Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

The great wooden gates of the castle groaned as they slowly swung open, the heavy chains rattling with each turn. Outside, waiting with anticipation, stood Rosalind, Jasmine, Alpheo, and his trusted companions, their eyes fixed on the figure approaching.

Shahab Filastin rode forward, his grey hair blowing wildly in the wind, his weathered face set in a scowl of clear displeasure. His sharp eyes flicked toward the walls, taking in the sight of Alpheo’s men holding the posts, and the anger in his expression deepened. No doubt, he was incensed that his army of 200 had been denied entry into the castle, clearly worried also for his own security

Despite his irritation, as Shahab spotted his daughter and granddaughter, his demeanor softened. Without hesitation, he dismounted, his boots hitting the ground with a solid thud. His steps quickened as he approached Rosalind and Jasmine, his outstretched arms beckoning them toward him.

”My dear girls,” he said, his voice warm, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface. He embraced both of them tightly, his grey hair falling into disarray as he leaned in. ”I was so worried,” he continued, pulling back to study their faces, relief evident despite his earlier frustration.

Alpheo watched the scene unfold, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

”At least the old man’s heart is in the right place,” he thought, his smile lingering. ”That might make things... easier.”

As the embrace finally ended, Lord Shahab’s piercing eyes locked onto the young man standing a few paces away, barely out of his teenage years.His voice, gruff and tinged with bitterness, cut through the moment.

”Why is that man standing here, instead of having his head removed from his shoulders?” Shahab growled, his eyes narrowing as they fixed on Alpheo with an intensity that could cut diamonds.

Alpheo, unfazed, offered a slow, deliberate bow, the faintest trace of a smile curling his lips. ”A real pleasure to see you again, my lord. I assume you’ve heard of the... unfortunate incident involving your son-in-law.”

Shahab’s gaze hardened, his jaw set like stone. ”Which is why I ask again—why is this thing still drawing breath? That murderer,” he spat, ”killed your husband.” His eyes flicked from Alpheo to his daughter, Rosalind, the sorrow and outrage clear in his expression.

Alpheo let the words hang in the air for a moment, the tension palpable, before stepping forward calmly, his voice level but unyielding. ”My lord, it’s rather ungracious of you to make such accusations. I only acted in self-defense, a matter that has already been discussed at length with Lady Rosalind and Princess Jasmine, and that many such as Sir Robert may testify.”

His tone remained measured, but there was a firmness behind his words, a reminder that this was no longer an unresolved dispute, but a settled matter. He continued, ”It was determined that I was innocent of any wrongdoing. After the battle, I merely sought repayment for a debt, a sum agreed upon between myself and the late Prince Arkawatt, your son-in-law. It was not a crime,but simply an accident ”

Shahab’s face darkened, but Alpheo pressed on, his gaze shifting to Jasmine. ”That debt led to my service under his rightful heir, her grace Princess Jasmine of House Veloni-isha, who, as you may know now, has also become my betrothed.”

Shahab’s face turned red with fury, veins bulging at his temple as he glared at Alpheo, his chest rising and falling rapidly as if he was on the verge of exploding. His hand trembled slightly as it moved toward the hilt of his sword, fingers curling around the grip. For a moment, it seemed as though the old lord would act on his rage and strike.

Alpheo’s companions, standing a few paces behind him, stiffened immediately. In a flash, each of them placed their hands on the hilts of their weapons, their eyes fixed on Shahab and his retainers. The tension was so thick it was nearly suffocating. Up on the walls, Alpheo’s hundreds of men responded just as swiftly. Arrows were nocked, swords drawn, and the gates behind Shahab’s entourage slammed shut with a thunderous clank, cutting off any chance of escape.

The silence was deafening as Shahab glanced around, his gaze flicking between the armed men surrounding him and his daughter and granddaughter, his breath catching in his throat.Both women stood still , and without saying a word, Jasmine gave him a subtle nod of reassurance.

The standoff lasted for what felt like an eternity, before, at last, Shahab exhaled sharply through his nose. With a slow, deliberate motion, he released the hilt of his sword, letting his hand fall to his side. His jaw tightened, and his voice was low and gravelly as he barked the order, ”Stand down.”

His men, who had been ready to draw their weapons in response, hesitated only for a moment before obeying, lowering their swords and spears. The soldiers on the walls, seeing the tension diffuse, slowly lowered their bows and relaxed their grips on their blades. The courtyard was still, although the air was charged with tension

Shahab glanced at Alpheo one last time, his eyes filled with disgust, before turning away to face his daughter and granddaughter.

There was an akward silence between everybody , broken only by the voice of Princess mother who suggested for everybody to enter the keep, away from prying eyes and to have a good talk.Something that everybody agreed on.

Once the tension in the courtyard finally broke, Shahab and his entourage, accompanied by Alpheo and his companions, were escorted inside the keep.

The group soon reached a large, windowless room, tucked far from the main halls of the keep. The thick wooden doors creaked open, and they all filed in, their footfalls muted by the cold stone floor. A heavy table sat in the center, surrounded by simple chairs.

Rosalind and Jasmine entered first, their expressions unreadable as they took seats at one end of the table. Shahab followed behind them, his face still set in a grim mask, though the rage that had overtaken him in the courtyard was now tempered with restraint. He took a seat across from his daughter and granddaughter, his eyes narrowing as he glanced toward Alpheo.

As they all settled into the tense stillness of the room, Alpheo leaned forward slightly, breaking the silence with a calm but firm voice. ”I assume much has happened since the battle, Lord Shahab. I’d like to hear it from you. What became of the army after our... separation?” He kept his tone measured, though there was an underlying current of suspicion that everyone in the room could sense.

Shahab’s weathered face tightened slightly, his gray eyes flicking toward his daughter and granddaughter before he responded. His voice was low, almost weary, as if the weight of recent events still bore heavily on him. ”After the battle was won, we pursued the fleeing soldiers for an entire day. We had hoped to cut them down as they ran, but most managed to slip away into the woods or scatter to their homes. Nevertheless, we looted the enemy camp, taking whatever spoils we could find, and returned to our own camp to regroup.”

He paused, his hand unconsciously gripping the arm of his chair as he spoke. ”When we arrived back at our camp, we found signs of battle—blood, wreckage, chaos. It didn’t take long to question the camp followers, those who remained behind. They told us what happened... how your men had been struck, ” Shahab’s voice hardened, ” and of how you killed Arkawatt.”

Alpheo remained silent, his gaze steady but unreadable. Shahab continued, his voice taking on a more deliberate tone. ”In the days that followed, we rested our troops, licking our wounds and wondering where you had gone, Alpheo. The camp was full of rumors—some said you had fled, taking your mercenaries and disappearing into the hills. Others believed you had been cut down in some skirmish. We didn’t know what to believe.”

Shahab’s jaw clenched for a moment before he went on. ”Then word came from the prince of Oizen, inquiring about the fate of his son. We had no answer for him, of course, as we had no idea what had happened in the capital. Our scouts reported that the enemy had fully retreated back into their lands, withdrawing after their defeat.”

He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he finished his account. ”As for our army, most of it broke apart. Each lord was eager to return to his own lands with whatever spoils he had gathered, caring little for anything beyond his own borders, now that the threat was deakt with . The only reason I didn’t leave with them was because of my worry for my daughter and granddaughter.” He glanced toward Rosalind and Jasmine. ”So, I came here, to find out what had become of them—and of you.”

’’I suppose that it was a big surprise for you’’Alpheo said with a cheeky smile as he leaned back on the sofa.

’’More than you would imagine...’’ Shahab retorted back, still having half a mind to take out his sword right then.