Year 12.328 After the Founders Autumn 85
Kniva is looking at the letter he received from his queen in anguish.
Close to him, his father-in-law had an unusually serious expression.
“Bleh, bitter.” Said Totila in an uninterested tone while drinking his wine, dropping the contents of the cup on the dirt below him soon after.
“40.000…” said Kniva, in disbelief.
“You better not make this face in front of the Vassals in the war council, or else they might desert… your majesty.” Responded Totila almost forgetting the honorifics.
Kniva and Totila had expected that Gundemar would soon launch a counterattack, but they did not expect this number of soldiers from the Oderickians. At most, both expected an army of a bit over 25.000, maybe 30.000 taking the economic, diplomatic, and internal affair situation of Oderick, and even then they would be hard-pressed.
Unfortunately, the king and the vassal did not take into account the personal ambitions of the Oderickian Monarch, who, according to the letter, was willing to resort to extreme measures in order to obtain the funds to bring in the extra manpower.
The Oderickian king, who before limited himself to taxing the province, now began to persecute any Lusian in the region, confiscating all their property, putting it in a war chest or gifting it to his vassals. He also began to sell any artifact he could find in his treasury and in temples of the Trinity who had previously resisted him, or who sheltered Lusian, outright ordering the sacking of temples and to any who was seen as a Lusian. Going as far as melting silver and golden idols and executing on the spot those who resisted too much.
These harsh measures would make his rule way harder later, but it would take time for the temple's highest authorities who were in Frederick and Etrusia to receive the news and condemn the king´s rash decision. For now, it was undeniable that Gundemar had managed to secure enough funds to gather a very big war chest, and a force strong enough to sweep away the Lusians.
“With this difference in strength, I don't think we can do anything but hold on for a siege…” Said Kniva.
“True, but I doubt we have the necessary food to last until the winter is over. Arrianne can hold at most about 10.000 men until the end of winter with its current food storage. Unless you are willing to throw away the citizens at this point, will you?” Responded Totila to the King´s strategy.
“... No”
Both Kniva nor Totila had not prepared in case the enemy could gather this large force, they originally planned to either wait for winter to end or make the Oderickians bring in their largest force and face it in open battle by matching them with similar forces close to Arrianne.
Arrianne, while having strong defenses, only had food stores big enough for the, by now defeated, local forces of Oderick. Now the Lusians had occupied it with over 20.000 men, which kept increasing with the arrival of reinforcements as well as refugees who were most likely gathering here fleeing from Gundemar´s persecution.
If the Lusians decided on a siege with their entire force, Gundemar could just surround them and let them starve inside and make the city their coffin. If they left only enough for the food stores to last, then both the king and Totila would have to be here to keep morale high otherwise the men might desert from losing heart in front of such a massive army there was no doubt Gundemar would pour in his entire 40.000 to storm it the moment they saw an opening, it was the plan with the best chances so far but it was too risky of a plan to take.
Worst of all, with the brutal measures to secure funds Gundemar has been putting in place recently, there was a real possibility that once the city of Arrianne was taken Gundemar might raze it to the ground as punishment for their betrayal, and Kniva would have to leave the citizens that just a week ago were fighting for him and praising his name.
As Kniva adopted an image of a Liberator and protector, if Kniva fled, his name would be etched as a huge coward who abandoned his people and let them die due to his own foolish ambition, not only that, it would make sieges that much harder for they would not see in Kniva someone who could protect them from Gundemar.
If however Kniva did not flee and lost, he would either be captured or not killed in the melee, there was a possibility of him never seeing the two young sons he had right in front of him. He had brought them here in order to boost the morale of the campaign and to teach them the ways of war much like his own father had done, something he did so despite the protest from his wife.
Still… What example would the Lusian king give to his sons if he fled by condemning so many to perish after involving them in his plans? What kind of king would he be?
Kniva wanted to make a stand, but he did wish to expose his sons to this degree of risk.
“Father… could you arrange for someone to take Dias and Teia to safety?”
“... I can, Your majesty, but where to?”
“If possible to the capital, if we are defeated there is a chance for the Oderickians to march towards our lands further south, staying in Baeliris won't bring them safety, the duke might betray us if we lose.”
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“Indeed… I see, I will make it so the young princes get as far as possible.”
“Thank you father.”
“...”
Totila felt something from the words of his son-in-law that did not resonate well with him, and this reminded him of the end of his old friend as such he asked to make sure.
“What about you sire? When will you retreat?”
“... I will not.”
The climate inside the room quickly changed, and the respectful tone Totila previously adopted changed, clearly showing some anger.
“And why not? This is not a fair bout and there is no need to kill yourself over this. We retreat and think of a better opportunity, losing Arrianne is really bad but it's not the end.” Totila responded more coldly disregarding the status between them.
“Father… you do know what Gundemar will do once he takes this city right? ”
“I do have an idea.”
“Then you know why I can't flee.”
For a moment there was again a silence between Totila and Kniva, Totila was clearly upset and his expression was cold, he understood that his king was intelligent and could be very cunning, however, he also knew that Kniva tended to be too soft-hearted in certain matters. Still, in such a serious situation some harsh and cruel choices have to be made.
“My Liege, you know that your decision just now, if I may be so blunt, is extremely naive and stupidly risky, right”
From Totila a very heavy pressure could be felt from his words. Both Dias and Teia, who remained quiet so far, could be seen feeling very uncomfortable from the current exchange.
Diaz had never felt something like this before, he knew how heavy and dangerous some meetings could be due to the nature of backstabbing politics, however, this was completely different. Dias could “feel” the air actually getting heavy.
Some would say this is what bloodlust is, but in truth, this is an unconscious use of mana, where someone powerful could expel mana from his whole body and make the mana density around him very heavy, making it difficult to breathe due to the foreign mana all around.
Diaz could see his younger brother struggling to keep breathing, and barely being able to keep himself awake, while Diaz himself did not know what to do and was struggling too.
This “bloodlust” is a show of great disrespect because it was a clear act of hostility, and it did not affect just his king but also his own grandchild, if Kniva called, his royal guards would without hesitation try to cut down Totila, even if many of them were taught by him, this is an act that could warrant Totila´s death on spot, an act of lese-majesty and aggression.
Kniva however, unlike his children, took on the hostility of Totila and directed his own towards his father-in-law.
“So what of it? It is my own decision to make, whatever you think of it, I did not ask, did I?”
“Even if you end up dead, the kid's orphans and my daughter widowed? Why would you stay rather than keep on the fight? Are you truly going to die for some peasants who praised you a little? Are you daft?”
“Daft or not I AM YOUR KING! And I have decided that risking my life here is necessary! For my country and family! I never said I plan to die or lose!”
“So do you plan to win? with these odds?”
“YES!”
“...How?”
Kniva, took out his sword and plunged it into the wooden table.
"with THIS." he said loudly.
A small silence began to enter the room and with it a calm atmosphere as well.
“If you truly have decided there is a chance enough of victory and are this determined to win, then I guess I have nothing to say, just never regret or hesitate, my Liege.”
With the temperature cooling down, Kniva sighted and finally responded.
“Seriously father, I am no longer a greenhorn, you should stop testing me.”
“Well, my ramblings were less about your majesty being a greenhorn. I decided that Milord was in such a sad state that it was my duty to put him on the line like a proper vassal should do and stop your majesty from pursuing a glorious death or from accepting defeat before the time.”
“I don't think that is the duty of a vassal… Should one not follow his master to the end?”
“Is it not? Then forgive my rude comments about Sire. My liege reminded me of your esteemed father at his glorious end, where he died like a warrior but left your majesty by himself to a group of less-than-savory personas, so I suggest that you never make such a decision. Also your majesty, I still plan to live long enough to see my great-children so I do hope sire spares me from going to my end just yet. Also, i apologize to the little young uns, so toughen up okay?” Looking at his grandchildren he made a low bow and a mischievous smile.
Tired of this exchange of words, Kniva simply sighed.
“*sigh, I will keep that in mind, for now, let's forget it Father, and put it behind us. Also, Thank you.”
Just then a loud bang could be heard from the door.
“Sire! This is Alexious! Is everything ok inside?!”
By how urgent Alexious sounded, Kniva could tell that Totila´s bloodlust mana had leaked so much that it could be easily felt from the other side of the door, so he just responded with a low-toned voice.
“Worry not Alexious, we were just having a heated discussion. Also, if anyone comes, reassure them that everything is fine.”
“.......Understood”
Alexious knew it wasn't “just a discussion” still, his liege ordered so he followed back to his original post, in there Alexious would have to calm down his man and the nobles who also felt the bloodlust and would demand explanations.
After Alexious left, the king and Totila looked at each other and let out a small chuckle, for they knew they pushed quite the tiresome job to Alexious who would have to stop the entire leadership of the Lusian army from getting inside the royal tent.
Both the King and the duke however quickly went back to planning, they had little time before the war Council and in there he would have to reveal the latest intel to all the nobles in the camp as well as a plan to deal with the incoming army, despite finishing their little bout, they still had no better plan than a siege with at most half their man.
Kniva and Totila were thinking hard of measures to take, but none seemed plausible even after hours passed. Both princes had stayed, despite their fatigue from Kniva and Totila “confront”, in order to learn how strategies were elaborated. It was already starting to get dark and they had to announce the council soon, Teia was falling asleep on the uncomfortable chair he sat on, Diaz however, despite being clearly tired seemed to be thinking something deeply. The king decided to go with the siege plan in the end and started to send his sons to bed while Totila left to prepare for the council meeting.
Kniva carried Teia first who was drooling and barely awake, wiping his third son,´s mouth and smiling at this rare chance he had to act like a father. The king remembers his own father doing the same when he was taken in a military campaign and was drooling just like this.
Finally, he went to Diaz. However, when he stood in front of his fourth son, Diaz got up and looked at his father, with tired but determined eyes. It was clear to the king that the boy had something to say, so he stayed quiet to listen.
“Father, I know how to win this battle.”
Diaz made an announcement that would change the fate of this battle and his own too.