BOOK II OF III: The Reign of the Sultan Read Online Free Page A

him by
name to me...”
    Vaspan looked directly into his general’s
eyes, before answering, “The only thing that I know about this man
is that there is something about him I really hate! But no, I don’t
know his name or who he is—why?”
    “So that I could send out spies to accumulate
more information about this man, specifically his strengths and
weaknesses,” Thorn answered.
    A few moments later, Vaspan answered,
“Actually, in both dreams, I saw only fleeting images, yet heard
not a single sound throughout.”
    “I see,” Thorn said thoughtfully. “Second
question, Sire. Do you think it possible that the princess is only
a love-sick pawn in this man’s game to become a Sultan, and that
perhaps she may become murdered when he considers her usefulness
complete?”
    Both a shocked and horrified look crossed
Vaspan’s face, only moments before he glanced outside his balcony,
which now revealed the early morning sky that was only moments away
from sunrise. Finally, he growled, “Quite possible…”
    Thorn asked, “Based off your answers to my
two questions, a third question springs forth, if I may, your
Highness?”
    After Vaspan’s curious gaze fell to Thorn, he
nodded his head affirmatively one time.
    Thorn asked, “Would it then not be best to
deploy immediately to Pavelus, and show them through our strength
of numbers who really should rule both Empires? After all, the
final two mercenary divisions arrived but last night.”
    Vaspan cocked his head to the side just
before he said, “Perhaps—by the way, how many numbers have we
accumulated to date?”
    “My Emperor, it is good that you should ask
this question. In one hour, I feel it would be better to answer
your question; that is, after you have inspected the troops
currently waiting outside the labyrinth. After, of course, you have
been properly bathed, groomed, eaten, armored, and finally armed
for war, my Sultan Vaspan!”
    Vaspan nodded one time, while also being
keenly aware that this was the very first time Thorn had ever
called him “Sultan.”
    In the very next second, Vaspan decided that
he really liked the sound of that title, as well all his other
lordly titles, just before he shifted over to the side of the bed,
and rose to his feet.
    Meanwhile, Thorn snapped his fingers—two
scantily-clad-and-very-beautiful female servants, each carrying a
torch, entered the room through the still-open doors. It was then
that he headed for the room’s exit, so that he could wait out in
the hallway.
    Once the girls had finished lighting all of
the bronze cauldrons inside the bedroom, perhaps a minute later,
Vaspan allowed them to lead him by the hand into the large pool in
the room’s center.
    And once inside the pool, the girls undressed
and bathed him. After this task was complete, they escorted him out
of the pool, towel-dried and groomed him. They next began to dress
him in his undergarments and then it was his black, red and
gold-colored plate mail armor. Once done with that, they finally
armed him with his sheathed two-handed sword, by strapping the
white sheath onto his back.
    Nearly thirty minutes later, the girls were
done with their tasks.
    Right away, Vaspan exited the room, and he
and Thorn proceeded down the hallway until they entered the royal
dining hall, where servants brought in breakfast, and they ate in
silence.
    After breakfast was over, perhaps twenty
minutes after it had begun, Vaspan first nodded to the commander of
his forces, and then he commanded, “Let’s go, Ruling-General
Thorn.”
    With a sharp salute, Thorn snapped, “Yes, my
Sultan-Sedious!”
    After the two made their way out of the
city’s labyrinth on horseback, forty minutes later, Vaspan began to
look very, very, very pleased at see what lay before him, literally
spanning across an entire horizon.
    For, armed and armored, hundreds of thousands
of troops stood and waited in formation, ranging from infantry, to
cavalry and artillery! Spread throughout the ranks,