Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Life in the palace(3) Chapter 113: Life in the palace(3) Shahab remained silent for a long moment after Alpheo finished, his hand resting on the tablet.

Shahab finally leaned forward, his face a mixture of anger and contemplation.

“You speak as if you had no choice, but my son-in-law lies dead, a civil war may also be coming to our doorstep.

Your ‘necessary’ actions have made more chaos than you coule even believe” Alpheo didn’t flinch, keeping his voice calm and even.

“It was not my intention to cause harm to your family, my lord.

I deeply regret how things unfolded.

But we all know what type of man Arkawatt was .

If I hadn’t acted, I would have been dead, and between him and me , I chose me .” Shahab exhaled slowly, clearly grappling with the situation.

“And what of the lords?

The other families that once pledged their loyalty to him?” “They’ll fall in line,” Alpheo replied confidently.

“After we deal with the ‘pretenders’ they will have no choice but to bend the knee to princess Jasmine ,especially if a strong army is backing her up.It’s not like Arkawatt expired that much loyalty in his lords” For now, the balance of power was firmly in his favor.

Alpheo could sense that any immediate challenge to his position was unlikely.

His quick action after Arkawatt’s death, along with the troops he had , had put him in a commanding position.

Maybe in the future, someone might make a play, but for the moment, he was the pillar propping up Jasmine’s claim to the throne.

Shahab, on the other hand, had reluctantly accepted the situation.

The old lord’s disdain was palpable-his cold stare and stiff demeanor had not gone unnoticed-but Alpheo understood why.

Shahab may hate him but even he knew that they needed Alpheo.

He was the only men with any significant military force and influence backing Jasmine’s claim.

Without Alpheo’s army they would be lost.

As much as Shahab did not want to admit it, they were at a crossroads.

Most of the other lords, particularly those with ambitions of their own, would likely support Arkawatt’s brother, seeing him as the more legitimate successor to the throne.

Jasmine’s position, though she had some claim, was fragile at best.

She needed strong allies, and right now, Alpheo was the only one worth anything.

He knew that.

As much as he bristled at Alpheo’s presence, he recognized that they couldn’t afford to alienate him.

Enraging Alpheo and his army would be disastrous-there was no question that they stood between Jasmine’s success and certain failure.  Alpheo’s meanwhile knew this tenuous alliance wouldn’t last forever, but for now, it was enough to solidify his position.

He would have to keep a careful watch on Shahab and even the princess , but he was, for now the one holding the strongest hand in this game.

Alpheo turned his gaze toward Shahab, his tone even but direct.

“How many troops do you have at your command, Lord Shahab?” The older man straightened, still bristling from the conversation, but answered without hesitation.

“Two hundred.

One hundred and thirty infantry, forty bowmen, and thirty heavy mounted troops.” Alpheo’s brow furrowed slightly, the numbers smaller than he had hoped.

He then asked, “And the infantry?

Are they at least equipped with armor?” Shahab shook his head, his gruff voice filled with irony .

“No.

The heavy cavalry is what truly decides the outcome of battle.

The infantry is expendable; it’s the mounted troops that matter when it comes to breaking an enemy line.” Alpheo couldn’t suppress a smile, his lips curling as he leaned forward in his seat.

“Is that so?

Then, tell me, how did my cavalry manage to rout an enemy force three times our size?

Less than a third of their number, yet we sent them running.

Heavy cavalry didn’t help them much in the end, did it?” Shahab’s eyes narrowed, and his face tightened in displeasure.

He ignored the question altogether, deflecting as if he hadn’t heard it.

“I’ll send word to my sons.

They can raise more troops, bolster our numbers.

The rebellion will be crushed once we have enough men.” Alpheo shook his head slowly, the smile fading into a look of calm determination.

“No need.

That will take too much time, and the longer we wait, the more chances we give the pretender to bolster more lords under his banner .

We march in two days, as planned.” Shahab opened his mouth to protest, but Alpheo cut him off, his tone firm.

“We cleave this rebellion from the stem now, before it grows too large.

The men we have are enough.

Speed is our advantage.

We’ll strike hard, fast, and end this before it spirals out of control.” Alpheo paused for a moment, his brow furrowing as a thought crossed his mind.

“I apologize, but what is the name of Arkawatt’s brother?I am tired of calling him pretender ” he asked, turning his gaze toward Jasmine, his voice calm but pointed.

Jasmine, who had been silent throughout most of the conversation, raised her head slightly, meeting his eyes.

“Ormund,” she replied, her tone cool but carrying the weight of the name.

“Lord Ormund Veloni-isha.” Alpheo nodded slowly, letting the name settle in his mind as he continued his internal calculations.

“If I’m correct, Lord Ormund will quick march toward the capital,” he began, his voice measured.

“That’s where we will strike.

We’ll cut off the core of his army and, with some luck, take something more…” Shahab raised an eyebrow, his skepticism clear.

“You seem quite certain that Ormund will march alone,” he said, crossing his arms.

“What makes you so sure?” A slow smile crept onto Alpheo’s face, a gleam of confidence in his eyes.

“I left the perfect bait for the man,” he said, the smile widening.

“He won’t be able to resist.” —————- Ormund sat upon a grand, though worn, throne draped in crimson cloth.

His grizzled face, marked with age and bitterness, glowered over the hall.

The stone chamber echoed with the sound of Robert’s armor as the knight knelt before him, his head bowed in submission.

Ormund’s voice was heavy with suspicion as he leaned forward, gripping the arms of the throne tightly.

“Speak, Sir.What reason brings you before me?” The knight raised his head slightly, his face pale from the burden of the news he carried.

“My lord,” Robert began, his voice trembling with the weight of his message, “I come bearing grave tidings.

Your brother, Prince Arkawatt…

is dead.” Ormund’s eyes widened, though he remained silent, probably more excited than sad of the news  “It was not in battle that he fell, my lord, but by treachery killed by his own hired man .

A mercenary…

a man named Alpheo, took control of the city.

He and his men disguised themselves as the prince’s loyal soldiers and infiltrated the gates.

Before anyone realized what had happened, they struck.

The city was looted and burnt and…” Robert hesitated, his eyes darting toward the stone floor before continuing, “the royal family was taken hostage.” For a moment, Ormund sat frozen on his throne, his face contorted in shock.

Then, suddenly, rage ignited in his eyes.

He slammed his fist down on the arm of the throne with a loud thud, the sound reverberating throughout the hall.

“Curse Arkawatt!” Ormund spat, his voice thick with fury.

“That fool of a brother!

He was always too weak to rule.

This…

this is his legacy….weakness and ineptitude ” His eyes blazed with a venomous intensity, as if his brother’s failure to keep the city secure had personally insulted him.

He rose slowly, his knuckles white from gripping the throne’s edge.

Ormund’s eyes narrowed as he stared down at the knight, his mind racing with questions.

“How did you escape?” he demanded, his voice sharp.

Robert kept his gaze low, choosing his words carefully.

“Princess Jasmine, my lord,” he began.

“She managed to get me out of the city under the cover of night, slipping me through one of the less guarded gates.

She knew someone had to deliver a message to you-the rightful heir.

She wanted you to know the truth of what happened.She feared that more people wouls have caughy the mercenaries’ eyes, so She optend to ask for help through me ” Ormund’s lips curled slightly at the mention of his niece, but he remained silent, urging Robert to continue with a wave of his hand.

“The mercenaries still control the city, my lord,” Robert explained, his voice growing more urgent.

“They number around 300, and they show no mercy to the people.

Alpheo, the mercenary leader, and his men are abusing the population-looting, demanding tribute, tormenting anyone who dares to oppose them.

The people are desperate ” Ormund leaned back, his expression darkening, though his eyes betrayed a growing interest.

“You say the people will no longer tolerate it?” Robert nodded quickly.

“The people are at their breaking point, my lord.

With your order, they will rise up against these invaders.

They only wait for you to lead the charge.

The princess begs you to raise your army and deliver the city to safety.

The moment you march upon the gates, the citizens will open them for you.

They will rebel as soon as they see your banners on the horizon.She begs you to be swift as she fears that the mercenary may decide to sell the city to the prince of Oizen or another bidder, when they discover they took every coin they could” Ormund’s fingers drummed against the armrest of the throne as he listened, a slow smile creeping across his face.

The opportunity was perfect-a city ripe for the taking, already weakened by internal strife and if he saved the city that none could dispute his right to the throne.

If the people rose up, Alpheo and his men would be trapped between the city’s walls and his forces outside.

Victory seemed certain.

Ormund sat back on his throne, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against the armrest.

He turned to his aide, a wiry man who had served him for years.

“Send word to my knights.

Every able-bodied man is to be summoned.

And raise the levies from the surrounding villages.

We will need as many men as possible for this campaign.Make sure to be fast with it ” The aide nodded and quickly left to carry out the orders, the soft clink of armor and hurried footsteps echoing through the hall.

Robert, still kneeling, raised his head slightly.

“My lord, there is one more request from the princess.

She seeks to strengthen her alliance with you, to ensure the stability of the royal line .

She proposes a marriage…

between your eldest son and herself.” Ormund waved a dismissive hand as if the decision were a trivial matter.

“Inform the princess that her proposal is accepted.

We will solidify our alliance through this marriage.” Robert bowed deeply, his heart racing.

“Yes, my lord.

The princess will be pleased to hear of your decision.” Ormund nodded, his mind already moving on to the next step of his plan.

“Now go.

Make sure my forces are ready to march within the next few days.

We must strike swiftly, while the city is ripe for the taking.” Seeing the face upon Ormund , Robert felt shame as he never done , renouncing his honor and aiding that bastard that took his lord away from him.Unfortunately they still had his son in custody and if he had not obeyed than , all his line would have been wiped out…