“Previously they ambushed our supply line here and here,” Corvin Moras said as he pushed a red-tipped pin each on two spots of the map stuck to a board in one side of his tent. He pushed another yellow-tipped pin in a different spot. “Based on that, this supply line shouldn’t be safe either.”

“They found out about our supply lines.” Standing beside him, Robert scrutinised the map carefully. “Or… they were informed.”

“I’m willing to bet on the later.” Corvin shrugged. He extended his hand towards one of his commanders who handed a strip of cloth the size of a child’s palm to him. “We intercepted a bird heading for the enemy headquarters. It flew from our territory.”

Robert studied the bunch of unintelligible scribbles sewed onto the strip. “Any luck deciphering it?”

“Our scribes are working on it, but I won’t bet on their success. Ruthberk’s sign language is hard to understand.”

Robert kneaded his forehead. The situation indeed provoked a headache, but a decision he must make. “Examine the origins of the ones with the information on those supply lines, and other than those suspicious, also remove those who have even the slightest relation to the Scarva house.”

A deep frown etched itself into Corvin’s eyebrows. “Would they go this far?” he asked his brother. “This is not just sabotage, but treachery to the queendom itself.”

“Would they? I am uncertain, however, suspicion begets caution in this matter.”

“With the current state of affairs, soldiers have lost some morale. Taking such action against people they have known and fought with might have undesirable consequences.”

Robert held his gaze with his firm, determined eyes. “I will take those consequences any day rather than let them lose their life to the treachery of people they have known and fought with.”

Corvin released a sigh from the depth of his heart. “I will execute that command then,” he said as his eyes landed on the yellow-tipped pin. “Before we can divert our supply lines and renew them, we should consider strengthening this remaining one.”

“Strengthen it?” Robert shook his head. Their human resources were stretched thin as it was. And reinforcing one place would only leave others vulnerable. If only they had more manpower…

The flap to the tent lifted as one of the soldiers standing guard before it came in. “Generals!” He saluted Corvin and Robert, turning towards the latter as he spoke. “A message bearer from the castle requests your audience, sire.”

“A messenger?” Robert exchanged a glance with his sibling. “Send him in.”

The soldier exited and brought a lanky boy back with him. Robert recognised him as Hubrik’s grandson, Yorik, or Rick as his daughter called him. He had been one of the four knights who accompanied her in her quest, though they had returned earlier than her. Like the other three, he had been one of the brightest of the younger generation. But after learning of Sena’s condition upon her return, he had opted to give up his knighthood voluntarily and study the art of being a steward under his grandfather. The situation must require Robert’s immediate attention if Hubrik thought it worthy to send him.

The head of house Moras waved away Yorik’s bows. “What news do you bring?” he asked.

“Lord Arakan Sergel of the Sergel house has arrived at the castle, my lord,” Rick said.

Robert raised his eyebrows. “They have arrived already? I imagined it would take them a day or two more.”

“Is this about the proposal?” asked Corvin. Having taught the art of the sword to Sena after Sara’s demise, Robert’s decision had bittered his heart and the lack of better alternatives had rankled him even more. Still, having seen house Sergel’s answer to their proposal, he had found it a lot more acceptable than the other houses. “There is much time left before the marriage. Is he that eager?”

Robert shook his head. “Apparently, Sena had befriended him during her time at the Capital and after knowing about her condition he has become concerned about her. That is why he intends to see if he can help her recover.” He glanced at the map once before turning to Rick. “You may return now. I will be back shortly after I am finished with this war council.”

“Ah! There is one more matter, sire,” Rick said with haste.

Robert frowned. Was it another trouble? “What matter?” he asked.

“Lord Arakan has…” Rick hesitated, seeking for a better way to express he was about to say. “He has… brought a cohort of soldiers from the capital, along with ten knights, as reinforcements.”

“A cohort? That’s...” Corvin’s eyes widened. “A full five hundred soldiers?”

The news astounded Robert too. Just when they were in desperate need for manpower! Although one cohort may not seem noteworthy, they could most certainly reinforce their supply line! Even replenishing the ranks they may have to discard soon…

His excitement dulled, visage turning sour. Noticing his changes, Corvin frowned. “Are you not glad?” he asked. “This could solve the concerns we have!”

“Or worsen it,” Robert stated, sighing.

“Worsen? How could it?”

“The soldier’s morale,” he said. “Soldiers of a capital-bred noble house, you should also know how prideful they could be. Examples of them parading their superiority and arousing discord within army ranks are not rare. And these may even be new recruits of house Sergel that have seen no war.” A bitter smile lingered on his lips. “As low as our soldier’s morale is at present, replacing their familiar brethren with such soldiers… you could imagine the result.”

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Regret coloured Corvin’s face. “Then we could only keep them garrisoned in the castle as reserves.”

“Sires, if I may!” Rick spoke up, drawing their attention to him. “These are not… soldiers of house Sergel, sire. Lord Arakan only escorted them here. They did not belong to him.”

“Oh?” curiosity filled Robert’s voice. “Who does it belong to then?”

“They are from Her Majesty the queen’s personal legion, sire. The elite Valiar legion.”

The declaration of the young man left both war-weary siblings so flabbergasted, they lost their speech for a while. The Valiar legion, the army of a mere thousand that had suddenly taken the kingdom by storm seven years ago, paving the way for Her Majesty’s rise to power. By now they had grown to ten thousand strong, but one thing had never changed. Each of those soldiers, regardless of their gender, had been veterans from various wars handpicked by her Majesty herself.

“Why would Her Majesty send them?” Robert asked.

Rick shook his head. “I was not informed of the reason, sire.”

“I see.” Robert nodded.

After Rick exited the tent, Corvin turned to Robert. “This will certainly solve our troubles,” he said.

Robert Nodded. “Yes. Not all, but most. Valiars are veterans. They should have no difficulty blending with our soldiers.”

“Arakan, is it?” Corvin beamed as he gazed at the tent exit. “I am really liking this child.”

“Has she been like this ever since?” Arakan asked the elderly healer, Dame Nyra, as he observed the golden-haired Sena on the clean and spacious bed. Her silvery-grey eyes vacant and lost, gazing at nothing in particular. Devoid of the sense of firmness and inner strength she had about her when he had seen her at the capital, she lay there like a person who had lost her soul.

“Yes, she has,” the elderly woman replied. “She has suffered through something that has caused her a great deal of mental distress, nearly collapsing her mind.”

“How can she be cured?”

Nyra shook her head. As the prime healer of the army, she had extensive experience in all sorts of injuries and diseases, even matters of the mind were not out of her grasp. But throughout her decades of practice, situations such as lady Sena’s were no more than three.

“She is now trapped inside her own mind,” she said. “And unless she finds a way to conquer what’s trapping her, it would be exceedingly difficult to wake her up through outside influence.”

Arakan sighed. “So there is no way…”

“Even if there is, it would be through mystical arts, such as the druids use. But that is out of our hands.” Nyra sighed as she bent down and held Sena’s palm in her hands. “Even those arts can only help her regain a moment of clarity. The rest would still be upon her.”

“Mystical arts…” Arakan muttered as he met Sena’s empty gaze. Even if only a moment of clarity, it was still worth trying. But the only person who had any possibility of finding some mystical cure would be Her Majesty. It wouldn’t it be considered too much if he requested her help again, right?

A gentle squeeze on his shoulder pulled him out of his musings. Arakan turned and looked at Laureen, who stood behind him, looking at Sena with pitying eyes. He put his hand on hers, patting it affectionately before bowing towards Dame Nyra.

“we will excuse ourselves then.”

They went out of Sena’s room, and led by the servants, returned to their quarters. Laureen maintained a thoughtful silence the whole way as her eyes lingered on the tapestries. On the thousands of depictions of war and battle.

The history of the warrior nobles.

Even for her, who grew up as a commoner in the capital of a longstanding kingdom, the air of war that pervaded the land of Clover had been a hard one to bear, and for someone like Sena? She had been in the thick of it. May have even participated in it. And she had heard from the servants how she had… lost her sister.

When Laureen’s elder sister died to the Fade, it had torn a piece of her heart right out of her chest.

“How do you feel?” Arakan’s voice brought her mind to the present. Both of them stood alone in front of their quarters. The servants were nowhere in sight.

“When they said she is mad, I had imagined an entirely different thing. But now that I have seen her…” Laureen sighed. “She is a poor girl.”

Arakan wrapped his hands around her, embracing her tightly. “So do you support my decision now?”

Laureen looked up to his eyes. “I have already supported you since that day, and I still support you now.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” He said, ruffling her flaming red hair. “I am truly lucky to have met you.”

Laureen pouted. “You only realize that now?”

“No,” Arakan said. “I have already realized that since that day I met you, but I am still realizing it now.”

Laureen punched his chest lightly. “You can’t just return my words to me like that!”

Arakan held her hand. “I can, and I just did,” He said, laughing. But before long his demeanour became serious. “Can I request something from you?”

She smiled at him with all the warmth in her heart and said, “Anything!”

Robert rolled back the missive, taking delicate care not to harm the piece of vellum in the process. Only after he secured it inside his desk drawer did he turn to address Arakan, who sat in front of him.

“That is…” he began, but unable to find the right words, could only shake his head.

“Yes,” Arakan said. “Though I don’t dare to presume Her Majesty’s exact intentions, in essence, what she asked me to relay to you were these exact words, “Next time, ask me.””

“It’s just a bit… unusual.” Robert sighed. “Live or die, nobles of Clover have always relied on themselves instead of their rulers. And most of the time rulers are glad to keep it that way. Even the previous king…”

Arakan smiled. “I have been in the close counsel of Her Majesty for some time. And she is no doubt different from the previous king.”

“That is true,” Robert said before falling quiet. Arakan did not break his silence either, letting it linger between them for a while.

“Truth be told, I had never expected for the terms your house proposed to be so easy. You have demanded almost nothing for this marriage,” Robert said in the end with a hint of doubt in his voice. “What is your true intention?”

“My intention?” Arakan met his stare with clear, guiltless eyes. “My intention is Lady Sena. Whatever my house’s intentions, I am doing this purely with the intent to help her.”

“Is that why you brought help from Her Majesty, instead of house Sergel?”

“Partly.” Arakan nodded. “But that is not the only reason. The political situation at the capital is quite tenuous. During such a time, removing a part of our strength would be unsafe at best. And the soldiers that we could have spared, lacked the experience to fight with the soldiers protecting the border.”

Robert narrowed his eyes and contemplated. It was as he had guessed. And the exorbitant demands of the other houses were without a doubt made to bolster their strengths and gain an advantage against the other.

He sighed and looked “Well, regardless of your intentions, you have my gratitude for the help you have provided.”

“That you have found it useful is enough for me, sir Robert.”

Robert gave Arakan a long, measuring look. Corvin wasn’t the only one. He was also starting to like the young man. “So you are certain you will be making the journey back to the capital tomorrow?” he asked. “You have only just arrived. I doubt you’ve even had a proper chance to rest.”

“I truly wish I could stay, but there are urgent matters to attend to in the capital,” Arakan revealed a hint of genuine regret. He truly did not want to leave her here. But regardless of his oath, he just couldn’t trust his mother to leave her alone.

“Please take care of Laurania while I am absent,” he said, bowing towards Robert.

“Of course, I will. She is willing to take the time to stay here and care for Sena, so how can I neglect her?”

“She has a few siblings in her village, so she is quite sympathetic to lady Sena’s situation.” Arakan smiled fondly. “She is a kind girl, after all.”