The day of our departure arrived and both Arthur and I are about to leave the capital. Father said that he will explain the situation to the king himself. Since, Arthur requested the guild to escort him to enter the border of the north, we took that job and it became our very first job. The travel to the North is somehow a little bit dangerous that's why father is always sending us with hundreds of guards on our way. He knew back then that we still couldn't handle ourselves. It is weird that I can see now the border of the north but I cannot enter it.
Arthur was excited to stay at the North but I warned him that even it is safe inside the border of the north he must not just relax around. Silvester will soon train him to supervise the North. Silvester doesn't know that I became an adventurer and I just let Arthur send him that message.
As soon we reach the border of North, the weather is getting colder and somehow it feels like home. It is soon to be winter but the North is already freezing cold. Cayden was shivering of coldness. When I saw the border gate of the North, I finally stop because I cannot enter the north. The soldiers who are guarding the gate realized it is me and they pay respect. They knew that I couldn't enter the North that's why they left their post instead.
"Captain, welcome back. Are you finally coming back to the North?" They excitedly ask.
"If I am still your captain, I will for sure beheaded you right now. Who told you to left your post?" I sarcastically said. But the truth is I really miss them.
They immediately bowed and ask for forgiveness. They said that they don't want to leave their post but upon seeing their captain coming from a distance, made them decided to at least pay respect.
"Don't do it next time, alright. Well, I am relieved that the North is still the same. Both my brother and Corra is doing great to handle all of you. Now, our little brother will train here so I want you to not go easy on him and teach him how we do it in the North." I said.
"Sister, please." Arthur said.
"Arthur, the North is no playground like the capital. Here, we must defend everything so that the kingdom will still be safe. You are now in the right age to fight seriously and to defend with your life." I said. Arthur didn't say a word after that. I looked at the guards and say some word of advice. "Arthur will still have to go to Norvin and meet my brother. So, I am expecting that he will arrive safe in Norvin, am I right soldiers?"
"Yes Captain, the duchess also sent envoys to guide your brother safely to Norvin." The soldier said.
"Who is now the current captain of the army?" I asked out of curiosity.
"It's Captain Galagid."
"Oh, so my vice-captain became the captain now. That fucker! Is he the same as before?" I ask.
"Sometimes the captain is just keeping himself entertained, captain, but he is a good captain to us. He is doing the same as you manage us before." The soldier said.
Galagid has the hobby of torturing bandits who are caught by the army and was put in the jail. He has a mess up personality and he doesn't care whether he have to torture nobles. He pretty much enjoys torturing nobles than bandits. He really is an obedient vassal and a good vice-captain. Sometimes, he also sleeps around with prostitutes but he never mistreats them.
"So anyway, protect the North with your life and never run away defeated. Recite the Norvin army protocol." I commanded.
Both the soldiers put their fists on their heart and stood up straight, it is actually the Norvin posture. "For the North we strive, we protect, we fight, we succeed and we die. Obedient people strive and those who does not deserve will die. The Norvin Army Protocol is the absolute law in the North that no one can break. We, part of the army, pledge our loyalty to the North and not to the King."
After the pledge, I decided to leave the place or else I might commit another mistake. We head to the South, while we are on our way, Cayden couldn't stop looking at me.
"Say it now or forever hold your peace." I said.
"Milady, that Norvin Protocol, is it a declaration to protest against to your kingdom? To me its sounds like it." Cayden asked.
"I also don't know… but the Norvin Protocol was created by our ancestors. I am telling you this because there is no way that you would tell this to other people. That protocol is indeed against to the kingdom's protocols but the king doesn't know about it. Only the loyal soldiers of the North will know it and there is a spell to it that if a soldier will break that law, he or she will die, after reciting that protocol." I explained.
"Are the Winters against the king?" Cayden asked.
"Nope… not really, but from what I know is that, the north is an independent territory of the kingdom. It means that its law is different to the kingdom, however the north also obeys the kingdom's law. The North army is huge and there are less corrupt official in there. Death is the punishment to those who breaks it. If there is a war breaks in the kingdom, the north is obliged to send quarter of its army to help but not the whole force." I said.
"I don't understand."
"Let's just say that the North has its own rule. Half of it comes from the kingdom and the rest are made in the North itself. All the dukedoms are the same that's why we are the one in the borders. However, the North is special since we didn't pledge at all to the previous king and to the current king. We stand alone. But we do help the kingdom in times of need and most of the military power comes from the North."
"So, you were saying that if happened you wage a war against the Kingdom, you are saying that you could easily win, milady?" Cayden wonder.
"Not really. There are other territories to watch out but let's just say that the king has only little authority when it comes to the North. That's why we choose to let you sister stay in the North. She is safe in there and she don't have to use concealing magic." I said.
"Is the North really for the Kingdom?" Cayden asked seriously.
I stop the horse from walking and looked at him. "The North is for the dukedom… and for the kingdom."
Cayden's eyes are somehow wondering, I can see through his eyes that he is hesitating. Perhaps he is thinking his previous home, Eleanor. It is clear that the nobles of the kingdom Eleanor are the one who collaborated with our kingdom's army to bring it down. It is normal for him to act like that. The betrayal of trusted vassals is the worse. Cayden's life turned upside down because of it.
"Are you disappointed to what you just learned? Or is it perhaps that you are pitying the kingdom that they couldn't actually hold the true strength of its territory?" I asked.
"Milady, you knew that my kingdom Eleanor, my mother land, fell into this kingdom's hand because of our treacherous nobles. Learning that this kingdom itself also is not stable in terms of holding power makes me happy. I just want you, the nobles of North, to do the same as those bastards did to my kingdom." Cayden said. Although his voice sounds that he really means it I can feel that he also taking pity to this kingdom whom turned him into a slave.
"You are a liar and not in the same time Cayden. I can see it through your eyes."
"…"
"You are happy that upon learning that the king's power in this kingdom is not stable as it looks in the outside. But you are pitying also this kingdom whom murdered your family, conquered your mother land and made slave fugitives out of its remaining royals. Are you perhaps thinking what would the royals of this kingdom will do if the same event that happened to you will happen to them? Don't worry. Because even the North go against the king, there are still loyal nobles who are in the right mind not to go against this gigantic kingdom. Your kingdom fell because you are indeed a small kingdom and perhaps not that strict monarch to its people. Your king might be soft-hearted that he always takes his vassals advice than generating his own. Your warriors are easy to manipulated from having a soft-hearted leader that was tricked, leading to her death. For having untrustworthy nobles that turned you into a toy, with a mindless body. If a kingdom, is as weak as you, then all the kingdoms will be like the FALLEN ELEANOR." I straight out my point.
"Mi…Milady, are you saying that we are weak that's why we are conquered?" Cayden clenched his fist.
"I thought that you are a mindless toy that couldn't even apprehend a simple explanation, but I must give you an applause for summarizing it in short." I said.
"You… son of a …" Cayden held his head experiencing that pain. So, his head will go nuts if he is about to get angry and say something not nice to his master. Interesting. I want to push him more.
"See… you can't even curse me. You are weak so accept the truth. You are indeed strong physically but not mentally. A strong kingdom must have a strong ruler both physically and mentally. You are not going to be under that stupid submissive spell if you are strong. There should never be a word such as FALLEN KINGDOM ELEANOR, if your ruler is strong." I said while trying to make him angrier.
Cayden is suffering from a severe headache and he is struggling while trying to squish his head. It must have been painful but he needs to accept the truth. I don't pity him seeing as he struggles to relieve the pain. He fell on his horse and pass out from the pain. So, this is the consequence of him trying to over power the spell casted on him. Poor fallen prince.