Inner Territories of Lumiere...
Leo's POV
I sit in my tent looking at the map with three targets having marks on them: the villages Tark and Lint, and the new city of Harkon. These three hold the most power and influence in this region, and if I make them submit, most of the remaining towns in the region should fall accordingly. In this one month, my army of three thousand became fifteen thousand with reinforcements trickling from the towns and cities under my control and I sent them to the other territories to rapidly expand Lumiere's holdings in a short period of time. Why this happened was mostly thanks to my propaganda and the spread of the Lumieri flag through my territories.
People lined up in droves when calls were made looking for recruits for the Lumieri Army. A mixture of patriotism and desire to earn a living spurred more and more men answer the call and it didn't take long for the Lumieri Army to swell to forty thousand men. Of course the remaining twenty thousand recruits are still back home training under five thousand of my best troops under General Erwin's efficient training regimen while the five thousand were sent to guard the borders.
And now I'm here. With an army comprised of both trained, and rookie soldiers trying to bring this region back into the fold..
I continue to look at the map drumming my fingers on the table as I think of a strategy for this region. "Maybe if I position my army on the top of the hill and use the sun to make it look like I have more, perhaps I can bluff them...but if they don't fall for it..."
I continue to ponder on my plans as a soldier enters my tent. "My king, sorry for the disturbance, but our envoys have returned."
I dismiss the soldier with a nod and wipe the sweat accumulated from thinking so hard from my face and head out to meet the envoys.
I exit the tent as the scene of the camp enters my vision. The circular encampment filled to the brim with tents and soldiers scurrying about. There's also spiked barricades along the outer areas to provide additional security apart from the sentries. And to my front, I find all three of my envoys bowing before me. The first envoy, a man named Horus stands up first to address me.
"My king, I have news of Tark Village."
I give a nod to tell him to continue.
"The village was rather happy that we finally recognized them as being part of Lumiere again."
I grow confused at him saying "finally recognized". I mean they were the ones who separated from us. "What do you mean 'finally recognized' Horus?"
"Well my king, they've always wanted to rejoin us for years now. They sent a request on the day Prince Louise was killed so the letter was probably lost in the chaos that happened."
I grit my teeth in annoyance. Another territory joining and was stopped thanks to those masked assassins. When I find out who they are, I'm gonna make sure they'll regret what they did. I'll make their deaths slow and painful. As for the one that sent them, I'll make sure to prepare a nice surprise for him...or her.
My thoughts are interrupted when I see Horus has a look of nervousness. I notice the reflection on my sword and realize I that face is twisted with rage. Teeth gritted with a frustrated expression that even I'm surprised at how dark of an aura I feel I'm emanating. I clear my throat and apologize to Horus as well as dismiss him.
The next envoy to rise in front of me was a diplomat by the name Rena. A brown-haired girl that's about twenty years old. She's also one of my youngest diplomats so I sent her to Lint to test her diplomatic skills.
"Rena, how goes your envoy to Lint?"
She looks at me straight in the eye and I was a little shocked. Rena was always a timid girl. Why she wanted to become a diplomat is beyond me. Perhaps she wanted to overcome her shyness? I never really asked since I feel that it's not my place and let her be.
Our staring contest continues as I wait for her to say something. I then notice that her hands are shivering and sweat is already visible throughout her face. I raise a finger and try to start a conversation but she suddenly bows.
"I-I'm so sorry your majesty! I tried to start a conversation without needing to look down but I-I just can't! Please forgive me for my rudeness!"
I was amused and let out a chuckle. "Calm down Rena, it's okay. I know you're trying." Rena was always trying to boost her confidence and sometimes tested it out on me. What she's doing would normally be a crime. I mean staring at the king as she had for a long time would ask for some lashings but I allow her to. One of the reasons is because she's a close friend of mine. Her parents worked as servants for the Royal Family back when we were little and she played with me and Louise whenever they brought her. It didn't last long however as her parents resigned to work at their family farm that they inherited. Well, it's nice to know that she still treated me as her good friend, but it's really uncomfortable that she keeps on bowing at my presence. I guess it just comes with me being a king.
She nods at me and takes deep breaths. "Yes, I'm sorry your majesty. I'll deliver the report now. The town of Lint has expressed interest in rejoining us."
I smile at the great news. It seems I won't have to bluff them after all. My smile however, seems to make her cower. I ask her what was wrong and she told me the report wasn't finished. I allow her to continue, promising not to get mad and she takes another breath. "T-they request one condition your majesty."
"Which is?"
"We send a garrison of five hundred soldiers to protect them."
I grow curious at the statement. This is almost the same as the first village. "Hmm...odd. Do you know why they need the garrison immediately?"
"W-well, during our negotiations, there was one person who was opposed to joining us. He said we were weak and that we could never protect them from the local bandits terrorizing this region."
I simply laugh in dismissal, they've never even seen the capabilities of my newly trained and equipped Lumieri Army yet they throw us off? Good...the plan's working. "Then what did you reply to make them submit?"
She twiddles with her fingers as if saying she may have said something wrong. "I...I may have told them that you were on a nearby hill with thousands of Lumieri soldiers ready to charge down if they refuse."
The men around me stare in complete shock with eyes wide but for me, I'm just holding in my laugh but fail horribly as my laughter bursts and I hold my stomach.
"So...so all that talk, and they just surrendered at one threat?" I say between laughs. "A-after all their bravado and they just cower away!?" My laugh becomes uncontrollable and I have to grab on to a nearby guard to stay on my feet.
The said guard stiffens at my touch but I ignore it, too amused at what Rena said. I look at the guard with a smile still plastered on my face. "Did you hear that soldier!? How they turn from hot to cold in just a few minutes!? Makes me wonder where they got all that bravado in the first place wouldn't you agree?"
"Y-yes my k-king...ha ha ha...ha...ha...ha..." The guard responded stiffly most probably due to me still holding on to him and now patting him on the back.
I slowly gain my composure and take a deep breath. "Okay... I'll send a garrison of one thousand men to protect this region, be sure to tell them that."
She nods with a smile. "Yes my king, it will be done." She proceeds to turn when I call her back.
"And the one with the big mouth, be sure to tell him that if he doesn't resign from his post, that one thousand man garrison will head straight for him."
Her features turn pale at my statement but nonetheless nods with a "Yes" and heads out.
"Now, it's just you Frederick." I say as the last diplomat I sent was none other than General Frederick. Within these four years he's become a force to be reckoned with. He's probably the best fighter we have in the army. He even took on a shield wall made up of fifty men all by himself and was able to break through the hardened wall without much effort. Just one swing from his warhammer and the soldiers holding the wall flew away and the formation collapsed. Why I chose him is because I wanted my generals to not only be professionals in combat and strategy, but can also know when to talk to an enemy rather than fight them. I wanted to at least avoid needless deaths so as to avoid unnecessary casualties whilst having a larger recruitment pool in case I need it.
Frederick gives a bow as he sports a look that tells ' I've messed up, please have mercy.'
I give a sigh in response to his expression not really surprised at his failure as I knew it was a possibility despite sending him. "What did you do General?"
He gives me a smile and chuckles nervously. "W-Well, I seem to have discovered that I'm still not cut out for diplomacy."
"Explain."
Frederick gulps hard and proceeds to talk.
Flashback...
Frederick's POV
I am marching towards Harkon with fifty men in tow. The sounds of our horses' hooves as they trot as well as the sounds of birds are all that fill the area. I look at the men and they are clutching their weapons tightly as they watch in all directions, nervousness obvious on their faces and rightly so as this is the first time they're heading to a neutral city. And perhaps the first REAL attempt by Lumiere to regain the remaining independent towns under its banner. Under our young king, Leo Sanloren, we've become very aggressive and are openly trying to convince the other towns to rejoin us. I for one am happy for that. Especially if that involves a battle. My arms have been itching for a fight and it looks like I'll finally get one.
I was smirking at my inner thoughts when one of my soldiers rode up next to me. "Remember General, the king said no fighting." And he rides off, leaving me stunned.
The fact that that soldier was able to read my thoughts made me feel a bit uneasy. How Leo made his men into mind-readers boggles me as he always seems to read whatever move I'll create. A terrifying monarch in all honesty.
I look at the soldiers at my back and still see their cautious expressions as they look at every bush, every tree, and at every direction. But despite that, there's no hint of fear whatsoever. Only nervousness of the first time doing such a thing. But looking closely, any surprise attack against will surely end in failure.
As they march in five columns, the archers are placed in between with spearmen and swordsmen and shield-bearers on the outer portion of their marching formation. It looks as if it's a small moving fortress ready for anything.
I smile at their readiness. Back then, the army was in such a deplorable state that most of the enemy deaths were mainly due to me and my own army. Apart from mine and General Erwin's armies, the rest were always getting outsmarted by damned bandits. Bandits! And at times the rebels killed them. The slaughter continued until the two of us were the only real generals the army had. The other poor sods who called themselves Lumiere's generals were taking advantage of the weakened state of the kingdom and used their influenced of being part of the former aristocracy by getting high ranks in an attempt to perhaps gain more power over Sinclaire Sanloren, the king of that time as well Leo's grandfather.
I was merely a captain then when those "generals" of the aristocracy died from both the bandits and separatists. Due to that, I was promoted to General very quickly and my only fellow general left was Erwin, a capable fellow and a trusted officer of the king. I had suspicions that Sinclaire knew of the aristocrats' plans and sent them to those major battles to die as those battles were obviously hopeless ones in an attempt to destroy the power of the aristocrats and power instead be focused on the Royal Family. It was even said that each and every one of them were abandoned by what were supposedly their personal guards and were easy pickings since they never really had real training in close combat. Every battle was an easy rout against us and bit by bit, we lost territory until General Erwin and myself were assigned to destroy those rebels and bandits once and for all. To my surprise in those battles, my personal guards never abandoned me and displayed complete loyalty. Not only that, but we were never sent on any hopeless battles which only strengthened my suspicions of Sinclaire's knowledge of the plot. Any battle deemed hopeless we allowed the territory to be lost while in winnable battles, we were sent en masse. And now the power of th aristocracy has been reduced to dust with power solely on the Royal Family, specifically the king.
Recalling my past experience I have shivers. Sinclaire was a cunning and ruthless man. If anyone betrayed him he'd have them die agonizing deaths. However, the people loved him as he showed fairness on crimes as well as attempting to improve the situation of the kingdom. A man so calculated that he measured everything and perfected his plan until the masterstroke arrived. As I look back on the old king, I also think of King Leo. Out of the entire Royal Family, he's had the most similarities to Sinclaire, and what scares me more is he's smarter and more cunning than his grandfather could ever hope to be. Along with that is his temper when he's mad. Back then, he only had a sharp tongue, but now, he'll either beat someone nearly to death or outright order an execution. Of course, he's an effective ruler as well as my king so I've had no problem with it...but he's still terrifying nonetheless.
My thoughts on the matter cease when me and my retinue arrive at our destination, the City of Harkon.