Adhemar's POV ***

 

“Make way for Count Adhemar, Overlord of Fort Anjou and Master of the Free Companies!” Germaine yelled in a loud voice at the guards standing at the gate of the Messers palace.

 

Count Adhemar sucked at his teeth and took a glance about him. He was flanked by two horse riding guards in jet-black thick tunics – members of the army he led, the Free Companies. They had their swords by their sides, their faces grim like angels on errands of destruction. They were renowned, some might say infamous, like the ghost army of the far east. The Free Companies were known in the King’s court for getting the job done, and for being the last resort the king succumbed to. If the Free Companies ever were summoned, then victory was as certain as death was to every man.

 

The great iron gates of the palace parted open and Count Adhemar rode in with his chins raised. The guards who stood sentinel bowed deep as the count passed by, he grind his teeth, and rode inwards.

 

Once within the palace walls, they got off their horses and stable keepers in the palace led them away. Count Adhemar made his way into the palace court, his men storming behind him like capes of rainstorms.

 

There was a hush in the assembly when the count stepped in; ministers stared blatantly at the mighty count Adhemar, but most simply looked away from him. It was almost as though an adult walked into a party for children alone.

 

The king was seated on his throne at the far end of the assembly, dressed in thick black silk with embroidery of golden tiger heads. A crown smooth and nondescript like an oversized wedding band sat on his head. He was Henry von Deschamps, King of Messers. On either side of the fifty-year-old emperor were fierce guards in light armor holding swords in sheaths.

 

“Your majesty,” said count Adhemar, falling to one knee right before the king. The men behind him did the same, falling on one knee and bowing their heads.

 

“Count Adhemar,” said King Henry, rather fondly. “How was your tour of the Borish Kingdom?”

 

“Pleasant, your grace,” said count Adhemar, “Although, I find that I’d rather be home than anywhere else.”

 

The King grunted. “Welcome home,” said he, pausing a bit before continuing. “There is an important matter that we have summoned you for.”

 

“Speak your grace, I’m but your servant to command,” said the count, still on his knee.

 

“If you are the King’s servant, then how is it you and your Free Companies do not act as befitting of the king’s stewards?!” One of the ministers exasperated. He was a thin, long man with narrow face and long white beards.

 

A lopsided smile stretched across the Count’s face.

 

“Lord Direg,” Count Adhemar began coolly. “My Free Companies risk their lives on the war front for the king and the glory of the Messers kingdom. They do not hide in the safety of council meetings and question the loyalty of serving men. What then do you mean when you say they do not act as befitting of the king’s stewards?”

 

“Your men killed some civilians in Laramere,” said lord Direg, hotly. “And I daresay that this is not the first time they will be reported for abuse of power. Tell me, Count Adhemar, will an end ever come to this madness?”

 

“Laramere?” the count repeated, rising to his feet. “The no man’s land?” Did they not refuse to submit themselves to the leadership of our King?”

 

“If they want sovereignty, then so be it,” said lord Direg, “But we should not provoke any kingdom, no matter how small their jurisdiction appears to be.”

 

Count Adhemar shrugged. “There are twenty-three forts under the jurisdiction of Messers, lord Direg,” said Count Adhemar, “Our fort closest to the ocean but for Laramere, and three other landlocked forts are twice the size of Laramere. Four other forts are the same size as Laramere, and the rest smaller. Over the course of the years, the King has had to deal with rebellion from each of these twenty forts under his jurisdiction, forts wanting to break forth like Judah from Israel. And in most cases, he sends you, the ministers to first dialogue, just before sending us to do what your dialogue always fails to do. Lord Direg, do you think we should have let those rebelling kingdoms go?”

 

Lord Direg grunted. “The forts under Messers can be historically proven to have ties with our country, but what has Laramere to do with us? They are more related to the Borish kingdom than to us.”

 

“History, you say?” said Count Adhemar, scoffing. He scanned the faces of the nobles in the room, the most of them eager to hear what he had to say in his defense. “If all we did was learn from history, follow the perfect, already tested grounds history had to provide, then the country would never be bigger than it was in history. And according to history, Messers country has only five forts, the rest were earned by the sweat and blood of our heroes long gone.”

 

“You are a mad man, Count Adhemar,” said lord Direg, “You and your men have no respect for the peace, and you lack mercy in its entirety.”

 

“Concepts such as peace and mercy are falsities the weak harbor in their minds to feel strong,” said Count Adhemar, starting towards lord Direg. “Because they know that they do not possess the power to challenge what authority is set over them, so they go on pretend that they are peaceful people when in actual fact they are simply… weak.”

 

He stood before lord Direg, eyeball to eyeball, nose to nose, each man breathing hot air into the other’s face. After a spell that left the rest of the ministers holding their breaths, Count Adhemar turned away from lord Direg and returned to talking to the King.

 

“Your grace, my lords,” said Adhemar, “Messers is a country everyone should tremble at. If we are ever to make peace with any country, it should be because victory bores us.”

 

The King clapped his hands together. “This meeting is over,” he announced, abruptly.

 

The entire council bowed before their king and made to leave. “Not between me and you, Count Adhemar; I have a personal errand for you.”

 

This action seemed to have incensed lord Direg who stayed behind and glared lance and arrow at a smiling Count Adhemar.

 

“You do know how to get on lord Direg’s nerves,” said King Henry von Deschamps.

 

“Nerves is all lord Direg is, your grace,” said the count, standing some three feet away from the king. “Lord Direg is passive, unprogressive. We should send him to other countries to corrupt their ministers with laid back mentality as his. It will only be a matter of time before we take over the world from there.”

 

“You have such grand dreams, Count Adhemar,” said King Henry, rising to his feet. “Tell me, would you have us take over Laramere?”

 

“That I would,” said the count.

 

“Then take it,” said King Henry. “However, ensure you do not incur the wrath of other countries; we don’t want to lose the relationships we have with them just yet. Especially Borish.”

 

“Especially Borish,” Count Adhemar repeated.

 

King Henry chuckled and stepped down from the elevated ground his throne was set on. He turned to the fierce looking guards behind him and gestured for them to leave with a tilt of his head. He waited for them to exit the courtroom before he said another word.

 

“Tell me,” King Henry began. “Have you noticed how fair the lands of Borish are? My farmers say wheat grows so well there, it’s almost as though the seeds fall from heaven.”

 

“Borish has fair lands,” Count Adhemar agreed. “Do you want us to take it?”

 

“Do you see a future where that is even possible?” asked King Henry, chuckling. “The Borish have an army equal to ours in size and aggression.”

 

“I see a hundred futures, your majesty,” said Count Adhemar, “and only one do we not capture Borish.”

 

“What happened in that one where we failed?” asked King Henry, curiously.

 

“Well,” said Count Adhemar, cocking his head. “We simply did not try at all.”

 

“Ha!” the King exclaimed and burst into a fit of laughter. “You really are determined to make this country great. But there is a something else we must do, and it is for that reason that I have summoned you.”

 

Count Adhemar furrowed his thick brows. “It was so urgent you had to summon me? A letter would have sufficed and I would have gone on with whatever errand you asked of me my king.”

 

“That I know, but what I am about to ask is an assignment you will do for the rest of your life,” said King Henry, clapping one wrinkled hand on Count Adhemar’s shoulder. “Your fort, Anjou, shares border with the Borish country, does it not?”

 

Count Adhemar bobbed his head, yes.

 

“One reason our economy is thriving so well is because we can export the silk we make through the oceans,” said King Henry, “But this is also the reason the Borish have such busy economy; because we are landlocked on all sides and need them to sell our produce. The Borish authorities charge enough taxes to shock Solomon and Rehoboam, his son.”

 

“So then, we attack them—”

 

“Adhemar, you know better than anyone out there that wars take forever,” said King Henry, “We might fight the Borish for ten to twenty years. And even if we do win, we would have to deal with the pockets of rebels that are sure to spring up. Not to forget that we will not be able to conduct any trade in the period. There’s too much consequences there, my friend.”

 

“So, what would you have me do?” asked Count Adhemar, perplexed.

 

“Now, that is where I am headed next,” said King Henry, returning to his enormous throne. He sighed and propped his hand under his chin. “I hear that the Lord of Makinburg has but one heir, a young beautiful lass whose name I have forgotten.”

 

“Lady Jocelyn,” said Count Adhemar, “Her father, Lord Grove, has plunged the family into great mess with his terrible management abilities. He needs to marry his daughter off to save what’s left of his shattered life.”

 

“And you do not think he’d find her a suitor?”

 

“He might,” said Count Adhemar, “but not many have what he wants. He needs someone wealthy and powerful enough to pull his family out of their mess by settling their current debts.”

 

“Like you, for example,” said King Henry, winking.

 

“Like me, yes,” Count Adhemar replied, without an ounce of emotion. “I don’t think I want to get involved with such family. The strong marry the strong, and the weak always finds another weakling to be yoked to.”

 

“I want you to marry her,” King Henry declared.

 

Count Adhemar chuckled. “Your majesty, anyone else can, why me?”

 

“Because your fort shares land boundary with Makinburg, we can use your fort as an entry point into Borish whenever we want to. We get to pay pennies in importation taxes, and our only concern will be the port duties.”

 

“If we capture Laramere—” Count Adhemar began again, only to be cut off by the king.

 

“We will gain waters, Ocean waters. But Laramere’s port is shallow and small,” said King Henry, “It will take forever to load the ships and whatnot. Besides, taking control over Laramere and converting it to a shipping port a short while later would rouse suspicion, give other countries a reason to prepare war against us. But if you agree to marry this Jasmine—”

 

“Jocelyn…”

 

“Who cares?” said King Henry, scoffing. “But marrying her would make you or the child between you both the heir of Makinburg. If we can hold on to that stake in Borish country, that’s a good place to start from. Not to mention that in the advent of an eventual war, Makinburg would make a fine entry point.”

 

“You’re asking me to marry this girl for the land then?”

 

“Yes, or you also intend to marry for love?” asked King Henry, raising a brow at Count Adhemar.

 

“Love? What’s that?”

 

“Good, Adhemar, good,” said King Henry, “Now, you will write to Lord Grove and promise him your full support. Tell him you have received my blessings to continue with the marriage when the girl is of age.”

 

“Your blessings? Did I receive it?” asked Count Adhemar.

 

“The thing is,” said King Henry, in a low voice. “I don’t bless, Count Adhemar. I order them.”

 

“But of course,” said Count Adhemar, bowing. “Is that all you require of me, your majesty?”

 

“Hmmm, one more thing,” said King Henry, “I want you to lead the frontlines against the Forhemians. Lead the Free Companies through Laramere and subdue the rebellion of the Forhemians, we can’t lose the tribute they pay just yet.”

 

“As you command my king,” said Count Adhemar, bowing.

 

“You may take your leave,” King Henry said, yawning tiredly.

 

“Yes, your majesty,” said the count, bowing again. He turned around and started towards the door, just as he was about opening it, he heard the King call his name.

 

“Count Adhemar?”

 

“Yes, your majesty.”

 

“You are welcome to use any means possible.”

 

“Any means, you say?” said Count Adhemar.

 

The king frowned. “Yes, any means.”

 

A smirk crept in Count Adhemar's face as he turned around and walked away.