Dynasty: The Glorious Strategist (Dynasty Saga Book 3) (11 page)

Looking up at the woman Lymee smiled pretending to be unfazed by her words. “I simply do not feel that I have done anything worthy of any kind of honor or accreditation. I am after all only a lord of a minor Dynasty and am still new to being a noble.” Lymee smiled and blinked her eyes a few times. “I have after all only been a noble for two years, and what have I done but help win in two battles only numbering in the thousands, help my sister establish her own Dynasty and all the while being considered enemies of the entire kingdom.”

The room had grown eerily quiet now as everyone in attendance was staring at Lymee. Lymee paused for a moment as she let her words continue to sink in. Still with the friendliest smile she could muster she continued.

“I am sure that any noble here could claim as meager of accomplishments,” Lymee continued making sure that her tone did not carry with it any undertone of mockery. “For me to try and claim some higher honor than I deserve just to try and gain false acclamation would be an affront to everyone else here. Not to mention to the very name of both the Dynasty and the Family that I serve.”  

No one said a word for a long time. As if they were spellbound or more likely in complete shock. Lymee had after all just called their scheming beneath a true noble and if any of the Lords now tried to make any kind of claim to distinguished themselves they would have to claim more than what Lymee had done who had so openly stated that her accomplishments were nothing special.

It was Lord Kuan who broke the silence first turning back to whomever she was talking to and continuing on her conversation. This was enough to break whatever spell that held the other lords and they all went back to their discussing. Not long after several lords starting to make their way for the tables and were sitting down as if daring anyone to tell them to move.

“Well played, my lord,” Keo whispered leaning forward a bit so she could keep her voice lowered.

“Thank you,” Lymee smiled stroking Kitsune. In truth her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest it was beating so hard. She had dealt with nobles in the past but they were either her subordinates or she had been posing as a commoner. In both cases her actions really only affected herself but now everything she said and did was considered a reflection of all Su Dynasty.  

“You mind explaining to me what just happened?” Sai whispered. There seemed to be a hint of nervousness and fear in her voice.

“Taking a play out of my mother’s playbook,” Lymee stated. “She was always so overly humble about everything it infuriated me to no end.”

“So you are trying to anger them?” Sai asked.

“No, I am trying to make them underestimate me,” Lymee said with a bit of a smug smile. She glanced over at Keo who was also smiling. She seemed to understand what Lymee was going for.

“But if they think you are weak then they will try to push you around,” Sai stated. “It is usually best to show immediate and decisive force causing your opponents back down quickly.”

“Not when you are up against stronger opponents,” Lymee said. “I would much rather have them think me weaker than I am and so they use only a fraction of their power, instead of having them think me strong and then get overwhelmed when they bring down their full force.”

“So long as our lord walks the very fine line between humility and submissiveness,” Keo warned.

“That’s why you are here. To prevent me from crossing said line,” Lymee flashed her a smile and Lymee noticed that Keo genuinely smiled back.

A few seconds later a servant walked over to the table holding a large jug in her arms. Sitting on her knees she leaned over and filled the cup on the table. Lymee smiled at the servant in thanks as she picked up the cup. It would seem that Keo and Sai did not get a drink of their own.

“Do you know who that lords was?” Lymee asked taking a fake sip of the cup. The taste of rice wine filled her nose and mouth and she did her best not to cringe. Even the taste was too strong for her. Lymee had never been a drinker and Sake might as well have been pure alcohol.

“That was Lord Tuwa of Song Dynasty,” Keo said in a lowered voice. “She is the older half-sister of the current heir to Song Dynasty.”

“And many people think she will make a grab for the throne once their mother dies. Which if the rumors about their lords failing health are true that will be real soon,” Lymee finished finally connecting a face with the name. “There was talk about that when I was in Song last year. It would seem the current lord… Lord…”

“Lord Yun,” Keo said.

“Thank you. Lord Yun is a very passive ruler and as such Tuwa has gained the respect of the military with her more aggressive stance and policy on things.”

“My lord is correct,” Keo nodded. “And the fact that Lord Tuwa is here and not Lord Yun or her heir does not give me any hope for their future.”

Lymee thought it over as she brought the cup to her lips again. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Sai tense up as she stared at Lymee out the corner of her eye.

“Oh would you lighten up,” Lymee said lowering the cup. “No one here would be so brazen as to poison me in front of everyone. Right?” She looked back at Keo for reassurance.

Keo only winced slightly showing her own doubts. Not liking that answer Lymee slowly lowered the cup back to the table and placed her hands in her lap as she waited.

“That lord over there with the armor and extremely impractical hairstyle,” Lymee gestured to a woman clad in very shinny golden armor and overly ornate sword. She had so many sticks in her hair that it made her hair puff out so much her head looked twice its natural size.

“Lord Gail,” Keo said. “She is the ruler of Aoi dynasty. It is said she has nearly bankrupted her Dynasty so she can buy treatments to make herself appear more youthful.”

“Vanity my name is I,” Lymee mumbled looking the woman over. Now that she looked closer at the woman she did appear much older than Lymee had first thought. At first glance she looked to be in her early thirties but closer inspection she seemed to be more in her late forties. “She looks like she is here for a beauty contest not to fight a war.” 

“And her armor is quite impractical,” Sai sneered in disgust. “Having armor that curves out to accommodate one’s breast is not only impractical but pointless. It only makes one a larger target and hinders mobility.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Lymee leaned over and spoke in a whisper. “I think there is a lot of padding between her armor and her actual breasts.”

While Lymee could not see Sai’s face she could feel her smirk and Sai seemed to be sitting ever so much straighter.

“I do not see Lord Yung of Fu Dynasty anywhere,” Lymee said looking around the tent for anyone clad in the yellow colors that would match the guards outside.

“If I had to guess, she is going to try and show up last,” Keo said. “It is a minor power play on her part. If she is the last to show then we are forced to wait on her and nothing can start until she arrives.”

‘“She is assuming a lot isn’t she?” Lymee asked. “Also doesn’t she run the risk of being left with a less than favorable seating position?” Lymee looked around the room at the tables that were being filed one by one.

“Sadly,” Keo sighed. “I fear she is not so bold in her thinking. I highly doubt that this Lords’ Council will start without her. And I think Lord Yung is counting on all the seats being taken. She probably intends force a lesser noble to move and give up their spot as a way of showing dominance.”

“And where is the Gon Dynasty’s representative?” Lymee had not seen anyone clad in the forest green color of Gon either.

“Over there in the far right corner of the tent,” Keo did not move her hands or gesture in any way forcing Lymee to search for her herself.

Just as Keo had said in the far corner in a more dark secluded part of the tent stood three women. One of them was in her late forties early fifties. But despite her age she was dressed for battle wearing only the bare minimum of ornamentation. She was accompanied by two other women who looked to be more in their mid to late twenties. One was dressed for battle much like the older woman, clad with a thick hard leather chest piece and sword. While the third looked to be much younger and was dressed more elegantly in a long flowing dress that covered the arms and legs but left the entire front of her chest exposed all the way from her neck down to her navel.

“The older woman is Lord Niimu head of Gon Dynasty,” Keo said never once turning her gaze at the three women. “The two next to her are her two daughters. Lord Bao and Lord Lei. Lord Lei is the youngest and the one in the dress, presumably here only as an adviser. The one in armor is her second oldest. It would seem that Lord Niimu has left her oldest daughter and Heir back in Gon Dynasty.”

It made a kind of sense. It probably was not wise to bring the Lord and Heir to a battlefield where they could both be killed. Though Lymee had to admit the youngest girl was rather striking and she could not help but smile as she looked the woman over. Lymee started to imagine what she looked like out of that dress and what her skin would feel like to be caressed with her fingers. 

Lymee’s fantasies were cut short when Lord Kuan accompanied by another lord, this one wearing a deep blue and yellow trimmed dress, whom Lymee assumed was her older sister and Dynasty Lord, sat down next to Lymee’s table. Lymee glanced over at Kuan, their eyes briefly meeting as she took her place to the left of her apparent sister.

Kuan seemed quite pleased with herself as she sat there her hands resting on her knees and a faint smile on her face. She gave Lymee the slightest of nods before leaning over and whispering something in her sister’s ear.

Lymee looked around and saw that the other lords were all now taking their seats. It took Lymee a moment before she realized something strange. Many of the lesser nobles in choosing their seating were not in fact trying to sit closer to the throne but instead were all vying for seating closest to Lymee.

Lymee’s mind raced as she processed what that might mean. She glanced at Sai and Keo to see what their reactions were. Sai had not seemed to notice, that or she was doing an exceptionally good job of hiding it. Keo on the other hand had noticed and seemed just as intrigued as Lymee. The wheels in her mind spinning as she watched in silence.

  “Forgive my tardiness,” a soft meek voice called out. Lymee glanced over at the entrance of the Command Tent to see a petite woman wearing sparse pieces of armor over a more robe like yellow outfit with red patterns of cherry blossoms embroidered down the front leg. “I have no excuse for my actions.” The woman was accompanied by four other women one in armor three in more noble attire. Lymee noted that they entered after the apparent lord, a severe breach of protocol.

“If you were waiting for me then please go ahead and begin,” she said as she immediately headed over to the last vacant table that was situated somewhere near the middle front of the two rows. Without a word of complaint she sat down her four advisers sitting down beside her.

“Is that Lord Yung?” Lymee asked in a hushed tone.

“Correct, my lord,” Keo confirmed. “She has been the leader of Fu Dynasty since she came of age at fourteen, five years ago.”

That made the woman to be about the same age as Lymee. She sat with a warm smile on her face, her posture not as proper or straight as all the other lords. Her eyes darted around her innocently taking in the sight of it all.

“Not quite what I expected,” Lymee whispered. “The way you described her I thought she would be more cold and stern. But she seems a bit more warm and outgoing.”

Keo pursed her lips together. It would seem that she had been of a similar mindset.

“Perhaps she too is pretending to be humble,” Sai suggested.

Lymee ignored the implication that she was merely pretending to be humble. What Sai suggested might be true. Lymee looked the woman over again. She was currently gawking at all the people around her as she absently took sips from her cup.

Was it really all an act? If it was then she was very good.

A few minutes after Lord Yung sat down a small army of servants entered the tent all carrying various trays of food. Each of them sat down in front of a lord and set their tray of food on the table in front of them. They then began refilling any cups as well as setting down chopsticks for the Lords to take and eat with.

Lymee smiled and thanked the servant as she took the offered chopsticks. She poked at the food trying to determine what kind it was. It appeared to be some kind of salmon and crab which was odd considering how far away they were from any fishing villages. It would have taken a lot of work to get fish here and keep it preserved during such a long trip. Some lord was trying to show their influence.

Lymee looked up at Lord Yung once more who was happily eating her food seemingly without a care in the world. Was this another ploy of hers? Or was this the doing of some other lord? Showing them that they could do things like this, subtly enforcing their own right to lead. It would only work if the lords here actually bothered to find out who provided the food. Something they would be sure to do if any of them got sick from eating it. 

“Well first thing's first,” Lord Gail set her chopsticks down and straightened her back making her impractical chest armor stand out even more. The ornaments in her hair clanking together rather obnoxiously as she did so. “I think we need to appoint someone to be the supreme commander of this army of allied lords.”