Eldrick sat on the chair, his eyes not leaving the man who was kneeling before him. The two royal guards were standing beside him keeping him in check, while the other two guards stood outside the manor.
Eldrick crossed his leg, his imposing aura impossible to ignore. He tilted his head with his lips pursed, and everybody could tell at once glance that he was beyond furious. And why wouldn't he be? Since the time he had set foot outside the castle, he had been uncovering shocking information one after the other. The day had been anything but pleasant, and Oakley wondered how much more would they uncover by the end of the day.
"Commander Carrier," Eldrick's voice resonated through the room. "Care to explain what we just witnessed." Although the Lord was giving an option for the man, everybody knew that it was not so. He was only ordering the man gently to do as he was told. Or else, the consequences would be dire.
However, his threat did not affect the man,
The blazing hot sun was shining brightly on the training grounds and its harsh rays fell on the men who were practicing their skills with great zeal and determination. They did not care about the scorching heat as it was a daily occurrence to them and they continued with their exercise. Perspiration dripped from their faces like molten ice and vanished into their clothes. However, it was not something they loathed. To them, it was a display of their strength and their capabilities, a prize which they liked to exhibit with pride. The arrows swished through the air and gunshots were heard everywhere and the man repeated it until they perfected their marksmanship.Amidst the chaos and the noise, a man dressed in black was walking around the passage observing everyone on the training ground. His eyes were fixed on them like a hawk as he scrutinized everybody's capabilities and every now and then, he would bark orders for his men to improve and work on their weaknesses.
The two friends immediately left the arena and rushed to meet the Lord on their horses. The two horses galloped across the deserted roads at a speed that was not comprehensible to the naked eye. It was just like a bullet piercing the air as they swooshed through the roads. The East Batallion arena was situated more than forty-six miles away from the Royal Palace and it was the second farthest battalion, the first one being the South Batallion which was fifty-two miles away.On the way, they had to pass through a thin jungle that stretched a few miles, only after which they could enter the kingdom. Even though the jungle was thin, it acted as a barrier and protected the kingdom and the people like a shield.Raelynn and Laurier rode their horses in the deserted area. Not many people were in the region as it was a hot summer day and moreover, it was lunchtime. They could only see people who were carrying woods from the jungle or the hunters who were out to hunt deer
As Raelynn and Laurier entered the castle, they met two of the ministers from the Lord's court, who were walking towards the court hall. These were the type of men who held contempt and looked down upon women, even if they were more brilliant than them and this was what exactly made them feel annoyed. To them, women were only meant to dress up and be presentable in social gatherings, and once they were inside the four walls, they were only allowed to cook and take care of the children. Heavy and strenuous works like being a Commander or a minister in the Lord's court were all meant for men.Thus, Raelynn being a part of their environment irked them whenever she was around or even if she was mentioned in any of the topics of conversation. To them, she was a taboo whom they wanted to avoid at all costs. So, as soon as they saw Raelynn sauntering proudly with Laurier beside her, they scoffed at her arrogantly before walking away with their chins held high.Raelynn was not
Murmurs erupted in the court hall and everybody was involved in discussion except for Raelynn and Laurier. They were more or less interested in finding out the others' opinions rather than forming their own theory. It was best to listen to others first, weigh the pros and cons of their suggestions and then prepare a complete strategetic plan.Raelynn was getting so bored staying in the room without doing anything that she had to stifle a yawn many times. She was silently wishing for someone to start the conversation. She wondered how long she could sit still without doing anything and stare at the idiotic people around her. Raelynn turned to her right only to meet Laurier's eyes who was already looking at her and she smiled at him faintly, only to receive a boring shake of the head in return. She nodded at him conveying that she was feeling the same. But what could they do? They could not leave the session halfway as they were in the Lord's court and it would be disresp
"We need to declare a war as early as possible," Raelynn suggested without any change in her expression. She fixed her eyes on Lord Eldrick, not caring about the looks the other people around her giving. As soon as she spoke the words, loud whispers erupted in the hall and everybody started to chide the only woman in the room. She even heard one of the ministers nearby scold her quite harshly."Women," He scoffed. "They have no idea how to deal with the situation and they think themselves to be great. This is the reason why women should not be allowed to enter the battlefield or the courtroom. They will just ruin us." The man said to another man sitting beside him and received a nod in return. They then started to laugh as though they had just shared a good joke among themselves.Laurier who heard the man's words crystal clear could not sit still and he stood up to deal with the disgusting man. However, Raelynn stopped him. She shook her head at him and assured him sil
After warning even man present in the courtroom, Raelynn went back to her seat. However, she continued standing. She was yet to put forth her points towards the Lord. "My Lord, it is best that we declare war on them soon. Our enemy kingdom is using underhand tactics to get to us and I am sure everybody here to knows about it too. So, why should we waste time in sending a treaty of peace to them when we are sure that they will not accept it?"Minister Rowen could not sit still anymore after hearing this. "Young Lady, we are concerned about the lives of our soldiers as well as our people. We could try our attempt at the truce. If things do not go well, we can wage a war against them." Everybody accepted his words this time and they nodded at him."If everybody agrees to this solution, then I have no problems with it. But let me warn you beforehand that I will not take responsibility if things go wrong in the future. Also, I have something else to inform the Lord." Raelyn
Raelynn hugged Eldrick and the man too reciprocated it with equal vigor and affection. How long had it been since the siblings met each other?"I missed you, Brother," Raelynn whispered as she pushed herself closer towards her brother. She always felt secure in his arms. After their parents' death, it had been Eldrick who had taken care of Raelynn. She had been only seven years when her father was killed by an assassin while her brother was thirteen. Their mother could not tolerate the heartbreak of losing her beloved husband and she fell into depression.Barely a year had passed since their father's death, their mother too left them. Since then, it had only been the two of them and they took care of each other dearly."I missed you too, Raelynn." The Lord replied back with a smile on his face. After his sister decided to join the army, he had been left alone in the palace and he missed her more than anything. He did not have any interest in anything and y
After conversing with her brother, Raelynn reluctantly took her leave from him. It was not every day that she got the opportunity to speak to him and now that she had found a chance, it had ended sooner than the siblings had expected. Eldrick too was not ready to see his sister depart. But he knew that she had her responsibilities and he could not stop her, even if he wanted.Lord Eldrick's chambers were in the far interiors of the palace and other than his trusted servants, nobody else was allowed to enter this part of the palace. So, Raelynn did not have to worry about getting caught wandering in the private quarters of the Lord. Everybody she came across knew who she was as well as her relationship with their Lord. So, they bowed to her and greeted her respectfully.However, the knights guarding the other locations did not know about it and as soon as Raelynn appeared from inside, they gave her one scrutinizing look before they averted their gazes. Raelynn too did n