Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Aela’s POV

“We should take out the port first. Faster it’s out of commission the sooner we can asset dominance over the region.” Andrew says, already planning troop movements. We haven’t even gotten reports about the current status of the Bellarn troops, and he’s planning a full-out war of terror.

“Too many innocent casualties. The port is also the only one for a radius of forty miles. You would starve people who have nothing to do with this conflict.” Ethan argues, and sadly, I agree. Damage to the port could hurt more than just the people of the port. Andrew and Ethan have been fighting constantly for days.

“Innocents? They have an oath to follow the Queen of Redland. They are welcoming the Bellarns with open arms. They are the enemy. I do believe harboring an enemy is called treason. We take out all of them, and no outside sources will be able to come back.” Andrew’s tone is angry and uncompassionate. It makes me shiver.

“Andrew if we go and set everything ablaze, we will have larger concerns afterward than just Bellar’s return. We’d have a rebellion, and it would be long and tedious to regain the trust of the region. We just renewed our vows for their protection and safety. If we break the fragile concept with one port, what is to say, the others will cast us all out.” I point out with a cold tone. I almost hate myself for the influence of the invisible force. I’m not sure when it's present and when it is not. “We will focus on the pass between Gillian and Nevar. Disrupt their connection and stop reinforcements. We can target the enemy better and not just punish the entire region.”

Andrew snorts, “Aela, your strategy may have worked well as a rebellion. But you don’t have the experience or knowledge to have a full functioning army with you.”

I growl, making the beams of the tent vibrate in its intonation and smirk inside when I see Andrew visually shiver from my response, “Was that an insult?”

“No! It was an observation. You aren’t thinking on the scale you need to. You aren’t ambushing Hou Ndours. You are pushing the Bellarn Army out of our territory. I have been training to fight against Bellarns all my life, and I am the best. I know and comprehend their methods better than anyone.” Andrew yells at me.

“Because the academy taught you all the successful methods, and you have to keep repeating them? Andrew, we were in constant conflict with Bellar for centuries. Now, they have a warmonger king who has inside information on the method you were taught. We can’t go by the book on this if we want to win.” I say, and Andrew glares at me angrily. Ethan mouth drops a bit, but it seems more awestruck with my reasoning.

“Aela, we have to strike at the port.” Andrew punctuates each word sharply. He is obviously exhausted with the debate, yet he is not the leader and the one with the ultimate decision. He can advise me to the best of his content, but it's not him making the choice to go to war or not. The fact that he isn’t using my title means he is pushing me down to be his subordinate. I will not tolerate it.

“It’s Princess or Commanding General. General Andrew, your opinion has been heard, but remember, at the end of the day it’s my decision, and I will not risk the lives of the entire region for one trade route.” I plop myself down in the chair next to the table.

Andrew does not even speak he just storms out of the tent. Ethan stands there and bows his head respectfully towards me, then exits in a more peaceful manner. Memories of all the times I listen to the men giving him terrible advice and knowing he could always come and discuss with me when everyone separated. He has tried to avoid me every time the argument comes into a near fist fight.

It's already been two weeks and the last of our men will be here the next day. A good force of nearly three hundred Bellar has been sent for defense. We do not want to make a move until our four hundred troops are ready.

I still have not slept well. I always wake up during an avalanche, which plunges me into the stormy clouds. I learned a lot at Toloda, but I have not had a chance to find anything more because I have to work and assess Redland’s defenses. Andrew has not crossed his bounds at all. Even when I find him in my tent when I wake up from my nightmare, he is always a respectable distance from me. His lingering looks at me are never lustful. It's full of regret and concern for me. I almost have the heart to pity him.

Andrew did have a good point this time around. I have always been on the attacking side of a smaller force, but even Hou Ndours had little respect for the structures or life. We could attack and not worry about the aftermath because we would be able to enrich the lives with our control when we liberated the civilians. Now, we have to be cautious because we would be considered the offenders, and then we will be retaliated against. Bellar is gaining control not by force but by offering them connections to basic necessities. Things we failed to offer to anyone outside of the capital, it seems.

Where did we go wrong?

I concentrate on the capital during my time. Lana was the one working with the other nobles to help support the critical remote villages. Yet, Nevar was left without a magistrate willing to listen to their struggles. They failed and in the end. I failed them.

Later in the evening, I stay up studying and trying to decide the best course of action when Andrew brings me dinner. He sits it next to me and I don’t eat it. I don’t have much of an appetite either. “Aela, you need to take a break. Get some sleep.”

“Dungan is more experienced than I am. If he’s putting effort into this, we are doomed.” I growl at myself for feeling unaccomplished. I can’t go against Dungan; he knows me too well. I don’t even know him.

“More experienced? He was a blacksmith’s apprentice in some remote village. So, he is a king, and you are a princess. You might even have more years of combat experience. You are so much more distinguished.” Andrew mumbles the compliment through his teeth. Did he just lie?

“Rumors say he’s more than just the base of those stories. He’s several centuries old now, and he’s the lupine that caused us so much trouble before the giants attacked.” I say, and Andrew looks at me shocked.

He sits down in a chair in front of me and clicks his tongue, “That is something to keep in mind now. I’ll send our scouts out to verify he’s not arrived yet.”