Page 67 of Oath of War
After helping him up, we continued to the training area and he waved at the scene before us. Most of the men were playing cards, only a few bothering to train. It was painful to watch. Even those attempting to practise were tripping over their own weapons.
‘Who put these idiots in the King’s Guard?’ I asked.
Reynard flinched, refusing to look me in the eye. ‘It started slowly at first. Treasury cuts here and there, retiring veterans with no one to replace them, no new weapon or armoury orders. And the men recruited from the drafts ... I did it, alright? I sent the decent soldiers to the border and replaced them with these nitwits. I didn’t think it mattered. The old king just needed someone to stand around in a uniform.’
‘So, this was your answer to the chancellor’s manipulation?’ I looked at him sharply.
Reynard nodded. ‘Yes. That bastard managed to not only dismantle the court but also actively isolate the mages at the university. That’s why they are so closed off now,’ Reynard explained. He seemed so unconcerned that it gave me a pause.
‘You’re hiding something from me.’
He nodded, mischief flashing in his eyes. ‘Remember when I asked your permission to use our funds to pay the veterans?’
‘Yes? But I don’t see any of them here.’
‘That’s because they’re in Borovio, settled in the castle and around our ancestral estate. If you ever bothered to visit our territory, you’d barely recognise the old citadel.’
I was suspicious of the amusement in my brother’s voice.
‘Rey, what did you do?’
‘What I had to, little brother,’ he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘I used what wealth we had to gather the best soldiers in the country. You inspired me. Your fortress ... the men working and training there. I built an army.’
‘You created awar campin Borovio?’ I was surprised, but not entirely shocked.
‘War camp, war town, what’s the difference?’ he said with a wide grin. ‘I gathered the veterans and all who were suitable to be in the army and took them to Borovio. We have ten thousand infantrymen currently harvesting the fields by day and training in the camp by night. We also have five thousand archers stationed in the forests and my pride, a heavy cavalry brigade on the orcish borders, where it’s easier to hide a herd of horses.’ He gestured to the training grounds. ‘And, of course, those shining examples of martial prowess.’
I gaped, staring at my brother for the second time that day, trying to comprehend what I’d just heard.
I laughed. I held the rails that divided the training grounds from the walking path and laughed so hard that tears flowed down my cheeks.
‘Fucking hell, how ... Rey, you could’ve taken over the country any time you wanted. We can fight off the Lich King! We might even be able to help Ari.’ I smacked the wooden post so hard it broke in two.
All this time, I thought Annika was the only one with the power to stop the evil we were facing, but I held no illusions about our survival. All the while, my brother had an entire fucking army hidden right under Cahyon’s nose.
‘I never wanted to take over the country,’ he said quietly. ‘Just protect it.’
I turned, looking at him like I was seeing him for the first time before dropping to one knee.
‘My king.’
Reynard flinched when I took his hand and pressed it to my forehead, acknowledging him, maybe for the first time since childhood. I knew he’d make an excellent king, but I didn’t realise how much of himself he had sunk into the role. How much my burly, overly stern brother cared for a country that had pushed him aside.
‘Not to you, Orm. Not to my family,’ he said, pulling me up. ‘Besides, you shouldn’t be so happy. I cleaned out the coffers. Our wealth is long gone.’
‘Rey, you’re the bloody king now,’ I said. ‘And my life is tied to the fortress. What does it matter?’ I could sense he still felt some guilt, but he nodded. ‘Where are your men now?’
‘They are marching to Truso as we speak,’ he said, his grin returning. ‘I sent the order as soon as the tussle in the throne room ended, but it will still be a couple of days before they arrive.’
His words triggered the strategist in me. Now that we had an actual army, we could domorethan slow an invasion. We could take the fight to the Barren Lands, possibly even Katrass itself.
My mind began racing with calculations, starting with the number of forces involved and ending with the chain of supply and even latrines for such a large army. Absentmindedly, I turned and started walking towards the stables. I needed to work on the numbers.
‘Ormond! I was talking to you.’
I turned around. Reynard was still by the rails, shaking his head and laughing. With an exaggerated eye roll, he joined me.
‘We need to redirect them,’ I said. ‘Truso is too big a diversion from the border. We need them to head straight to Varta. They can rest there before marching to the Barren Lands.’
