The Union 37 The Calm Before the Storm

But what happened next surprised Timothy. Lucia's face replaced that of the woman's. She wore the same clothes and had the same posture, but it was Lucia.

"I will wait for you Tim. Come back to me" Lucia said. Timothy reached out to her. He missed Lucia so much that seeing her face, even in a dream, triggered extreme emotions. But as his hand touched Lucia's face, she turned into smoke. He tried to reach the smoke with his hand, but a force accelerated him away from Lucia. Their distance grew until all he could see was darkness.

Timothy sat on his bed and remained frozen for a while. His heart ached. He wanted to see Lucia again. He wanted to gaze upon her beautiful face, to hear her sweet voice and to feel the warmth of her embrace. His heart longs for her presence, a longing that can't be extinguished by mere thoughts of her. It was a thirst, a thirst so vile and powerful. Only Lucia could quench the desires of his soul.

He needs to survive. He needs to return to Lucia. There were still many things he wanted to know about her. Although their long talks made them know each other, Timothy still wanted to immerse himself into her. That's why he needs to win.

Timothy stood up and washed his face. Like always, he woke up before sunrise. He flapped the cloth that serves as the door to his tent and went out. The chilly air danced around his nose. It was still dark, but camp was well lit.

He sauntered around the camp and inspected the sentries' performance. A Century from Knightsend was in charge of sentry duties today. After examining the alertness of the sentries, he was impressed. The sentries patrolled the whole camp like bees defending their nest. Some even stopped him and demanded identification. After seeing Timothy's face, the sentries paled and apologized. But it was alright. Stopping him was the right thing to do. He felt proud of his men. They are professionals.

After his stroll around the camp, Timothy went to General Marvin's tent. He was stopped by other groups of sentries on his way. When he arrived at the General's tent, it was already morning. Most of the soldiers had begun their daily routine. Timothy knew that in less than an hour, the camp will be ready for mobilization.

The past days had been busy for Timothy and his officers so wasn't able to find the time to talk with General Marvin. He entered the tent.

"I received this from a pigeon that came from Solon" General Marvin handed him a letter "She also wrote a letter to Mathias but you know the Earl's personality. He is too pragmatic."

Timothy took the letter with a broken seal. The seal used was the one Timothy lent Lucia. She also used red wax, indicating the urgency of the matter. Timothy opened the letter and read it. Lucia's handwriting can't be mistaken. And as for the contents, Timothy could feel her desire to protect him.

"You're lucky Timothy" Marvin commented "You're lucky to have her"

"Yes, I am. I owe her my life. But I doubted her at first." He said guiltily.

"Don't feel bad about it. Doubting her means that you're not a fool. But I suggest you trust her from now on. She really cares for you " The General sat in front of him. He then offered Timothy some wine, but Timothy refused. He was not in the mood to drink.

"I will" Timothy declared "But you know General, our little fellowship could use another member." He smiled as if indicating something.

Marvin sighed. "Why are you talking to me about this? I just joined Leo's Tear less than a year ago after you invited me. You should talk to the others."

"You know the rules, all decisions must be decided by a vote. I'm worried that the others will reject her because she's not a natural-born Castonian. So I'm garnering support."

"Well she's smart and her family is powerful. She will also become your wife soon. Also, I think her ideals fit that of Leo's Tear. You don't need to poach my vote. But you're right. The others might reject her. It will be you job to convince them."

"That might take time. It will be hard. Some members were traditional in their views. For them, Leo's Tear should only accept natural-born Castonians." he sighed and admitted "By the way, what do you think about her conclusion?" Timothy asked seriously. Although he now trusts Lucia, she might still be wrong. All the evidences point towards his father's involvement in this conspiracy, but a part of him was hoping that his father had nothing to do with it. If Lucia was wrong, then neither of them betrayed Timothy. That would be the best case scenario.

"I think she was right. I'm sorry for being too honest and blunt but I think your father betrayed you. You may not see it Timothy, but the people around you does. I remember when you first arrived at Knightsend a year ago. After you made the whole garrison stand all night, you went to my office. At first I was furious at you for undermining my authority in the castle. But after talking to you, I felt your sadness. You are a son who longs for his father's recognition. That's your weakness Tim. You are smart, but you can be fooled sometimes."

Timothy pondered on the General's words. He already knew about that. He had known for a long time that his father hated him. He had known already that his father never treated him as a son. But Timothy still believed that maybe someday, his father will love him. He was hoping that his father will change his attitude towards him in the future. But this was the last straw. He will never beg for his father's love again.

"Thank you General" Timothy said.

"Think nothing of it. We're brothers, with or without Leo's Tear. If you need help, just tell me and I will do my best to assist you. If you want advice instead, then I will also give you mine. " Marvin said with a smile. "By the way Your Highness, I think we should go now. The camp should be almost ready to march. We need to mobilize as soon as possible to reach Knightsend before sundown."

Timothy nodded. He never intended to stay inside the General's tent for a long time anyway. They still have many things to do. Now that they have thousands of horses, they need to take care of the animals. Horses were high maintenance animals and taking care of thousands was not an easy task. Timothy wondered how the Tulosans managed to do it. The Tulosans had so many horses yet their army moves fast.

Also the soldiers from Castle Thespelae still needed close guidance. They were amateurs compared to the rest of the army. General Bourgis had tried to train them for the past year just like what Timothy did, but the soldiers hated him so the training was not very successful.

When Timothy went out of the General's Tent, most of the camp was already disassembled. Most of the tents were now folded. The soldiers were now eating breakfast. He was impressed by the soldiers' efficiency. This is how Castonian soldiers were supposed to behave. They may not have many horses, but their discipline made up for that deficiency. If given a choice, Timothy would always choose a disciplined army rather than a cavalry-heavy one. A horse can't break a disciplined man's will, but a man can break a horse.

After a while, the army started the last day of their march towards Knightsend. The soldiers, especially those who were unfamiliar with the region, were joyful after hearing that they will reach Knightsend that day. For them Knightsend's walls were a refuge that ensures their survival.

Timothy couldn't help but smile. Just a week ago, they were starving and were surrounded by enemies. They ate stale bread, drank dirty water and slept with one eye open for fear that the Tulosans had already caught up. Now they had an abundance of supplies. All his soldiers had clean clothes and they were eating fresh rations. The situation had been reversed. The Tulosans were now the ones suffering. Even if the saboteurs failed, the Tulosans would still suffer attrition.

It was afternoon when the army reached Knightsend. Timothy was back. Knightsend was still the same even though Timothy knew that thousands of people died near the castle not too long ago. The village people who were staying inside the castle cheered for the soldiers as they entered the castle. The atmosphere was festive and the soldiers mingled with the locals. Timothy let them continue the festivities even though they still have preparations to make. The soldiers, especially the veterans and those who were from Thespelae, deserve some rest and relaxation.

Chapter end