106 The Kings Dilemma (2/2)
Servants brought dishes to replace the half-eaten ones as the feast continued on without the queen and the princess uttering a single word, the table was shrouded and subdued in somberness, maybe everyone at the table could recognize the solution except the King himself who still held hope of sparing the count's life.....
Two days after the feast when the soldiers were properly rested Commander Genk decided to go on the offensive, Intel suggested that the count was holed up with commander Haiyuan from sasko and his closest subordinates at a place called Bumper hall in the rocky hills of the east. This was one of the numerous properties the count had in the country, he must have thought the rough rocky terrain was an ideal place to hide out and reorganize....
After themassive losses incurred by the rebel army, Commander Genk thought it to be an ideal time to smash the group sent from Saskoand the remnants of therebel army and be over with this crusade into Tivoli in one fell swoop.....
Hartley could see the sun high in the sky as they made their way out of the capital and headed to the east. The King's castle slowly disappeared behind them as they trekked eastwards into the long shadows provided by the rolling hills.
The King had a sad expression as he stood in the gloomy hall and watched the army disappearing over the horizon, staring at the men until they disappeared from view, the king then ordered drinks to be brought in, pretty serving girls glided across the hall carrying platters ladened with jugs of wine, the King took a whole jug and chugged it, wine spilled from the corners of his mouth and stained his pristine attire but he didn't even seem to notice. He retreated to his chambers with a depressed look on his face and wasn't seen for the remainder of the day.....
A streak of lightning split the sky that was filled with dark roiling clouds followed by the rumbling of cracking thunder, rain came down like mist and kissed the rocky terrain making the ground slick and slippery. The horses couldn't gallop and the men were walking slower than usual due to the problematic footing. After two days marching at a snail's pace the army finally reached their destination on a gloomy rainy afternoon. Drenched in rain the men began pitching tents and discussing their strategy moving forward.....
A sheet of icy rain suddenly washed over Hartley's skin, and wind blasted him fiercely enough that he stumbled atop the wall. Hartley moved forward with his black robe whipping about him. He was on the walls protecting the castle looking down at the scattered patrols inside. The priority for those soldiers seemed to be to keep themselves dry instead of guarding the premises.
Commander Genk and his captains had thought the smooth 20 meter wall impossible to climb, worse in wet rainy conditions. Hartley had convinced them that he could scale the wall and open the gate. Commander Genk didn't doubt Hartley could do what he said, he had already seen miracles performed by the youth, He commanded his men and slowly and stealthily gathered his half of his troops nearby.
Hartley had simply just walked up the smooth wall as if on normal ground. As soon as he dropped to the other side with a thud sending mud spraying, a group of wide-eyed defenders gathered under a make-shift shelter scrambled to form a ragged defensive line, nervously holding onto their weapons.
Lightning cracked across the sky again and brightened the rainy afternoon with an explosion of white light exposing Hartley's youthful features and his cold blue eyes to the defenders, soonone of the defenders recognized Hartley from the river bank massacre, he turned on his heels and began to flee leaving a trail of splashing mud as he was screaming something about the battlefield butcher.
Once the others heard the phrase uttered by the fleeing man, their eyes widened and they too scrambled to flee in the other direction. Hartley moved through the streets with a smirk, opening the gate was an easy feat, all the common soldiers that came across Hartley opted to flee in the opposite direction.
After the two crushing defeats at the hands of the army from Aidonia the last vestiges of an organized rebel military began to crumble as word spread about the battlefield butcher turning up at the castle. These common soldiers were farmers and butchers only a year ago, so now when they were exposed to this nightmare scenario, fleeing for their lives and abandoning the count and his guests to their fate was their natural choice.
Commander Genk, Hartley and the entire army marched through the gates unhindered and headed towards the stone castle standing in the distance...
As news of the chaotic collapse happening outside trickled to the count, he stood nervously and squeezed his sword hilt, his jaw clenched with anger as he shouted, ”How dare they?” The soldiers he had fed and clothed over these past couple of years had left him high and dry.
While the count pranced around nervously Commander Haiyuan sat in the lavishly furnished room at ease with two of his closest subordinates, ”what do you think?” he asked a red hair man who was about 1.6 meters tall. The man sported a white robe and seem to be unaffected by the happenings outside.
”Nothing we can't handle, their commander is at the 8th layer and the rest seem to be below that, we can walk out whenever we please” the red hair middle age man answered confidently.
”Hmmn.” Commander Haiyuan nodded feeling reassured.
”What about me?” came a slightly nervous outburst from the count.
”Don't worry Count Zixen, we will take you away from here for a while and return when the time is right and raise a proper army this time.” said commander Haiyuan.
The count felt relief wash over him as he sighed. He could already see himself as the king of Tivoli, all he had to do was bide his time, with these people as his backers it was inevitable.
Commander Haiyun's other subordinate who hadn't said a word stared at the door and uttered ”they're here commander.”
Commander Haiyun got to his feet as if he was in no danger at all and walked forward.....