Book 4: Chapter 39: Family Planning |
It was a tense two days while they waited for Gabriel’s loyal forces to arrive at the estate. Nervous jumpy servants and long night watches filled their days and nights. When men in gleaming armor arrived at the wall and Gabriel confirmed their identities it was like a weight was lifted from all of them. They stayed on alert, but when Michael wasn’t on guard he was enjoying time with his family.
“What’s your favorite color?” asked Alyssa as he worked his way through his sword strikes. She’d warmed up to him the previous day and since then the questions had been endless.
“Gold. Used to be green. What’s yours?”
“I like purple, pink, and red.”
“Great choices,” he slammed his sword down and raised his arm again.
“Did you have pets?”
“Cats mostly. A dog once. How about you?”
“Grandma didn’t like pets. Called them useless vermin.”
“Well what pet would you have if you could choose one?”
“Great choice. You know they’re actually very smart animals?”
She nodded as if that knowledge was something she was born with.
“Leave gra- Count Mann alone,” said Mikhail with a frown. He was practicing his swordstrikes as well, acting disinterested, but being consistently nearby.
“No!” yelled back Alyssa with the kind of reactionary tone that only a young child could produce. “You leave me alone!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” said Michael smiling. “I’ve practiced these swings a million times Mikhail, I can answer questions while I work through them.”
Mikhail frowned and Alyssa continued pouting, after a few moments the boy asked a question himself.
“Are you stronger than father?” he asked.
“No one’s stronger than father,” replied Alyssa. She looked at Michael. “Right?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him fight his hardest. He’s got multiple kingly titles though, more powerful magicka, and is faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. I’m more of a defensive fighter and I can heal myself and fight for days, but that wouldn’t matter against someone like him. Besides all that I’d hope he’s stronger than I am anyway.”
Mikhail’s face scrunched in confusion. “Why? Who wants someone to be stronger than they are?”
Michael paused midstroke to make sure there was no one nearby listening.
“Fathers should always want their children to be stronger than them. Not just stronger, but smarter, wiser, more just. I’m sure that he feels the same toward both of you. Nothing makes me prouder than the idea of him being better than I am and doing great things.”
The boy frowned as he thought on that, his shoulders lowering as if a weight was placed upon them. He raised his wooden sword and began to swing it again, a bit more forcefully than before. He was a serious child, took after his Dad.
A few moments later Yuna appeared with a guard on either side of her. She nodded, but didn’t bow to Michael.
“Count Mann, the King has requested your presence.”
He bowed to her, “Thank you.”
She smiled. “I hope the prince and princess weren’t too much of a bother.”
“Just enough of one,” he replied with a smile as he followed one of the guards into the estate. With the knights and soldiers that had arrived, the estate had gotten much busier. Men were patrolling the walls, searching the caves in case Ollie had missed any part of the infestation, and setting up a number of administrative posts as well. Michael was led through all of these new personnel and constructions until they reached the estate. They reached a wide set of double doors where it appeared Gabriel was finishing a conversation with one of his generals.
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“Understood sire. The word will be spread out among the people. Her majesty will be avenged.” The general saluted sharply and walked out, giving Michael a brief nod as he exited.
With Michael in the room Gabriel gestured for the door to be closed. The guard did so and left the room.
In spite of working non-stop since his men had arrived, Gabriel was still sharp and focused, no dip in his posture or weariness in his eyes. After he was certain the door was closed, he muttered something and Michael felt the distinct shift in the air that came from a silence spell.
He moved to sit across from him.
“How’re you holding up, son?”
“Good and bad. I was able to place the blame for the late queen’s death on the rift creatures. Word of that will spread and help me finally turn my focus to them and the rift you’ve told me of in Old Hume. Unfortunately we’re going to have severe logistical issues. No one is going to be willing to let me move an army through their territory.”
“I suppose Swandia in particular would be a problem?”
“I gave the order to pull back from their border, but we took some losses and inflicted quite a few of our own. We’ll try to negotiate a peace, but with their King as eager as he is, I’m concerned he’ll try to push on the border.” He chuckled. “Ironically, I have a deal with Broan to be allowed to move troops freely through their territory. It’s an old treaty, but their king has been very kind as long as I promised him a few territorial concessions once Swandia was mine.”
He clenched his jaw.
“I may be able to sneak some men disguised as merchants or travellers and move them through Vagante into Swandia, but that would take a long time. It would probably be best to secure travel for at least any diviners and specialists as well as myself. That would probably be the best way.”
Michael looked over the map. He could see all the southwestern territories of Hume, with Old Hume in the far south against the sea. He saw the straight line of Broan with its mountains to the east that ran all the way up into Swandia until they reached the southern point of Cantalia. His eyes stayed on those mountains for a few moments.
“What about going through the mountains?” he asked.
Gabriel raised his eyebrow. “Dad, we’d never get through the mountains in time. We’d probably lose half of our men as we went over them.”
“Not over the mountains son, through them. I know a dwarf named Dugan. He told me that dwarves live all through these mountains. It’s possible they have a direct path from the mountains in Cantalia through to Broan. If we can secure passage, you and a large force may be able to reach Old Hume in time.”
“The dwarves…” Gabriel tapped his fingers against his desk. “They have some trade with Cantalia that we’ve allowed to continue, and I have some men in place there already.” He nodded. “It’s worth a try, but we’ll investigate any possibilities.” He smiled at Michael. “Good idea Dad.”
“I’ve been known to have one or two on occasion.”
Gabriel chuckled. “I’ll have to figure out how to handle getting there. I assume you and the others need to get back to Old Hume before I can get there with my men?”
Michael nodded reluctantly. “If I had the choice I’d stay here and listen to Alyssa’s questions while getting stared at by Mikhail forever, but you’re right. Even if you can’t make it with your forces in time, I need to be there. The sooner the better.”
Gabriel nodded and stayed silent for a few moments. “There are so many things I want to ask you that I haven’t been able to yet. It seems like we haven’t had the time to go over it.”
There was a knock on the door, as if to emphasize the point Gabriel was making. He sighed, dismissing the silence spell for a moment. “Give me five ticks!” he yelled, not angrily, just so they could hear him.
“It helped in some ways,” said Michael with a smile. “We didn’t have a choice, but to get used to how the other looked and sounded very quickly.”
“That’s true. No offense dad, but I never could’ve pictured you like…this. You look like you belong in a boy band.”
“One of the curses of being here,” he said with a smile. “You look like some kind of brooding actor yourself. Not to mention you’re older than me here. At least technically.”
Gabriel frowned. “I don’t like that.” He paused again. “At dinner I’d like to know how Mom, Laura, and Victor are doing?.”
Michael nodded. “I’ll tell you what I know. I just wish it was more up to date.” He raised an eyebrow as he remembered something. “Have your next meeting. Let me bring something to you.”
Gabriel nodded as Michael left the room, giving a polite nod to the general waiting in the hall as he passed quickly to his quarters. He and the others had all been assigned grand guest rooms that up to that point hadn’t received many guests. The others were sleeping late after being awake as long as they had been, and Michael went to his quarters, pulling several worn sheets of paper from his pack.
Once he had them he walked back to Gabriel’s office and waited for Gabriel to finish his meeting before entering the room. He took the sheets and looked at them curiously before his eyes widened. He took his time, looking through each one carefully. The images of Laura, Sara, and Victor that Davi had drawn for him more than a year ago. When he was done he took a long shuddering breath.
He stood up and they shared a hug.
“Thanks Dad.”