5 Kill the brutes

"Lady Brune! You may start your confession." Sasha said.

Lady Brune spoke at length.

Sasha reeled back from the shock at the number of secrets Lady Brune has revealed. However, by the time she finished talking, Sasha was sure of only one thing.

Lady Brune can't die.

She holds far too many secrets, and far too much money.

"My Lady. You can be a Brune no longer, nor could you take your maiden name. Choose a name for yourself. " Sasha told her.

Lady Brune looked surprised.

"I.. Sui, My lady. I chose Sui to be my new last name." She told Sasha.

"So be it. You are living on borrowed time, Lady Sui. Do not forget it." Sasha warned, before moving on from the room.

Lady Sui was freed from imprisonment, as was her daughter.

Lord Brune was beheaded.

The servants were left in the castle, and Sasha had two of her trusted servants verify all the details given by Lady sui, while she returned to the castle with Lord Brune's head.

The next day, a messenger left with white flag, and Lord Brune's head towards the camp underneath.

The knights below had fallen into disarray at the news of the death of their lord.

"Surrender, or die." The messenger conveyed Lady Sasha's will to the leading group.

"She is a witch and sorceress. She must die." The priest with the army exclaimed, talking about Sasha Winterchild.

Had it been a religious army, they would have jumped at the chance.

However, it is not.

The twin rose Army came from all the nearby lords, each with their own motive, each wanted to test Sasha Winterchild in their own way.

Now that she has proven to be this ruthless and decisive, there is no way they would sit here and oppose her.

At this time, another messenger ran in, crying out loud.

"My lords! The sell swords left. They were going to sack Lord Brune's castle." The messenger cried.

The army leaders were frozen in shock.

What are they supposed to do?

Even if they pack and leave, it's impossible to catch up with the sell swords, who in their leather armor and light cavalry move faster than the knights, who were in full plate armor.

So, it's impossible to catch up with them.

Half of them were sent to fight this war by pretending to be rebels, while their families pretended to be loyal to Sasha Winterchild. This way, they get benefits from both sides.

Now, Sasha Winterchild is far too powerful, and the lord who was supposed to give them benefits was already dead.

There's no point in waiting here any more.

The faster they cut their losses, the better it is.

If they reach home first, and inform of other's treachery to Sasha Winterchild, at least they would better showcase their loyalty. Even if they lose the benefits from Brune side, they stand to gain more from Winterchild side.

Moreover, Brune was but an upstart, while Sasha is a princess. The saying goes even the skinny camel is bigger than a fat horse.

The man in charge of the knights dispersed the meeting with this intention. However, none of the knights moved.

"Arlan! You are going to tattle on us, aren't you? You are not going anywhere, unless you agree to stick to a common story, and not blame any of us." One of the knights said.

Arlan Twinboats cursed internally.

This damned Falcon.

He is always too good at seeing through the deception and double speak.

However, what he said right now has value.

They either stay silent together, or die together.

Arlan woke up from his dream when Falcon said those words. He, himself, is returning to Twin Rose castle.

Dresmond's castle comes earlier than them, worse yet, the road to Dresmond is never closed by snow, given it lies in a plain.

It's all too plausible for at least half the families here to reach their houses before He reaches Twin Roses. It's also to his benefit they sign this paper together.

Thus, they all signed a treaty to keep it under wraps together. They have always been loyal to the Windcastle, and princess Sasha.

Now, one of them can't screw the remaining of them, no matter how much their teeth itch.

However, what they did not notice is that the man under the black helmet is not the same one as the knight from before. This man was a spy sent by Sasha.

From the beginning, Sasha targeted Dresmond heir, for the small folk under him complained he was a rapist and murderer. All the witnesses died before they reached Windcastle.

He was on par with the Flayers with his brutality, and his father is already on death bed, giving this heir free reign in his brutality towards commoners.

Dresmond castle is a strategic location. Sasha could not keep it in the hands of a brainless and sadistic brute. There were more than a fair number of ports spread like a fan around Windcastle.

The largest among them are seagull town, while all the smaller ports on western side pass through Dresmond castle to reach Windcastle. This is more important, given grain goes to smaller ports, while the exotic and special goods go to Seagull Town.

▬ ● ◘ ◘ ● ▬

Sasha Winterchild and her dragon hugged the tallest peak that oversaw the route to twin rose castle.

The sell sword company Lord Brune hired came from East. They were worst of the lot, and their leader enjoyed mutilating people for fun. He wreaked havoc on villagers around Twin Roses, while Lord Brune kept one eye open and one eye closed.

Leaving such cruel brutes alive is an affront to Sasha's creed. Kill them with out trace, she decided. let their bones feed forests for the days to come, she decreed with in her mind.

As soon as she saw the last sell sword cross the border, she flew in with her dragon.

'Ignis' she thought lightly.

The dragon descended like a silent shadow of death from the clouds, right atop mercenary company.

There's no warning.

There's no sign.

One minute, the sell swords gathered to make camp, next moment, all of them were burning to ashes in a hot white fire.

There were not even skeletons in the field. There is nothing but bone ash, and molten metal fragments in the shallow pool that formed beside the mountain.

The three knights, who were watching Sasha operate from atop the mountain, on the opposite side, stood watching motionlessly, their bodies frozen with a sense of awe and fear.

They were already in awe of the princess, but now, they feared her power.

Many had ideas about Sasha, hoping to be her suitors, and convince her to marry themselves by the virtue of their family's military power,etc... but ... now they know.

They stand behind Sasha Winterchild, or they perish. There is no taking control from her, unless she died. To think they would be able to take power from her hands just because they are married to her is a foolish dream.

Sure, they can sit on a throne, and be the dog that barks, but that will be all they will ever amount to, for Sasha will remain the ruler, no matter how far she sits away from the throne.

In the end, To die, or surrender, those are the only options available to their families.

To bring their family to glory of ruling mountain kingdom ? Not happening any time soon, unless they could also tame a dragon.

The majority of the knights returned to Twin roses, while the rest of them returned to their houses, to inform their parents of the failure of Lord Brune's rebellion.

Sasha returned to Windcastle. Moon Snow returned to hunting in the vast winter sea.

The day after the failed rebellion, first of the guests arrived to swear Loyalty.

House Sword is a knightly house, as opposed to landlords, but their family has a substantial amount of trade fortune, and the best trained army, albeit a small one.

Sasha accepted their loyalty gracefully, and extended an invitation to the Lady sword and their son.

All the nobles trickled in the next few days, promising her armies, supplies and any support she needed at all with all of their heart.

Sasha could truly see the power of the dragon.

Her cold heart froze over even more at the display.

She had been such a fool.

Had she not been such a fool who believed in non-existent things such as honor and honesty, her family would probably be alive today.

"My lady, letter from the Frontier." The steward of the castle handed her a letter.

Sasha extended her hand leisurely, taking the letter from his hands.

The content was something she had seen before.

Her half brother, no, cousin, Sasha corrected herself. Her cousin has died in service at the Frontier.

This is exactly as she has seen in her vision.

Sasha waved her hand, and the man who had given her the note left.

Only, she knew this news to be false news.

He was left to die inside the seal.

Only, her cousin was the first person to have not died inside the seal even after seven days.

The power dynamics of the Barrier changed in those seven days. Men who leave for frontier serve for life, but those who braved baptism of the seal could leave the Barrier, which Winterchild family kept armed and ready for war at a moments notice.

Barrier is a military establishment of an order of guards. It is independent from all the kingdoms.

Each lord is owed a minute amount of tax and men to the Barrier, for it protects all of the thousand kingdoms from the power of seal, not just Winterland.