“Sire, it seems that we have news from Narabun.” Roan entered the hall of the most recent castle they had taken along with a messenger. The messenger himself was one of Braydon’s own, having come from Cliforge where a pigeon had likely been sent.

“How long ago did the message arrive?” Braydon asked. If there was news out of Narabun then it could only mean that there were movements amongst the rebels. How long ago the message was sent would be the key part.

“About three days ago, my liege.” The messenger replied before handing over the note that had been attached to a pigeon.

“Three days, the pigeon should have taken two to get to Cliforge. Depending on how good Alima is at finding out her opponent’s movements, this information should be about a week old. Poke them for long enough and they will respond eventually.” Braydon muttered to himself. A week basically meant that he had no time at all if large numbers of the enemy were coming his way.

“The first lords should basically be on our doorstep but I doubt that any of them have enough men to take a castle without us getting there first.” It seemed that only one or two lords had taken him very seriously but this message was from before he had gotten his hands on Damaz. For all he knew a much larger force should have started mobilising already. And Braydon was going to take the threat seriously.

“Is it time that we try to get some more hired help?” Braydon asked a rhetorical question. If he was to hold everything he had taken, then of course he was. And he already had someone in mind.

“Are you thinking of trying to bribe Marquess Serchi?” Roan asked. He had heard Braydon talk about the man before but only in the context of him sitting pretty in his territory whilst the rest of the country went to shit around him. Whilst he knew that the man had a reputation for loving denars more than his life, Roan was not sure that Braydon’s plan would work all that well.

“Bribe is such an ugly word. And yes, yes that is exactly what I intend to do. This conflict should have done nothing if not hurt his coffers.” Braydon was banking on the fact that he could guarantee trade with Fiveria for the Marquess if the man came to his aid. Something that would more than make up for lending him a hand in defending his new conquests.

“Are you certain that he will even help us?” If he did not, then they might be in a whole lot of trouble. They would likely lose most of what they had gained.

“Unless Alima has decided to go back on her deal, that should not happen. Not if she wants to win.” If she gave up on the opportunity to have a battle between the rebels and her supporters on her own terms then she did not deserve to win.

“Hope is not really a strategy, Sire.” Roan would have rather had something more concrete than trusting in the Duchess Regent's words. She could be screwing them over for all they knew and they would be none the wiser.

“Hence why we are going to try and get Marquess Serchi’s assistance. It is a backup. The threat of having him on our side should be more than enough.” Braydon did not expect the rebels to try and attack the Marquess’s men without at least another marquess’s entire forces available.

“Either way, no time to delay ourselves with that literal fortress in the mountainside, we need to have the majority of our men go south to defend my castles.” Braydon himself was going to head to Serchi to try and implore the Marquess there to lend him some men.

“The southernmost pair?” Roan asked. They were the first castles that they took and it was likely that the first lords that tried to claim their castles back would be the former lords of those two castles.

“The very ones. Damaz should be fine for now and should Marquess Serchi lend his men then the northern castles should also be safe from harm.” There was a reason why Braydon had been so focused on taking the castles rather than the mines that he wanted. He would need to hold the land before he was able to start profiting from its resources. Castles were an incredibly good place to project power from.

“Then I am to lead the defence in the south?” Roan could guess where Braydon was going with that one.

“Yes, I will be going to Serchi and our mercenary friend will be in Damaz to head to wherever needs help the most.” Not that they would have many men left to leave in Damaz. About 200 men were already being used to garrison the castles that they had taken. That they had a local garrison in Damaz was a great help.

“Then I shall see to it that we shall keep everything we have gained.” Roan’s task would likely be more difficult than Braydon’s by a large margin but Braydon would have to be the one to talk to the Marquess directly if he wanted to have the best chance at convincing him.

“If you cannot hold a castle do not hesitate to retreat to the next best position. It would do us no good to lose our army when we cannot replenish it.” Braydon would rather keep his army and lose his gains than lose both. Obviously.

“I never intended to lose either, Sire.” Roan replied.

“I like the confidence.” Braydon smiled, Roan might not be as brash as Gerald or as experienced as Rhydian but he was every bit as confident as the pair of them. And so far he had shown himself to be at least as capable.