Grand Prince William Aquintaine

Grand Prince William Aquintaine

"Brother William..."

"Brother Alexander..."

The two Grand Princes are now sitting on the opposite end of a long table inside the commander's tent of the eighth legion encampment.

"Why are here Brother William? The North is really far from your estate in the capital."

"Are you concerned for me Brother Alexander? I didn't know that you care for someone who came from a different mother, brother."

Grand Prince William sneers at Grand Prince Alexander's sarcasm. The tension inside the tent is high and cold, both the Grand Prince won't back down on throwing shades and indirect insults to each other.

"Did you really come here in the north to spite me, William?"

Grand Prince Alexander VIII snorts in the respond of Grand Prince William. Born from different mothers, they are already struggling for power since they are young.

They have different factions vying for the crown of the emperor. They have attacked and ruined each other for the sake of the crown, it would be weird if they don't hate each other.

"No brother, I had come here on the orders of the imperial assembly to command the fourteenth legion myself. They say that commanding two legions by yourself would bring more harm than good for everyone brother."

"Is the assembly out of their minds? Dividing the army in this crucial moment, you planned this didn't you?"

Grand Prince Alexander VIII face turn ugly, it is not the time for dividing the two legions into different commands. Especially to his half-brother who would surely not cooperate with him in defeating the enemy.

After his few days here on the peninsula, he realizes that the enemy that they would soon fight is more cunning and powerful than the capital had anticipated.

"Hah! As if I alone can sway the entire assembly, this is the will of the empire."

Grand Prince William smirks seeing the ruined face of Grand Prince Alexander VIII, he can't let him alone get the glory for a war that is already won.

These barbarians for him are not a threat anymore and are now only a way to gain glory and prestige that can boost their faction's influence for the fight for the throne.

His two older twin brothers assured him that the campaign would be a walk in the park.

He can already start to imagine himself marching back to the capital in victory, having a victory parade and his own victory arch back in the capital. He might even usurp the leadership in the faction of his two older twin brothers who are just enjoying their lives back in the capital.

The empire loves heroes, and he would be one in this generation.

Tsk...

Grand Prince Alexander VIII can read what is running in the mind of his half-brother in front of him right now. He could only shake his head; his half-brother had no military and command experience and during his time in the academy had performed poorly.

And now commanding an entire legion for himself, that would be a disaster in the making.

"Then brother Alexander, give me the imperial standard of the fourteenth legion."

Grand Prince William is now smirking plainly in front of Grand Prince Alexander VIII. He knows that his older half-brother can't do anything to stop him having the fourteenth legion to his command.

Grand Prince Alexander VIII could only helplessly command one of his knights to fetch the fourteenth legion standard, even if he appeals to the imperial assembly to retract the order, it will take months and there is only a slight possibility that he could successfully convince the majority.

The two are looking to each other silently, they have nothing more to talk about aside from the command, Grand Prince William is still smiling on what he considers victory against Grand Prince Alexander VIII. While Grand Prince Alexander VIII regained his composure and is now looking calm to his half-brother.

"Where is my niece, Tessia?" Grand Prince William broke the silence between them by talking about the daughter of their deceased oldest brother and former Crown Prince, Grand Prince Frederick XII.

"Your niece, really William? You're funny."

"I'm just concerned with her well-being; Father has lost his mind for betrothing her to a Slavin. She could have been married off to a more prominent noble or a prince of one of the western kingdoms."

"What are you saying is tantamount to treason William."

Grand Prince Alexander's knights are holding their swords ready to sheathe as the Grand Prince just insulted the emperor. They are now just waiting for the command of Grand Prince Alexander to uphold justice, even if Grand Prince William is a prince, it is treasonous to speak bad about the emperor.

"You know that what I'm saying is a better option than the heir of the Margravate in the far south, even if he is famous in his success in the campaign, it didn't change the fact that he has the dirty Slavin blood in him."

Grand Prince William hates Slavin more than anyone else, her maternal side of the family is from the eastern side of the empire who is always facing Slavin incursions in the borders. He always sees the Slavin as hateful and barbarous people who only knows how to plunder and rape everything they laid their hands on.

"I don't know what you are talking about. The engagement is even still not official, father said it is up to Tessia and the young lord if they would go for it."

Grand Prince Alexander VIII can't say that he really fully supports the engagement. Her niece could be used for better political marriages that could increase the strength of their faction's bid for the throne.

The Margravate who is thousands of miles away from the mainland continent, is useless compared to the nobles and kingdoms nearer to the capital. What's more is that the young lord has a Slavin blood in him that is generally hated by most of the citizens of the empire.

"You know what I'm talking about. Even if we only share half the blood, we are still family you know." Grand Prince William said slyly.

The conversation between the two stops when the knight fetching the standard returns carrying the heavy golden dragon imperial standard of the fourteenth legion.

The knight then gives the standard to a knight of Grand Prince William standing in the corner.

Grand Prince William smiles seeing the fourteenth legion standard, he now officially in command of the fourteenth legion, he stands up and prepares to leave.

There is no need to stay any longer as he needs to meet the fourteenth legion in another camp away from here.

"Thank you, brother, for your kind cooperation. Let's meet again in Mora."

Grand Prince Alexander VIII could only look at the back of his half-brother leaving the tent. It seems that the campaign here in the north would become more complicated and harder for him and the empire.

His army is now half as the half is now in the hands of his half-brother, this would change a lot of the plans that he has for the future.

"Sigh... Summon the officers of the imperial knights and the eighth legion here."

"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

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