The journey through the snow-covered countryside is simple enough. The Outriders send their scouts out to scan for potential threats while Huson and I have the unfortunate task of reading the reports and writing up new orders. Defend a region here, secure a hill there. The best anyone can do is put pressure on the Dogs and slow their momentum.

  From the reports, the Dragon Fleet is not deploying their ships to fight against the Dogs. Not a single ship has been sent since last year. But why? Why isn’t the fleet assisting us during our time of crisis? I need to ask Wayne to determine why he isn’t contributing at all. Maybe he is setting up his fleet for a push, but I’m not sure. The worst-case scenario is that he is holding the fleet for himself, which can jeopardise the safety of our Empire.

  Huson puts his papers to his side as he looks out the carriage window. As the plantation gets into view, he frowns at the sight of Dogs passing by us. Picking cotton under a thin layer of snow. They are the white-mane ones, Dogs who are the same height as us and more elegant in appearance compared to the rest of their wretched kind.

  ‘Something on your mind?’ I ask.

  He sneers in response, his tone flatter than usual. ‘I don’t like this place.’

  I look out of the window, trying to figure out what he means. So far, I see nothing out of the ordinary besides the Dogs conducting their labour. ‘I don’t see the issue.’

  Huson points to a group of Dogs huddled around a cart of plants. ‘Most of them are women; I can only count a handful of men.’

  That is what he means, and by pointing it out, this place is strange. Perhaps that is what the plantation owner desires this place to be like. While the scenery is breathtaking with how the sun shines down and reflects off the vegetation with Dogs scattered around in an orderly fashion, there is an aura to this place. As if it is telling me something is rotten about the soil the Dogs toil on, that the core of its soul is foul.

  The closer we approach the mansion. A group of Dogs escort the Outriders to the guest houses and the stables at the other end of the plantation. On the steps leading to the front door is a Dog in a maid’s outfit, her skirt only barely reaching down to her knees. The dress seems to be tight around her, highlighting her feminine features.

  As my carriage parks in front of the mansion, she welcomes Huson and I with a warm smile the moment I hop out.

  ‘Evening, master and freemen,’ she gives a light bow, leaning forward with her eyes facing down. ‘Do you have business with Master Lee?’

  ‘I do. Tell him General Volas Regali and Warrant Officer Hikaru Huson are here on imperial matters.’

  The Dog bows to me one last time, ‘as you wish, master…’

  After she turns around, she stops herself as a man with a long, scruffy beard that hides his face opens the front door. The Dog flinches before standing at attention with her hands behind her back.

  So, that is the current holder of the estate. A man wearing the most expensive suits with the hair on the top of his head oiled up and brushed back to make him more presentable. Nathan Lee, unmarried and no hair to the Lee Estate. Honestly, I thought I would encounter his younger brother, Jericho. However, I suppose we don’t get what we wanted.

  ‘Your arrival is unexpected. I hope you have a good reason for being here, Mr. Regali.’

  I put my hands in my pockets while giving a reluctant shrug. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures. I believe you have heard the news of what is happening down south?’

  He raises a brow while he gives a cocky smile. ‘That you are losing ground? I heard unfortunate tales from soldiers and mercs who came past my plantations, warning me and my associates about the Dog threat. And how someone like you, our General, can’t stop them.’

  ‘Far from it. We are holding them at bay, and we are doing well to hold our own ground and territory. However, if we want to break through their lines. The Empire will need the resources your mines and plantations produce. I’ll apologise that our arrival is unwarranted and unexpected, typically I would send a letter to give you a warning, but I hope you can understand that we are in need of your help and the circumstances have forced my hand to make a decisive action.’

  Lee nods to himself, thinking about what I have said. He approaches the maid and rests one hand on her shoulder. The Dog’s legs shake in place, holding up a false smile while her eyes face the ground.

  ‘I see. How about we talk about business over dinner? I’ll even provide you with a room in my own home. Unfortunately, your carriage boy and your Warrant Officer will have to stay at the guest house for tonight. They’ll eat with the other servants.’

  Huson grinds his teeth at Lee’s attitude, while it is disrespectful to demand that my second in command be somewhere else while we converse about our business. It is, however, best to play along to be on his good side if it means I can get my supplies to my army.

  ‘It will be a pleasure,’ I lie with a smirk on my face. ‘Is there any house rules I should know?’

  Lee laughs to himself, ‘General, the only rule here is you should always be polite. Treat the walls of my home as your own and the ground you walk on as your place of birth. As I believe we are both men of action and respect. Now!’ He clicks his fingers, ‘I’ll organise the preparations. Dana will escort you to your room. In case I haven’t said it before. It is a pleasure to meet you, General.’

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Before he heads back inside, he pats the maid's bum, causing her to squirm. As he leaves, she quickly changes her act to that of a submissive and friendly maid to keep up her appearance. There is no denying that everyone is uncomfortable with Lee and what he did.

  ‘This doesn’t look right,’ Huson chimes in, clearly uncomfortable by the whole ordeal.

  ‘Are you ready to head to your room, Master Regali?’ Dana says, though, from the looks of things, it seems she just wants to get the job over with.

  I gesture for her to wait for a bit as I whisper to Huson. ‘I don’t like this place either. Get everyone ready to leave by the morning so we can depart as quickly as possible.’

  ‘Good! The sooner we leave, the better. The man is giving me the creeps.’

  My friend, I couldn’t agree more. There is something off about Nathan Lee, I’m just not sure what it is. There are rumours of his… eccentric carnal tastes. Whatever they are, it is best that no one knows what they are.

  I pat Huson’s shoulder to indicate to him that he should depart for the guest house by now. He hops on the carriage to sit next to Jack as they ride off.

  The maid escorts me through the house to my room. The walls and ceiling made of hard oak are painted a creamy white. With every few steps, an odd painting is placed here and there. Often, they depict a slave working in an open field or underground in one of the mines. I’m only able to find one painting of a member of the Lee family.

  The architecture is phenomenal, but the place comes off as clean and sterile, making this feel empty if not for the maids who patrol the house to clean every surface to perfection. The light from the sun pouring into the building makes every arch and surface appear flatter than they should be.

  When we arrive at the guest room, a child Dog wearing a maid outfit stands in front of the door at attention. As if she is going to be examined by one of the other maids. She must be around eight years old; she is tiny, while also having a large brown spot on her nose. I could’ve mistaken the patch of brown as dirt, but it seems to just be her birthmark.

  Dana smiles at the sight of her, but her expression suddenly changes to a stern gaze. ‘Olivia, is the room cleaned?’

  ‘Uh-huh, the room is dusted, sheets are changed, the floors are swept, and the bathroom is scrubbed.’ The child responds, trying to hide her excitement that she completed her task.

  Dana proudly smiles before rubbing Oliva’s head. ‘That’s good to hear. Now go find Kelly and see if she has any more chores for you.’

  She nods before scurrying off in one direction with a subtle grin.

  Dana and I enter the room, and it is as the kid says. The place is spotless, not a speck of dust or even a strand of hair. The room is large, having a king-size bed and a cabinet made of ivory and green marble. It even has a private bathroom with a bathtub and everything. This room is even more impressive than my private room back in the palace.

  Before I can settle down, I pick up a paintbrush on the floor near the bed. ‘Is this Olivia’s?’

  Dana’s eyes widen, and the right side of her lip shakes while she fumbles with her hands. ‘It is,’ she says, trying to mask her anxiety. ‘She must’ve dropped it by accident. She’s being trained to become a portrait artist.’

  ‘Okay, well here…’

  Dana cuts in before I can finish. ‘Sorry, master, you didn’t mean to find it. She’s just a kid, and she is bound to make mistakes. If you are going to punish her, punish me instead.’

  Her plea worries me. Something so small as accidentally leaving a paintbrush behind is to her something worthy of a great offence? I expect harsh treatment and punishments from Bravens Mine, but here? What is going on to make them have such a visceral reaction?

  ‘It’s okay, I just want to return it. No one is going to be punished.’ I hand the brush back to her. Dana stares at me in confusion, unsure of what I am doing. She hesitates, her hands shaking as she takes the brush from my hands.

  ‘I… uh,’ she stutters as she regains her composure. ‘Thank you, would you like a glass of red wine and some assortments of butter before you are called for dinner? May I recommend apple ash as a starter?’

  I give her a reassuring nod, ‘thank you, that’ll be lovely.’

  She gives me a small bow before rushing off. In a way, I’m more concerned for her and that kid. Something like that shouldn’t terrify them. My mind goes back to the Dogs in Bravens Mine, how their chief was begging for their suicide technique to be kept a secret. They, too, were terrified of punishment if their slavers found out. She is hiding something, but what is it? What is causing her to be this jumpy and on edge?

  No… best not think about it. I came here to do one job, and I will finish it. It will be best if I stay in my room and do not interact with them. I don’t want them to cloud my decision or impression of Lee. The Empire must come first.