruined the ruse.
Annexing Dagos? The nation was massive, over twice the land mass and four times the population of Cygnia. That level of political shift would cause unrest all over the continent.
Dominic noticed her unease and smiled at the Viscount. "I am sure that it wouldn’t go over smoothly, but West Keria has long been interested in some eastern territories, while Axbridge has shown interest in the Kinewen Province.
Even with those sacrifices, Cygnia would triple in land and population, under one Royal Family sharing the bloodline of both nations."