Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 58: Feast(4)

The moon hung in the sky like a luminescent pearl, casting its glow over the darkened landscape below. Alpheo stood beneath its radiant light, his gaze fixed upon its serene beauty. As a child,when he was sold into slavery to a noble family where his days were filled with toil and his nights with hardship, he always liked to look at the moon.

His sleeping quarter was a small dark room , cold , dump and humid , his pillow was an hard rock, and the stony ground his bed.Yet the gods, always if they existed , blessed him with one small window. Too high to be used to escape, but not too low to dream of it.

Alpheo would steal moments in the dead of night, stealing away to his window to gaze upon the moon's luminous form. It was a ritual born out of necessity, a way to escape the relentless grind of his daily existence. With his back bloodied by the plays of his master's daughter , he always loved to gaze at the moon, that was his escape.

Jasmine's voice pierced through Alpheo's reverie, snapping him back to the present, though his eyes remained distant, hardened like stone. Memories, both bitter and sweet, danced in the recesses of his mind.

"You must really like the moon," Jasmine remarked, her tone tinged with a hint of irritation. Clearly, she wasn't accustomed to being ignored.

"Who doesn't?" Alpheo replied absently.

"None that I know of gaze upon it for so long," she pressed further.

"I'm guilty of that, at least," Alpheo conceded with a sigh, tearing his gaze away from the celestial body above. Surveying their surroundings, he realized they had left the confines of the feast and now strolled through the garden. It wasn't expansive, yet not cramped either. In its heart, one could lose themselves amidst the foliage,yet it was not like they could find the exit by walking for a few minutes.

"Is this proper, Your Grace? Walking alone with a man at night? Most people enjoy conversation with each other , and I assume the Yarzats are no different?" Alpheo inquired cautiously.

"On that, you're correct. They do love to chatter incessantly, it's their favorite pastime," Jasmine agreed, extending her arm toward him."Come, let us walk a bit. I adore these nighttime strolls," she invited, her smile radiant against the moonlit backdrop, her teeth gleaming like pearls.

Alpheo hesitated briefly before accepting it, allowing her to lead the way.

"Wouldn't your father be worried?" Alpheo voiced out, wary of causing any undue offense to his employer. After all, in the midst of a military campaign, he couldn't afford to earn the enmity of those he had his back to.

Alpheo's question elicited an even brighter smile from Jasmine,he took notice of that , and it unsettled him. "Your grace, perhaps it would be better to walk back. An unmarried woman walking with a mercenary is hardly a proper thing," he suggested tentatively, his mind racing with possibilities and suspicions.

But Jasmine merely chuckled in response, her laughter floating lightly on the night air as she continued to lead him through the garden, her steps purposeful and unwavering. Alpheo's unease grew with each passing moment, his thoughts spiraling into a frenzy of paranoia. 'Could this be a trap? Would they risk angering my men by killing me? Did someone in my company promise to take the reins and get paid less?' He thought as he looked everywhere fearing that from the shadows a dagger would appear

"Since when do mercenaries worry about what is proper?" Jasmine's voice cut through his tumultuous thoughts, her tone light yet loaded with meaning. Alpheo's expression hardened as he struggled to maintain his composure. "Since when are they hosted as guests, and they do not want to anger the one they is being hired by," he countered firmly, his gaze locked on hers.

But Jasmine's gaze held an intensity that gave him pause, and she tightened her grip on his arm. "He will hardly take ill of that. I can assure you of that," she asserted, her eyes boring into his with a confidence that left no room for doubt. "After all, he was the one who told me to accompany you on this walk."

He tensed, his muscles coiling with tension as he abruptly stopped in his tracks. A chuckle bubbled up from deep within him, escaping his lips and morphing into a full-fledged laugh that echoed through the quiet of the garden. Jasmine furrowed her brows in confusion.

Sensing her perplexity, Alpheo took a moment to compose himself, drawing in a few deep breaths to steady his racing thoughts. "Apologies, your grace," he began, his laughter fading into a wry smile. "I just find it amusing how people tend to underestimate a young person in a position of power. They see a young man leading a force of five hundred soldiers, all clad in steel, and their first instinct is to mock and belittle him."

He paused, his expression growing more serious as he continued. "They fail to consider on how such youth managed to earn the loyalty and respect of five hundred men double his age. Instead, they send their delicate flower, expecting this young leader to falter at the first sign of attention.Like a dog with a bitch in heat " His voice took on a bitter edge as he spoke, his gaze piercing through the darkness to meet Jasmine's eyes.

"Is your father so desperate for coin that he would send his own daughter to attempt to sway me into lowering our pay in hopes of bedding her ?"

Before he could register her reaction, Jasmine's hand shot out, her palm connecting with his cheek in a resounding slap. Alpheo's laughter subsided into a low chuckle, the sting of her slap quickly fading as he met her gaze with a mixture of amusement .

"Apologies for that, your grace," he began, his tone more conciliatory now. "Perhaps I am still too rash with my tongue. Young men may be inexperienced, but old men are often blinded by their prejudices."

Jasmine's smile faded, her arms no longer interlocked with his as she stepped back slightly. "Still, you were not wrong," she conceded "My father sent me here to seduce you. The charade is over, then. Did I play my part wrong?"

Alpheo shook his head, his fingers lightly brushing over his reddened cheek where her slap had landed. "No, you were flawless," he assured her. "But I am naturally paranoid. One does not rise to lead a band of blood-thirsty mercenaries without being cautious.Quite a strong arm your grace, my compliments ..."

That made her chuckle "Still, do I have to assume that our walk is done?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she extended her hand towards him once more. "My father's business may have concluded, but mine has not. May I be blessed with your attention again?You may find this conversation more to your liking this time..." And once again her smile returned, beautiful and yet as unsettling as a dagger over the throat, her arm hanging in the air like a sword only waiting to be wielded .

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