My fingers were moving restlessly as I saw the table stretch to the man on my opposite side. He looked at me with a seriousness I was not used to.

"He is late. Let's start without him"

"I think we should wait"

"We waited enough,boy. There is no time for that"

I nodded and made a gesture, showing him to continue.

"The interval proposed to the war with the south is coming to and end"

My frown was expected. The civil war was getting longer and longer. It started in the reign of father and was one of the reasons he had to abdicate and leave the nation on the hads of the regents until I growed up.

"And what do you want to do?"

"Order Admiral Regan to go south and block the Parnasia River"

"But he is needed to deal with the revolt in the north.."

"The north is poor and divided, the south is the real problem. You may have heard that they declared that the lands were now a republic"

I was conflicted. Blocking the river on the south would divide the south into two regions, making it easier to attack them, but the navy was decisive on the north. I raised my hand, covering my mouth and chin to think. 

"I urge you to make a decision soon"

He saw that I didn't know what to do. I looked at him, my mouth half open, but I didn't say anything. I took a deep breath and put my arms over the table.

"..What other options do we have?"

"You could decide to focus our force on the north to quickly deal with it, but I don't recommend that. The south is more powerfull and harder to deal with"

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Things were geetting more complicated every second and I wasn't prepared to deal with that situation. I openned my mouth to say something. I was going to send the Navy to the south, but stopped. My hands moved as if a decision was made, but stopped halfway through it.

"So? What is your decision?"

I just wanted someone to make that decision for me. I was getting nervous and trying to think about the best option.

"He is your king. Let him think"

We looked to the door, still being openned, and saw Bertrand. I was happy to see him, but tried not to show it. I probably failed. I thought that he was what I was asking for, someone to make the decision for me. I recovered my posture in a second and stared at him as he sat in a chair.

"We have, according to the deal we made, twenty days of peace in the south. The ships would take about a month to reach there from the north and there is still the time for your orders to arrive. The army in the south is made with foot soldiers and cavalry that would take about two months to reach the north."

"That's too much time.."

"Indeed"

The more I knew, the more I understood that I shouldn't be the one making that decision.

"What about the rest of the kingdom?"

"We could deploy forces from Amanz and Saun Lis, but we need time for them to prepare and reach there"

"How much time?"

"Hard to say... Maybe one or two weeks to prepare and a week to reach the frontines in the north"

"The tell them to send their forces there"

"It would leave the states unprotected and that wouldn't be wise"

The general that was sitting on my opposite side said the words that made me frown and make an expression of deep concern.

"Tell them to send a third of their forces then"

He nodded to me, acknoledging that we were getting to a way to end the revolt.

"They will help, but won't be enough"

I cursed in my mind as I coudn't get rid of the problems. I felt the pressure to make a decision and looked at Bertrand. He just closed his eyes and stayed in silence. It was his way of saying that there was no right choice.

"I will order half of the forces that stand on the capital to head north"

"What!?"

I seemed like madness to leave you capital unprotected with the enemy so close in the south.

"I won't allow that, my king"

"You don't have to. Don't let the knews scape. I don't want anyone to know the capital will be weakened. Send a letter to the south asking to prolong the time of peace. That's an order"

The orders I gave took more of me than they should, but that's what needed to be done. I was gambling with my country and head.