A Tale of Blades & Blood-Chapter 31: Brothers

[Ser Mareste's Point of View...]

Here we are now... I thought to myself, the young cunt, as they call me, the scarred warrior, and the owl... all in the same place again. Magrae has always hated me for what I am. Maerys thinks the same in one way or another... just silently. Madester doesn't even talk to me all that much... Maserr, on the other hand, is the only one that treats me like a brother.

Unlike the first war council, Ryene the Ravenman joined us, courtesy of the king's son, Lord Forien. I can't imagine being in his place, I thought, always being around his father must be... torture. We sat where we once were at the time when Lord Loreys was still here, or as my brother Magrae calls him- The Bastard Lord. Magrae sat nearest to the boy, then came Ryene, then my brother, Maserr, who sat next to Madester, who had arrived at midnight with his army, and farthest from the king's son... was me.

The king was not here. He's never here, I thought. He's already an absent father to the poor boy- now he's an absent king to his commanders as well. Gods... I complained in my head, how does a crown corrupt a man so much in a few days?

Sooner or later, the silence finally died... unfortunately.

"Why are you all so silent?" Magrae asked, his voice ragged and his face faintly red. Drunk, I noted, of course he's fucking drunk. "It's a war council! Not a fucking dinner party!" he laughed, tears of laughter coming out of his eyes as he pounded the table.

"Is the artillery ready?" Madester asked, looking at Maserr. "Have those southern builders earned their pay yet or are we doomed to take the castle with no siege weapons-"

"The trebuchets are ready..." I told him, "...so is the battering ram and the siege towers- they're all ready to go, brother, I assure you." I replied, giving him a smile of pride. I'm not your incompetent younger brother, I wanted to say, and I am no infant that I cannot even manage artillery on my own.

"Same plan as before?" Magrae asked, looking around for an answer, still drunk out of his mind.

"What we did at Northrest is impossible now..." the prince began, "...the walls are more secure and the men here are more prepared than the blue soldiers before. The best plan we have now is to surround the keep-"

"Surround the keep?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "My lord, those men have bows that have a far large range than ours- they have artillery on those walls that can rain boulders on our camps if we even get closer-"

"Look at him finally putting his brain to planning instead of whores and harlots!" Magrae exclaimed aloud, mocking me, extending his hand to me with a fake smile, his eyes perplexed. "We all know you're only good at following orders..." he began scornfully, "...so shut your ass hole and spare us the stupidity-"

"Can you just let me speak for once!?" I asked loudly. "T-this is a war council, brother..." I told him, "...not some place your emotions are welcome in at all- I have the right to say what I need to say like you do-"

"Ha!" he laughed loudly, slamming his hand on the table. "At least I say things that make sense! All you have coming out of your mouth is-"

"Both of you- enough!" Maserr commanded, silencing the table. "Both of you will stop this quarreling of yours at once or you will both leave this tent- is that understood!?" he asked loudly. When nobody answered out of fear, he asked again. "Is that understood!?" he asked louder, his voice echoing throughout the camp.

"Maserr's right..." Madester agreed, "...if we spend this time arguing nothing will be done and the southern campaign will fall. Get together and don't fucking kill one another." he remarked, looking at both of us separately. "Now, continue, Mareste..." he commanded, giving me a slight nod, "...at this point, any idea is worth it for our cause." he said, carefully situating his eyes to Magrae.

"As I was saying..." I began, clearing my throat, "...we cannot surround that castle without taking on a shower of arrows and an array of boulders coming down on us. Our best plan is to bring the walls down without getting closer-"

"That's just ridiculous-"

"Magrae!" Madester scolded. "Let him talk and you'll have your turn..." he commanded, "...continue on." he commanded softly. Magrae gave a scoff, shaking his head in disapproval.

"We could mine tunnels under the walls..." I told them, "...have the men burrow under a section weak enough, and when we destroy the foundations from below, the walls would surely fall-"

"And if they don't?" Magrae asked, tracing the rim of his cup with his finger as he rested his back on his chair. "If they find out they'll run over and collapse those tunnels in less than a day... day's worth of work and more than a hundred men killed under your command- a battering ram on the gates would be quicker-"

"The artillery will aid in making the walls collapse..." Maserr added, "...the mining strategy has been done before. Perhaps this time, they'll work again-"

"You boys didn't answer me..." Magrae began, louder, and more eager. He fixed his posture and swayed his finger towards me. "You do know we can't rely this war on 'maybe,' yes?" he asked, his smile turned to a frown, and his eyes more focused than ever. "Do you remember the last time you made a guess and gambled for it?" he asked aloud, pointing to his golden mask. I know, I wished to say, and I don't want to remember it anymore.

"Not in front of the prince, Magrae, please-"

"Don't build your war plans on 'maybe,' you little cunt!" he exclaimed, his teeth now bare and his eyes piercing my very soul. "If you want to go with that mining operation of yours- tell us why we should even consider-"

"It's been done before..." I told him, "...the walls of Ale Hall are heavier than that of a normal castle. They build their walls using bricks made of rugged whitestone... not like the smooth whitestone used in the walls and buildings of Northrest." I answered, looking deeply into his eyes, reading his mind and trying to counter all of his claims. I want you wrong, I wished to say, so that I may be right... for once. He never trusted me with any duties at all.

The old man, Ryene, cleared his throat. "Indeed, my lord..." he agreed, "...rugged whitestone is heavier than smooth whitestone..." he explained, his hands still folded, his skin was now more wrinkled, and the old man's eyes were... thin. "If we were to mine under the walls and sabotage their foundations, we could take down the walls and find a way of infiltration-"

"Maserr will help using the artillery..." Madester added, looking at Maserr with a brow raised. "You will lead them and fire on the base of the walls." he commanded, taking a sip from his cup of water.

"Aye..." Maserr replied, "...but we can't let food get in. We have to starve them out- but how?" he asked, gritting his teeth and stroking his chin. Starve them... I thought to myself, how do you starve a castle?

"We must secure the surrounding lands, Ser..." Lord Forien proposed, leaning closer and resting his elbows on the table, "...that way, our cavalry may intercept any supply line coming from Iron Port. Ser Madester will lead the cavalry." he commanded, his head turned to him in unison with the others.

"M-my lord..." he began, shaking his head, "...it is an honor- but I must refuse the offer-"

"Why?" Magrae asked, dumbfounded, letting out a small chuckle. "You're better at leading mounted men than any of us here! You've been a rider since we were little boys, Madester-"

"I cannot face House Levarion's cavalry, Magrae..." he replied, cutting him off. "Those horses are the only thing that even matches our steeds from the Free Lands... I cannot lead those men alone-"

"You're saying you need someone else to... help you?" Maserr asked, confused and still processing the thought. I found it very confusing myself. Madester needing help while leading the cavalry... I restated in my head, what an odd thing to imagine.

"What else does it sound like?" he asked with a chuckle. "I cannot ride down south and face them alone! I need someone to help me lead the cavalry-"

"I'll join you..." Magrae offered, sitting straight and grunting as he did, "...I can lead any kind of army- infantry, ranged, cavalry-"

"You're also the prince's guard..." Maserr reminded him, turning his head towards my drunk brother, "...you can't lead this battle, brother-"

"That leaves Ser Mareste!" Lord Forien exclaimed, silencing them both. "If Ser Maserr will lead the artillery and Ser Magrae and I will lead the infantry through the mines... you will lead the cavalry and cover us in the fields, Ser Mareste." he ordered, turning his head from Ser Maserr to me. It was just a shock to my brothers as it was to me. I always got the scraps- the men who were the black sheep among their brothers... why of all things am I being given the cavalry?

"M-m-my lord..." I began, letting out faint laughs to hide my surprise, "...I-I don't t-think this is a wise choice- I don't have any experience with cavalry- let alone stallions of the free folk-"

"You're dumb!" Magrae exclaimed loudly. "No need for the other words in your excuse- you're just dumb!" he finished, tilting his head to his left and turning his eyes towards me. "You can't lead an army- at least you're being honest-"

"Ser Mareste is the only option left, Ser..." Ravenman Ryene interfered, shuffling slightly and looking at Magrae with a powerful stare that even he couldn't match. "We are left with no other choice than to let him lead the cavalry. From what I have seen he is a good leader overall, Ser-"

"You have not seen enough of him- I'll tell you that one..." Magrae commented, looking at me with a scornful face. "He's more incompetent than a child of all things..." he remarked, giving me a disgusted stare.

"The old man is right..." Madester agreed, a touch of regret evident in his voice, "...if Mareste is the one I have left... so be it. He is my brother..." he admitted, giving me a firm pat on the shoulder partnered with his soft smile. A fake smile at that. "He will lead the cavalry with me." he gave in, giving a nod.

For a moment, the atmosphere seemed quiet, filled with regret with a touch of confusion and outrage. Surely, Magrae feels it, I thought to myself, anger, outrage...

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

When the prince dismissed us all, Magrae stormed out of the keep. I could hear his cup shatter into splinters and chips of wood as he aimed it for the closest thing he could have seen. Next after him came the prince, who went out with Maserr by his side as they discussed much of the plan. At last, came out Madester, who stopped for a moment before he went out the curtains. For a moment it would seem he had something to say... but he took those words back.

For some reason, the old man stayed behind... and so did I. Until now I could not comprehend what had happened, and all that was said. Me leading the cavalry... I remembered vividly, with Madester by my side as company... the best of us brothers to lead mounted men...

The responsibility both made me feel honored, yet dreadful. I knew this was my chance to prove my worth... but if I failed- like I did my brother all those years ago -what then will I have?

Would Madester have the same fate? Would another secret rise from us brothers, further tearing me apart from them all? Nobody knows the secret, I said in my head, nobody must know... they came so close to knowing- I cannot let it happen again.

For once, my smile died down. I could not bare such... hate anymore- such guilt. For years, I had hidden within me so many secrets... but a man could only keep so many. I wanted to ask for forgiveness for the hundredth time... but I knew forgiveness would find no solace in me... nor would peace, honor, or dignity.

Perhaps I am what my brothers call me- a man with shit for honor, whose heart is filled with nothing by pride and his mind thinking of nothing by bedding harlots from Iron Port to the Three Torches north.