"Why should we take that risk? Our life is better than it has ever been before." Charles spoke up.
"Don't you want to live like actual royalty!? When we're long gone and dead, we'll be thought of as nothing more than members of a mercenary group that became an official army under the King's name. If we're lucky, then our Lord..." Lydia motioned to Pete. "Will take most of the credit for everything we've accomplished." She explained.
"Sounds good to me." Simon crossed his arms.
"But it could be even better if you followed my plan. Our legacy will expand tenfold if we overthrow the king! You, you, you, you, and even this thing!" Lydia pointed at everyone and even one of the Head's dog. "Will have their own legendary retelling. We could be treated like mythical figures after our passing! Some of you will be treated as heroes and figures to emulate for children to hear about growing up. Like fairy tales! But our story was real. Our story is real! All we need to do is take that step to grab it within our hands and ensure that our legacy as Hydra continues to the far future!" Lydia passionately shouted.
"More legends and stories don't sound too bad to me." Leo flipped his spinning blade into the air repeatedly and caught it.
"I don't give a damn about what happens after I'm dead, woman. I care about my life now. A life that could end in the near future because of your insanity!" Simon smashed his fist on the desk.
"Don't be such a coward! What bandit would dare to admit they were afraid to fight for gold?! Has living off the coattails of Hydra's rise made you lazy and afraid of death!? You'd rather die as a coward than live like nobles?!" Lydia shouted back, unafraid in the slightest.
"John. Control that woman of yours before I do it for you." Simon threatened.
"Ha! You're willing to come at me but shy away from fighting against the King's army?! You really are a pathetic dick-less son of a bitch!" Lydia slammed her palm on the table, glaring into Simon's eyes.
Simon shot up from his seat. Never in his life has he been insulted by a woman. Not even his own mother talked to him this way. There wasn't a single point in Simon's life where he was talked to in this manner by a lowly woman! In his humiliation and rage, it blinded him from the fact of who's woman he was arguing with in the first place. It also made him forget Pete's words from the beginning of this meeting.
Simon stormed over to Lydia and raised his hand to give this annoying sharp-mouthed woman a slap. Only for him to be taken off his feet somehow. Before his brain could properly analyze the situation, Lydia was already on top of him after slapping him first. She slapped his face without holding back her strength as she mounted him. Reality didn't begin to set in for the brutish man until he's already been slapped thrice times on the ground! "S-Stop! Get off of me!" His request was met with another slap. It wasn't until the bastard's face was swollen like a pig's and he was whimpering that Lydia stopped.
Lydia gave a relieved breath as she stood back up, leaving Simon bleeding and bruised on the ground. She looked refreshed, as if she just took a huge shit in the eyes of Leo. Her gaze made it toward the others who disagreed with her. "Now, are you all cowards too, or do you have other reasons for not wanting to agree with me?" She asked.
Nobody decided to respond. Seeing such a tiny, beautiful woman beat the absolute shit out of a grown man was something not even written about in myths and fairy tales. Simon was a big guy. He was more than a head above most men with the muscles to match. They heard rumors of John's wife, but none of them ever extended to her being able to fight. How do they reason with this she-beast of a woman without being seen as a coward? Most of the remaining Heads who disagreed with John's wife knew they couldn't defeat Simon in a straight fight. Trying to understand that somehow John's tiny wife was stronger than a man of Simon's size made them all speechless.
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement, gentlemen. Thank you for being reasonable and agreeing with me," Lydia spoke for them.
"Very well. It looks like there are no further disagreements." Pete gathered their attention. "Prepare your soldiers, everyone. We're waging war against the king's army soon. You'll be fighting against the nation's strongest soldiers. Be prepared as if you were going to die. Meeting adjourned." Pete stood up and left.
John, Leo, Lydia, and Robert left together. Those who disagreed with Lydia looked at Simon's quivering body as a reminder to be careful of her. They left him behind on the floor. Right now, they were already on John's wife shit list. Turning out like Simon was a very real possibility if they weren't careful.
______________________________________________
"An army is coming our way from where?" King Andrew frowned in annoyance.
"All around us, Your Majesty." The royal messenger was panting like a dog.
King Andrew and his court of advisors reacted with shock to the sudden news. Murmurs and heated discussions sprang up while dangerous gazes looked over at the King occasionally. The King and his very close followers did not like these looks. King Andrew took charge of the room with a sudden shout.
"Calm yourselves! We've been at war before. This time is no different! Act as proper men of your positions should, or I shall remove you from it." King Andrew threatened.
A few moments passed, and everyone settled down on the surface while inwardly, they were still panicking. An army doesn't just suddenly sprout up out of nowhere, and from the messenger's words, they were somehow surrounded!? What sense did this make?! Where were their armies positioned at the borders of the nation? Something should have warned them far ahead of time, even if the armies at the borders had fallen.
"Who is coming to attack our kingdom?" King Andrew demanded.
"Hydra." The royal messenger answered out of breath.
"Hydra..." King Andrew squeezed his royal throne with all of his power.
That name only reminded him of unpleasant things. It was almost every day that King Andrew had to hear about something regarding that group of mercenary peasants. The peasants around the kingdom were absolutely in love with them. There hasn't been a day that went by when Andrew didn't think about wiping them out.
King Andrew directed his furious gaze at the bishops who represented the church and, more recently, the common peasant. Like a peacock strutting around without a care in the world, the religious figures weren't bothered in the slightest. While everyone knew of the major connection between Hydra and the Church, there was no definite proof that they were in a partnership. All the impromptu investigations he had for several churches that were known to take up changes in how they were run resulted in nothing. No names, just sudden windfalls of money and parchment detailing how they should run things. Even secretly torturing captured monks and nuns did nothing to help aid him in locating Hydra or a branch of it. Those monks held on to their knowledge with dying breaths.
Blabbing about how they were dying for a just cause. Hydra has saved more lives than King Andrew ever could hope to! The Lord would look at Hydra and welcome them into Heaven with a smile. While King Andrew would be sent to hell for his evil, greedy, heartless soul! For some reason, his men wanted him to hear every word as if he asked for such extensive details. When all he asked was if they completed their task or not.
"How could this have happened?!" King Andrew demanded. He needed someone to blame.
"My lord, have you not read the messages I've delivered for these past few months?" The royal messenger politely, quietly, and hesitantly asked without looking up into the king's eyes.
"I'm sure I have. I've been quite busy trying to improve our kingdom. Remind me, what did they say?" King Andrew.
"I don't have the authority to read your letters, Your Majesty..."
Frustration filled King Andrew's bones. He looked to his advisors and hoped one of them had some useful information for once. Those from the Church merely smiled while contributing nothing. Those bastards were openly mocking him! If something happened to him, they would be delighted to see it! If anything did come to sort, he would make sure to burn every damn church down before he dies himself.
"Last I heard from Lord William, he was requesting aid from me. Soldiers, horses, and weapons."
"Lord Bartholomew also sent me a letter asking for help against some barbarians or something."
"Lord Philip did to same to me."
"And none of you idiots thought something was up!? Messenger, go bring the commander as we discuss how to deal with these treacherous peasants!" King Andrew ordered.
As the royal messenger fled out of the king's court, tensions rose. King Andrew could tell more than half of his court wanted to do nothing more than run away and hide in their homes. Abandoning their kingdom to the fate of mere peasants. Bandits, barbarians, and savages! Who were in bed with the Church who never liked him or his policies! However, he refused to go down alone. They were going to fight together or die together. There was no other option.