XVI
Lord Conal
Is there no decent way for warriors to fight in this war? How can they leave me here in a middle of a battle? I was told by the generals that the Outsiders has withdrawn from the field. They must had left during the night. To make matters worse, the mercenaries I hired are also leaving citing heavy losses. How could they just walked away when they have some losses deemed heavy? This is absolutely unacceptable, but they threaten to fight me if I refused to let them go. So I told them to go and leave now. I asked for an assessment of my remaining force.
They told me I have now a column of thirty thousand of army, twenty one thousands marchmen, the five thousand archers and four thousand lancers. And more than half of them are in mutiny along with their officers. If we do not march back, there will be a fight among themselves.
This is treason, and my generals allowed it. I looked at them; all five of them, and they just stood there with no expressions or emotions. This is madness, and my people are now revolting against me. I cannot have this. I withdrew my sword and looked at the ten older men who stands before me; ‘sound the withdrawal. We march back now.’
Braven
I did not retreat as he thought. I actually regrouped my men, now coming in by the columns from all over the Empire. Men who was once his servants; men whose Lord ; he or his father has assisted to remove, and above all, men who was once free now fights for it again. It took me not more than one full moon cycle to get them to meet me at the Green Plains. I have now a column of army consisting of not less than eighty thousand men; men of different backgrounds and Lords, but they shared one common enemy; Lord Conal.
The Praetorians were there too; twenty five thousand strong, but they kept their distance away. I know Prime Leader Raihan well, he will keep his distance unless the call is there.
‘Today, we march to the Lord Camlash city. And we will take down the Lord.’ The roar of eighty thousand can shake even the foundation of any city.
Prime Leader Raihan
‘We thank you, Grand Lord for your permission to see us. We are just here to tell you that Prime Leader Romus died in his sleep last night. Its sad to see him so soon when he just announce his retirement in our Prime meeting only yesterday.’ I led the two other Prime Leader to seek the Grand Lord for his audience. The Grand Lord looked sad at the new development, and so he asked who will be the next Prime Leader to takeover the role of Romus.
‘The seat will be filled soon, but for today, we are here to tell you only of Romus’s death.’I was not surprised when the Grand Lord asked me of Lord Conal’s situation.
‘Lord Conal issue will be resolved by his own people, I heard he escaped the city that day, and Lord Camlash will return to sit on it. That is an internal matter of the Lord’s so we will not interfere.’
The Grand Lord requested for my personal audience, so I waited while the other two withdraw .
Prime Lord
‘Raihan, I am happy Romus is dead. He is an evil person always plotting and abusing this position. But tell me, what is your plan?’ I know Raihan is old like me but he keeps well with his well being. He was stabbed that day by the lancer, but it did not hit his major organs. He survived and kept his situation under wrapped. He faked his own death to Romus, who called for a replacement but the rest asked to hold on until a proper investigation was done. It was Romus who paid the lancer to kill him. I know because I sanctioned it. And I know Raihan knows it too.
‘You will sit in that seat until your turn to die. Your cousin Lord Giantus lies in the edge of death, and if you think you can call on the army of his and yours, you can also forget it. All the generals report to me now, and so are your spies. Granus and Mitchy will be Lords but they wield no power. Their lands will be under the Praetorian control.’ I looked at this old man who is more deceitful than me and Camlash.
‘Who will be Grand Lord after me? There is no Lords to vote on. Unless Camlash be the one.’ I laughed at the thought of the crippled sitting here. I will outlive him or when he does take over me, he will too old to laugh.
‘The new Grand Lord has been selected and he will need a caretaker given his current age. You need not concerned yourself.’
I know not what to say, as my heart is not stopping its beating. I wished it would so I can come back as a spirit to torment his old man before he becomes one. As it is now, his soul torments mine.
Lord Camlash
I need to hide him before the father comes. I told Canaan to push me hard and fast back to the chambers. There we can be safe. I knew of the rebellion in the city, and Braven was even invited in with open gates. But the elusive Lord Conal has escaped and was not found. Braven took over the city and reorganized the people needs well. What Braven spies to tell him, was that the Lord Conal was on his way here to my retreat. He has escaped the mob through the help of some of his trusted servants, and they now ride here.
I could tell the guards to stopped him, but they are not my men anymore. They do not support the deposed Lord either but they would like see us fight to our death together. But Conal is not here for me; he wants his ‘son’ to be held as hostage. He knows the people likes Canaan as he is considered as innocent. His mother has a role here; her spies has been spreading stories of him being held as hostage by me. And her banishment to Lord Giantus city was the wedge that permanently separate us from her. She is now revered as the Mistress of the city.
He is here. I can hear his steps.
‘Father, where is Canaan?’ The man who stands before me calls me his father after he shut me here for these few seasons. He looks older and his clothes are those of a soldier, and not a Lord. He probably borrowed them to escape in.
‘He is away; back in the city. The servants took him there.’
‘Liar! You tell me lies from the day I was born. Now you still do it.’ Conal threw the sword he had on him to the side of the chamber. ‘I come to you in good faith, even when I was young. I begged you to let me see the sun and the city, but you said no. You said its not safe, and yet you let him go out. I asked you for mother, and you said she died. Those are all lies. I know they are. Mother is alive and so is Canaan.’
‘No, Conal. I did not lie. I did it to protect you. I needed you to be strong and you are. Your brother was weak, and I took his life. Just like his mother; they were all weak. Only you are strong. Like me.’ I was moving to my console where I can released those deadly arrows. For some reason, Conal went down on his knees and cried. I was taken by his emotions, that I wanted to hold him. But is he really doing it out of remorse or is he a liar like I am. ‘Don;t cry, son. You are a Lord. You are my son.’
He may not see my tears now as he is looking down, but I feel for him like every father for their child. But then Conal stood up and he had in his hand was a dagger. A dagger that looked very familiar. Its one of the assassin; the young lady who is missing.
Lord Conal
‘You lied!’ and I threw my dagger at him, but he was fast to react. His push cart toppled over into the wall, and arrows was coming at me. I jumped aside as when I used to train with Shiven, but three of the arrows did get me. Two of them hit the padding I had on beneath my uniform, but the third one hit my right shoulder which was not padded. I turned back to see my father’s secret compartment, but there is no opening to be seen. I turned to walk out but I was blocked by someone.
Someone I knew some time ago; someone I called on to help me. Someone who thinks I love her.
‘Dina, you are alive. I thought you died in that last assignment. I am glad to see you.’ But her reply was a dagger in my left thigh, causing me to fall on my knees. Huh, she is talking to me yet her mouth does not move.
‘Lord Conal, you are no more my master. I have a new one. One who took care of me again. One who wished you dead.’ Her next dagger was at my chest but on the right side. I reached to remove the dagger there, and looked at her.
‘You hit the wrong spot. My heart lies in the same place as others. Goodbye.’ I plunged the dagger into my heart. As I felled down to the ground, I looked at the only woman I ever slept with. I had others to join me, but they slept on the floor next to my bedding. Only Dina shared mine.
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