"Take care to guide him against as many foolish militant tactics as possible. I do not want any more than one tenth of my standing army diminished because of him upon my return. Do you understand me, Ratko?"
I knew it was a damn-near impossible task, since Rens Aquiladessi was the variable in this equation, but I had seen before how capable Ratko Loncar was when pressed into a corner. He would need to prove capable once again.
"Aye," the captain nodded. "Understood, sire."
"And listen close, captain, because this is of dire importance," I continued, leaning down to get closer to him. "Do not make known your loyalty to me. Should you die, the mass of my military will, as well. If you allow that, soldier, do not doubt that I will steal you from the Realm of the Gone and extort from you the act of contrition owed to your mother for forcing her to birth such an incompetent cunt. Am I clear?"
"More so than the ice that plagues the north, sire."
