Chapter 869: Liam is up to something
"Are you running final drills?" he asked.
"Yes, Young Lord," Aldric replied. "His Grace ordered couple more drills before the royal procession enters the inner duchy. Formations, reception posture, emergency response routes. We are refining the last of it now."
Julian gave a small nod, then glanced again at the assembled soldiers.
"The number is higher than before," he said. "Why?"
There was the briefest pause before Aldric answered.
"Lord Liam has enlisted his own private soldiers into the formation," the commander said. "He stated that, with His Majesty’s arrival at hand, the family must be united. Whatever internal conflicts exist among us should be set aside for the duration of the visit."
Julian’s expression did not change much, but inwardly he remained skeptical.
Liam was not the sort of man who offered anything without calculating the return. On the surface, the gesture looked proper.
Even admirable.
Yet Julian had already seen enough of Liam’s methods to doubt that he was up to something.
Additional soldiers meant additional eyes, additional influence over security routes, and additional men whose first loyalty might not belong to the Duke at all.
"And these men will take orders from you without complication?"
"They have been placed under my command for the duration of the reception," Aldric said. "Lord Liam ordered them in front of me."
Julian studied the newly added soldiers more carefully now. Their discipline was real. Their armor was well kept. Nothing about them looked ceremonial or hollow.
That only made their presence more interesting.
Liam would not hand over weak pieces. If he was mixing his own force into the Duke’s display of strength, then he intended either to share the credit or to keep a hand close to the board while the King was watching.
"Very well," Julian said at last. "Continue the drill. When you are finished, assemble them properly. I will speak to all of them later."
Aldric bowed again. "As you command."
**
Julian did not interrupt the drill.
He simply stood at the edge of the formation and watched.
At first glance, everything looked excellent. The ranks moved cleanly. Shields rose and lowered in unison. The magic swordsmen shifted between close range combat and long range magics with the kind of discipline that only came from real training. Commander Aldric’s voice carried across the yard, and the knights answered without hesitation.
Then Julian stopped watching the whole formation and began watching them individually.
The Duke’s private soldiers moved like men who had fought under the same standard for years.
Their timing were in sync and they shared a familiar rhythm.
Meanwhile,
Liam’s newly added soldiers were just as sharp, but in a different way. Their spacing was slightly tighter. Their reaction to each command came half a breath faster. It was not sloppy or bad. If anything, they looked too well-prepared for a force that had joined just few days ago.
That was the first thing that felt off.
The second was their eyes.
Most knights kept their attention on the commander or the next movement of the drill.
However, Liam’s men did not.
Their eyes wandered here and there; across the yard’s exits, the balcony lines, the path leading into the main hall, and the elevated positions where archers would later stand. They were not simply training.
They were mapping the field.
Julian’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he knew they were up to something.
He turned his head slightly and called out,
"Commander."
Aldric looked over at once.
"A word."
The commander gave a final instruction to his captains, then crossed the yard and stopped a few paces from Julian.
"Young Lord."
Julian kept his eyes on the ranks.
"How long ago did Liam hand these men over?"
"Last night," Aldric answered. "They were already armed, ranked, and accounted for when they arrived."
"And their officers?"
"Three of them are captains under my authority," Aldric said.
Julian gave a soft, humorless breath.
"Watch the second line from the left. And the men nearest the east approach."
Aldric followed his gaze. For a moment the older man said nothing. Then his mouth tightened.
"They are reading the yard," Aldric murmured.
"Yes," Julian said.
Aldric’s voice dropped further.
"Do you believe Lord Liam intends something during the reception?"
"I believe Liam never does anything without purpose," Julian replied. "These men are too polished, too aware, and too comfortably placed for a last-moment gesture of unity. Whether he means to impress the King, protect his own position, or hold a knife behind a smile, I do not yet know. But they are not here only to complete a formation."
Aldric was quiet for a few seconds.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"For now, nothing dramatic," Julian said. "Finish the drill. Keep them under your voice. Do not let their captains take the major position. If Liam objects, tell him the Young Lord arranged everything."
A glint of understanding passed through Aldric’s eyes.
He bowed slightly.
"Yes, Young Lord."
Julian finally turned fully toward him.
"And Commander. If any of them break posture after the royal party arrives, take him under control."
"Yes, young lord."
Aldric returned to the formation at once and continued the drill.
**
Several minutes later, the drill finally came to an end.
"Form ranks!" Aldric’s voice rang across the training yard. "Full assembly!"
The soldiers immediately responded.
Armor clattered as they moved into position. What had been a scattered group of men only moments ago began to take shape. Soldiers moved into their assigned places, straightening their backs and adjusting their weapons as they formed orderly ranks.
Within a minute, the chaos of training had completely disappeared.
The entire yard fell silent.
Aldric slowly walked along the front of the formation, inspecting the ranks. He checked the spacing between the soldiers, the position of their weapons, and the discipline in their posture.
Satisfied with what he saw, he finally turned away from them.
His gaze settled on Julian.
Aldric approached him and lowered his head respectfully before speaking.
"They are ready, Young Lord."