Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 204: Falmer’s Fears

"Shh! It’s all going to be over soon, sweetie" - a mother whispered, hugging her child tightly in her arms. Her voice trembled as she tried to keep her tone gentle - "Do you remember when we played hide-and-seek? It’s just like that now. We just need to stay quiet... and not be seen."

Outside, the heavy sound of horses’ hooves echoed ominously through the narrow streets of Drathla. The mother’s grip tightened around her child as her heart raced with fear, but she forced herself to remain firm. It wasn’t just her, every resident of the capital was paralyzed with terror, no one daring to make a sound.

Some held their breath, others buried their faces in their loved ones’ shoulders. It felt as though the spirits of their ancestors were riding through the streets, come to collect the souls of the living. No one had the courage to peek outside, not after hearing the desperate cries of the patrols, the same men who had, until recently, terrorized them. Now, those guards had fallen silent, drowned out by the ominous rhythm of hooves.

"Spread out and take every street in this city," Henry commanded, his gaze fixed on the dark silhouette of the royal castle looming in the distance, its shadow stretching across the wooden houses. "Once the city is secured, we move on to the palace."

Without hesitation, the cavalry, dressed in dark leather armor, urged their Snowfire horses forward. The horses’ hooves struck the snow-covered cobblestone streets, their muffled steps exuding a quiet but deadly power. As the cavalry disappeared into the winding streets, Leier reined her horse next to Henry.

"Good work, Leier," Henry said, his voice low and steady. His compliment was brief but enough for Leier to understand his satisfaction. She was one of his most efficient soldiers, perhaps the most efficient. Her abilities made her invaluable, especially in operations requiring stealth and precision.

"Where are Yngvi and the other dwarves?" Henry asked, glancing behind him as if expecting to see the small figures of his dwarven subjects.

"They stopped at the gates," Leier replied. "Said they’d catch up soon. They didn’t look too good." She couldn’t help but smirk slightly, recalling their faces.

Henry chuckled softly. The dwarves weren’t fond of riding, especially at high speeds. Throughout the journey, they had looked ready to vomit at any moment, their usual stout demeanor shaken by the unfamiliar motion of horseback travel. In fact, just before entering the city, they had begged to dismount and proceed on foot, fearing they might lose the contents of their stomachs if the pace quickened any further.

"Who the fuck is it?!" Falmer barked, his fear boiling into rage. He rose from the couch, moving cautiously toward the door, pressing his ear against it, making sure it was still locked.

"It’s me, my king," came the muffled voice of the guard he had sent for water earlier. "I brought the water you asked for."

Falmer exhaled sharply and unlocked the door, yanking it open with more force than necessary. His face was a mask of fury as he glared at the young guard standing on the other side, holding a jug of water.

Without a word, Falmer snatched the jug from his hands and drank deeply, the cool water soothing his dry throat.

"Why didn’t you answer me the first time?" Falmer demanded, wiping his mouth roughly with the back of his hand. His anger simmered beneath the surface, but the water had calmed him slightly.

The guard, clearly nervous, stammered, "Apologies, my king. I... I thought you heard me."

"Just shut up and stand by the door," Falmer snapped, eyeing the guard suspiciously. There was something off about him—he wasn’t sure what it was, but the man didn’t seem familiar. Was this even the same guard who’d fetched him the water?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. He was being paranoid. The stress of the looming invasion, the uncertainty of the northern front, it was all getting to him.

But still... something gnawed at his gut.

As the guard took his place by the door, Falmer paced the room, trying to shake the feeling of dread that clung to him. The castle felt too quiet.