Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Alpheo sat in a chair within his working station, the soft glow of the afternoon sun streaming through the arched window, bathing the room in warmth. In his arms, little Basil wriggled, his tiny fists punching the air with all the strength his one-month-old body could muster. Alpheo couldn’t help but smile, a softness in his features as he gazed down at his son.

”Already ready to take on the world, aren’t you?” he murmured, his deep voice quiet and full of affection. Basil responded with a gurgle, his bright eyes locking onto his father’s face as though he understood every word.

Alpheo chuckled softly, the sound deep and unfamiliar even to himself. He reached out with his free hand to gently tickle Basil’s cheek, eliciting a tiny, toothless smile.

”You’ll be a strong one,” Alpheo said, his voice barely above a whisper. ”And clever too, I’ll make sure of it. You’ll have everything you need to be better than me”

He shifted Basil onto his shoulder,making small jumps . The baby’s soft breaths and laughs were the only sounds in the room.

”Rest easy, little one,” Alpheo whispered, pressing a kiss to the downy hair on Basil’s head. ”The world will wait for you to grow.”

The door to the room opened softly, and Jasmine entered, her movements graceful yet purposeful. After several weeks of well-earned rest following Basil’s birth, the princess had returned to her role as sovereign, resuming her duties to many of her subjects’ happiness, such as the nobility and the trade guild, who found in Alpheo a not too keen listener to their problems.

Jasmine had already begun addressing petitions, presiding over court matters, and managing the intricate politics of the realm—tasks that had been temporarily overseen by Alpheo during the latter months of her pregnancy. While he had performed these responsibilities diligently, it was clear that his heart had never been in them. The mundane rhythms of courtly life, the endless procession of petitioners, and the delicate balance of noble disputes were not where Alpheo’s passion laid.

Especially with the latter as most of the time he couldn’t bear to listen about the useless blabbers that he was supposed to preside over, appointing instead most of the time people to oversee them, completely washing his hands of it.This however in turn displeased some of the lords as they were to be judged by people who, most of the time were only small nobility or courtiers.

For him and for many, the return of Jasmine to her sovereign duties was a relief as water in a desert, Alpheohimself in particular was far happier to delegate the daily affairs of governance to her capable hands, allowing himself to focus on the matters that truly interested him. Whether it was refining the military, drafting reforms to strengthen the realm, or conceptualizing strategies for future ambitions, these were the pursuits that animated him.

It was clear for many that while Alpheo had a keen mind about the general idea of governing a country, on the daily duties that a prince was to perform, he came down short.He was in fact reliant many times on Shahab’s suggestions ,which sometimes, however, he did not listen to.

And now, with her return, he could finally step back and focus on the endeavors that made him tick—a prospect that brought a small, private smile to his face.

Jasmine quickly moved to her son, whom she scooped up with practiced ease, cradling him against her chest. Basil gurgled softly, his tiny hands brushing against her collar as she adjusted her hold. The tenderness in her movements was met with a warm smile from Alpheo, who stood nearby watching.

”I can’t tell you how relieved I am that I don’t have to deal with your duties anymore,” Alpheo said, his voice light .

Jasmine glanced at him, with a small smile as she gently rocked Basil. ”You certainly did your best,” she replied, her tone kind but with a playful edge. ”And for that, I’m grateful. Grandfather, most of all, is pleased to see things returning to how they were.”

Alpheo chuckled, stepping closer to the two of them. ”The feeling is mutual,” he said, reaching out to pet Basil’s soft, downy hair that had started to grow in earnest, completely ignoring the little jab he was just subject of . ”I have no stomach for those endless petitions and court disputes. Leave that to you—I’ll gladly stick to what I know best.”

Jasmine’s smile deepened as she watched the way Alpheo’s large hand carefully brushed over their son’s hair. ”Well, seeing him now, it makes all the bother of carrying him for nine months worth it,” she said softly, her voice brimming with maternal pride.

She hesitated for a moment before adding, ”Mother told me I’m lucky to have a son as my first-born.”

Alpheo smirked slightly, his expression playful. ”I wouldn’t want to take all the credit for that.”

Jasmine couldn’t help but laugh, the sound light and musical as she leaned her head against his

As Jasmine gently swayed with Basil in her arms, she glanced up at Alpheo, who suddenly remembered something ”I forgot to tell you.Our gamble on the rebels worked better than I could’ve hoped. The twin fortresses have fallen. Now we can easily besiege it and starve the capital without fear of having our supply lines harassed.’’

Jasmine tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing in thought. She didn’t know much about the intricacies of warfare; her knowledge was limited to what Alpheo had explained to her in simpler terms over time. A woman, after all, was not expected to inherit the throne, so all that she was taught was just some general knowledge just to appear cultured, as after all her fate was to be the key for a politcial allegiance that could benefit her father, so in that regard, she was completely ignorant.

Jasmine leaned back slightly, cradling Basil in her arms as she absentmindedly traced patterns over his tiny hand.

”Since we’re on the subject of what happened while I was absent I’ve been meaning to ask you about something that’s been bothering me.” She paused, searching his eyes as if weighing her words. ”You’ve always been very... resistant, shall we say, to the trade guild. And I know you’ve had your reasons, but what I don’t understand is why you refused to make use of our fleet when they offered money, for it.’’

We both know how much silver they were willing to part with. It’s not a small change, Alpheo.”

Her fingers stopped tracing patterns on Basil’s hand, and she looked up, meeting his gaze fully. ”It cost us a lot. Too much to just let it sit there in the water. To let it go to waste.”

Seeing the question, Alpheo sighed, bracing himself for the explanation he knew Jasmine would demand. He leaned back slightly, adjusting his posture as if preparing for a long discussion.

”Well,” he began, his voice steady but touched with the faint weariness of someone constantly juggling a dozen plans, ”soon enough, every ship we have will be needed elsewhere. This siege—” he gestured vaguely, as if pointing toward the distant island across the waves, ”—it might drag on longer than any of us want, from what I know after the victory at Rock Bottom, Imperator Gratios took some months before the isle fell. In just a few weeks, we’ll be sending an envoy to whoever lives across the sea, to make contact and hopefully strike a deal.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.

”If it goes well, and there are people willing to move—willing to join us—then we’ll need every single ship at our disposal. Not just for transporting them here but to protect them along the way. The waters are crawling with pirates these days, and every merchant ship is a target. A fleet of twenty warships might not solve everything, but it will certainly make any small-time pirate think twice before trying their luck.

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as his tone grew more deliberate. ”The truth is, I see the trade guild as more of a hindrance than a help. Their entire existence hinges on a few wealthy and powerful merchants wanting to control the prices of goods in the city. And to achieve that, they’ve devised a clever scheme—baiting smaller merchants with benefits that seem irresistible. To the small trader, the perks they offer far outweigh the costs of joining.”

Alpheo paused mid-sentence, his throat catching slightly as he spoke. He gave a quiet cough, reaching for a nearby cup of water. After taking a slow sip, he set the cup down and glanced at Jasmine with a faint smile.

”Apologies,” he murmured, his voice clearing.

”I was talking about the cost of creating a monopoly. So the small fishes are attracted by a bait, making them lose something , to gain another more important . But for the big merchants? It’s a completely different game. What they gain is far more significant than any cost they bear: control. They secure power over the entire mercantile economy of the city, dictating prices and monopolizing the flow of goods. They basically dominate the flow of coins getting inside and out of the city ”

Alpheo leaned back slightly, rubbing his chin before looking at Jasmine. ”Tell me, my dear,” he said with a wishful expression ”do you know how business operates as you move down the ladder of power? How each rung works to benefit the ones perched comfortably above it?” He gestured vaguely, his tone taking on a note of ironic amusement