บท 35: The Plan Has Changed
The air was now tense as we arrived in the middle of town. A large group of soliders sat huddled in the center. Right where the woman were gathered yesterday. There had to at least been three dozen men standing about, shoulder to shoulder. Their heads where close together as they idly chat, a loud murmur filling the air. I could feel the silent wave of anger welling to the surface as I passed my gaze over each absent-minded face. There was absolutely no need for this many men here.
"Why are there so many men here General?" I asked bitterly. I stood before my men, and one by one they fell silent. Their attention turned towards Nicklos, the General, and myself. I was surprised to see that Seria was amongst the throng of men as well. There was a shiney glow in her eye, the sign of an eager solider ready to get her hands dirty.
"It was his Majesty's orders My Lady. You where very vague in your letter so he sent what he could to aide you." General Bregus remarked quietly. I sighed, rubbing my temples with the tips of my fingers. The letter wasn't suppose to get to anyone other than the guard on duty. How did it get to my father? I swear in my father's old age, he wasn't thinking clearly. How could he leave the Kingdom so unguarded?
"Listen up, I don't need all of you. I need at least a dozen men stationed here to guard these people until we return from our mission. With that being said, anyone who is not chosen to stay, will return home and to guard the Kingdom. I only need two additional people to my group. I need them to be agile, stealthy, and above everything else, intelligent. This is no mere task. Your lives will be at risk, and you might be working alone. Marquise, Michael, and myself will be leading the mission. Marquise will be the judge if you meet my qualifications." Marquise, who had joined the large group of soliders, gave a small bow.
A rise in hushed murmurs fell over the crowd. A sense of unease blanketed the area. There where lots of questions that I was not going to answer. Not unless they where onboard with my team. I couldn't have anyone else knowing about what I was planning in case it got back to my father. He would not only throw a fit, but he would also drag me back home and lock me up.
"Your Majesty, if I may ask, what is this all about?" The General stood close beside me now as the murmurs started to become more frantic. A few men had started to gather around Marquise, talking in hushed low voices. In that small crowd was Seria. She was listening intently, nodding her head and then offering a few words in response to Marquise and the others.
"General, with all due respect. If you where to know what I was doing, you would do everything you could to stop me. I can't have you interfering. There are many lives at stake, and the quicker I handle this issue and resolve it, the better." I said hastily. A hand on my shoulder dragged my attention from the General, to Michael, who was firmly resting his hand on me. The dark tone in his eyes told me that he had something important to discuss. I excused myself, following Michael. He didn't take me to far from the group, but silently passed me another note. This time, there was blood smudges on the parchement paper.
I passed him a grim look before accepting the stained parchment, taking care not to tear the paper as I undid the wax seal. Harsh, jagged scribbles where scratched across the surface. The fast and sloppy way they where written, was a sign of distress. I could feel my stomach churn as I passed my eyes over the writting. The feeling of dread rushing through every vein of my body.
Your Majesty, things are getting tough here. I have every reason to believe that the Assassin Kaeden is already on us. We have relocated already, and to be quite honest with you Jeremiah isn't doing well. I am afraid that we can't seek medical attention either. But while we where relocating, we ran into Maxwell. He seems too traumatized to speak at the moment and has been roughed up. With Maxwell in our grasp and the Assassin on our heels, I don't know how much longer we are going to last. For now we are hiding in an abandoned mill just outside of the city. Please make haste.
I angrilly crumpled the letter in my hand. They had sent a message earlier this morning about being in a tough spot. But if the Assassin was already after them, then they walked into an already planned trap. They knew they where coming, and now they where baiting me. I don't know if Maxwell was part of the plan on or, but it really does add honey to the pot. Time was of the essence, and there was much left. I handed the note back to Michael and peered over my shoulder at Nicklos and the General. Their heads where together as they eyed us, quietly talking to each other.
"Burn this letter Michael. Get ready the horses as well. I will let Marquise know what has transpired and we will set out immediately. Do not let anyone else see this letter." With a firm and quick nod, he stalked off. I gripped my hands tightly, a pain forming at the front of my head as the stress continued to grow. Regardless if this was a trap, I needed to extract Jeremiah and Nathanial from harms way. Maxwell needed to be questioned as well, and with the new danger of the Kaedan on their tails, it made this situation that much more dangerous.
I couldn't stand by any longer and wait for people to offer themselves up. If I couldn't find any suitable people, then I would just leave with Michael and Marquise. I was watching Michael practicing the other day and he looked promising. Granted he was still training, but what better way to become better than being out on the field. Marquise was already a Knight, and I know that he would be reliable if it came down to a bloody fight. But it would never be enough. Frustrated, I walked over to Marquise. With a few shakes of my arms, I tried to relax my tense muscles, hoping I wasn't coming off brooding.
Marquise was diligently answering soliders, his face permanently etched into a frown. Seria stood at his side, quietly observing the others as they demanded answers over and over again. Despite his passive face, I could tell by the way his adam's apple bobbed that he was starting to get frustrated. His job was to be vague and to fish out the most potential of soliders while trying not to give away how dangerous this mission actually was. I pushed my way past the throng of angry soldiers and seperated them with a gentle shove. They immediately went quiet, their anxiety pulsing off them like a rabbit being hunted by a wolf.
"Enough! It is under my command that he isn't allowed to give you all the answers you need. Only those I see qualified to join us are premitted to these answers. If you feel as like this is too dangerous for you, then I won't blame you for not joining. But time is of the essence and my patience is running very thin. We need to head out, now." My words echoed off the walls of the houses that surrounded us, and to even my own ears they sounded harsh and desperate. I was trying so hard to be calm and collected, but in the end, I knew that not everyone was going to make it throug this alive. Marquise and Michael knew that too. so to ask someone else to risk their lives, despite if they had family or not, was a terrible feeling.
"Your Majesty, I will lend you my strength and my sword, if you will have me." Seria said quietly standing beside me. Her hazelnut brown eyes still showed that eager edge she had before the meeting. I felt moved by her willingness to join, but still felt guilty all the same. I gave her a small smile and a bow of my head as a silent thank you.
"I too will join regardless if you say yes or no." Nicklos's voice rang out over the crowd. The stubborn edge I knew all to well, basically told me I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was still not in any mood to argue with him, or have him any where near me. In fact if he was hurt while helping me, it could lead to war. But the hard edge to his eyes told me there was no room for argument and I was left to only accept his offering.
"Very well. It would do us well to have an additional Knight on this mission. Then it's settled. General, I will leave you here to organize the troops that are left over. I don't want any more than a dozen men here. That should be enough if they face an attack. The rest of you, let's head out now. I will explain in detail what the mission is on the way."
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