Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 116: Life in the palace(1)

Alpheo's days in the palace were the dream life of every man . Each morning, he woke to the scent of roasted meats, fresh bread, and exotic fruits spread lavishly across long tables at the grand banquets held in his honor. Servants moved in hushed efficiency, ensuring that his every need was met before he could even voice it

During these meals the princess' mother always stared at him , as probably the thought of marrying her daughter to a no-good mercenary ate her from the inside. Alpheo could see however , they were both surprised by the manner in which Alpheo spoke and acted, as they expected something a little more vulgar from someone so beneath them.Of course he did many mistakes, though most of them were minor , but for the most part, Alpheo behaved as a good-mannered guest.

He ate heartily at every meal, indulging in the rich fare, but his mind never lingered long on food. His thoughts were consumed by the endless work ahead of him.@@novelbin@@

When he wasn't feasting, Alpheo worked tirelessly on the reform of his military band, transforming them , especially the new recruits into soldiers. He spent countless hours in the training yards, personally overseeing drills, restructuring ranks, and evaluating the men under his command, while replacing the officers he had lost at Saracena . These soldiers, who had once fought for nothing more than coin, were now being offered something far more valuable—land. Alpheo had vowed to reward them with plots of land after the end of the third year of service.An offer that was obviously given only to his oldest band of soldiers and not to the new recruits. 

Apart from building loyalty, Alpheo also sought to increase his army's strength, and he did so with the ransom he had recently secured from the nephew of the Prince of Oizen. That bounty, along with future dealings with Sorza, gave him a solid foundation. Currently, he had 23,000 silverii in his coffers, a sum that eased his efforts but also reminded him of the precarious state of the palace's finances, which he was displeased from founding empty.