When the Commander of the Aliron Army, Julio Aliron heard about the King's arrival at the camp, he quickly made his way to the entrance with his Generals.
There were many family-based armies in Qalagon but only three were big and powerful enough. The first and the biggest one was the Petrus Army who now shifted its camp to the northern province. The second was the Echilot Army who protected the southern province. The Aliron Army was the third biggest that secured the western province.
The capital fell under the protection of the Royal Army while the eastern province was guarded by a number of small armies.
The Commanders of each army pledged their loyalty to Arin Helev when he took over the throne a little over a year ago.
Commander Julio and his Generals got down on one knee to greet the King. Then the Commander spoke up.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. I apologize for making you wait."
If he knew beforehand that the King was coming, he will be the one to wait for him and not the other way round.
Well, they never know in advance and they had gotten used to it.
"It's some sort of emergency, Commander Julio. I try to summon you but I figure out that it's better to come here myself," Arin Helev explained. "Please rise."
Once the Commander and others get back on their feet, the King was escorted inside the camp and rather than talking inside the tent, Arin opted to do it while having a tour of the camp. He was in a hurry anyway.
Commander Julio Aliron was a warrior in his late twenties with many achievements and victories under his belt. Ever since the time of his father, the late Commander who was his predecessor, the army had their camp rooted in the western province. It was the efforts of his army that maintained peace in the area.
"Is it a normal visit this time, Your Majesty?" Commander Julio asked the King. He accompanied the King in his tour of the camp.
"That was the original plan," the King pointed out. "But there are some issues in the capital and it seems like I have to return."
"Is it a big issue?" the Commander inquired. "Please tell me if there is any way I could help."
"A lot of children are missing in the capital," Arin Helev said. "I want to make sure that the same thing doesn't happen here."
Julio Aliron gave a quick thought and nodded. "What do you want me to do?"
"Tighten the security of the entire western province," the King promptly said. "My Queen suspect that the children were abducted for training rather than slave trading. That's why the checking in each gate must be done more strict than ever. The abductors might try to flee the kingdom or take the children to some remote places."
"I understand, Your Majesty. I will work on that." Commander Julio thought about it and asked, "Shall I arrange soldiers to search the province? There are many places which could serve as a good hideout for the abductors."
"That will be good," Arin Helev remarked. "But be careful. If you alert the people, it will be hard to calm them down. Making them live in fear is not our intention."
"I will remember that, Your Majesty," Commander Julio replied.
For a while, the King halted and glanced at the soldiers who were currently training and polishing their skills.
"How is Her Majesty?" Commander Julio suddenly asked him.
The question reminded the King of the Commander's behaviour when he came to the palace to greet him and Iria for the first time since their marriage. Then he turned to the Commander and said, "I see that you're still very interested in my wife."
With a little smile, Commander Julio lowered his head. "Her Majesty used to be the Masked Commander. I think it's only right for a warrior like me to be interested in her, Your Majesty," he explained.
"You should just say that you still look forward to a match with her," Arin Helev said in a calm yet sincere tone. "Are you that confident, Commander Julio?"
"Of course not," the Commander replied came faster than ever. "I only wish to try my luck if Her Majesty grants me the chance."
"I think you should just give up," King Arin said and let out a chuckle. Ever since he was the Crown Prince, he had a good relationship with Commander Julio and he was comfortable with him.
Julio Aliron let out a sigh. "This is a rare chance, My King. How could I just give up?"
Firmly nodding a few times, Arin said, "You have a point but... think about it this way, Commander Julio. Nothing is certain when it comes to a fight and if you indeed get the chance to have a match with the Queen, what if you ended up harming her?"
Making a deliberate pause, he added, "Mistake or not, causing harm to the Queen can't be a trivial matter, right? And I'm not that forgiving when it comes to her. What do you say? Will you still wish for a chance?"
The Commander glanced at the young King, barely refraining from blinking.
How could he say that while flashing a seemingly innocent smile?
He always knew that the King was smart despite his young age, but...
The Commander sighed in defeat. "That's a wicked threat, Your Majesty," he admitted. "Who would want to risk their lives just for a single 'friendly' match?" Shaking his head, he added, "I'd rather give up. I don't want to face your rage."
The King simply chuckled. "I'm just joking, Commander. Do you really take it to heart?"
"Still... I give up," Commander Julio sighed. However, he soon laughed and added, "It's always better to play safe when it comes to the royals."
"That's up to you then," Arin shrugged. Giving off a much formal vibe, he said, "I have to return to the capital after this as it seems like things are more serious there. So, I'll leave things here to you. Inform me if you find anything suspicious."
With that said, the Commander quickly bowed his head.. "Yes, Your Majesty."
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