“Somebody send this to the King.” Duke Burn called for a servant. It was one of the many things that he was glad to have now that he was back in his own territory. Whilst his days during the past few months could not be said to be uncomfortable as the person in charge of an army, that was no comparison for the life he led in the south east of Fiveria.
“Sire.” A servant came and took away the letter, the servant he recognised to be one of the King’s spies. One of the ones that he had kept around. It was easier for him to guard his secrets if he knew who the spies were, a lesson that he found very few of the lords of Fiveria had learnt. There would always be spies, the difference was if you knew who they were.
“Well, lets see if he takes it. If he is half as smart as he thinks himself then he should agree.” Duke Burn muttered. Just a month ago he had thought that he would be King. But plans had changed when the King had managed to get Duke Tetland on side and kill Duke Rotleach. That did not matter to him anymore, however. He knew that he would not win the moment that happened and had given up on his designs for the throne immediately.
“Man proposes, Elanitia disposes and all that. At least he needs an heir.” If there was one peace offering that he could give it would be a daughter. And a daughter he had. He had long since bemoaned his lack of a son but that might just be what he needed to keep his position now. His descendants would be Kings and the King would not have to worry about his betrayal. Not what he had been hoping but it was the best that he could hope for in the current circumstances.
“Sire, the King has called for another meeting.” Gerald informed Braydon who had been daydreaming since they had set up camp to rest for the night. They were merely two days’ march from Duke Ryder’s army by this point and the Duke’s men were starting to slow down. There was only so much that they could be pushed before they fell apart and they had barely rested for the better part of a week at this point.
“Again? What could he want to talk about now, it’s not like there is much else to do but chase Ryder down.” Braydon might have understood the meeting being called before they went into battle but this was a bit premature.
“You think that I am privy to the King’s thoughts?” Gerald responded flatly. There was no way that he could answer Braydon’s question, not to mention that he had also been disturbed from his daydreaming by the soldier sent to give the message.
“What, not had enough wine?” Braydon poked as they made their way toward the King’s tent. He knew that Gerald was in a bad mood due to a lack of wine and battle, both of which he had hoped to have in great measure some days ago. Though Duke Ryder and Duke Burn making a run for it had denied him both.
“You know the answer to that already.” Gerald churlishly responded only to get a laugh out of Braydon. There was no hope for sympathy on that front.
“Then let us pray that this is not a meeting to tell us that Duke Ryder decided to surrender.” Braydon knew that it would not be anything like that. Of all of the Dukes of Fiveria only Duke Burn would have so little pride. As they reached the King’s tent, the two knights guarding it stood to the side to let them pass.
“I assure you that it is not.” The King said to Braydon, apparently having heard the tail end of his conversation. Other than the King, the only person to arrive before him had been Rhydian. Not something that surprised Braydon, if there was one thing that defined Rhydian it was that he was always serious when it came to work.
“Oh, then has Duke Burn decided to surrender instead?” Braydon was about to chuckle at his own joke before he saw the slight nod from Rhydian. If the King had done that he might have passed it off as a small joke but this was somebody as serious as Rhydian. He would not make a joke about something this important.
“You are not far wrong.” Upon the confirmation that he was not seeing things, Braydon almost felt his jaw hit the floor. He had literally just thought that Duke Burn would be the only one to surrender if anyone did but that did not mean that he thought that it was likely.
“What is he offering that we are taking this so seriously? His fleet?” Braydon was intensely curious. They might have had a hard battle to dislodge Duke Burn from his base in the south east but that did not mean that it was impossible. And getting rid of all major factions would only help the King solidify his position. The Duke’s offer would have to be even greater than that.
“A queen.” That was enough to shut Braydon up. Almost everyone in Fiveria knew that the King had never taken a wife due to the pressure that the ducal factions placed on him and for a King having an heir was only more important than it was for a regular noble. It could be the difference between the continuation of the country and its destruction. And in the case of Fiveria that threat was all the more real.
Braydon stood next to Rhydian and waited for everyone else to arrive. There was no need to make it seem like he had an interest in the topic. First of all he had none. He had no daughters and no sisters. Second, he did not know how much of a touchy subject it was for Aled. It had not really come up in any of his conversations with the King and he was not about to be the one to raise the matter of the King’s family.
