Page 213 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
“We’re done here?” Kassein asked as soon as their eyes met.
“We are,” Kiera said. “There wasn’t much of a fight; many of them freaked out the second they saw the dragons inside... Not that those brats did more than break stuff and run around. Most of Sazaran’s and Kauser’s men have arrived too. They’re blocking the path to the camp, checking the last corners, and knocking out those who wouldn’t back down.”
“Casualties?”
“A few,” Kiera shrugged. “Some of their men wouldn’t stand down and fought until I killed them. A couple more fell to their deaths on the east flank. The captains are going around compiling reports, but basically, we’re good to go. We might catch some more on our way to the next mountain. At this pace, we could have three or four done before night falls.”
“They’re not going to the next mountain,” Kassein informed his sister. “All of those I saw were fleeing in all directions, but they didn’t have any proper exit strategy.”
“They didn’t get any reinforcement either,” Kiera said, raising an eyebrow. “It sounds like Tiev was right; they’re not as tight as we thought. That’s good news for us though, isn’t it?”
Kassein nodded, although he didn’t care too much for this kind of good news; he was still annoyed that they would have to search each mountain individually to find Alezya.
He had a general idea of where her home was, but with all the tunnels and entrances, it wasn’t exact.
“Your woman’s tough,” Kiera said, reading his mind. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“I need to get to the mountain she came from,” he said. “If they still have her, she might be injured or worse...”
“Shall we attack one of those which were most likely to be her home next? The next mountain over is the one she was always staring at, according to Lorey. It means she was quite far away when you first found her, but it’s not that unlikely.”
“Let’s do that.”
Kiera and Kassein worked together to lead the army to the next mountain they wanted to target, while the generals were tasked with making sure no man was left behind; as much as the generals and captains were reliable, they couldn’t forget that a large portion of the army was former criminals, and Kasseindidn’t want to risk a single one of them harming a woman or attacking an innocent while he wasn’t watching.
Thankfully, most of the men were excited at the prospect of another battle and followed without protest, and because they were all mixed in larger groups, no man could be left alone without someone noticing they were missing.
They were halfway to the next mountain when they confirmed all the men had followed, minus those who had been killed in the first battle.
“I’m still impressed by this army of ruffians,” Kiera said. “I expected a lot more to rebel or try some shit.”
“Those who disobey know what awaits them,” Kassein simply commented.
“The Commander made a great example of the consequences of such actions,” Sazaran nodded. “Many of our captains commended his strong hand in leading the camp. Between you and me, there are also many fights between the men, and those who have committed the worst crimes are often killed during the training duels by their opponents. After the Commander in Chief personally annihilated one of our worst units, we haven’t had any issue with someone stepping out of line. Although, not all of our men are downright monsters. Many are actually hoping to redeem themselves and turn over a new leaf!”
Kassein let his sister talk to the generals, but he was surprised by how much they praised him.
He had never been very vocal in leading his camp. While he had never cared about being too hard on his men, never letting the slightest offense slide, and never backed down from drawing blood, he hadn’t expected his unforgivingness to be seen as strong and dependable leadership.
The more he listened to the General, the more Kassein realized his regular need for violence had made his commandeven more respected, if not feared, which might have been an unexpectedly valid way to force former criminals to stay in line.
And while he and Kein wouldn’t fight anymore, he certainly had no intention to let any man who disobeyed orders or tried to do vile acts under his watch get off easy; Kassein might not enjoy the position of Commander in Chief per se, but he had a strong sense of justice, respect from his generals, and the strength to make any man surrender.
“Kassein?” His sister dragged him out of his thoughts. “We’re almost there. What’s got you daydreaming? Your woman?”
He glanced ahead at the mountain they were indeed about to reach and the generals who had left their side to go and give orders to the men, tightening the ranks, splitting them to various entry points, and securing the route back.
Now it was just him and Kiera leading, and with the young dragons running around their legs, most of their soldiers remained at a reasonable pace behind.
“I just... I never wanted to lead this army, but the generals are praising me like I did something more than fight my dragon and kill murderers.”
His sister chuckled.
“Sometimes a leader with a lot of charisma is more than enough. It’s not like you were a complete slob either, from what I heard. You showed up, attended meetings, solved conflicts, and exercised authority when they needed you to. Tievin did the paperwork, but you were the one who kept the men doing their tasks rather than fighting or pulling some bullshit. We were born and raised to be leaders, Kassein. Don’t think you failed just because you didn’t rule an entire empire. And I’m sure you’ll do great leading the north too. Not every leader needs to be involved in every aspect of their territory; sometimes, trusting others to know what to do has its perks. In a tense area with lotsof fighting and an army of criminals, a stronger guy to show who is in charge might have been just what was needed. Isn’t that the whole plan? Show the tribes who is the strongest and have them realize cooperation is intheirinterest. Sometimes diplomacy requires a bit of ass-kicking first, Kassein. Don’t worry; you’ve got things right.”
She patted his shoulder, and he nodded.
Either way, he couldn’t turn back now, and for Alezya’s sake, he wouldn’t back down. He didn’t care how many men he had to beat up to get to her, but she was his best reason to keep going.
