Book 4, Chapter 46: Silence is Golden
I’d given them one day, they’d taken two. I felt like we should have left anyways, but Brundle convinced me that it took longer than a day to plan an army. I guess two was enough.
Or maybe it wasn’t, and the baron’s and earl’s troops were going under-supplied. I honestly didn’t care. I should have cared, because they were my soldiers now, but I couldn’t bring myself to. We’d have to forage in that case. Send them to find some giant spiders, maybe.
They filled up the light and medium cavalry ranks. Heavy cavalry before I invented stirrups. They didn’t have stirrups, they were medium in my eyes. Still, their numbers were handy. I came with a force of some 50 000 troops, I was leaving with 85 000. With probably the largest cavalry force on the continent. The ranged horsemen alone would make a huge difference. It was almost like my army was half Mongolian, but with worse bows. I’d take it. I did.
Walking my horse, alone in this sea of soldiers. Morry had left me be for a bit while he rode up and down, checking every last detail. My second general, he was above Major Rand, and the extra cavalry was technically Morry’s to command, though they’d more directly operate under Rand. I’d have to ask Brundle later if Rand should be raised in rank.
It was good, the alone time, I needed the space. We were leaving the former Barclay Duchy, now the Treleal Duchy, behind. I’d set out to reunify the land and all I did was destroy a dukedom. A family. And killed a friend. Goodbye Sapphire. Would that I could have known you for more than the few days we had.
“Your Highness.”
“What?” I nearly jumped, so lost in thought, quickly turning my head. Gun, it was Gun.
“I came to check on you, all alone, walking along.”
“I’m with Cloud.” I patted the horse on its neck.
“One objective complete, we’ll soon retake your castle.”
“I’m not even sure I needed to retake the Barclay Duchy.”
“Oh?”
“It all seems so pointless. I should have come here last. They’d have seen how powerful our army was then, conceded without a fight.”
He was silent for a while as we walked along. An overcast day, slight breeze that brought a light and welcome drizzle. “It was unfortunate. The Barclays, I’m sorry, I knew them. My father’s earldom is not far from here, a borderland between Nevarrelund and Barclay. Well, I suppose, Treleal now.”
He looked straight ahead as I looked at him. The kind of sadness easier covered up with stoicism on his face than expressed. “A tragedy, Gun. I’m so sick of hearing it justified to me. Hanging children? If only they would have let me talk to Saph! Talk some sense into her maybe. She just wasn’t in her right mind . . . it wasn’t her fault.” Though if she’d been geased, no amount of words would have changed anything. I was going to hold the grand magister accountable for that.
“Not her fault?”
“I mean to say, I understand.” Not sure why these words had come out of my mouth and now I had to cover them up, “Her brother just died, armies smashed, those guiding her removed from power. Whatever happened to the dowager? I was so angry and busy, I’d forgotten to inquire.”
“Hanged with the family.”
“Ah. This world . . .”
“What’s that, my lady?”
“Nothing. I guess that’s it then. Hanging solves all my problems. We’ll just head into Ketzle and hang them all. Maybe when we get back to the Bechalle duchy, I’ll have the earls hung, excuse me, hanged . . . just so no one disagrees with me anymore."
“Have the earls threatened you in any way?” He sounded alarmed. And oddly earnest.
“No, Gun. I’m not being serious.”
“That’s a relief. You were lining up a lot of hangings there. I was,” he looked at me, little smile on his face, “worried you were about to start on your suitors next.”
“Not a bad idea! That reminds me of a myth I heard a long time ago.”
“Oh, it’d be a pleasure to hear it, my lady.”
Oh, crap. A myth from my world wouldn’t mean anything to anyone here and maybe get me scrutinized. Well, I could always say I made it up. “A princess needed a husband, or so her father thought. But the king wouldn’t accept just anyone. To win her hand, the suitor had to prove himself and those who didn’t were slain. We can say hanged, I guess.”
“What kind of tests?”
“The usual. Killing lions and monsters. I believe one involved hooking a lion and a boar to a chariot, getting them to work together.”
“I would kill all manner of monsters for you, Princess Cayce.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you would.”
“Set such a task for me, my lady. Any monster! It would be a pleasure to best it for you.”
Now we really were entering the realm of myth. A would-be hero for my amusement. I laughed again at the absurdity of it all. “I know of no monsters that need killing.”
“Then they are safe until you change your mind.”
“Perhaps when we meet a terrible monster, I’ll let you know.”
“I daresay it’s more dangerous to dance with the princess.”
I laughed, looking at him, “In my defense, you startled me. And deserved it!”
“A price I would pay again and again, to dance with you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, “It wasn’t the dance that got you thrown.”
“The touch of your lips against mine is burned forever in my memory.”
“Oh, please.”
“It is comforting, on the one hand, my lady.”
“What’s that?”
“To know that you are a better warrior than dancer.” He winked at me.
“Ha! You bastard!”
“Untrue!” He looked surprised, “My parents wed long before I was born and still to this day.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, Gun. Hey, now that you mention it, your family’s earldom is around here? How well do you know Treleal?”
“Well enough. Met him at many events. A calm man. More given to careful consideration than argument.”
“Huh. Perhaps I stumbled upon the right man for the job.”
“It’s his wife you have to worry about. Ambitious, driven. She’s the one dragging the family along.”
“Ah, crap. Treleal left her in charge of the duchy.”
“Well, this is a perfect chance for you to evaluate their duties under your command. If I’m not mistaken, you ordered them to disarm the clergy.”
“How did you hear about that?”
“People talk, even barons and earls.”
“I guess you’re right, then. A perfect chance to evaluate them. There’s one more thing I’d like to evaluate, Gun.”
“What’s that, my lady?”
“How long we can walk together in silence.”
“Yet I was so enjoying our banter.”
“Ah,” I shook my right index finger at him with each syllable, in the manner of the French, “No, no, no. No, no, no.”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.