88 Into the Flame

"Do you mean to say that they're all dead!?"

Ivan spitted the question after Braun informed him that Timothy had attacked five separate groups of supply caravans last night. They lost all the food and all the men guarding the supplies. Thankfully, they still have enough food for more than two weeks. It will be enough to get by.

The Baron was pacing back and forth inside Ivan's tent when he stopped to answer Ivan's query.

"No! Worse than that Ivan. Don't you understand the situation?"

Ivan didn't understand. What's worse than dead? Losing a few hundred men was a severe detriment to his forces. Even though fresh recruits were being sent to Nirvana from the other parts of Eastern Castonia, the men he just lost to Timothy's ambushes were veterans.

The Baron seemed to notice Ivan's confusion. He gave Ivan a disappointed expression.

"They have joined him Ivan. They have joined Timothy's side. You are losing men while he is gaining numbers." Braun trudged towards Ivan and pointed repeatedly to the ground to express the important of his next words. "This must not continue or else we would lose before there is even a battle"

After realizing that Braun was right and that their situation calls for immediate action, Ivan's first reaction was to ask for Skall's guidance. He looked at the Wismarine Prince who was sitting cross-legged in his chair.

Skall noticed his plea for help. He massaged his chin and leaned back. He was about to talk when Braun interrupted.

"No, Ivan." Braun's voice stole Ivan's attention. "You must not seek advice from him. The ways they do things in Wismar will not work here in Castonia. Castonians are more emotional and honorable than Wismarines."

"Ey!" Skall snapped. "Are you insulting us you old fool?"

Ivan also felt insulted. While Wismarines can be different to Castonians, they are not inferior. In fact, Ivan believes that Wismarines were better compared to Castonians. His stay in Wismar had taught him that the Wismarine way is always the best way.

"Leave us Braun." Ivan ordered.

"But.." The Baron tried to say something but stopped. With Ivan's determined gaze, Braun seemed to understand that he can't do anything.

Braun snorted and shook his head. He turned around and headed to the exit of the tent.

"I'm telling you Ivan. As a fellow Castonian, as a man who only wants the best for our Kingdom. This is a mistake. Attacking Timothy in his own domain is a mistake. You should have listened to your father."

The Baron pointed at Skall. "And listening to his advice will only aggravate our problems. Castonia is not Wismar."

With this warning, Braun left the tent and Ivan was left alone with Skall.

Ivan finally sighed. Talking to an old man with outdated views was stressful. Who does he think he is? Ivan had seen the efficiency and strength of Wismar. He had seen their power. It was only natural for a lesser nation like Castonia to follow the steps of a great kingdom. Also, Ivan had one more important reason for trusting Wismar.

Ivan went to his table and made some tea for Skall and himself. The water in the pot had cooled down a little, but it will do. With two cups in hand, he went to Skall and offered him a cup.

Skall took the cup and drank the tea. Ivan also drank from his cup. The warm liquid gave him relief in this cold night. The winter season was supposed to be a few months away but the air was already cold.

"So, what do we do?" Ivan asked. He really needed the guidance of Skall. He admits that he was not a smart man. But he was smart enough to depend on a great man like Skall.

It took Skall a long time to give Ivan an answer. The tea was already cold when he started to talk.

"Amir is dead" There was sadness in Skall's voice. Ivan understood the source of that sadness. He had seen the closeness between Skall and Amir. They were like brothers.

"He was a smart man so I was surprised when I heard the news that he was defeated. After I heard of the details of his death, I was more surprised. He shouldn't have lost. He was outnumbered a little but the villagers that time only had hunting spears, kitchen knives and other useless weapons. He shouldn't have lost, but he did."

"And that's because of Timothy?" Ivan guessed. He acknowledges that Timothy was a better leader than him. That bastard brother of his was good.

Skall finished his tea. The tea was not steaming so Ivan assumed that it was already cold just like his.

"Yes, it's because of him. The greatest strength of your brother is his ability to inspire loyalty. Loyalty is a valuable resource. Gold and armies may provide immediate power, but loyalty trumps these things in the long run."

"So what do we do?" Ivan asked the same question again. He understood what Skall said about loyalty and stuff but he can't derive a solution from it.

"Fortunately, loyalty is complex. It is an idea- intangible, unpredictable and sometimes fickle. It is a complicated thing. Braun is right, we can't let our situation continue. Your soldiers could have a mutiny. We must destroy Timothy's reputation. Reveal that he is not your father's son."

Ivan felt mixed emotions after hearing Skall's suggestion. He was afraid. He told his father that he would not reveal their family's secret. He knew that there's no going back after he revealed that Timothy is a bastard. This could destroy the royal family.

But he trusted Skall. Ivan trusted that Skall knew what he was doing. After a moment of contemplation, Ivan agreed.

"How? I can't prove that he is a bastard. The best we can have are rumors. We can't…"

"Rumors are enough Ivan. I thought you already knew about that." Skall cut him off "In Wismar, rumors can destroy someone's reputation. Everyone will not believe it of course, but soldiers… you know how they are. They like to talk and they love to listen. Let's give them a topic of conversation. It should be easy for us to circulate a rumor like that. After all, the two of you look nothing alike. Also, the biggest effect of this lies with Timothy himself. As smart as he is, your brother is emotional. This will affect him somehow."

Ivan's reluctance still lingered even after agreeing with Skall. This felt like jumping into the flame with Timothy. This will also damage them. He hoped that the damage they incur from this will be less severe compared to Timothy's.

"Okay" he nodded.

*************************************************************************************

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Erik's laughter boomed inside his cell. His eyes were tearful from his laughter. Sylvie just told him what happened last night.

"I know, right?" Sylvie was also laughing with Erik. "That was a great move. Your friend sure has talent."

"You bet he does. Timothy is good" he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Sylvie leaned against his back. Normally he would avoid physical contact with the crazy bitch, but he let it pass this time. There was a silence between them.

"Hey" Sylvie broke the silence. "Tell me honestly. Are you not jealous of him? He is a King now and many people worship his name while you are stuck here, labeled as a hostage. In terms of talent, you are not really far behind. You are the one who delayed General Sigurd's vanguard in the forest but they attributed the victory to your friend."

Erik sighed. If it was a month ago, he would have chosen not to answer Sylvie. But things were now different. She had become his primary source of conversation for the past month. Talking to her and being honest with his true feelings was refreshing.

As for her question, he found it hard to say that he was not jealous. Since they were little, people had always viewed him as Timothy's replacement. With Timothy's blinding radiance, Erik's own light had always been snubbed.

It was also true that he didn't deserve his current situation. Yes, it was his own choice to sacrifice his freedom for his friend. But living in isolation for the past few months was hard. He only had this crazy woman to talk to and he was sure that people outside viewed him as a damsel in distress.

"I am" Erik admitted. "You know, when King Leopold made me the squire of Timothy, I didn't say anything. I could have said no and it wouldn't have happened, but I didn't. A son of a Marquis becoming a squire. Our case was a first in the history of Castonia you know. Even though many people laughed at me and my family protested, I remained silent. But as I think about it now, I found that I was hurt and I felt insulted back then. All my life I followed Timothy. I am unnoticeable behind his shadow. Of course I am jealous."

Erik turned his head towards Sylvie and smiled. He then continued.

"But Timothy is my friend. He is my closest friend and I love him. So if you are trying to make me betray my friend, then just give up."

Sylvie also smiled and put her hand on Erik's face. She then pressed her mouth near his ear and whispered.

"Liar"