Sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains, painting warm stripes across the tangled sheets. Eon woke up, his body was sore in ways that had nothing to do with yesterday's battles. Teresa was still curled against him, her silver hair wildly cascaded over his chest, and one leg still draped possessively over his thigh. For a long moment he just watched her sleep, peaceful, unguarded, like the sharp edges of her usual sarcasm softened all of a sudden.
Then her lashes finally fluttered open, she blinked up at him, then realization hit. Red flush crept from her neck to the tips of her ears. She sat up abruptly, clutching the sheet to her chest, and started scanning the room.
"Looking for something?" Eon asked, his voice still a little rough with sleep.
"Uhh, My nightgown," she muttered, head still down, refusing to meet his eyes. "It has to be here somewhere, I think."
He glanced around lazily, then pointed with a grin. "Under the desk. I think it landed there when we fucked while standing over there, around… round four? No, maybe it was five."
Teresa's blush deepened to an almost comical crimson. She scrambled off the bed, sheet still wrapped around her like a toga, and snatched the crumpled fabric from beneath the desk. She turned her back to him as she slipped it on, her shoulders stiff with embarrassment.
Eon propped himself on an elbow, openly admiring the view of her back. "Why the sudden shyness? Bit late for modesty, isn't it? We spent the entire night trying to break the bed, forgot that?!"
She shot him a glare over her shoulder, though the pout tugging at her lips ruined the effect. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
Teresa tied the gown's laces with quick, jerky movements. "It's one thing in the dark, when everything feels… urgent. And it's another in daylight, when you can see every mark you left." She touched her neck self-consciously, he'd been thorough. "And when you're smirking like that…."
He laughed softly, sitting up. "Fair enough." Then his expression gentled. "Come here."
She hesitated, then crawled back onto the bed. He pulled her into his lap, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Last night was incredible. No regrets?"
Her pout faded. She rested her forehead against his. "None." Then came a pause. "But… if you decide to bring more girls into this house, and I know you will, because you're too soft-hearted not to, just… don't leave me behind, okay? Give me enough of your time. I'm not asking for exclusivity. Just…a little bit of your priority."
Eon blinked, surprised by the bluntness, then smiled. In this world, such arrangements were common among the powerful. And honestly? The male part of him, Jin-Ho included, didn't exactly object to the idea of beautiful women choosing him willingly. As long as no one got hurt. But still the idea of a woman proposing the idea herself, is very fucked up in his mind. But he didn't say anything to her.
He kissed her slowly. "You'll always have priority, Teresa. That's a promise."
She exhaled, like a tension leaving her shoulders. "Good. Now let me go before someone notices I spent the night in your room."
They dressed, Eon in fresh robes, Teresa smoothing her gown as best she could, and descended the stairs together. The mansion was already bustling. In the courtyard, Hans was directing a group of new workers: a dozen men and women in simple tunics, hauling crates and sweeping the stables. New recruits, Eon guessed. The old staff had fled after the mercenary attack and the thousands of denares soldiers on their doorstep didn't help.
Hans spotted them coming down and waved them over once he'd finished assigning tasks. "Morning, Master Eon, my lady. Sleep well?"
Teresa's ears twitched again, getting the point that this old bastard knew what he was asking, but she kept her face neutral. "Well enough. The new help looks promising."
"Aye," Hans said, wiping his brow. "Farmers' sons and daughters mostly. Desperate for steady work after last year's harvest tax hike. Loyal enough, I think, if we feed them."
Eon nodded toward the encampment visible beyond the gates, rows of Denare's tents stretching from the mansion's front yard to across the fields. "Speaking of feeding people… how are we managing the soldiers?"
Hans's face darkened. "That's the headache of the day. The Denares treasury covers their rations, thank the gods, but getting the food here? That's another matter."
Teresa folded her arms. "We can buy grain locally, but the harvest last year was poor. Adding a thousand soldiers' food, the prices are already climbing."
"Exactly," Hans said. "We could send wagons to the Denares estate, plenty of surplus there, but it's nearly two hundred miles on muddy roads. Bandits, breakdowns, spoiled goods… it'll cost a fortune in escorts and losses. We can't keep that up forever."
Eon frowned. "How long can we stretch current supplies?"
"Two weeks, maybe three if we ration." Hans rubbed his beard. "After that, we either send the army home or find a permanent solution. Keeping a marquess's full force here just to guard against the Hyra merchant guild's tantrum isn't sustainable."
Teresa's voice sharpened. "And the Hyra guild is definitely throwing a tantrum. Burning our warehouse wasn't a random raid. That was a message."
Eon's eyes narrowed. "Then maybe we send a warning message back. They're only a count's house, right? We have the Denares army, marquess rank. We outrank them, outnumber them. Why not just march in and end this?"
Hans gave a dry chuckle. "Ah, youth. If every problem could be solved by swinging the biggest sword…"
Teressa objected,"umm, hans maybe you forgot that he is an elf."
"Ohh, my bad. Given how young they all look, I just forget sometimes."
Teresa snorted. "He's not wrong in principle, Hans. But geography and politics aren't as cooperative as armies."
Eon jokingly asked Hans, "Explain it to this ignorant young man, then. I still don't know this kingdom's layout beyond 'north is cold, south is wet.'"
Hans sighed. "Let's go to the study room. Better to show than tell."
They moved to the familiar meeting room, there was a new polished oak table, shelves of dusty ledgers, and the large map Hans had used in previous meetings. After going inside Teressa sat down on a chair beside the table. Hans unrolled a detailed parchment across the table, weighing the corners with inkwells.
Eon leaned over it. Edger County sat almost centrally on this map, a modest wedge of land. To the north lay the sprawling Denares marquessate, rolling hills and fortresses. South: Hyra County, bordered by a wide, winding river that curved like a serpent. Beyond the river, Hyra's lands touched some other rivers on two sides, dotted with ports. On its west: Viscount Roderick Thorne's territory and a smaller baron's estate. East: the vast domain of Duke Hein, overseer of the entire northern kingdom.
Eon studied the map intently. "So if we want to attack Hyra county hypothetically, the attack routes would be only by crossing the river: north is our allies for now, but is completely opposite of south where Hyra county is, east is the duke, can't even think about crossing over that land. West means marching through Thorne and the baron, who are Hyra's trade partners. They'd never allow passage."
Teresa traced the river with one finger. "And that's the Blackroot River. Deep, fast currents, only three ports in a hundred miles, and all on Hyra's side. They control every crossing."
Hans tapped Hyra's riverside. "And their patrol boats aren't just fishing boats. Wind powered boats with mages standby, armed merchantmen, even the soldiers are trained for fighting on the water. I know they are not on the level of the Duke's army, but still, they are far better than any noble's house soldiers in the north. Trade over water built their wealth over decades for this exact reason, and they protect it fiercely."
"Exactly," Teresa said. "Leaves only the southern front, across the Blackroot. Even on that route we'd need boats, barges, pontoons… anything to ferry an army. Without them, the moment we try to attack Hyra, their mages will turn the river red."
Hans nodded grimly. "They'd sink us before half the troops reached the far bank. And if we somehow forced a crossing, we'd be exhausted, strung out, and facing prepared defenses on their side."
Eon rubbed his chin. "Then back to diplomacy? Buy peace?"
Hans gave a weary smile. "Looks like we have no option other than that. I've already sent letters through back channels. But after we humiliated their warehouse operation like that yesterday, Count Hyra's pride must be bruised. He'll demand reparations for sure, maybe even territory concessions. And if we pay, we will have nothing left. Considering the little land we have left after our own vassal house rebelled and took back a large chunk of land from us."
"Um, which Vassal was it again?"
Teressa had difficulty hearing,"Huh, what are you talking about? Don't you remember, didn't I tell you about it when it was happening back then? I think I did."
Eon made excuses,"Maybe I got them mixed up you know. Remembering all the Vassal houses name is harder than you think!"
Teressa corrected him with a look on her face,"But we only HAVE one Vassal. Which is Baron Tiara. Don't you remember, when I told you that Baron Tiara had rebelled and took the land which Count Edger had given to me as our marriage leverage? I clearly remember I told you! Are you okay? Feeling fever or something?" She put her hand on his forehead to check the temperature.
"No, I am okay. Just having some difficulty remembering the past few years' memories for some reason, that's all. You don't have to worry about this. It's nothing. Then Hans, what are the other options we have? Can we even try to negotiate or you could say mediate the situation somehow, clearly we can't win on an offensive attack?" he dodged Teressa's questioning somehow with this.
Hans said, "Option two: marriage alliance. Betroth someone important to Hyra's heir or someone from the house's member. Bind the houses together."
Hans hesitated slightly but still said. "As I have mentioned in the previous meeting that my daughter Clara is childhood friends with Hyra's second son Neir. He is one behind the merchant guild. They used to play together at festivals. If I could arrange a visit…."
Eon interrupted suddenly with an angry expression. "Nope. That is never going to happen. I can't let Clara marry a criminal like Neir. Even if they are childhood friends, it wouldn't be right. I know if the situation wouldn't be this dire then you never would have even suggested this, but still don't say things like that again. I don't trade life Hans. remember this fact in your heart. Next time don't mention things like that." He got angry hearing Hans suggesting his own daughter's sacrifice for the house.
Eon saw Carla several times in the past few days. She was a sweet, shy and very cute girl. Always coming into the mansion to give her cooked food to Hans. She lives alone just beside the mansion. Just thinking of her becoming a plaything for the people who treat women as objects to kidnap for selling them, made his anger for Hans more bigger.
Seeing Eon getting angry over this, Teressa stepped in by saying,"Forget it. Political marriages are chains, not bridges. Let's move on to other options."
"True," Hans admitted realizing his mistake. "And Clara would hate me for it. She's got her eye on a knight-captain."
"Ohh, who is that?" Teressa's eyes brightened suddenly hearing tales of romance between knight and maiden.
Eon tapped the map again to return her thoughts on this strategy meeting. "Economic pressure? Block their trade routes, starve their coffers."
Hans shook his head. "Won't work. We'd need the duke's blessing to interfere with river traffic. And Duke Hein hates disruption, his own taxes depend on smooth trade. Plus, Thorne and the western barons would complain loudly."
Eon traced an imaginary line from Edger's southern border inland. "What about sabotage? Small teams, night raids, burn their docks, sink a few ships. Make continued hostility too expensive for them to fix."
Hans winced. "Effective, perhaps. But deniable? No. They'd trace it back to us, and then we'd have open war anyway, only now with burned bridges and no allies willing to help if we choose these options."
Teresa leaned back, arms crossed. "Assassination?"
Both men looked at her.
She shrugged. "Count Hyra dies mysteriously. His heir might be more reasonable."
Hans looked scandalized. "My lady, we are not assassins. And succession wars are messy. The guilds all around the county might splinter, or worse, unite under Neir."
Eon exhaled slowly. "So direct assault is suicide. Diplomacy costs too much pride or freedom. Sabotage escalates. Assassination risks chaos."
He stared at the map a long moment, eyes narrowing. "Then we don't attack from outside. We attack from inside."
Hans frowned. "You mean… infiltration?"
"Exactly," Eon said, voice low. "Small groups, maybe even just me and a few trusted people. Slip across the river at night, in civilian guise or small boats. Once inside Hyra territory, we don't fight armies. We target the guild directly: warehouses, ledgers, leaders. Quiet, and precise. Make it impossible for them to continue the feud without collapsing their own profits."
Teresa's eyes gleamed with reluctant admiration. "Ruthless. Elegant. But if we're caught…"
"We won't be," Eon said flatly. "Not if we plan it right."
Hans looked troubled. "It's still war, my lord. Just quieter. And if word spreads that Edger is sending assassins…"
"Not assassins," Eon corrected while noticing the fact that Hans referred to him as my lord. "Surgical strikes. Property, not people, unless they force our hand."
Hans rubbed his temples. "Give me a little time before we choose that path. A week, perhaps two. Let me try the mediation route through Clara's connection. I will personally go over there to talk to them. Maybe we can salvage neutrality without blood."
Teresa glanced at Eon. "He's not wrong. War should be the last resort, not the first, plus war takes money, which we don't have. Hell just last week we couldn't even dream about taking back our land from Baron Tiara. But now we are talking about attacking Count Hyra. Heh, how the days change!" while saying that she had a warm smile on her face.
Eon studied the map one last time, then rolled it up slowly. "One week. Then we plan the river crossing, my quiet version."
Hans exhaled in relief. "Thank you, my lord."
As they left the study, Teresa slipped her hand into Eon's. "You know," she murmured, "for a man who spent last night utterly failing to be gentle, you're surprisingly good at strategy."
He smirked. "I have my moments."
Hans, trailing behind, pretended not to hear, but the small smile tugging at his beard suggested he'd heard everything.
Outside, the new workers continued their tasks, oblivious to the fate of counties being weighed in the study above.
One week. Then Eon would move.