Chapter 117 The Spoils of Victory
The royal court, morning.
Valero entered the meeting room and sat down in the royal chair. Two men bowed to him and then sat down. Octavio, who was in his mobile chair, only nodded slightly.
The King: First, I want to appoint the members of my court. Bartolo, can you serve as chamberlain, steward, and herald until we defeat Aurelio? When that happens, you will be the Count of Colina Gemelas.
Bartolo: Of course, Your Reverence. I will begin organizing your castle immediately. I need the royal coins to hire more servants.
Valero: Yes, submit your requests to Count Octavio for everything you need and give him accounts of all the expenses you incur. And for everyone, call me King. The flowery titles of Aloisio were for the ego of a weak man.
Bartolo: My king, on formal occasions, could I introduce you as Valero the Brave?
The man touched his shoulder where his arm was missing: Yes, I earned this title in battle. Octavio, can you serve as count of arms and chamberlain of the royal coins?
Octavio: Yes, my king. There are many matters of crime and finance that require attention in the castle and in the city.
Valero: When the war finally ends, I want you to do the same in Puerto Blanco with the title of prince of that place.
The old man nodded and smiled: It is time they spoke the language of the king.
The king looked at his son: Victorino, my own flesh and blood. Count of War, with command of all the royal forces. After the war, Prince of the Royal Islands.
Victorino: I feel honored, my king.
Valero: You must earn this honor. I have the throne, but I need to keep it for more than a day. It would be a disgrace to our family if I did not last longer than the bastard.
The Count of War: Of course, my king, my father.
Valero: Bartolo, write the following for me to sign: All titles in the Northern Province, the Ridges, Puerto Blanco, and the Royal Islands are hereby annulled immediately. King Valero is the Master of the North and of the Ridges for life.
Victorino: My king, one scout has returned with the location of the army of the bastard. Another scout did not return. What rewards do you wish to offer the Blue Knights and the nobles who accompany them?
The father thought about it for a few minutes: For Captain Rodrigo, the title of Count, and if his knights fight for me, the Cresta de Flores and the surrounding lands. For each company captain, a noble house in Cresta del Árbol Rojo.
The king looked at hand of Octavio and examined the positions of his fingers.
Valero: Any Blue Knight who fights for me will receive thirty gold coins. The other knights will receive fifteen, and each soldier ten. If the nobles surrender to my soldiers, they will be imprisoned; otherwise, they will be executed with an axe, thirty-three bones.
Victorino: Excellent. Thank you, my king.
Valero: Finally, the worship of Pegasi is forbidden. All priestly titles associated with them are revoked. Worship of the goddess or the Pegasi is punishable by hanging. If a person acts as a priest of the Pegasi, they will be burned alive.
The other three men looked at him and pondered this surprise.
Octavio: Very well, my king. Your wish is law.
The three men raised their wine cups: To King Valero the Brave!
At Cresta del Árbol Rojo.
Captain Fernando looked at the enormous trees to the east that were the inspiration for the name of the ridge. All his soldiers who were in the houses on the ridge were suffering from an illness caused by spoiled wine. He had found all the servants and people who could take care of them. They did not have much food, but almost none of the soldiers wanted to eat.
A priest: Captain.
Fernando: Good morning, priest. How is the situation?
Priest: Two men have died. I believe they drank too much of the poisoned wine. The others are resting between episodes of emitting fluids from their mouths, anuses or both.
Fernando: Thank you for your help in organizing care for my soldiers. The gold last night is just the beginning. Aurelio is very generous to those who help him.
Priest: And he will be equally severe with those who do not help him.
Fernando: Is Claudio still making noise?
Priest: Yes, but people are starting to avoid the place because his cries for help are terrifying.
Fernando: Good. The snow is providing him with water to survive. If someone is not serving well, show them the place, tell them to listen to the screams, and tell them we have plenty of barrels.
In the north.
Tatiana spent the morning transporting bodies to burial sites for families who were unable to do it themselves. When she stopped to bathe and eat, she saw six knights from the south approaching.
A man spoke to her: I am Sergeant Carlos. Currently, I am the most experienced leader in the north. We have no one to follow. If we swear allegiance to the new queen, could you be our captain?
Tatiana: How many do you have now?
Carlos: Seventy-eight, the warriors killed many of us. It will be less in the morning, I think.
Tatiana: Are these men the other sergeants?
The knight: Yes.
The warrior: Swear your loyalty to me and the queen.
The men knelt with their swords in front of their faces: My sword and my life are at the service of Queen Olivia and Lady Tatiana.
Tatiana: Get up and serve me. Carlos is now the captain of your company. Bury your comrades. Then help the women who do not have adult children.
Carlos: I am honored, my Lady,
The warrior: My name is Tatiana the Puma. If any of my men rapes a woman, I will cut off his penis and then his head. If you flee from a battle, I will hunt you down and tear your heart from your chest.
Carlos: If we did not have respect for women, we would be with Aurelio.
Tatiana: Fine, if the company decides to head south, let me know. The tribes will be leaving for their winter camps soon. If I do not manage to recruit soldiers today or tomorrow, I will have to go back and fight alongside my husband.
Carlos: We are going to follow the Puma. When you say so, we will do it.
After they left to bury the bodies, she climbed the fortress walls. She watched as several groups prepared to depart in a few days. She knew that her last chance to gather an army for her queen would soon vanish.