Strange Bedfellows

Kalus woke up the next morning thinking about his situation. Lyra was snuggled up against his right side as usual, her naked body molded up against his. On the other side, Katia had also leaned up against him, though she was more restful and less sensual in her position in addition to being clothed. It was interesting that their sleeping positions matched their personalities so well.

Today they would arrive at Laerten; Timarou's capital city.

It was arranged with two concentric circular walls. The outer wall protected the city, the city was between the outer wall and inner walls, and the inner wall encircled the castle. Between the inner wall and the castle was a small field and a deep moat; crossing them while under arrow fire would be suicide.

However, he didn't think it would do the defenders any good. There was no good way to leave the city so a siege would starve them out. Further, King Bracken didn't seem like the sort of man who had the stomach for a real fight. He would sue for peace and terms, an ignoble end to the centuries-long feud between the two warring kingdoms.

The thing that occupied Kalus's mind most was the people of Laerten. They were good people by all accounts and he wasn't looking forward to seeing the kind of havoc that King Tyso's other men would wreak. He had gotten progressively worse as the campaign wore on and they were about to reach the end.

That didn't bode well.

Lyra murmured something in her sleep, and it sounded like it was about horses. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, her ash blonde hair smelling like the wind after a rain. On his other side was Katia, the patriotic woman who was torn between her country and her new family. He considered it a minor miracle that she was torn, as not long ago she would've had no compunctions about leaving them and had admitted as much. He lay in bed, planning for the day and praying to Illuminar for the safety of his family from the dangers that encompassed them.

It wasn't long before Lyra stirred and Katia not long after that. His first wife didn't immediately roll away from him as soon as she woke.

He smiled at that.

Uncharacteristically, Lyra didn't try to start anything. He guessed that was in deference to Katia, who seemed more than usually pensive this morning. They ate breakfast in relative silence as he heard the sounds of the camp rousing all around him.

"Be careful husband." Lyra said after he had finished dressing and was about to leave the tent. "I only just found you and would hate to lose you."

"I will." He replied.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Katia start to open her mouth, but then she closed it and bit her lip. He wondered if she had been about to say something similar. He gave her a respectful nod, kissed Lyra tenderly, and then headed outside.

"Morning commander." His herald said when he'd emerged.

"Morning Kyselius." He lowered his voice. "Is it done?"

"Yes sir, he left barely thirty minutes after you gave the word."

"Good." He replied, then spoke at a more normal volume as they walked a dozen paces to where his inner circle was assembled. "Any news from the night?"

"None, all is quiet; almost too quiet."

"Oh?"

"Aye commander. I think the king had someone spread the word through the camp that he was going to let them have free reign in the city."

"And what was the reaction?" He asked as he sat down.

"Mixed." Titus replied. "A few of the men are feeling boisterous, the rest see this for what it is; a bribe to make them forget about their fallen comrades."

"The men aren't stupid." Kyselius grimaced. "Our legion wouldn't dare, but that still leaves 7000 soldiers under the other commanders who could take advantage. If only ten percent do, that's still enough to devastate Laerten."

Kalus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This will be an interesting day."

* * *

Kalus had been called up to ride with the king and was with him when they crested the hill that gave them their first look at Laerten. He had left Katia and Lyra back with Kyselius, hoping to keep them as far away from the king as possible. That had been a good move since Tyso was in a particularly foul mood this morning.

"There she is, I fucking hate this city." The king growled. "I have half a mind to burn it to the ground, but that would make for a sorry prize."

No one replied to that.

"Still though, I hear that queen is something else." The King said. "I'll bet she's a great lay; probably had to audition for that old pervert of a king."

Again, no one replied.

"What do you think Kalus? You think the queen is a hot bitch in the bedchamber?"

"I would not speculate on the martial prowess of another man's wife sire." He replied, keeping his tone respectful even whilst simultaneously resisting the urge to clench his fist...

Tightly...

...around King Tyso's neck.

"Alright, let's go see what these Timarou whores are willing to sell their city for; I bet it'll be cheap." The king said, then glanced at Kalus. "You carry the white flag."

"Sire." He nodded his head in acknowledgment, ignoring the slight. That was usually the job of a soldier, or perhaps the king's guard at the highest. Kalus didn't mind doing it, but it was an insult that no one would miss.

They started down the hill.

The king had a smug look on his face the entire time. Kalus supposed that he had a good reason for such a look -- he was about to win a war that had been going on and off for centuries -- but it was a poor way to open a negotiation.

"Hail." Someone called from the top of the outer walls. The outer walls were only a dozen feet high, so the riders and defenders could see each other quite well. The man who had spoken had the look and manner of a mayor about him; probably the mayor of Laerten.

"Hail." King Tyso replied without warmth. "We're here to accept your surrender."

"Not negotiate it? Just accept it?" The Mayor raised his eyebrow.

"You can surely see my army and you know that you can't hold out long." Tyso countered. "Surrender now and it will go well for you. Wait, and..." He let that hang in the air for several seconds. "Well, a man can't always control his army."

"Commander Kalus can." The mayor replied coolly. "Not one of the cities he captured was pillaged, nor were its women raped. Put him in charge of Laerten and I will open the gates now."

A muscle in Tyso's cheek twitched.

The king took a deep breath.

Kalus remained impassive, knowing he was on thin ice with the king already.

"This isn't a negotiation." The king replied. "I will accept your unconditional surrender or we shall treat Laerten like any other city we've sacked.

"Would you perhaps consider--" The mayor began, but King Tyso cut him off.

"Unconditional!" He called loudly. "That means 'with no conditions'." He said it like he was speaking to an idiot child that. "You are trying my patience; open the gates now or I will find your family and make sure the men and boys are put in the stocks, and the women are guarded by my least disciplined men."

The Mayor paled.

Kalus could actually see him swallow hard.

"You... you won't accept any conditions?" He asked.

"You have ten seconds to open this gate." Tyso replied coolly, a smug grin on his face. "After that..."

The mayor stared for several long seconds.

"Five seconds." Tyso said.

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"Open the gate!" The mayor yelled.

Moments later, there was the unmistakable creaking and grinding of levers and pulleys as the large portcullis protecting the entry began to inch slowly upwards.

"Leave it open; I'll be back with the army soon." King Tyso instructed with unconcealed glee. "Oh, and have the town guard assemble in whatever passes for a town square so we can disarm them."

Kalus resisted the urge to make a face. He understood why the king was doing that, but it was adding insult to injury. The town guard weren't soldiers; they were police and very useful for policing actions without involving the military.

It was a bad move.

The king turned and started riding back towards the army with everyone falling in line behind him. Once they arrived at the camp, Tyso looked at his commanders. "I want to occupy that city within the hour and own it by nightfall. Feel free to push out the locals to house the troops and let them pillage and eat whatever they like; that'll help with morale."

The various commanders assented and then departed to carry out their orders.

"How did it go?" Kyselius asked the moment that Kalus returned to his council, and Katia and Lyra were also waiting. The latter looked relieved to see him, the former gave him a half smile.

He gave them all a brief rundown.

"Stupidity." Titus muttered under his breath.

"Aye." The herald agreed.

"We have our orders." Kalus said. "Organize the men and prepare to move out. I want everything coming with us, especially the provisions. The other legions might pilfer food, but our men will be paying for it if they want local food, though issue double rations for tonight's dinner."

"Yes sir." Kyselius replied.

"One more thing." Kalus said. "Are Octavian, Pernilus, and Asikan nearby?"

"They will be in a moment sir." The herald said, then took off.

Kalus busied himself with planning the occupation until his herald returned, which he did only a few minutes later. Behind him were the three centurions who had volunteered to protect his wives before the ambush the previous night."

"Commander." Octavian said with a crisp salute.

"I have a request of you men, but not an order." Kalus began, not quite sure how to phrase it.

"We would be happy to ensure your wives' safety again sir." Octavian spoke up.

"You need only say the word." Pernilus agreed.

"Aye, that's the truth." Asikan finished.

Kalus felt his heart swell. "Thank you gentlemen. I'm entrusting you with what's most precious to me in the world. You have permission to ignore the chain of command in this matter; no one except myself or the king may reassign you."

"Might I have a word sir?" Octavian asked. "Privately?"

He nodded and they walked several paces away before the centurion spoke again. "I know your position on insubordination sir, but you should know; I would find a way to ignore the king's command in this matter. Arrest me and court-martial me if you wish, but that's where I stand. I believe Pernilus and Asikan would take the same position, though they have not expressed it."

Kalus looked at the man for several long seconds. "I don't know whether to commend you or flog you for that Centurion."

"I will accept either and worse." Octavian replied seriously. "My men feel the same. There's not a man in this army that doesn't respect you, but since last night and this morning I believe they love you sir, and I don't only mean in our legion. There's not much love lost between the men and Tyso, no matter how he tries to bribe us to ignore the deaths he caused. The bribe has turned the men further against him rather than endeared him to them."

Kalus nodded. "Is there a danger of mutiny?"

"None, as long as you are a commander." The centurion replied. "Our legion follows you, and you follow Tyso. Their loyalties are thus, and not the other way around."

"Men in this army have been crucified for saying less." Kalus pointed out.

"And that's why my men follow you sir; you wouldn't crucify a man for telling the truth, nor for having an opinion."

The commanded inclined his head in concession.

"I would never ask you to betray the king." Octavian clarified. "But if he betrays you, he would not like the result. Not only from our legion, but perhaps from the others as well, though much less so. A commander should not be made to carry the white flag."

He nodded at the centurion. "Thank you for speaking your mind, though I urge you to let these thoughts go no further. As I said, men in this army have been crucified for less."

"Aye, aye commander." Octavian saluted.

They returned to the group and then the men separated to their assigned tasks.

Lyra came up to him, lean up on her tip-toes, and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. "Be careful husband."

"I shall be." He told her, then looked at Katia.

The former handmaiden didn't react as his second wife did, but she gave him a small smile as she spoke. "I... it would be a shame if our child grew up fatherless. I wouldn't wish that."

It was Kalus's turn to smile.

Katia had told him not to die. True she was more roundabout in her manner than Lyra, but he appreciated that about her. She could be quite subtle and he liked that about her.

"I would not wish that on our child either; I shall take pains to prevent it." He replied.

"I'm..." She looked down slightly, but the corners of her mouth twitched up slightly. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Take care and listen to Octavian, Pernilus, and Asikan; they will keep you safe."

"We will." Katia replied, and Lyra nodded.

"Then I will see you later, hopefully at dinner." Kalus said, then turned and headed towards Tornado to begin the occupation.

It was going to be an interesting day.