Two weeks had passed since the fall of Arduronaven and the execution of Lord Vroghios. In those days, Alpheo had scarcely known rest. From dawn until the darkest hours of night, he immersed himself in the colossal task of solidifying control over the region and dealing with the mess he had caused . The weight of responsibility bore heavily on his shoulders, but the drive to complete what he had begun burned brighter.
Immediately following the city's capture, Alpheo had divided his army into two forces, sending them to the keeps and strongholds of Vroghios's sworn lords. Their task was clear: extract oaths of loyalty to House Veloni-Isha or crush any defiance. Letters had been sent ahead, each marked with Alpheo's seal, offering terms of fealty quite lenient as they exempted them from paying any tax for one year before resuming the previous rate of tribute they yearly paid to their lord.
