My Lord! Please! (A Character Driven Kingdom Building Novel)

Leaning back in his chair, Lucien's hand rose to rub the sleep from his eyes. He reached out for the cup of coffee near him, only to belatedly realize it was empty halfway into the motion.

He resisted the urge to sigh after what Talia had revealed to his loyal maid just yesterday. As soon as Alicia heard of the potential effects of ingesting too much of the sacred beverage, she had set a limit on how many cups of coffee he could have in a day.

What a blasphemous notion.

There was no such thing as too much coffee.

Talia had finally crossed the line...it seemed like he would have to arrange for more tedious work to be conveniently directed her way now.

Hmm...perhaps he could rope Harlon into his plans.

Lucien stared at the empty cup despondently for a brief moment before rising from his seat with a faint exhale.

It was almost time for his usual inspection of the guards drilling near the sawmill anyway. Perhaps a walk would take his mind off the lack of his favorite drink.

Along the way, he noticed a commotion in Cora's room. Judging by the voices he heard, the children were visiting her, with Sera and Alicia corralling them again.

He stood near the hallway, listening for a long moment.

The ordinary warmth of those voices felt almost fragile now, with the orcs drawing closer beyond the walls.

Over the last few days, Marcus had led the group of riders to launch probing strikes at the orcs' foraging parties, with mixed results each time. The second time, two more orcs had been killed, though another had escaped.

Lucien had ordered Marcus to stop using the poison after the first attempt. They already knew how long the effects took to appear, and keeping it hidden until the right moment would allow them the element of surprise.

After their first two successful attacks, the riders didn't manage to take down a single orc in the last few attempts...mostly because they couldn't find any groups that fit Lucien's conditions.

The variant had started increasing the number of orcs in each foraging group. When Marcus's riders first noticed the change, there had been four in a group.

By the next day, there were five.

And whenever the riders attempted an attack, the beasts were ready for them.

'At least what I feared hasn't come to pass yet.'

As long as the men in Marcus's group didn't grow complacent or overly eager to engage them, Lucien considered their attempts a success.

Though Marcus had reported that there were men who wanted to be more aggressive, the guard had managed to quell such attempts for now.

Cora's door opened slightly, interrupting his thoughts as Sera's head peeked out of the room. Her eyes went to the bow at his back, and the look on her face caused him to let out a soft breath.

"Sera, didn't we already practice this...nevermind, there's no such thing as enough practice in your eyes."

He ignored the small nod from her, gesturing down the hallway toward the entrance. "I was just on my way out."

When she took a step out of the room, almost eagerly, his eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

"The scorpion isn't being tested today, Sera."

At his words, her boots paused mid-step before she slid back closer to the room.

Lucien shot her a dry look. "...If only you would be just as eager to test the windlass crossbow. Shouldn't that be more important, given that's the weapon you would be using in the coming battle?"

His words might as well have fallen on deaf ears, considering how the hunter simply stared at him, head tilting.

Before he could continue, Leofric's voice sounded from inside the room.

"Sera, is Lord Lucien there! Quick, we can ask him to play the villain this time!"

At the gaggle of voices that came after that, Lucien spun around, raising his hand as he walked away. "I will be taking my leave then. Sera, make sure to rest well for your night watch."

He slowed his steps only when the sound of children became muffled as the door shut behind him.

The brief exchange with the hunter made him wonder what exactly was the criteria for her interest. There didn't seem to be any commonality between the scorpion and the sluice gate, yet Sera had shown an excessive interest in both of them.

'Surely it can't be something as simple as size alone...right?'

It was too bad for her, but Sera wouldn't have much chance to test the weapon, at least not for this version of the scorpion, considering how much work it was to transport the thing to where it needed to be placed.

The scorpion had only been fired twice, and once they had confirmed that it could do so without tearing itself apart, they had stored the weapon away until it was needed.

During the firing tests, the first shot had struck low, burying itself in the riverbank several paces short of the marked fire. The second had flown straighter, close enough that Harlon had stared at Alicia's drawing for a long moment before muttering something about blessings.

Lucien found it rather ironic that Alicia had been less excited than Sera, despite being one of the main contributors to the success of the weapon.

Setting his thoughts aside as the manor doors opened, Lucien exchanged nods with the guards stationed there, though he soon paused at the sight before him just as he was about to leave the courtyard.

The largest of his household guard stood beneath the shade of a few trees near the storage shed, raising a hand in salute at the sight of him.

"My Lord."

Lucien returned the gesture. "Gerald. Is it your turn to escort me this time? You could've waited inside the manor instead."

That was what he would've done, given how blazing hot it was during this time of day.

At his words, Gerald shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't want to frighten the servants, My Lord."

Lucien regarded the man for a brief moment before letting out a breath. "Come then. I am just visiting the sawmill today."

Gerald fell into step behind him without a word, while those stationed at the courtyard entrance gave a slow nod to Lucien as he walked past them.

Walking through the village with a veritable giant escorting him was a different experience compared to his usual walks.

Men who would normally greet him moved aside at Gerald's presence. A group of women carrying baskets on the way to Talia's shop whispered behind their hands as they passed by.

Gerald bore it all without a hint of complaint, though there were a few elderly folk who exchanged smiles with the large man. He returned them with a gentle smile of his own, one that soon faded back into the neutral look he usually wore.

After watching another villager step aside a little too quickly, Lucien exhaled faintly. "I suppose you're used to people giving you a wide berth."

For a moment, it seemed like Gerald wouldn't respond until he slowly spoke. "Yes, My Lord. Been that way since I was a child."

There were three people most villagers tended to avoid. Dorian had that reputation as a stern captain who had nearly executed Bran less than a year ago.

As for Sera, given how she had been seen following the same group of children so often, people had largely relaxed around the hunter.

Gerald, however, was usually seen with the other household guards. Even the ever zealous Henric had been spotted with Tomas occasionally at the gathering hall...doing who knows what.

Most of his household guards, with the exception of Marcus, usually kept a distance from the majority of the Ashridge guards. All of them had different reasons for doing so, though Lucien doubted Gerald had ever been given much choice in the matter.

They walked in silence until Gerald's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"My Lord..."

He turned to see the large man looking hesitant. It was only at Lucien's gesture that the man continued speaking.

"Are you certain that I should be placed on the walls during the coming attack? Wouldn't it be better for me to be at the frontline instead?"

Lucien inclined his head. "Other than Dorian, you have the most experience fighting orcs, yes?"

At his words, Gerald bowed slightly. "Yes, My Lord. I am well suited for it, given my size."

It was too far to make an accurate comparison, but Lucien could estimate that the orcs he had seen back at the signal fire were similar in stature to the man before him.

"For a normal engagement, you would be suited to the frontline, Gerald. But for our plan to work, your presence on the walls would serve us better."

Seeing the guard's confusion, Lucien's gaze shifted to the northern palisade walls. "I want the orcs to see a significant threat standing on the walls. Dorian is needed elsewhere, and everyone else wouldn't evoke the same message I intend to send."

"Besides, men need a strong figure to rally around. The ones stationed on the walls, even more so."

Lucien turned back to the guard, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Who knows? Maybe the villagers will change their impression of you."

Gerald rubbed the back of his head. "I-I don't really mind it, My Lord. It's something I've gotten used to."

"Then consider it my own personal preference as a noble. I would prefer my guards not be isolated in the village I am in charge of."

Lucien gave the man before him a once-over. "You're better served as a shield and a deterrent anyway. And the training you are giving the men is more beneficial to the plan than putting your body on the front line."

A chuckle escaped Gerald before he could stop it, his face flushing lightly when Lucien looked at him with a raised brow.

"Forgive me, My Lord. But your father...he had the same way of putting a man where he was most useful."

At the mention of his father again, Lucien couldn't help but exhale faintly. "Did he now? I heard from Dorian that he recruited all my current household guards from all over Arcencia?"

"Yes, My Lord. Though Marcus and I grew up in the same town near the western front."

The earlier amusement had faded as Gerald met his eyes. "We worked as guards for a caravan...had to deal with orcs more than the beastmen, My Lord."

"The beasts like to starve out smaller settlements...then when the villagers flee, they target the women."

Gerald's neutral look had gone colder as he looked toward the northern palisade. "Heard that my parents were killed by them, though I wouldn't know since I grew up in an orphanage with Marcus."

"Didn't really hate them for that though, that only came when I saw what they did to those they had taken after we drove off one of their bands."

Neither of them spoke for a brief moment before Gerald snapped a salute. "When the plan starts, I will do my duty, My Lord. Give them as big of a target as you want me to."

Slowly, Lucien inclined his head. "I know you will. But you're mistaken about something, Gerald."

At the guard's questioning look, a faint smile touched Lucien's lips.

"The plan has already begun."

The lack of horns told him there wasn't an attack, though for someone to come knocking this late at night...

After quickly putting on his outer coat, Lucien called out.

"Enter."

The door swung open, and Will stepped inside, his face slightly pale.

"Apologies for disturbing you this late at night, My Lord."

Lucien shook his head. "It's fine, Will. What is it?"

The guard cleared his throat. "Fire arrows were spotted from Sera's position on the eastern side of the river."

"The orcs tried to cross the river."