Dynasty: The Glorious Strategist (Dynasty Saga Book 3) (4 page)

“Honestly,” Lymee gave a smile as she leaned on her staff with both her hands, letting out a bit of a somber sigh. “Not much different from what it’s like now, from what I can tell. Corruption, hunger for power, war, death, strife. Seems that human nature stays the same regardless of the world or who’s running it.”

Gea let out a ‘humph’ as she seemingly thought it over. “Regardless my lord, you need to learn how to make your movements more graceful and fluid so you do not waste your efforts. Work with your natural advantages. Women tend to have better balance and flexibility. When you fight with only your hands your style reflexes this, moving gracefully instead of trying to use brute force. But put an actual weapon in your hand and you seem to think you must overpower your opponent with nothing but strength alone.”

Gea held up her spear demonstrating for Lymee, making a small circling motion with the blade of her spear. “Even with armor on it does not take much strength to cut a person down if you strike them in the right spots,” Gea stated. “With small alterations to your spear’s direction you can drastically change your angle of attack. Slipping past their guard, not powering through it.” She used her bottom hand to twirl the spear showing how little effort it took.

“You totally think you could take on Chee, don’t you?” Lymee said placing a hand on her hip.

“In a practice match?” Gea dropped her guard straightening her back. “Maybe. In a real fight? Doubtful. That woman has no fear. She does not fight to live, she fights to kill. It makes her a very tough adversary but a poor comrade on the battlefield.”

Lymee tilted her head to the side signaling that she wanted Gea to elaborate.

“My lord, battles are not won on the strength of the individual,” Gea explained. “They are won on the unity of the army. General Chee is a good rallying figure. She is a one man army who inspires confidence in our men as she plows through her opponents like some boar on a rampage. But our army can only handle one such as her. If our entire military force were made up of people with her skills and mindset, I doubt we would win even a single battle.”

“I can see that,” Lymee nodded. “Playing well with others is not really her strong suit.”

“Exactly, my lord,” Gea nodded then paused as she thought over what Lymee had said. “I think,” she frowned. “Honestly my lord, I have to guess at half the things you say.”

“It’s kinda my thing,” Lymee smiled adjusting her grip on her staff. “It makes me seem more intelligent.”

Gea nodded her head trying suppress a smile. “If my lord says that is so, then it is.”

“So why don’t we start with the basics then?” Lymee readied her guard and dropped into her stance.

“As you say, my lord,” Gea nodded raising her spear to meet Lymee’s and dropped into her own battle stance.

***

“It’s called crop rotation,” Lymee sighed. She sat slouched on a table absently trying to rub away her growing headache. She was already sore and tired from her bout with General Gea during their morning practice and the two women in front of her were using up the last remnant of her energy reserves.

Lymee was now dressed up as the proper noble everyone expected her to be. She wore a long flowing outfit with lots of colors and fancy patterns the dominant colors being red with some yellow mixed in. Admittedly the silk did feel better against her skin then the fine velvet that she had been wearing. Though that did not stop her from wearing her underwear. While the tailors had not quite replicated Lymee’s original bra and panties they had gotten close. And close was good enough for Lymee.

“If you plant different crops in an alternating pattern,” Lymee continued to explain her voice drained of energy. The hand not rubbing her head absently petting the fox curled up in her lap, “then the crops don’t use up as much of the nutrients in the soil. This prevents you from having poor harvests as well as more bountiful ones. The trick is to change the type of crop that you plant. Stock, root, leaf, what have you.”

“If that is true then why have our fields converted into grazing land?” the younger of the two women asked. Her name was Nuo. She was one of the government officials that Lymee had brought with her from Su Province. Along with her older companion, Jiang, it was their job to find the best and most practical ways to implement Lymee’s ideas and innovations.

“First, because if the fields can get a break then they can naturally recover the nutrients that they have lost,” Lymee stated. She was sure that she had already explained this in her journal but Nuo was never one to just take what Lymee had written and go with it. “Second, the animals will help fertilize the ground as they graze. I think clovers are supposed to be good for this as well but I honestly did not pay attention when they were explaining this to me in class.”

“Very insightful, my lord,” the much older woman stated. Her name was Jiang. She was Rin’s personal adviser and the former adviser to Rin’s mother. She was the exact opposite of Nuo seemingly agreeing with everything that Lymee said without question, almost as if she was eager to prove her unquestioning loyalty.

Out of the two Lymee liked Nuo over Jiang. While Lymee was fairly certain Nuo hated Lymee, there was no question as to her motives and Lymee knew where she stood with the woman. Jiang on the other hand was a politician first and foremost. She did what she thought was best for her and herself alone. As such Lymee had no idea what Jiang’s personal feelings or thoughts were. She could despise Lymee even more than Nuo for all Lymee knew.

“Is that all?” Lymee asked looking up at the two. “Because it has already been a long morning and I still got things to do after this.”

“One thing if I may, my lord,” Nuo spoke up.

“Official Nuo,” Jiang snapped. “Can you not see that Lord Sun is tired? We should leave her be.”

“I can speak for myself, thank you,” Lymee said glaring at Jiang, warning her not to say things on her behalf. “What’s up, Nuo?”

Nuo froze at the question, her eyes darting at the ceiling as if searching for an answer of some kind. “The sky, my lord.”

Lymee frowned not sure what was going on then realized that Nuo had just told her what was up. She did her best to hold back her laughter to the point of hiding her mouth behind her hand but she could not stop her shoulders from jolting as well as the soft chuckles that followed.

“I mean, please ask your question,” Lymee clarified taking several quick breaths to try and calm herself.

Nodding her head Nuo continued seemingly unfazed by the miscommunication. “I noticed in your journal that you sometimes give suggested military tactics but very rarely do you ever suggest advance weapons such as the crossbow, or trebuchet. Why is that?”

“You know I had a similar discussion with Keo when I first came here,” Lymee caught herself from saying ‘this world’. While it was not a secret that Lymee was from another world it was not something they liked to spread around either. By saying she was from another world only led credence to the numerous rumors that she was actually from The Heavens themselves.

“Really?” Nuo seemed to perk up slightly at the mention of Keo’s name.

It was not the first time that Lymee had noticed her do that. The best that Lymee could figure was that the woman had some kind of admiration for the woman. Such admiration was not surprising as Lymee also admired Keo. Keo was once a common servant who rose to top adviser to a Dynasty Lord as well as becoming said lord’s head strategist. And even a fool could tell that Keo had earned every bit of it. Regardless of the fact she was also banging the aforementioned lord on a nightly basis.

Lymee smiled at that thought.

Lymee felt Kitsune’s tail flick across her wrist bringing Lymee out of her fantasies. She then noticed that Jiang and Nuo were waiting for her to continue.

“Right,” Lymee said sitting back in her chair her other hand falling on Kitsune. “I told her that any of the knowledge that I possess could be dangerous. Too much change too quickly could be disastrous but even more so when it comes to weapons. Killing more efficiently is still killing, only it is not just ourselves that we would be harming.”

“But a powerful edge could act as a deterrent to other Dynasties,” Nuo pointed out.

“As well as an incentive,” Lymee shot back. “And not just for our enemies but to the people wielding the weapons. To have such overwhelming power can very quickly go to one's head. And the abuse of that power is not only easy but it can lead to destruction on such a scale the likes that have never been seen before.”

Nuo did not seem to fully accept Lymee’s words but she did not press the matter further.

“If that is all,” Lymee said looking between the two.

“Of course my lord,” Jiang said bowing her head before collecting her things to leave.

Nuo did the same though with a bit less fervor. Once they were gone Lymee let out a loud sigh as she hung her head on the back of the chair her arms hanging lifelessly to her sides.

“About time,” Kitsune said throwing her legs over the arm of the chair while she hung her head off the other side. “I don’t know how much longer I could have taken those two prattling on.”

“They just have a lot of questions,” Lymee said seemingly not noticing the woman now sitting in her lap. “I am explaining concepts that don’t even exist in this world. It’s only natural that they have questions.”

“But the young pretty one seems rather reluctant to listen to anything you have to say regardless of how simple it is to understand,” Kitsune said placing her hands behind her head using them as a pillow while stretching out her legs and pointing her toes.

“And Jiang agrees with everything regardless of how outlandish,” Lymee nodded letting her hands rest on Kitsune’s stomach. “The hope being that the two will balance each other out.”

“Or you could just get rid of both of them and personally tell everyone what to do,” Kitsune suggested looking up at Lymee with her glowing yellow eyes raising her dark red eyebrows.

“As if I have a clue what implementing half this stuff would entail,” Lymee snorted. “And just imagining the paperwork that I would have to do gives me a headache.”

“A bigger one than you have right now?’ Kitsune asked reaching up with one hand and touching two fingers to Lymee’s temples.

Lymee hummed in pleasure letting the soft warm feeling from Kitsune’s touch washed over her. Lymee smiled as she reached up putting her hand on top of Kitsune’s grabbing her two extended fingers. The fox woman’s ears twitched with happiness as her hand cupped the side of Lymee’s face. She shifted her weight in Lymee’s lap as she drew her face closer to Lymee’s. Lymee did not move away as their lips met sending a tingling feeling throughout Lymee’s body.

Kitsune’s other hand started working its way between the folds of Lymee’s dress pushing the clothing aside until she reached Lymee’s breasts and gave them a firm squeeze.

Lymee clinched her teeth to stifle her moan from the sensation of being touched. Kitsune just smiled smugly as she continued to work her hands around Lymee’s body.

CHAPTER 2

“It’s a beautiful day,” Rin said as she stared up at the clear blue sky, her head laying on Lymee’s lap.

The two of them were resting on a blanket in the center of a lush garden surrounded by various colorful trees and other plants. Yunna and Bai were standing off in the distance far enough away to be out of sight but close enough to be of assistance if they were needed.

“It is,” Lymee agreed looking down at Rin, stroking the hair out of her face.

“Would you be serious?” Rin laughed turning her head to hide her blushing face.

“I am being serious,” Lymee chuckled, reaching over and grabbing a piece of fruit from the nearby dish and popping it into her mouth. Lymee had never been one for fruit but it was amazing how when something was no longer readily available at how tasty it suddenly became. “I think it is a very beautiful day,” she continued chewing on the fruit piece. “I always enjoyed autumn weather. The trees are colorful but it’s not yet too cold to enjoy it, and the days aren’t so short yet as to feel that you have no time to do anything.”

“What was this time like in your world?” Rin asked as Lymee casually fed her a piece of fruit with her fingers. Rin suckled on Lymee’s fingertips with a seductive look.

“We would be nearing Halloween right about now,” Lymee said thinking back on her old world. “So everything was colored in orange and black. Candy was being sold at a premium and I probably would have already eaten half of it, forcing my mom to go out and by more. She would always try to hide it in the top cupboards like I was still a child unable to reach. Then after that we would start gearing up for Thanksgiving less than a month later. And as soon as that was over it would be time for Christmas.”

Rin just lay there silently listening to Lymee ramble despite the fact she did not understand a word of what Lymee was talking about. But that never seemed to matter to Rin. She seemed truly content with just listening to Lymee talk.

“The harvest festival should be coming up here soon,” Lymee said changing the subject.

“Once the last of the rice has finished being harvested,” Rin nodded.

“I got to go to it last year when we were in the Hong Dynasty,” Lymee smiled at the memory, absently stroking Rin’s long black hair with her thumb. “We were in Hong City actually, trying to find a place to hunker down for the winter, maybe get a job as guards or something. It was quite an experience. Fireworks and merchant stalls everywhere. I even met this cute girl who was working one of the food stalls, and we really hit it off…” Lymee trailed off as she looked down at Rin. “Anyway,” Lymee cleared her throat. “I really wish we could go into the city together. It would be like an actual date. But nobles are too cool to go apparently.” Lymee rolled her eyes as she let out an annoyed breath.

“There is more to it than that,” Rin stated.

“I know,” Lymee sighed. “And I know we could go if we wanted but then there would be all the fanfare and people bowing.” Lymee felt sick just thinking about it.

“As a child,” Rin smiled as her eyes drifted off into her memories. “I would steal some of the servants clothing and sneak out of the Palace so I could wander the shops without anyone knowing. But my mother would always catch me as I tried to sneak back into the Palace afterward. She would lecture me for the better part of an hour after she slapped my wrist so hard that the skin became raw.” She rubbed the back of her hands at the memory.

Rin paused as she mulled something over. “But she never did anything to stop me from going. Every year I would sneak out the exact same way. I thought I was being clever but as it turned out my mother would assign several guards to me every year and they would follow me and make sure that I stayed safe as I wandered the festival. I never knew that until years later. Commander Frya had heard it from several of the older guards when she first joined. They would often talk about how they had cast lots to determine who had to go.”     

“What about your father?” Lymee asked. “You never talk about him. Did he die or something?”

“No,” Rin shook her head pursing her lips together. “He is still alive and lives in the Palace. Men who marry nobility are expected to be seen not heard and they are to mostly keep to themselves. After my mother… died,” she almost choked on the word. “He went from being the Lord’s Husband to the Lord’s Father and was relocated to a lesser part of the Palace where he will live out the remainder of his life. There is even talk about me marrying him.”

Lymee frowned in shock of what she had just heard.

“Not for the sake of reproduction,” Rin laughed like that made everything all right. “It is just to make sure that he continues to be taken care of and that I do not live the rest of my life unwed.”

“Wait. What?” Lymee shook her head. “Why would you remain unwed? What about children? Don’t you need someone to take over after you’re gone?”

Rin let out a long sigh tilting her head back in Lymee’s lap not looking directly at her. “Continuing our lineage will be left to Oun. I do not plan on ever bearing a child or even laying with a man.”

Lymee frowned. “Why would you leave it to your sister?”

“Because,” Rin sighed closing her eyes as she seemed to gather up the strength to explain. “Because when she comes of age in three years, I will be relinquishing my title as Lord of Hu Province to her.”

Lymee’s frown deepened as she peered down at the woman, her hands gripping Rin’s shoulders tightly. “Why would you do such a thing?” Lymee asked. She nearly gasped as a terrible possibility came to mind. “This doesn’t have something to do with me does it?”

“No,” Rin shook her head adamantly. “However I will not deny that this does allow me more flexibility when it comes to,” she looked up grinning at Lymee, “us,” she finished with half a shrug. “Once my sister takes over, I am free to go to Su Province with you whenever you return. If my lord will have me that is.”

“Of course I will.” Lymee reached down taking Rin’s hand giving it a firm squeeze. “I just don’t understand why?”

“Because I murdered a lord who also happened to be my mother,” Rin stated her voice soft. She looked down at her chest her thumb rubbing the back of Lymee’s hand.

Lymee grew quiet as the realization set in. Admittedly she had never thought much of it. It had happened days before Lymee had even met Rin for the first time and she had done it because her mother had refused to surrender the city. Her refusal would have forced a siege that would have cost even more lives. So instead of letting that happen Rin killed her own mother and surrendered the city as its new lord.

“In truth,” Rin continued somberly still not looking up at Lymee, instead gazing at their hands resting on her stomach. “I knew I would have to do this at some point from the very first moment Alia appointed me Lord of Hu Province and adopted me and Oun into her family.” Rin then looked up at Lymee with half a smile. “The inescapable truth is that I murdered not only a noble but my own mother. A crime punishable by death under normal circumstances.”

Lymee did not saying anything instead she comfortingly stroked her hair with one hand while the other gave Rin’s hand a firm squeeze, showing her support and interest.

“Many of the other nobles both in Hu and in other provinces have… questioned my ability as well as my integrity to rule. While it has not become a large issue as of yet, discontent will only grow with time not lessen.” Rin pursed her lips together as if the thought made her uncomfortable. “Oun however, is completely innocent in all of this. She was below the age of accountability when it happened so she is free from the weight of my actions and by transferring power as soon as she comes of age shows the other nobles my willingness to relinquish power and by leaving with you to Su it shows that she is not my proxy.”

“And does Oun know any of this?” Lymee asked.

“Not the specifics,” Rin said. “She knows that she will one day rule but not the when or the why.”

Rin was putting on a brave face but Lymee could tell that she was hurting inside. So Lymee leaned over kissing her forehead. The act brought a slight smile to Rin’s lips and that was enough to tell Lymee that her affection was appreciated.

“So you’re going to marry your father?” Lymee shook her head still unable to wrap her head around that thought. “That still sounds weird.”

“It’s merely a status symbol,” Rin assured. “It is also generally considered improper for a younger sibling to be married before the older one. While not illegal it is however looked down upon. I do not wish for my sister to be entering into this position with any unnecessary weight holding her down.” 

“That sounds rather depressing,” Lymee said flatly as she chewed on a peach. “And how is your relationship with him? Your father I mean. Does he like hate you for, you know?” Lymee shrugged one of her shoulders.

“I think he understands why I did what I did,” Rin said shrugged slightly. “My mother married him out of political connivance not love. I doubt he felt any great loss after she died. And we were never that close to begin with. Men in general do not do much in child rearing. They contribute their contribution to create a child. Then the child grows inside their mother. When the child is born they suckle off their mother. And when the child grows up it is their mother who educates them. The man is responsible to provide everything the mother needs to accomplish this. In noble families, where most those things are already provided, the man only contributes at the very beginning and that is it.”

Lymee puffed up her cheeks as she let out a long breath. That was definitely one way of raising children.

“Is it so different in your world?” Rin asked blinking with curiosity.

“In theory, yes,” Lymee said. “The general thinking being that a child needs the love and support of both parents. Though it is generally expected that a father does more in raising a son and a mother does more in raising a daughter.”

“So they are to share the burden,” Rin thought the idea interesting.

“In theory,” Lymee repeated. “However there are many single parents in my world for one reason or another. Most of them mothers. So I guess it is not too much of a leap for me to understand the thinking that mothers do
all
the work.”

“And what of your upbringing?” This was maybe the first time Rin had ever really asked about Lymee’s family.

“I had both,” Lymee nodded. “But my dad was a sailor so he would be gone for long periods of time. But when he was home he would spoil me. I actually think I was closer to him than I was to my mother. But then I think my mom was just more subtle in how she showed her affection, so I simply never noticed it.”

“You miss them.” It was not a question.

“Terribly,” Lymee sighed. “And it’s sad to think that I will never see them again, but I have made my choice. And I chose this world.”

“I for one am happy that you did,” Rin smiled placing a piece of fruit between her teeth but did not bite down so it remained sticking out between her lips.

Lymee reached up brushing her growing ever longer hair behind her ear so it was out of her face and held it there as she leaned over biting down on the other half of the fruit. As they both bit down their lips meet and soon their tongues as well. 

“Lord Lymee,” a little girl’s voice squealed. Lymee instantly pulled away from the kiss as soon as she heard it shoot up so her back was straight and rigid. “Save me!” the little girl giggled as she latched onto Lymee hiding herself behind her back.

“Oun,” Rin gasped sitting up in horror upon see her little sister’s utter disrespectful behavior in front of their lord.

Lymee rested a hand on Rin’s shoulder signaling that it was alright as Lymee turned to look at the little girl giggling and poking her head around Lymee. “What am I saving you from?” Lymee asked with a smile.

“Kitsune is chasing us,” Oun tried to whisper but her giggling and laughter was making it impossible for her.

“I thought you were the ones chasing Kitsune,” Lymee laughed turning her hips so she could get a better look at the little girl hiding behind her grabbing onto the back of her dress.

“We were but then she started chasing us,” Oun stated like it was the obvious explanation.

Lymee looked over at Rin who was sitting on her side leaning on her hand for support. Rin smiled shaking her head at her little sister’s giggling behavior not bothering to say anything.

“And where is Ling?” Lymee asked genuinely curious as to what had happened to the other girl.

“She sacrificed herself to save me,” Oun whispered crouching down to better conceal herself. “Her sacrifice for her lord will be forever remembered.”

Lymee snorted looking up from the little girl still clutching onto Lymee’s dress. Lymee then saw Shan walking towards them, a young girl dangling lifelessly in her arms as she pretended to be dead.

“Not Ling,” Lymee pretended to be in anguish as she rose to her feet and moved toward Shan.

“She gave her life protecting her lord,” Shan stated trying her best to keep a straight face. She was doing far better than Ling was doing. Even as she pretended to be dead there was a huge smile streaked across her face her eyes scrunched closed. “She could not have asked for a better death.”

“Do not worry, Shan,” Lymee placed a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder looking down at the little girl she was carrying. “I shall use my heavenly magic to bring her back to life.” Lymee slapped her hands together and started to rub them like Mr. Miyagi. Letting out a long chant, she bent over pushing Ling’s dress up revealing her bare stomach. She pressed her lips against the little girl’s belly and blew making a loud farting sound.