AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good.” Akoro turned to her. “I must conquer a strong land for my people. And yours is the strongest.”
Naya blinked, surprised that he’d answered and with such conviction. What could she say to that?
He rounded the table, his gaze hardening on her.
"I want to know more about your father's military strategies," he said. “His ‘techniques,’ as you call them.”
Naya hummed out her response, trying not to smile. So his pride was still bruised.
"How did your father conquer those Lands? It’s too big for him to have taken it at once, especially with such a small army at the beginning. So how was he able to defeat the previous king without getting destroyed in the process?"
"He recruited many Alphas to join his army," Naya said, looking over at the Lox Empire map. "They came from all over the Lands. Many convinced members of their families and friends, acquaintances, people from their districts and home villages that my father would be a better leader and that he would unite the regions, and return the Land to what it should have been if Omegas had been treated well. There was always someone who was supportive of what he was trying to do in every city and village.”
Akoro grunted. No doubt, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. "So that means he had a strategy."
Naya finally glanced up at him. "He did."
He handed her one of the strange quill-like wooden writing instruments and pointed to a wooden slab on the corner of the table. "Tell me what he did. You can write on this tablet." He pressed the quill into the slab and swished his wrist. The tip left a dark mark on it. He held it out again to Naya. “Write it down.”
Naya frowned at him, taking it slowly. That meant they could read and write in the Common Tongue. “I just told you. He appealed to what his people needed, especially Alphas. It’s not very complicated to write down.”
“How did he organize them? How and when did they strike?”
“He traveled around the Lands to speak to Alphas, and then set up training camps. It went from there.”
Akoro lifted his head, looking down at her through narrow, cold eyes. He was clearly inconvenienced by her answer, but that was the truth. If he wanted more detail, he needed to ask for specifics.
Akoro exhaled and leaned on the table, his large hands spreading wide. “Maybe the King of Ashens wasn't a real threat,” he said watching her. “Maybe his army was unskilled, and maybe he wasn't present across the entire Lands like your father’s army is. You already told me it is difficult to unite these Lands, maybe the King of Ashens hadn't done it in any significant way that would have made it difficult for your father."
Heat crept up Naya’s neck and she glared back at him. "The King of Ashens had the Lands in an iron grip. He had thousands upon thousands of men dedicated to him, not just soldiers, but merchants and spies, wealthy Alphas he had placed strategically across the countries to give him information. He would kill anyone who was even a potential threat, and not in an honorable way, but through poison and strange accidents and disappearances. He had Talent-crafters who tortured people for fun. Nothing escaped his notice. My father had to train a whole army and plan his siege using secrecy, careful misdirection, and the trust of his men, under the watchful eye of a cruel man who valued knowledge and information. He spied on everyone across the Known Lands. Knowledge was his power."
Suddenly, she realized what she’d said and her stomach dropped. That’s exactly what Akoro was doing, gathering knowledge and power, beyond what he would have on the battlefield.
"But did the king have any soldiers?" he asked.
Naya swallowed, unable to get the bitterness from her throat. She knew she was there to give him information but there was a bigger picture. It wasn't just about brute force, which was her father's preferred way, it was also about understanding how the people would react. Akoro had already been spying on them, gathering information about everything that they could see and hear from the outside. But she was their real tool, to learn how the culture worked, understand the people and what they might do in a panic, if there would be any other resistance to their siege. She was the key to bringing down her own empire. “What do you mean?” she asked, weakly.
"I want to know if the King of Ashens had trained soldiers? Or poorly trained Alphas who were overcome by your father’s equally weak army.”
"The Lox were never poorly trained,” she said, a little too sharply. "Their training was meticulously conducted over years."
Akoro straightened, curiosity in his eyes. “Your father spent years planning this overthrow?”
"Yes. And the King of Ashens had many skilled soldiers. They weren’t trained in the type of combat my father had been trained in, but strong men with good skill and rigorous training. They were still defeated."
Akoro lifted his chin, his dark eyes roaming over her defensive stance, the corner of his mouth curling up. “You are proud of your Lox.”
Naya didn’t answer this time. What did he expect? This was the army she was going to command one day. Her father’s greatest achievement. They weren’t fucking weak.
Akoro was silent for a moment, staring down at the empty wooden tablet. "So your opinion is that it was your father’s combat skills and strategy that helped him to win the war and rule successfully?"
Naya nodded, not pointing out that he’d asked two different questions. Her father had definitely leaned into that when he first took over the Empire, but her mother’s influence had made him so much more. She’d never offer that information to Akoro. From now on, she had to control her temper and wait. He needed to ask for every piece of power he wanted from her.
He got up from his seat. "Then you will explain to me his combat style.” He walked to the door and Naya frowned, getting up and following him. He led her out of the room and took a sharp left down some steps and into a large, flat rooftop space surrounded by a wall that was about waist high on Akoro.
The city spread out before them, but he didn’t give her a chance to indulge the view. Along one side of the rooftop stood multiple stands holding a variety of weapons, from swords and spears to other weapons she didn't recognize.
Akoro led her into the space and then called to his guard, speaking quickly and quietly in the harsh language she was beginning to get used to hearing. The guard left and Akoro headed to the weapon stand. “If he trained his whole army in secret, then he must have a method for teaching it quickly and accurately."
