Chapter 110 Unification Day
The Ridges.
The storm advanced along the Lynx River toward Lake King Gutierre and the nearby mountain ridges. The storm weakened as it encountered colder air to the north. By morning, it began to snow over the lake and the royal army. Thousands of soldiers were preparing to depart with their companies. The most important captains presented themselves before Count Aurelio. One of them was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back and his mouth gagged.
Aurelio: Captain Pasqual, how many soldiers are sick?
Pasqual: More than two thousand. Twenty-two companies. There were about a hundred who did not drink the wine.
Aurelio: These men will join other companies. Where is the captain who does not like wine?
A man stepped forward.
Aurelio: Fernando, you are now the captain of banners of these twenty-two companies. Your soldiers will depart from here in two days to march quickly towards the new bridge. If any soldier refuses to march, cut off his head in front of the others.
Fernando: I understand, my count.
Aurelio: Also, bury Captain Claudio in one of the empty barrels in the ground, leaving only the top exposed. Make some holes in the lid so he can breathe; I do not want him to die so soon.
Fernando: Of course.
Aurelio: If these two thousand soldiers do not cross the bridge in five days, the next barrel will be for you.
The count looked at the other captains.
Aurelio: Who has an account for me?
Rolando: Me. We have three thousand three hundred men on horseback. Not counting the sick, there are five thousand one hundred infantry soldiers. We recruited a thousand volunteers from the towns and farms on the ridges.
Tomas: We are ready to march immediately. Six days to reach the defensive walls if we are lucky, seven if not.
Aurelio: Captains! In one week, we will take the city and the throne. Every man here will receive land and titles. Once we control Costa Lunas, we will destroy the noble families of Puerto Blanco and teach them to respect the kingdom.
Diego: King Aurelio!
The other voices: King Aurelio!
The royal army marched early in the morning along the royal road in a southwest direction. It snowed lightly throughout the day. When the vanguard of the army saw the sun setting, the rear guard had already been in darkness for three minutes.
The throne room.
Valero was on one side of the throne. Bartolo was on the other. The priest of the unicorns was next to Bartolo, along with the priestess dressed in black. Victorino was on the other side, and Octavio was seated in an ornate chair nearby. Fifty nobles witnessed the second coronation in less than a week.
They noticed that no priest from the Pegasi cult was present. The priest from Colina Alba Castle administered the oath to his own count.
The Sister of Shadow presented her oath. As she covered her face and that of Valero, the man smiled instead of looking at her with reverence.
The son, Victorino, presented his father with the sword of Reynaldo the Conqueror: The sword of the most powerful king for a powerful king.
Valero took the sword and kissed the hilt. He raised it towards the ceiling, and many nobles shouted in support.
Bartolo stood in front of Valero and placed the crown of Reynaldo on his head. The crown was a thick gold circle decorated with precious stones. On the front was a small gold sculpture of a rearing unicorn.
Bartolo: King Valero!
Victorino: King Valero the powerfull!
All voices: King Valero the powerful!
Valero remained seated on the throne for nearly two hours, while each nobleman knelt and swore allegiance to him. This oath was another novel element of the coronation ceremony.
I pledge my loyalty to King Valero for as long as he lives, for the sake of my life and the lives of my family.
Isla Oveja.
Corsino was sitting on the bed to check if his leg was working properly. Just as he was about to get up, the door opened and a tall woman entered.
Woman: Stop immediately!
Corsino: I need to see my Pegasus.
Woman: I am twice as tall as you. If necessary, I will hit you on the head until you are shorter. Lie down!
The man looked at her and decided it was not a joke. He lay down again. The woman placed a tray on the table. She looked at his bandage and changed it.
Woman: My name is Sorcha. I helped remove the arrow from your leg. You will need a few days before you can walk again.
Corsino: Thank you, Sorcha. Do you know how my Pegasus is doing?
Sorcha: She is smarter than her rider. She is lying in a barn with lots of straw and some fat rabbits. Her wing is suspended by ropes tied to the ceiling. Her wounds hurt, but they are not very deep.
Corsino: Thank you. I was very worried about her.
The woman picked up a chair and sat down near the shorter man. She had long, red hair. She was curvaceous, like most of the women on the island.
Sorcha: Stew? It is important that you eat while you are recovering.
The man with black hair and a mustache nodded. She picked up a bowl and a spoon, and when he tried to take them away from her, she slapped his hand.
Sorcha: If you are in the air or in the middle of a battle, you have control. But while under my care, rest while I feed you.
He lowered his hands, and she served him spoonfuls of a stew made with lamb and vegetables. Every time she leaned closer, her cleavage was difficult to ignore.
Sorcha: I like watching the Pegasi when they fly above us. I would love to fly on one, but I think my tits weigh more than a rider.
When the man choked on a mouthful of stew, she laughed.
Entrance to Costa Lunas Bay
The warship Shark Fin and the other fast ships passed through part of the storm, and when the sun came out, they were sailing at a good speed. The fleet was almost a day behind and would be traveling at a slower speed. Sigard and Heinrich were sitting in the small cabin of the captain.
Sigard had some maps on his desk. They showed in great detail the ports on both sides of the Colinas Gemelas peninsula.
Heinrich: How many years did it take to create these maps?
Sigard: Nine years. Almost all merchant ships have an agent of the Duchess assigned to memorize a different part of the port. They modified the maps to include new elements and removed those that had moved or no longer exist.
Heinrich: Could you modify your plan to capture the ports from their army if necessary?
Sigard: I think so. I will work tirelessly to make sure we are ready.
Heinrich: And the men? Will they follow me?
The captain laughed: They saw you jump from the sky onto the ship. They will follow you in a fight against the war unicorns.