by Randi Darren
Smirking at the young woman, Alex held up his hands.
“Maybe I just want your love and hand in marriage, as an equal,” Alex said.
“Which you couldn’t do if I was a Numberless. Your Numbered would never respect that,” Quinn murmured. “But if I’m a lesser wife, subservient to Anna, they’d be fine with it. Especially if I prove my worth at the same time.
“Is that it? You want me as a wife as I requested, and you’re giving me the chance to prove I can be one?”
Alex laughed at that and shrugged.
“More or less,” he said. “What’s your play then? Which way are you going to go? You could easily tell me to leave. If you kicked me out, blamed everything on me, I’m sure your neighbors would forgive you. Especially if you were able to claim you took back half the gold I stole.”
“Thought about that just now,” Quinn said. “Thought about a lot of things. But in the end of that line of thinking, I realized that… you’ve given me far more than you’ve taken from me.
“My nation prospers in a drought. My economy is booming. My people are buying luxuries they never thought available to them, at reasonable prices. I can make deals with other members in the empire with little more than mentioning my deals with you. Bandits almost do not trouble my roads at all. Primarily because of how many Brit, Ridge, and Tilly patrols come down this way from the border.
“No. I’ll not make the mistake your Holly Lin made. I’ve spoken with Katherine at length of her family’s failure.”
Quinn nodded decisively.
“I’ll be your wife as I wanted. Your baroness, and Queen of the Xer,” Quinn said. “Let’s hope I get pregnant quickly. I don’t want to be too far behind the others.
“Now… any other surprises for me, Alex?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Alex said.
“Are Katherine and Alanna going to end up in Anna’s thrall with me, Regina, and Mary?” Quinn asked.
“Pretty sure of it. She told me about her plans for them when she mentioned her plans for you,” Alex said.
Quinn nodded at that. She seemed unsurprised.
Alex found that he expected that. Anna seemed to want to collect interesting women for her wives and present them to Alex, and she tended to tell them about it.
“Fine. Get up on the table then,” Quinn said. “I’m going to mount you as your wife, Baroness, and Queen of the Xer.”
Standing up, she quickly started unbuttoning her blouse.
He hadn’t planned on it, but when she put it like that, he found he was definitely interested.
More than interested.
Chapter 9
“They’re still matching us,” Dave said, riding up next to Alex. His command group was the furthest from the front line, and the entire Brit army was slowly trudging back toward the pre-fortified positions.
The engineers had been working hastily to improve the land with natural-looking defenses. Ones that looked more like part of the land, even if they were actually man-made.
Alex didn’t want to even give the enemy a whiff of a planned defense. It would make them second guess what he hoped they’d do.
Which was believe in the power of their cavalry and run his army down. Just as they’d always done with every imperial army that came down into the Wilds.
Alex hoped they would believe his victory over Quinn’s uncle was a fluke and that he’d beaten them through his tactics.
“Fine,” Alex said. “We’ll take the next position and hunker down. Like a tired and broken Imperial army facing their fate. Get the long spears deployed.”
Without needing to be told, Tael spun his horse around and charged off, forgetting to even salute.
“I like him,” Dan said as the newest general rode off in a mad dash. “He’s learning quickly.”
“Nobility might be gifted by the heavens upon a chosen few,” Alex said. “However, intelligence, talent, and ability are the purview of anyone.”
“Sire, are you saying a commoner could outwit a king?” Drew asked.
“I’m saying a prostitute with no teeth could outwit a king. That anyone anywhere could be your match, and then some,” Alex said. “To believe I’m some gifted mantlepiece of humanity because I slid out of my mother’s noble nethers is absolutely insipid.
“Look no further than whom I associate with. Bandits, murderers, assassins, gambling ring leaders, mercenary commanders, and commoners.”
When no one responded, Alex looked around. He was surrounded by his generals and the Numbered who had come with him.
“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me any of you feel that one of the others shouldn’t be here,” Alex said. “Explain to me how any of you are lesser than the others. Not one of you would be on a battlefield in the position you’re in if I ascribed to the idea that nobility was actually noble.”
No one responded.
Alex gave up and looked ahead again.
He had nothing further to add. His plan was to instill a willingness to adapt, overcome, and believe that they could become whatever they wished.
He would teach his population, even as he led them.
A monarchy wasn’t inherently evil, nor was a democratic system perfectly good.
The citizens of Brit would be educated, able, and forward thinking. Even if he had to drag them forward by their ears. His children would have the same expected of them.
In fact, we’ll see if Leah is willing to play arbiter. If a great-grandson of mine decides he wants to start killing innocents, he can answer to her.
I accept.
Alex rode on, feeling a mental checkbox being filled.
It was another hour before they managed to set up camp, get everyone situated, and hand out the long spears.
They were very simple things. Mass produced, easy to replace, and damned awful for cavalry to run into.
Standing at the top of the small rise, Alex felt like this was more than doable. Every single soldier in that infantry line had four spears at their feet.
The crossbow women and archers were all massed up behind and enclosed by that infantry line.
The mounted-infantry, heavy cavalry, and engineers were all held rather far back in the reserve. They wouldn’t be very useful in this engagement, more likely to become casualties than anything else.
Right now, the whole of Alex’s world was this almost invisible incline. The sides of it were roughly disguised shale that slipped magnificently the moment anyone tried to get up on it.
The enemy had only one approach, and they wouldn’t even know it was a lethal one till it was too late.
“This seems extremely well prepared,” Katherine said, standing directly to his right. “And where’s Quinn?”
“It’s prepared alright. We’ve taken the time to make this whole thing look natural. We’re going to kill thousands here.
“As for my dear wife, she’s off with her cavalry and my own light cavalry. They’ll be looking for a chance to flank the enemy command unit from the rear,” Alex explained. “Or when they retreat. She has a considerable force. I think it’s likely her attack may prove to be more lethal than ours.”
“Your wife,” Katherine repeated.
“Yes. Quinn accepted my formal proposal,” Alex said. With a glance at Katherine, he stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her up to his side. “Don’t you worry, my precious little lady Lin. I’ll add you to my collection soon enough. After I’ve turned you inside out and embarrassed you completely. Maybe I’ll mount you in front of your whole family.
“And don’t think for a second you could ever out-play me with Anna. If I told her to hold your head down on my shaft till you choked to death on it, she would.”
Grinning, he looked down at Katherine’s upturned face.
She was smiling in return at him.
“Maybe so, but she’d be rather upset with you afterward. And I’m betting you’re more likely to fear making her sad than winning against me,” Katherine said.
“Besides, maybe I want you to take me in front of my family. Would get them off my ass for once in my life if they saw you riding it instead of them.”
Alex chuckled at that and looked ahead to his forces again. They were ready. Arranged and waiting for the army of cavalry that was heading their way.
Then he looked to his rear toward his command unit.
Eleanor and Nannie were with him as his personal bodyguards today. Riley and Sylvia were with the reserves, just in case something happened.
Nannie was wearing an armored breastplate and chain mail, as well as a plate-mail waist protector that was tied into the breastplate. It was a surprising change to see her armored as such.
She was also wielding a massive two-handed sword, with her short swords belted at her waist.
“What?” asked the big brute of a woman, meeting Alex’s eyes.
“Nothing,” Alex said. “You look really good like that. Rather knightly. Think I could talk the big pretty knight into my bed tonight?”
Nannie wrinkled her nose, but she smiled at him all the same. “Yeh. You could.”
“Oh? Maybe if I promised to give the big pretty knight a back rub first? Would that do it?” Alex asked. He’d rather flirt with his Numbered right now than wait anxiously for the approaching enemy army.
“Definitely,” Nannie said quickly. “And, uh… that… that thing you do with my fingers and toes?”
“Sure,” Alex said with a grin. Nannie seemed to have problems with the joints in her hands and feet. He’d found that if he held her fingers or toes against the weight of her arms or legs and shook them gently, they often popped and seemed to give her some relief.
“Can I come?” Eleanor asked.
Nannie immediately turned red, shaking her head frantically.
“No. Not into women, no matter how pretty you are,” Nannie said.
“I think we’ve given Five enough troubles over a three way, Six. Let’s leave her be. Besides, I have other plans for you, remember?” Alex asked.
Eleanor nodded quickly, her face only visible partially through her open visor.
“They’re coming,” Katherine said.
Feeling the anxiety building up frantically at her words, Alex looked ahead.
He’d been trying not to think about this moment. Trying to distance himself from it.
This would be the first touch of real combat, which would set the pace and tone for the rest of the campaign.
“I know I should be here. At your side. To learn and watch. But I think I want to throw up,” Katherine said.
“’S okay,” Nannie grumbled, directly next to Katherine now. “I threw up the first time. Normal.”
“Very true,” Eleanor said. “I threw up in my helmet the first time I killed a man.”
Katherine looked from Nannie to Eleanor, clearly feeling the change in their attitude towards her.
“Anna probably sent a letter telling them she plans on turning you into a wife,” Alex said. “You’re still just a Numberless, but if Anna thinks you’re worth more, they’re probably willing to look at it differently, too.”
Nannie blew a raspberry at that, but she nodded. “The mistress is never wrong.”
“Never,” Eleanor added.
The roll and thunder of thousands upon thousands of heavy cavalry was overwhelming at this point. The enemy was upon his people.
The archers and crossbow soldiers were firing nonstop at the enemy. It was almost impossible for them to miss at this point.
As one, the entirety of his infantry knelt down and picked up the first of their spears. They braced them against the ground and lifted the tips up in front of them.
Each was something akin to twenty feet long. Which meant there were ranks far in the back that had their spear tips up in front.
The lead cavalry couldn’t change direction, and those going around to flank Alex’s sides found that they couldn’t make it up the hill at all.
Horses balked, riders were dumped out of their saddles, and hundreds more impaled themselves on the spears.
In seconds, the front line was an absolute mess of twisted horses and riders. Those behind them hit that wall of horse flesh and broken bodies, and then they hit the spear points.
As spears broke or shattered, the infantry picked up others.
The ranged troops were burning through their ammunition as fast as they could.
Arrows sailed constantly into that mass of cavalry.
Though the crossbow soldiers, the women of Brit who had volunteered for this moment, were being picky with their shots. They fired within seconds of lifting their crossbows to their shoulders, but they were clearly aiming for people with “fancy hats” as Alex would call it.
“Kill enough officers, and the enemy loses their cohesion,” Alex said aloud. “See all those people with wolf skulls attached to their helmets? They look like officers. The crossbow troopers are picking them out specifically.”
“Is that why you changed your uniforms? All your soldiers look the same, except for the designations on their shoulder,” Katherine said.
“Yeah. That’s pretty much it,” Alex said, looking behind him.
The cavalry that couldn’t flank his sides had moved around to the rear, finding that the hill Alex’s forces were atop of was much more visible on this side.
It was also lined with stakes and barricades built into the land. There would be no attack from the rear at all.
Alex had left himself with no way out from here. There would be no escaping this hilltop if things went badly.
But Quinn was available if needed, as was the rest of his reserve.
Looking ahead again, Alex watched as the entire charge came to a full stop.
The front line of his soldiers had ditched their long spears and were now working with their short spears, which were much more suitable for fighting horsemen with than swords.
“Looks like the new spear is working,” Eleanor said.
“Never had any doubt,” Alex said. “The blade didn’t have to be huge, just sharp and hard. Punch right through the armor.”
Several deep drumbeats sounded in the distance.
“Think the horse fuckers are done for the day?” Nannie asked.
“I would be,” Alex said. Then he pointed at the mad scrum that was the battle. “It’ll be hard enough for them to disengage. No matter how well trained their horses are, that’s going to be a nightmare to get away from.”
“It hasn’t even been an hour,” Eleanor said.
“No. It hasn’t. Which means their leader isn’t terrible. Nor did we see their light cavalry,” Alex said. “He or she was overconfident.”
“She?” Katherine asked.
“Weren’t you listening to me earlier? Man, woman, whatever. Doesn’t matter. Or did you not notice those very scary-looking women right there?” Alex said, pointing to the crossbow soldiers. “They’re fighting no differently than the men. If anything, they did far more work than anyone else by picking off officers.”
“Pick up your brain, Numberless,” Nannie hissed. “Or even Anna will get rid of you.”
“I-I-yes. Yes, you’re right. I’m learning as fast as I can, Five. I swear it,” Katherine said.
Nannie gave her an odd look but didn’t reply.
Alex wasn’t going to step in. If Katherine was going to earn her place, she’d have to do it on her own.
Slowly, like oil starting to separate from water, the two forces broke free of one another. The enemy didn’t bother trying to retrieve their wounded or dead if they weren’t directly in their path.
Being anywhere within bow or crossbow shooting ranges made you a target.
“How’d we do?” Katherine asked hesitantly.
“Didn’t kill half as many as I wanted,” Alex said. “But nor did we lose many soldiers. Unfortunately, their leader isn’t a complete idiot.
“It’s a victory. But it does mean we’ll have to change our tactics. They’ll lead with their light cavalry next
time probably, to try and soften us up. And I’d honestly rather not get into a fight like that.”
“Okay… what does that mean then?” Katherine asked.
“Means I’m going to take the fight to them in a way they don’t want or expect. We’ll make a camp here, make it look like we plan to remain. Then go attack a mustering or depot city nearby. Maybe torch a garrison, too,” Alex said. “Whatever we can do to keep them from playing their own battle plans.”
A long single note from a horn sounded in the distance.
“That’d be Quinn,” Alex said. “Sounds like she found the flank attack she wanted. With any luck, she’ll send them tumbling back even farther.
“Six, use your horn to signal a clear and secure. We’re done here. Let’s go wait at camp for Quinn.”
***
Sitting in his command tent, Alex waited as patiently as he was able to. There wasn’t much to do, and the reports were still being filled in for the results of the battle.
Riley had diligently helped ease his burdens already with her pretty mouth after shooing everyone out of the room.
Apparently, after the last time, she was afraid Alex would turn to someone else in the middle of her ministrations.
The lovely redhead was standing over his shoulder now, one hand on his back.
Sylvia walked in without announcing herself and set herself down in a chair facing Alex. Then she gave him a wide smile.
“I have the current reports ready for you. I imagine there will be some minor changes after this point, but I’m confident those changes will not impact the overall picture. Shall I report it as it stands, Alex?” she asked.
“Please do,” Alex said with a grin.
“We’ll start with the more interesting pieces.” Sylvia cleared her throat, then lifted one leg and slipped it over the other, getting comfortable. To Alex, it looked like she was getting herself ready for a victory and demanding a reward.
“The contract I put out on their generals and officers has… been collected by a good number of people,” Sylvia said. “The crossbow regiment claimed over fifty by themselves. Hard to argue with their count when their kills had crossbow bolts in them.