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I raised my hand to silence him.
“My father never waited in the comforts of his golden sheets and roasted chicken while his men were dying for him in mud and blood. I am his daughter and will follow his lead.”
An approving mutter erupted; the first heads started to nod.
“Nobody can ask more of a man than what is asked of a soldier. And to ask it of a man whose loyalty lies elsewhere would be cruel. So I shall not force you to remain in this army should you choose to leave.”
A wave of shocked chatter erupted. Dieter and Gerald exchanged worried glances.
“Instead,” I continued, paying them no mind, “I want to present you with my terms. Then it will be up to you to accept them or leave. If you decide to leave to join another cause, neither you nor your family shall be punished. But if you remain to ride under my banner, I expect you to do so as loyally as you did for my father. I expect you to fight to the bitter end with me no matter the nonsense other men might whisper into your ear.”
It grew dead silent again.
“For the men who stay with me”—I shifted again in my saddle—“I shall double your coin and grant you extra leave for this year to help with the transition of my rule.”
Excited shouts and chants erupted from the crowd.
“So what say you?” I shouted. “Will you fight my enemies with me?”
The men yelled my name while stretching clenched fists into the air. My lips curled into a victorious grin.
“Good,” I mumbled to myself. I might not be as strong as a bear, like my father was, but strength came in different shapes, and sometimes a clever mind could win a sword fight without ever touching a blade.
I turned Fiona to face Dieter, who was staring at me in awe.
“Pack up the camp. We are marching home to meet with the nobles. Some of them might need reminding who is wearing the crown.”
