The next morning, shafts of light from the rising sun dragged me to consciousness.

  A slim body stirred beside me.

  I wrapped my arms around her before she could rise.

  “Get up,” Reshma whispered.

  “Let’s sleep some more,” I mumbled into her silky hair.

  “You have people to meet. Battles to plan.”

  “I don’t want to meet people.”

  Her voice hardened. “Then you shouldn’t be so enthusiastic in implementing your newfangled ideas.”

  Letting go of her, I raised myself up. “I thought you were fine with them now?”

  She exhaled. “I am. Who understands the cruelty of blood-based power more than me? It’s just… you’re introducing these new ideas when Nanon itself isn’t stable. With whatever is happening in Stormhaven and Ironfeld, I’m worried about Laira.”

  Pulling her closer, I kissed her bare shoulder. “I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. I promise, no new political experiments until Nanon is stabilized.”

  She gave me a side-eye. “Only political?”

  “If Stormhaven is truly preparing for a rebellion, we’re going to need more than just repeating crossbows.”

  “Just,” she chortled. “Are you going to rain fire from the sky next?”

  Hmm. It would be a long time before I had bombers. Would mortars count as fire from the sky?

  Her eyes widened. “You can do that?”

  “Not for a long while.”

  Her eyes glazed in contemplation. Not knowing what to do, I pulled her into myself.

  She melted against me, shoulders relaxing.

  “How was warfare in your world?” she whispered.

  I shivered involuntarily. “Terrible.”

  We stayed like that, anchored by each other’s warmth.

  Some time later, I patted her back. “Let’s finish our work here, so I can get back to Aprilia and you to Laira.”

  Separating herself from me, she nodded weakly. Her face slowly regained its usual flirty demeanor. “It’s a shame I cannot visit Chadom and meet your Aprilia.”

  “It is, but the day will come soon. I promise.”

  I found Moore on the way to breakfast. The young knight was as dapper as always as he bowed to me.

  “How is your new aide doing, Sir Moore?” I asked the young castellan.

  “Quite well, Sire. He is an upright and bright young man.”

  “How is his progress on the task I gave him?”

  “He and your man are getting quite fast at it. I wonder why no one else ever figured it out. Such a useful way to communicate.”

  “Silver is not cheap. Did I ask you to gather the best and most trusted carpenters in the capital?”

  “You did, Sire.”

  “Good. Have them build two modular catapults within this week.”

  He looked at me, mouth open. “A week?”

  “They don’t need to be large, just big enough to throw some rocks a few dozen meters away.”

  “Those won’t be able to take down Blackrain’s palisade. The Ironfelds’ men must have reinforced it further.”

  “They don’t need to. They just need to be threatening enough.”

  He nodded his head hesitantly. “As you say.”

  I looked at his face. “What is it? You want to ask something?”

  “Your men are quite tight lipped about Chadom and those weapons of theirs. They won’t let anyone else handle them.”

  “Good. They’re following orders.”

  He hesitated before speaking. “Elric and I were wondering about the meeting where Lady Erenna came back with wet eyes and you told us to not-”

  “No serious discussion at the breakfast table,” Lady Erenna barked.

  Looking around, I realized we had reached the private dining chamber where she and Isanna were having breakfast.

  Sitting down, I dug into the cheese, bread and venison.

  “Jack,” Lady Erenna said, “Isanna has something to tell you.”

  “Sounds like a serious matter to me. I thought we were not to discuss any.”

  “I wouldn’t, but you’re busy all the time.”

  “I wish I weren’t, but such is life. So?” I said, still focused on the excellent cheese. Chadom needed some of the cows that produced it.

  “I was afraid you would marry me off to one of our vassals to pacify them,” Isanna said hesitantly.

  I looked at her. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  She beamed with gratitude.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Jack, she is twenty-one years old,” the mother interjected.

  “Hmm. With Ironfeld and Stormhaven both acting suspiciously, our choices for anyone close are limited, but I can promise you one thing; I won’t use you as a political pawn.”

  “Thank you, brother!” Isanna exclaimed.

  “As the Prince Consort’s sister, you will have your pick of men. Maybe you will find a nice one at my wedding.” I winked.

  She blushed in response, eyes glued to her breakfast.

  I turned to Lady Erenna. “Speaking of serious matters, how is aunt Osilda doing?”

  She guarded her expression, but her sadness and anger still shone through. “As well as a woman who lost a son could be doing.”

  I sighed. At least there was no wailing echoing through the castle anymore.

  I spent the morning supervising the carpenters so they would have the catapults ready in time. We didn’t have time to prepare sinew bundles, so rope would have to do.

  Then I checked up on the first two members of my signal corps. The two men were completely submerged in their work, practicing sending signals across distant towers. Such a simple thing that would make us much, much more formidable.

  At noon, I went to meet the direct vassals for lunch, two of whom would be going back to their seats.

  On my way, I almost collided with Eirica.

  She stood in the morning light spilling from the corridor’s thin windows, her son cradled against her shoulder. The boy was half-asleep, a small fist clutching the black fabric of her mourning dress.

  My heart skipped a beat.

  His hair caught the light; black and wavy.

  Just like mine.

  The color wasn’t uncommon. Most of the north had black hair.

  One different decision and that child would have been mine.

  No.

  Jack’s.

  My throat tightened.

  Damn this body.

  For a heartbeat, I imagined lifting him in my arms.

  The child shifted, and his small fingers flexed against her collarbone. Eirica adjusted him instinctively.

  She met my gaze. I averted my eyes. She must have caught my expression, but didn’t say anything.

  Passing the child to a nanny, she joined me in walking towards the dining hall.

  “So,” she said evenly, “you and Lady Reshma are…”

  She had noticed. Of course she had.

  “Lovers,” I said, voice composed. “I would appreciate if you didn’t spread it further, more than it already has.”

  She nodded, her lips curving faintly. The smile didn’t reach her eyes. “The Queen?”

  “Knows,” I said curtly.

  She got the signal.

  The wind carried the sound of training men from the yard below. Drilling. Preparing for the future.

  The child’s chuckle made me turn. He was awake, the nanny whispering to him.

  His eyes watched the surroundings with unblinking intensity of the very young.

  I quickly looked away.

  I wanted to secure the kingdom through institutions, soldiers and weapons, not blood. That did not mean it was going to just vanish as a factor. No, that was never going to happen. Blood always mattered.

  We entered the hall. The doors closed behind us.

  The other representatives were already sitting at the table.

  “Good morrow, my lord,” Dowager Nebelhain said cheerily, getting up. The rest followed.

  “Good morning everyone,” I said, looking at them.

  Baron Wulf was wearing his thick jacket even indoors, while Dowager Nebelhain a black mourning dress, just like Eirica. The Nordhaven matriarch, by contrast, was decked in an eye-catching dark blue dress.

  Nebelhain pushed her two copies toward me. “My lord, these are my daughters, Ludella and Aldhilda.”

  The older one, Ludella, around eight years old, did a proper curtsy. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, my lord,” she said almost perfectly.

  “Likewise, my lady,” I bowed.

  The younger one, barely five, tried to imitate her sister. “It is- It is an honor to meet you, my lord,” she lisped.

  “Pleasure to meet you too, my lady,” I said, restraining my smile.

  I looked at Baron Wulf. “Did neither of your sons accompany you, my lord?”

  “No, my lord. They are running the barony and handling its defenses in my absence.”

  I hid a grimace. He was probably cautious after what my force did at the Battle of the Bog, while poor young Dowager Nebelhain had no other choice but to come here with her children.

  After the girls had been escorted by their nannies, we had a quiet lunch.

  Once the plates had been removed, I turned to the others. “Let us discuss our future plans.”

  Everyone nodded as they turned to face me.

  “Baron Wulf, how many trained fighters can you assemble on short notice? By short, I mean within a week.”

  He absentmindedly stroked his thick beard. “A hundred, perhaps. Maybe up to a hundred fifty.”

  “That’s not a small number for you. Will it impact your barony’s defenses?”

  “No,” he sneered, as if insulted. “Every man of Wulfsden is a fighter. Your ancestors learned it the hard way.”

  I smiled, hiding a laugh. How do I convince them I don’t want to fight them?

  “A force of five hundred won’t be enough to take over the town,” he continued. “Moreover, if we take too long, the Ironfelds will arrive with reinforcements.”

  “I know. We won’t be taking too long.”

  He looked at me, brows knitted in confusion.

  “We won’t be directly besieging them. I have a plan. I’ll explain it to you once our forces are assembled.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but still nodded in agreement.

  I turned to Dowager Nordhaven. “My lady, can I impose on you as well?”

  Her eyes hardened. “I already fulfilled my duty by providing soldiers to your father’s campaign. Only half of the men came back.”

  The hall quieted.

  I straightened in response. “Half of a hundred men. It was an unfortunate set of circumstances that pitted us against each other, but this time your men will be fighting alongside, not against me, and I have more surprises in stock beside those crossbows. Trust me, if a bloodbath happens again, it won’t be our men who bleed.”

  “You speak of unity and stability, yet monopolize advanced weapons and ask for more levies. And all five of our councilors will be elected, yet you have given three positions to your mother and close confidants.”

  “I established my council before the Charter was ratified. I did mention that institutions being replaced will remain as they are for the next five years. Or would you like to give up your regency now?” I narrowed my eyes at her. Her resistance was getting annoying.

  She matched my demeanor. “My regency protects my grandson’s future.”

  I pointed towards Eirica. “How did that work out for Dowager Mondgrove?”

  “I’m not a young wisp of a girl naive in the ways of politics.”

  “No, you are a woman in her late sixties.” I left the rest unsaid. “The new system will protect the county from fragmentation. I don’t see how it could be detrimental to anyone.”

  “It would prevent us from ever opposing you again.”

  Of course, you hag. I almost said the words out loud. Bloody nobles and their desire to fight each other.

  The repeating crossbows would make her dangerous, but it wouldn’t matter as long as it was in the far future.

  “I will make the repeating crossbows available after the frontier forces have been equipped. Nanon’s security is not negotiable.”

  She squinted her sharp eyes at me. I matched her stare.

  Finally, she nodded. “I can arrange for a hundred soldiers.”

  “A hundred fifty. Your population is much bigger than Wulfsden’s.”

  “Fine, but they answer to my captains, not yours.”

  I snorted. “What’s the point then? A military without a unified command structure is just a mob. They will follow my structure for this campaign. In return, I will pay their salaries. You just make sure they are well equipped.”

  Her eyes widened with disbelief. “I heard the Queen gave you a massive reward. Do you plan on spending it all?”

  “You mean for the safety and security of my land and my people? Yes. In case you forgot, you are one of them.”

  It took her a second to lift her jaw. Her eyes glazed with thought. Finally, she nodded her assent.

  “Excellent.” I turned to the young widows. “After we have captured the town, we will go to Mondgrove and Nebelhain to stabilize your lands.”

  Both women smiled in response.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. The confrontation with the relatives of the dead was behind me, and taking over Blackrain shouldn’t be too difficult with my surprises.

  Then, the door swung open.

  A messenger came in, face flushed. He promptly went to a knee. “Sire, some men are in the courtyard, asking for an immediate audience.”

  “Who?”

  “They claim to be the Baron of Nebelhain and his entourage.”

  Everyone turned to look at Dowager Nebelhain.

  Her beautiful smile had vanished.

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