“State your name” Perty the king's brother called out.

“Ivo halfborn” Ivo replied, his hands were behind his back and his face relaxed, he stole glances at catylen and smiled at her multiple times. This act infuriated Eric who was already burning red.

You should hide your sins more, Ivo thought and smiled at Edric but turning to answer another question. From the series of questions he had been asked, he knew he was being tried, but he cared less.

They were going to ask him to state his request eventually.

“Now you may state your request” the king's brother said.

Well, that was soon. Ivo cleared his throat, still maintaining his relaxed posture he started.

“War has been brewing in the north—”

“That is none of your concern” Edric cut him short, he received the same look from their father as before. Ida couldn't help but giggle at how much he was falling into Ivo's game.

Ivo cleared his throat again, “War is brewing in the north, we all have heard about it. It concerns us all from the castle walls to the slums, we are all involved. The only thing standing between us and a large army of snowcrawlers is the frost guard”.

“The snowcrawlers don't do well in daylight” another council member interrupted.

“They don't have to do well to slaughter people” Ivo replied.

“I have talked to people, I have heard things. They have a prophecy that the Khoine will swallow the sun when winter comes. It is winter, and they are coming, they are faster, stronger than they ever are.”

“Let me guess, you have a way to stop them?” it was Ida that asked this time.

“Yes, I do. For my request as Victor of the king's game, I ask the king to offer me a hundred skilled men and a rite of passage to the north.”

The council erupted.

Ivo watched the over—kept gardens, he enjoyed the look on their faces for the brief moment. The council had to take a break in session to think, and he was sent out of the throne room.

“I didn't take you for a stalker” Ivo said as he turned to Ida who rested against the iron walls.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“And I didn't take you for a fool” she replied.

Ivo turned back as she walked toward him.

“That is my position you are asking for” she said, raising her voice

He looked at her with a smile.

“Yes, both of them are mine” she added.

“Do you think I am trying to take frostguard from you?” Ivo asked.

“Then explain the meaning of what you just said there” she requested.

“I can't be king from a wasteland, I can't explain you would never understand, but I have to be there before the next red moon” Ivo said

“The red moon doesn't come out until three months why is the red moon so important?” she asked.

Ivo didn't reply her, as usual, she was asking too many questions, questions he did not like she was slowly starting to hate the mystery thing.

Ida took a deep breath to calm herself.

“You know they won't grant your stupid request and once a request is made, it cannot be taken back, so you just wasted a wish, the life of your handmaiden all for some hero fantasy.”

“Oh, I'm banking on it” Ivo replied.

“The court will resume soon,” a servant came informed the duo as Ivo nodded and turned to Ida, cupping her hand in his.

“Let's go hear me get violently turned down” he told her as they walked together to the throne room

“I will give you a hundred men” the king called out, ivo didn't flinch nor was there a hint of excitement on his face.

“I will give you a hundred men and twenty boats to return to blightrock and defend it from the crossers, the deep sea have frozen, and they have begun to cross, and you shall marry lady catylen in the next month.”

Ivo could see the smirk across Elvira and Edric faces, he simply smiled back as Edric's face turned sour at the king's declaration to move the marriage forward.

He quickly fixed his face as he realized that the king turned to him, “Edric you shall take a thousand men and match to frost guard to defend it from the snow crawlers.”

“A thousand men? Father surely you know that those numbers will not be enough” he cried out jumping from his seat.

“If Ivo could do it with nine hundred less, then you can, and you will.”

He caught Ivo's smile, it was all a trap. Yes, how would Ivo the weak bastard that cant weild a sword better than he weild his wine defeat an army of snowcrawlers with a hundred men.

“He is a traitor, the snowcrawler bastard” Edric called out, but the king simply turned back to face Ivo.

“I hope you are pleased with the order?”

“Very” Ivo replied with a grin.

Very pleased, he thought, everything was working in his favour.

A few weeks before the competition he had received a letter from the magistrate that he set up as temporary head Mr. Gobble who was an elderly man in his sixties, Ivo could remember his complaint of his hips and how he wanted to die on the hills.

The letter read that the crossers barbarians from the other side of the sea were slowly crossing the frozen deep sea to start that annual winter raid, and he was to send a hundred fighting men and ships.

Ivo needed a plan, he knew the king would never give me the men he needed if he asked, so he wasn't going to ask, he remembered a quote from his previous life if you shoot for the moon, even if you missed you will hit a star.

So he simply pitched his request, making it ridiculous and hoped that the king would see through his stupid plan as ridiculous and make changes that suited him.

And as expected, his gamble paid off, now he had the army he wanted, and he got the king to send Edric instead win-win for him, he thought.

But this was just the beginning.