Kingmaker

Demands #2

Ava stood before her men, calming her mount as he shifted his feet impatiently in the dirt. She was merely sitting on her stallion to take height over her soldiers for the first time. Maybe she had been too lenient. Too kind. Or maybe they were the ignorant ones. With a sigh, she addressed her men.  She knew she had to try and keep her words civil for her son stood beside her with his father. But she wasn't going to hold back.
"To my 2000 new soldiers, welcome. Most of you have been respectful, and have upheld the most amazing attitudes around myself, my son, Sir Richard, Sir George and our King Henry. I appreciate that a lot. But. And I'm going to ask that you remain silent until I'm done here. And you all know who you are. So don't try and hide from me. I know your faces. I know your names. I know how old you are and I know your families. I know. Everything. About you. Recently. Or should I say. Since you arrived. Several of you have pestered me time and time again about money. Demanding to know when money is being sent to your families. Demanding to know that they will be cared for and that they will be supported if you die under my command. Demanding that I give you information that isn't yours to know. And I've heard your murmurs of York. And I advise that you stop speaking of it. Anyone caught doing so from now will find themselves in the dungeons.  I'm sick of hearing about York. Don't you think that if I wanted to do something to Lancaster, I would have by now!" she yelled, sounding like she was about to cry as she screamed at her troops. "STOP demanding things that you KNOW will take me a while to sort out! I have paperwork to do. For EACH and every one of you! I've worked every day and night for the past few months to get this paperwork done! And it seems FUCKING ENDLESS! When you bring up more information to me that needs adding to your files. It prolongs my work! When you DEMAND money! It prolongs my work! I have a SON to care for! I have horses to care for! And I have more soldiers to care for than just you ignorant bastards that demand monry from me every single day! Grow the fuck up and leave me to my work! You'll get your damn pay when the rest of my men do! Nothing makes you any different. I don't care if you're younger or older. You're nothing when you demand shit from me. Have some damn respect! I have never. And I mean. NEVER. Had to speak like this to my men before. And I am looking at you men before me right here" She motioned to 10 men in front of her. "I don't know whether you planned this. Or whether you are just doing this to spite me for being from York. But it ends here. One more word. A single murmur out of line. I can't be held responsible for what happens to you. As for the rest of you, my original army. I would like to see all of you in the great hall tomorrow. I have some news for you. Also, if you hear any of these.... Men. Speaking out of turn. Deal with them in any way you see fit" With that, her original army cheered. They seemed to appreciate her honesty, and they had even liked how she had spoken to the newbies. She was fired up. She was angry. And this was a side of her they rarely got to see. But now they'd seen it. And they were more than happy to embrace it.
Sir Richard stepped forwards, allowing his son to run to Sir George as he did so. He stepped before the soldiers that Ava had pointed out. "Oh and one last thing. If I catch another one of you looking down at my son, or muttering about him again. I'll personally cut off your head myself" snapped Ava again, motioning for her generals to follow her. She'd talk to them privately.
Sir Richard remained though. Standing before the soldiers. "I hope you listened well to those words. And I hope they got through your thick skulls. There's this thing between your ears called a brain. Use it. I don't know where you came from. I haven't read your files yet. But here. We do things differently. You talk down to Ava again. You demand something again. And I will deal with you myself. Do you realise how much work she has to do each day now for this army? She has to keep track of every single thing. Armour. Weapons. Food. If a man is sick. If a man is injured. If one of the horses is sick or injured. Which men were last sent out to scout York. Which men were last sent hunting for food. The families of the men, their details are kept too. Which families have been sent money. Which families are at risk. She has to keep track of every. Single. Thing. She has to do this for over 3500 men now. How long do you think it takes her to do this? Days. Weeks. Months! To my knowledge, she has over 500 men left to work through. She'll talk to you. And let me make this clear" He stepped closer, his face inches from those of the soldiers. "If either one of you. Even so much as breathes wrong in her direction.... They won't even be able to find your fingernails. If you so much as touch your hilt... Believe me. She'll notice. And she won't hesitate to draw her own blade against you. And neither will I. You're all on thin ice already. Be sure not to fall through. Because it's a mighty cold path from there"
With that, Sir Richard waved the men off. Hearing them muttering as he turned his back. He held himself back for now. There didn't need to be bloodshed. Not with his son present. The boy didn't need to see that yet.
But it wouldn't be long before he did see it.

[Authors Note: It has been such a long day. And I'm updating much later than usual. This might also be tonight's only update. But there'll be more tomorrow. For now. This part!
Ava lost it with her new troops, huh? Do you think there's something off about them? Are they more spies sent from York? Or are they just very ignorant and demanding men?]