“Thank you, my prince.” She mumbled.
Aldrik watched as she withdrew, pulling herself away mentally before she began to move physically. In the back of his mind he heard Vhalla’s voice encouraging him, more like demanding of him.
“Timanthia.” The girl cringed at her name. Aldrik couldn’t indulge her on everything and saying her full name was one way that he’d show he would not bend to her wishes. He was still her prince. “Thank you, for the potion.”
Timanthia stilled and had the audacity to give him a small smile. Aldrik returned it with a scowl.
“You’re welcome, my lord. I hope you have the pleasant variety of dreams today.”
Aldrik watched her as she finally retreated. It had been a mistake, telling her anything of his dreams. It had been a dangerous calculation on his part, taking her into his tent on the march. He loathed it still, bringing another woman into the sanctity that had become something he’d viewed only for him and Vhalla. But his love’s life depended on everyone else’s belief that she still was at his side and Aldrik would do what needed to be done for that illusion to remain. Even if it meant showing false favor to the girl.
False favor, however, quickly stirred the murky waters of his dark and dusty heart – a heart he’d kept so carefully closed since Vhalla had forced it open. The girl paled against his lady. Tim was mentally simple and boringly beautiful. She could never be someone he’d consider for a lover. But she was kind in the face of his ferocity and that reminded him just enough of the woman he pined for that he could not completely hate the girl. It had encouraged his lips to speak yes, instead of no, when she offered to drink alongside him on the march.
But the dreams, those were things he should’ve never uttered. Timanthia borderline knew too much and that was not a feeling he was ever fond of.
ELECIA
Elecia tightened the muscles in her back, sitting as straight as possible. Despite doing so, she was still a good hand shorter than Aldrik and seemed to slump in comparison. Even sweaty, filthy, and exhausted, her cousin was the paragon of noble grace and poise. Just by waking in the morning he was everything she strove to be.
“Our scouts report signs of Northern activity along the western side of the Pass.” Major Schnurr pointed along the map rolled out on the bare ground in the center of the small collection of majors. “I recommend we continue as planned and tackle that side.”
“You want us to knowingly walk into a potential attack?” Major Kavas stole the words from Elecia’s mind. “And forego the opportunity to meet with the Emperor and strengthen our forces before?”
“We know where the enemy is now.” Major Schnurr’s dark mustache bounced atop his lips as he spoke. “They are clearly yet regrouping. We should attack them head on when they least expect it, weed them out before they can flank us on the other end of the Pass or launch a greater attack later. If we stall they might know something is amiss.”
Major Schnurr was never afraid to say the unpopular opinion if it was what he believed. It was an admirable trait, but that was the only thing Elecia found admirable about him. Those opinions had created a number of rifts in the Western Court over the years and, while it was never enough to prompt any kind of real or public action against the man, it was enough to give her grandfather trouble. That was something Elecia generally did not forgive.
“That is one way to look at it…” Kavas conceded. “But I maintain that we should rejoin before the Pass. However much strength they can scrape together will pale in comparison to two thirds of the Empire’s finest fresh recruits.”
“Don’t underestimate the ability of the Northerners to use the terrain to their advantage.” Major Vensum interjected. “In the jungle, every one Northerner is worth two, or even three, of our men.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Kavas was only on his second trip to the warfront and his inexperience showed compared to the more seasoned majors. Elecia was on her first trip, but she’d learned magic from her mother in jungles much like this and knew what it was capable of. Though, those jungles were much thinner on the Western coast of Shaldan where she had first practiced.
“Your opinion would suggest otherwise, actually.” Schnurr didn’t miss the opportunity to make himself look better by putting someone else down.
“You’ve already made your point known, Schnurr.” Kavas glared.
“A point that is grounded in fact and experience.” The Western major twisted the proverbial knife.
“Enough.” Aldrik pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “If I desired to hear imbecilic ramblings I would sit around campfires.”
The majors were silenced.
“Do any of you actually have anything useful to further contribute?”