Reborn From the Cosmos

Miniarc-Villains-18

Miniarc-Villains-18

The “reserved field” was located beside the camp’s supplies. Given the distance from Alyssa’s tent, he imagined that the area was originally the edge of the camp, as far away from the unpleasantness at the front of the camp as possible. However, the constant expansion of the camp meant that it was now surrounded, though there was enough space between the mostly empty field and the surrounding tents to create the illusion of privacy.

Samuel thought it questionable to put potential enemies in such a sensitive area. If the northerners wanted to cause trouble, they had all the access they needed. It didn’t escape him that their position meant they could have easily leaked details to the saboteurs that were causing all the trouble. If the north wanted to cause civil unrest, destabilizing the camp would be their main objective. It was the only thing keeping the desperate people of Quest in line. If it failed, the kingdom would be drowned in a wave of uncommonly skilled bandits, a problem that could plague harvest for years.

However, it was also strategic. From what he saw, half a dozen acolytes were assigned to the supplies, both as guards and dispensers. Not enough to stop trained knights but enough to raise an alarm. Between them and the servants brought by those with special circumstances, as Lane put it, there were too many eyes for them to try anything easily.

The other acolytes didn’t seem burdened by similar worries. He spotted many of them gathered around a large fire at the center of the field, one all the tents were arranged around, personal ones judging from their size and lavishness. They were in the middle of a cheery conversation despite their probable fatigue, their joy lighting up their faces more than their smiles.

At the head of the commotion, like his mother that herded the chattering noblewomen during the parties hosted by the crown, was Yulianna James. He spotted her instantly, as she was the only one accompanied by guards, one seated beside her while the other stood at her shoulder. The lady knights weren’t donning their armor or weapons. If they passed on the road, he could have mistaken them for simple commoners, the two women possessing the strong arms and rougher appearances, one marred by a jagged scar across her cheek, that he associated with those that did hard labor.

Their charge couldn’t be further from that image. The plain clothes she wore did nothing to accentuate her charm, but she didn’t need the help. She was what young boys fantasized about when they thought of passionate affairs with a noblewoman; lustrous black hair that fell down her back, sparkling blue eyes, and delicate features. Her laugh was beautiful and her smile lit up the night better than the fire, captivating her small audience.

There was no trace of a soldier in her thin arms and supple curves. Whatever connection had to the tragedy of Quest, Samuel understood why Lane was adamant that the James daughter wasn’t a threat. She didn’t look like she could hurt a babe. However, the prince wasn’t convinced so easily. He knew well that someone didn’t need a sword or magic to cause harm.

He intended to speak to her, probe her intentions personally while he had the chance, but he diverted toward the soldiers setting up tents at the edge of the field. An armored figure stood apart, overseeing their efforts, the distinctive golden armor of the royal knights almost as eye-catching as Yulianna’s group.

Samuel repressed a grimace as he approached. Ewan had sent Sir Frost, the eldest of the three knights that had escorted him, to oversee the investigation into the rebels. The prince didn’t like dealing with the older generation of the royal knights. Ewan’s youth and aspirations to forge a place amongst the nobles meant Samuel could negotiate with him, maneuver him into compromises. The crusty old soldiers that made up the backbone of the royal knights like Sir Frost didn’t give a rat’s ass about appearances or standing. They took their jobs seriously and would barrel straight past anything that got in the way of their duty.

Samuel’s authority also meant nothing to them. He might be able to make things difficult for Ewan if the man got carried away but those that had served as long as Sir Frost were as immovable as the foundation of the palace. Unless they drew their swords and struck him down in the streets, Samuel complaints, if he dared to make them, would be nothing more than a waste of breath.

“Your highness.” The older knight greeted him with a shallow bow.

“Sir Frost,” Samuel returned with a curt nod. “Is everything…acceptable?”

The man easily caught his meaning, eyes briefly flicking to the group around the fire. “It’s not the palace but we’ll make do. We’ll set a watch for the night. In the morning, we’ll sweep the city, see if the cowards dare attack us without shadows to hide in. I wager you’ll be back in the Hall by lunch.”

It was strange. Samuel counted on the competence of his escorts but the veteran’s confidence stirred a faint disgust in his heart. He didn’t speak of it or examine it took closely. It was unseemly to dwell on the burdens of being catered to constantly before the men who put their lives on the line to defend his. “Do we have food?”

“Very little. Can’t even catch a bit of meat, the surroundings have been picked clean. We can prepare something but it won’t be filling or satisfying.”

Samuel sighed as his stomach rumbled. It would be hard enough to get a decent rest without adding an empty stomach to his troubles. “Do it. In the meantime, I’ll join the others.”

“I’ll stay with him,” Ewan added before Sir Frost could speak a warning.

The older knight inclined his head instead. “I’ll send someone with word when the food is ready.”

Around the fire, the group’s enthusiasm hadn’t waned. Samuel noted that Yulianna’s audience wasn’t comprised solely of young men, which would have been a reasonable explanation for their unwavering interest. They also varied in age and background, given their appearances. If anything about her should have united them, it should have been suspicion and anger. Instead, they laughed with her.

It was impressive, a display of natural social graces that his tutors had failed to instill in him, forcing him to rely on strategically applied disdain and authority.

Like a rock thrown into a pond, his presence disturbed their pleasant mood. The acolytes looked away from him, their tension showing the familiar unease of someone who didn’t know how to act in the presence of royalty. Not Yulianna. She ignored him, speaking as if he weren’t approaching with obvious intent.

“—jokes aside, the north has seen worst shortages than this. There have been years when not a single wagon of grain passed through our gates. The key to get through this is efficiency. Using every part of everything that can be used. You have to trust your home to provide for you. The knowledge of how to use what it gives you is kept by the elders of the community. That’s why it’s so important to get the locals to open up to us. Do what you can to open their hearts. We need them to help us help them.”

“Bold words coming from you.”