The usurper by Emanuele Rizzardi

Author:Emanuele Rizzardi [Rizzardi, Emanuele]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Assobyzantion
Published: 2020-09-09T22:00:00+00:00

After a week I felt confident enough to resume the march south and challenge the hated Karman openly. The idea of seeing him, after all this time spent fighting his minions, filled me with excitement. Only one thing was left open: Theodore's health. Ever since I came back, he had refused to meet me again and again, with one excuse or another and this made me suspicious because at the first refusal I had been understanding as usual, as well as at the second and third, but at the fourth, I started thinking that he was hiding something serious from me. I decided to use my authority to see him, threatening to break his bedroom door and whip him. Of course, I had no intention of doing such a thing, but no different strategy came to mind other than using stupid threats. I guess he wouldn't have believed me anyway.

When I opened his door, I hardly recognized him. He seemed very old, hunchbacked, he walked leaning on a thick and wide stick of light wood, with maddening slowness, clenching his teeth in pain with every movement of the pelvis and chest.

He laboriously lay down in bed, assisted by two young servants. “I am sorry, I think we will have to speak while I lie down, do not take it as a disrespectful gesture, Alexios. You know... my back is... how to say...” he mumbled in a low voice.

I shook my head. “It’s ok, it’s ok… you were elusive and this made me suspicious about your health and even Michael did not give me satisfactory answers. I am very sad to see you like this,” I sat down next to him. “In addition to the lands for your men, you will also have a large rent, now that you can no longer fight. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything, as is right,”

He smiled, mitigated by a grimace of pain. He stroked his forehead with a trembling hand.

“You're right, I think I won't be very useful in battle anymore. Michael says that I’m no longer what I used to be and I will carry these wounds all my life... I thought he exaggerated... instead... instead... he was right. It's strange, I have to stop doing the only thing I do well. And what about my life? How much longer do I have left? What else can I do?”

“Don't worry, the Bastard has done an excellent job, she is courageous and the Company is faithful to her, your job will not be lost. And I'm sure you still have many years ahead,” I tried to console him with the first words that came to my mind, but in reality, I didn't know what to say, I saw the frustration in his eyes. If I imagined myself in his situation I would have despaired perhaps more than he did and no words would have alleviated my pain.

Theodore filled the air with a painful laugh. “Many years, ah! Pretend you don't know how old

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