The Union

"Report" Timothy commanded as he sat cross-legged in front of the men. He had waited all night for their return and he couldn"t wait anymore to hear their reports.

"Your Majesty, we saw more than a dozen wagons of food in their camp. It seems our attack on the supply wagons is not effective. They came prepared." Elisar explained while still kneeling in front of Timothy.

Timothy felt disappointed. He had spent a lot of energy just to maneuver around Ivan"s army. Even though hundreds of experienced soldiers joined his cause, he expected the impact of his actions to be more drastic.

If Elisar"s description of Ivan"s supplies was correct, then his brother"s army could feed themselves for more than two weeks. They could also forage for food since this part of the Mercus Plains was fertile. Burning their food actually came into Timothy"s mind but with the details of the battle of knightsend now revealed to the public, such a strategy won"t work twice.

"So it"s a dud, huh?" Timothy said.

He adjusted his gaze towards Henry. "Take two hundred of our fastest and scatter them around. They will attack any foraging units."

"And I presume you want them to take the same stance as before?" the knight asked.

The reason why most of the soldiers guarding the supply wagons joined Timothy was because of his lenient but deadly stance against them. He offered them their lives if they join him and death if they continue their resistance. Of course many of those who surrendered were only cowards and Timothy had seen the danger of letting cowards into his army. But reputation was currently more important to him. He wanted to paint himself as a benevolent but strict leader. He will be both their carrot and their stick. Coupled with the fact that he had the moral high ground in this war, such a reputation would sow loyalty from the Castonians.

Timothy nodded his head to Henry"s question and the knight showed an expression of approval.

"And what about the soldiers? What are their sentiments? What are they discussing in the camp?" Timothy asked Elisar and Jop. He couldn"t help but put a hint of excitement in his voice. Other than the effect of the cut supply lines, Timothy was also excited to hear about the sentiment of the soldiers. If the news about the food was not very satisfactory, then maybe the opinion of the soldiers would be.

After hearing the question, Jop"s face showed signs displeasure. "Your Majesty…" he blurted but Elisar stopped him from speaking by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me explain the situation to His Majesty" Elisar said. Timothy could tell that the two men witnessed something serious inside the camp.

Elisar cleared his throat and opened his mouth. He was sweating.

"There are rumors" Elisar emphasized the last word. "the rumors say that Timothy Castonia is in fact a b.a.s.t.a.r.d of the late Queen Margaret "

"You dare put the word b.a.s.t.a.r.d and His Majesty"s name in the same sentence!" Abraham"s anger surged. It was terrifying like a devastating storm. Elisar and Jop flinched.

But Timothy was unfazed. He was too confused to mind the hostile atmosphere between Abraham and the two saboteurs.

"What do you mean?" he asked the two.

Elisar eyed Abraham first before answering as if gauging the huge man"s anger. "They say that your father is not King Leopold. And that you are a product of an unholy affair between a royal guard and Queen Margaret. The rumor started but it spread rapidly and we think Prince Ivan started it. In just one night, the whole camp was discussing the truth about the matter."

Timothy felt anxious about the news. He was not expecting this. Even if it was just a propaganda to weaken his claim and drag him down from his moral high ground, such a rumor was dangerous not just to him but also to the rest of the royal family especially his father.

If such rumor crossed the border to the other Kingdoms, future allies and trade partners would avoid Castonia. The already tarnished reputation of Castonia would be further dragged into the mud.

"And what are the reactions of the soldiers?" Timothy asked.

"Many of them are starting to believe it with the main reason being the difference between your appearance and Prince Ivan"s. Some of those who already believed the rumors are still on your side. But there were also those who had lost their faith in you"

His plan sort of failed.

That was Timothy"s realization. In the ambushes against the supply wagons, he had taught Arthur the value of reputation. He easily clinched the loyalty of the soldiers who guarded the supply wagons because of his reputation.

Now he can"t use the tactic again with the same effectiveness. Since he can"t stop the rumors from spreading, he must do something else to at least control its effects.

"Anything else?" Timothy again asked but this time, the tone of his voice was downcast.

Elisar shook his head. "I think that"s it Your Majesty."

"Then the two of you may be excused. I don"t have orders yet so you can rest."

After saluting to Timothy, the two men left the tent. Just after the exit of the tent stopped flapping, Arthur immediately opened his big mouth and Timothy was reminded of how much more the Prince had to learn.

"So is it true?" Arthur asked as if he was discussing a harmless gossip in the palace. "Are you a b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"

"Permission to break the Prince"s jaw Your Majesty." Abraham sneered and Arthur was silenced like a child.

"Permission denied. We can"t return him to his father with a broken jaw. But if he talks like that again, then I will personally break something of his" Timothy said. He sighed and took his crown off his head. He never thought that wearing a crown would put such weight into his head.

After staring at the ground for a while, Timothy asked for the opinion of the Knight in the room. "What do you think Henry? Am I a b.a.s.t.a.r.d?" he tried to ask calmly but his irritation showed.

Henry had the etiquette to walk towards his front before answering. The knight was unafraid of the p.i.s.sed Abraham. "I don"t" know Your Majesty. Only Queen Margaret could reveal the truth. Since she is dead, then we can never know the answer. In such cases, the only thing we can do is to look for clues and make an inference."

"Clues huh?" Timothy smiled bitterly. He didn"t want to look at the clues because they point to a conclusion he didn"t want to believe.

Growing up with Ivan, William and King Leopold, he had always known that his appearance differed greatly from them. The three had wide chins, striking eyes and brown hairs. Timothy on the other hand, had a small face with mellow eyes. His hair had a dark color and his body shape looked different and smaller compared to his siblings.

Another clue was King Leopold"s treatment of him. If he was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d of his mother, then the actions of King Leopold made sense.

But what really put weight into the rumor were the actions of Timothy"s mother when she died. Timothy was there when it happened. She was hallucinating when she died and kept mumbling a single line.

"Leopold don"t hate Timothy"

Up until now her mumbles were a mystery. But if Timothy was indeed a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, then all of these made sense. He felt pained that he can"t deny such allegations without lying to himself. He wanted to laugh at Ivan"s accusation and prove that it was a fallacy. But he can"t. According to Henry, all they could do is to look at the clues. The clues point towards him being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

He was conflicted. If he was indeed a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, then he had no right to declare war against King Leopold. He was a n.o.body, a commoner. If he remembers correctly, his mother was not a n.o.ble. She was a daughter of a servant in the palace who grew up with King Leopold. Even if he won the crown, it would feel like stealing it from the royal family.

If it was the old Timothy, he would have already been broken by now. But he was not the same Timothy. Things have changed and the thought of a sweet woman who was also his partner in everything gave Timothy strength. He was selfish, too selfish that it was shameless. The main reason why he was not shaken was his desire to be with Lucia. Being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d meant that he can"t marry her without destroying her name. So even if he was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he would deny it until his last breath.

He was also angry, furious at the Castonian soldiers for gossiping about him just like that. He sacrificed an easy life with Lucia for them. He bled for them and will probably die if he loses. Now they are losing their respect towards him just because Ivan spread something malicious.

Timothy finally stood up from his chair. His sudden move startled the three men.

With a determined face he declared, "I am not a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I will never be a b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

He looked at Henry. "Prepare the men. We will attack tonight." He clenched his teeth. "They are gossiping about my birthright as if I am just some lowly n.o.ble. It seems they have forgotten who they are gossiping about."

He then remembered that this could be another valuable lesson for Arthur.

"Arthur!" he called.

"Sir?!" Arthur blurted. He was so startled that he addressed Timothy in a military manner.

"I have taught you the value of love as a tool to draw loyalty. Now I will teach you how fear keeps men in line."