CHAPTER 9: THE GOLDEN STALLIONS WAR COUNCIL

THE MONTH OF NINSUM DAY 15 YEAR 675 OF THE SECOND HOLY CALENDAR

It took the remainder of the 14th day of the month to clear out the remaining Garrison of Eldon’s gate. The Garrison had fled to portions of the Underground and the Drum Tower, where they held individual rooms and passageways, fearlessly fighting to the death. By sunset on the 14th, the Antlaturs had destroyed these pockets of resistance. All 2000 members of the Garrison were either killed or captured; however, it did come at a cost for the attackers. They lost 5,000 soldiers. Although healing Magic could heal most injuries, a severed limb or a gouged-out eye couldn't be healed without high-level healing magic, which they didn't have access to, and nothing could heal death.

But overall, the casualties could be said to be with an expectation, and with this defeat, all of the fortresses in the Black Valley had fallen to the Antlatur. It could be said that they occupied the entire Valley as they had already occupied all the towns and villages, with many of them being looted before the siege of Eldon’s Gate. Overall, in these sieges, they had lost 15,000 soldiers, primarily at the siege of Eldon's gate, as most of the other garrisons had only put up a slight resistance. Given that they were attacking several well-fortified positions, this could Considered an excellent victory for them.

Andrew sank comfortably into the chair's leather at the Eldon’s gate Chamber Of War. Chambers of War existed in most castles and fortresses across all human lands. They were traditionally built in the days of the first human empire. The one at Eldon's gate was relatively small and generally could only see a maximum of around 30 people. There were no windows in the rectangular room, and the Chamber was located in the central drum Tower of the gate. Once upon a time, the banner of the Kingdom of Black had hung behind the head of the table, but now it was the banner of the Kingdom of Antlatur. Alongside it was the pennant of Andrew. A pennant was similarly a tradition of the first Empire, first utilized by The Demon King. It had one's symbol in their Nation's colors and generally their nickname if they had one. Andrew had emblazoned on his the golden antler of his kingdom on a Green Field, and below it in Gold lettering was written The Golden Stallion. A pennant was generally shaped like a square held up by a long pole, which was held behind the general himself.

He would have liked to hold this meeting in the Audience Hall, but Eldon’s gate didn't have one. The officers of his army had gathered except for the first prince of Cabela, Rickard Cabela. Who was a part of the detachment holding down the Garrison at Gratide, which included all the reinforcements sent by the Affiliated Kingdom of Cabela. The detachment number is 30,000 strong. The remaining 75,000 had gathered in a camp outside of Eldon’s Gate. The officers of the Expedition had gathered in the chamber for a meeting to discuss their next moves.

All of the Kings or Representatives of the Affiliated kingdoms of Antlatur were present and accounted for, except for Cabela—the sister Nations of Monica and Unica. The two most powerful of the Affiliated kingdoms, both formerly a part of Cygnets Kingdom before its divide. The Emmon Kingdom And the Kingdom of Hayton. Despite their common Origins, the two kingdoms were constantly at each other's throats, frequently forcing their mother Kingdom to settle their disputes. Finally, in the Kingdom of Esterberg, most people within Antlatur and their alliance view this Kingdom with the most distrust as they frequently switched sides during Antlatur's war with the kingdom of Triton. Each of these nations had sent reinforcements led by a royal in response to the call of the kingdom of Antlatur. However, each did so more or less unwillingly, as they would gain almost nothing during the conflict. Even if they won, all they could expect for it was dead soldiers and expenses.

The Army's composition at initial formation was 10,000 for Cabela, 15,000 each from Emmon and Hayton, 10,000 from Unica, and only 5,000 for Monica. Five thousand came from the kingdom of Esterberg. Esterberg could have sent more troops, but they had to stay on guard against the kingdom of Triton. In total, the Allies provided 50,000 soldiers. They could have provided more, but Antlatur chose not to exhaust them. There was also the simple unwillingness of the Allies to put in their total effort. The remaining 70,000 soldiers came entirely from the kingdom of Antlatur.

Only the Affiliated Kingdoms generals and their immediate aide-de-camp were allowed to attend the meeting. Antlatur Generals filled the rest of the seats. The kingdom of Monica had sent a young 17-year-old, Stephron, their kingdom's 31st Prince. The king of Monica was known as a lustful and greedy man, and he was also one of the kings who was initially be opposed to the rule of Andrew. Monica could have sent a lot more soldiers. The fact that they sent such a young and low-ranking prince as their General, as well as so few soldiers, was taken as an insult by the Antlaturs.

Meanwhile, the kingdom of Unica sent his eldest son, the 33-year-old Prince Jacob, who had a wealth of battlefield experience. The kingdoms of Monica and Unica were branches of the kingdom of Antlatur. Thus, the two princes were related to Andrew and shared his looks: tall with a slightly stocky frame, short copper-blonde hair, and emerald eyes. However, their handsomeness dims in comparison to Andrew.

The famed Lion of Unica, Anthony Salzburg, was attending the Prince of Unica as his aide. A man in his mid-50s, his gold hair started to turn silver at its roots, but even for all that, his past handsomeness, which had won him the heart of the princess of Unica, was still present. If anything, age had only refined his good looks. But the man's skill with a sword and commanding armies was legendary. Even the equally famed golden stallion and the equally experienced General Niances respected the Lion of Unica.

The kings of Emmon and Hayton both decided to attend the campaign personally. But that was only because the king of Emmon, Thomas Emmon, a 23-year-old out of some folly of youth, decided to go personally, and the king of Hayton, Cleos Hayton, had to respond in kind, given their rivalry. Both had the Kingdom of Cygnets' pale silver hair and blue eyes. Similarly, they were both small and slight with feminine faces, so one would almost mistake them for women.

Neither was known for their wartime accomplishments, but they received aid from experienced generals.

The Queen of Esterberg came in person to display her loyalty to her Mother State. She was a woman in her 60s nicknamed Gatehouse Morella for her willingness to open her gates to the enemies she'd been fighting 5 minutes ago and the gates to her bed chambers. It was said that she slept with Andrew's father when he'd marched into the city and then with the prince of Triton after he defeated the Antlaturs in battle as she surrendered. Tearing up the agreement she had just signed. But her days of beauty were now passed. Her blonde hair was now silver, and her beautiful face was wrinkled. She brought her 20-year-old son; he had all the good looks she'd once possessed, with a long beard and hair like a lion's mane.

The generals for Antlatur were superior to all of the affiliate kingdoms' representatives. The first was Andrew's younger sister, Linnea Antlatur, general of the first division of Antlatur. She had her family's gold hair and green eyes and was generally considered a Peerless Beauty, but she was also her brother's closest and most trusted General.

Lucius Alvarius, Major General of the Third Division, was a close friend of Andrew. The two men were of similar age, and Lucius was a long-time supporter.

Philip Westerdale was Major General of the Fourth Division. He was also a representative of the Old Guard, a group that hadn't been too supportive of Andrew until his victories. Philip looked like he'd aged ten years in a single day, and the main reason was that his nephew had died during The Siege of Eldon’s Gate.

Herbert Blueline, the commander of the 7th division, was attended by his brother Horace Blueline. Despite not being twins, the two looked so similar that most people mistook them for twins. With black hair, a bluish tint, squarish faces, and thick lips, neither was much to look upon. House Blueline was a long-standing military family, so the two received a strict education and had been close to Andrew and his sister since childhood.

The 6th division, along with the Brigade from the 7th under the command of the Seasoned General Falcus Ormond, was currently in Camp outside of Grastide, pinning The Garrison in place.

Zach Pickett was tall and slender, like a knife, but did not lack muscle on top of that; he was handsome in the youthfully manly sort of way, which indicated he probably wouldn't be that handsome for long. He was Andrew's trusted Cavalier captain and had already won numerous achievements for himself. Although he was the lowest-ranking man here, he only held the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Finally, General Niances was taken along this time. He hadn't been taken along as any particular Commander but instead is more of an advisor to Andrew at his mother's insistence. Niances and Andrew didn't get along particularly well. One of the main reasons was Niances conservatism And the fact that he was the leader of the old guards, a group that still hadn't entirely accepted Andrew as king, primarily for his youth. Andrew felt anger at this group, as he had accomplished more in his short life than most of them had, yet they still dared to look down on him for being young. Even then, Andrew respected the old man.

The Chamber of War had been rearranged into a temporary audience hall so Andrew could greet the highest-ranking captive, Roderick Brune. Roderick was a man who was supposed to be 35. However, he looked to be 45. His black hair was already beginning to show white caps, and his craggy face didn't do him any favors. He'd been dragged from the dungeons of the castle he'd only recently commanded for this audience and gave everyone a good look at the injuries he'd sustained during The Siege. His left hand had been cut off, his right eye had similarly been slashed with a sword, and when they found him, he'd been covered in several more minor injuries. Most of these injuries had already been healed, but some injuries, including his hand and eye, couldn't be healed. He was not much of a looker, but now he could be considered blatantly disfigured. Even with all that, when he was brought into the room still in chains, everyone could feel the aura of the seasoned warrior and battle commander.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Upon seeing Andrew, Roderick sneered, his thin lips twisting mockingly. He was brought down the rows of officers who looked upon him with pitying or scornful eyes. Before he arrived in front of Andrew's chair, who stared down at him with an interested gaze, he started to understand why the sieges of the Black Valley were so brutal on his troops. “Roderick, House Brune betrayed the kingdom of Antlatur during the Rebellion. However, that was your father's work. I believe that his son does not inherit the sins of a father, so you may always return to your home country.”

There was a moment of silence in the room as everyone digested what Andrew had just said. He hadn't discussed it with anyone beforehand. However, he was interested in recruiting Roderick. He had once been the governor of Grastide and was a prominent General in the Black Army. He was skilled in both civil and military arts. Although not particularly famous, most people within and without the Kingdom of Black held his abilities in high regard, and that number included Andrew. The first reaction was Philip Westerdale, who pushed over his chair in his rage. “Are you fucking mad!” he jabbed a finger at Roderick. “This man led a garrison that killed 5,000 of our soldiers, some of our best and bravest, including my nephew; he's the son of a fucking traitor! You're saying you will not only let this man live but will recruit him!”

Andrew glared at Philip. “I am your king, sir. Not, are you fucking mad? You will not speak to me in such a manner. And to answer your question, yes, I do. Sit down. That's an order from your king.” Phillip gave him a look that could have killed him before doing as he'd been ordered.

Roderick was the next to react by laughing. His face was off, his mouth was split open, and if it weren't for the two soldiers holding him, he probably would have started rolling around on the ground. “Ha ha Ha, cough cough.” He stared up at Andrew like he was looking at a dumb pig, but otherwise, he wouldn't say anything.

“And here I was being serious.” Andrew said, disappointed, “I was making you a genuine offer to work for me because I value your ability and wouldn't send you to die on some border. It's even the perfect opportunity to save yourself and your family, but you spit in my face.” At that, Roderick spit in his face, which landed directly on his cheekbone. Andrew's mind blanked out for a second before all-consuming rage filled him. Before he knew it, he was up, lifting his fist and punching the man straight across the face. He felt the satisfying crunch and knew he had broken a few teeth.

Rodrick only laughed, opening his mouth to show his broken teeth. He hacked up a mouthful of blood and continued to laugh. “You will find no easy conquest here, golden stallion, after what your family did the first time. Well, I suppose you forgot, so I'll remind you. Your cousin Theamor raped my mother and got her pregnant with a bastard. When the baby was born, he drove her out of Grastide with a suckling infant. He said that she lied and was trying to intentionally damage his reputation like his reputation said anything good about him. My bastard half-brother died at the Battle of Hayden's Ford. Like I'll even work for you, Antlatur filth.” Andrew waved his hand, and the soldiers took Roderick away.

He sat back down, fuming after wiping his face, and an awkward air hung across the room. Zach was the one who broke it. “Your majesty, I believe you should hang that fool,” he said hotly. Andrew could see that his words came from genuine loyalty, which pleased him.

“No, I still have use for him.” Andrew sat back down and gestured for the table, which had been put against the wall, to resume its place so that the Chamber of War could again function as intended. A map of the Kingdom of Black was spread out over the table.

This is also a signal for the war council to begin in each General to give their advice, but as custom, law, and tradition dictated, only the Supreme Commander could give the command. The officers could only advise the Supreme Commander. Of course, this was only how things were supposed to work and not how things often worked. However, Andrew was the Supreme Commander in both name and form, so he had the right to give the command.

It was Prince Jacob who gave his advice first. “Your Majesty, we have captured the fortresses of the Black Valley. We are free to invade their Kingdom at our leisure and launch raids into their territory. The Kingdom of Black has fortified its border cities like Grastide, which would prove difficult to capture in a short campaign. Why not retreat, for now, weakening the enemy with raids and punitive expeditions?” His intentions were obvious. Being from an Affiliated Kingdom, he gained little from this whole War and wanted to retreat as quickly as possible to preserve his forces.

King Thomas interjected, “But then we would have to gather our troops again, and gathering them costs money and time. It's better to march on the capital of Lapetra!”

Cleos Hayton said, “Boy, keep your mouth shut about matters you don't understand. If we were to march on Lapetra, we could be cut off from the rear by Grastide.”

“We have 30,000 troops pinning them in place. They wouldn't dare emerge to strike us in the rear, and if they did, we would just take Grastide,” Thomas shot back. The two continued to bicker like children; however, no one seemed interested in stopping them. Both were kings. The generals Antlatur were beneath them in status, if not influence, and so couldn't interfere. The princes of the other two Affiliated Kingdoms had no interest in stopping them.

Finally, Andrew intervened, and the meeting went on again. However, even with the advice of the other generals and the prince, the discussion continued to revolve around the same three points: retreat, attack Lapetra, or attack Grastide. “We're like a wolf who found its way into a herd of fat sheep,” Andrew reflected. The wolf didn't know which to attack first, leaving it stumped.

“Grastide is well-fortified and positioned, so attacking it and taking it quickly would not be easy. While we're fruitlessly bashing ourselves against the walls, Valerius will defeat Redtowers and hit us in the rear with our forces exhausted from fruitless sieging,” Linnea said.

Most people didn't react much to such a claim except scorn for their supposed allies. Even though Andrew had married one of his sisters, luckily one of his rivals to the throne, to the king of Redtowers, the two kingdoms' rivalry continued as Redtower raids did not abate.

“As you say, Your Majesty, but that only gives us more reason to attack Grastide to prevent future problems,” Phillip said. The arguing resumed as each General and Lord stated their different opinions and began arguing for them. Linnea, Herbert, Horace, Zack, and Lucius supported the attack on Lapetra. Stephron joined them. Meanwhile, Jacob continued arguing for a retreat. The only one to join Philip in urging an attack on Grastide was Cleos. Andrew wanted to discuss this with the Lion of Unica. Unfortunately, Prince Jacob had already made his support for a retreat known, and Anthony could hardly oppose his Lord.

Finally, Andrew turned to the only person who hadn't made his opinion known: Niances. “And what do you think about this.” Everyone else turned their attention as they knew Niance’s opinion would likely sway the king in one direction or the other.

He responded, “Livia Tallwood is the current general of the second division of the Kingdom of Black. She's a seasoned and skilled Commander. I faced her once myself.”

“Didn't you win that battle,” Linnea interjected, as it seemed this would take a while.

“Yes, I did, although I would more a skirmish than a proper battle. She's a tricky opponent, and I might have lost if she had an equal number to me.” This statement was made flatly as if it were merely the truth. Andrew himself was shocked to hear it. He knew that Niances didn't make boasts or overestimate the enemy, a testament to his experience.

Philip, who looked up, snorted: “But you did win, and you have more men even now.”

“Yes, I do,” Niances once again said calmly, “but Tallwood has a fortress. The second division consists of seasoned soldiers who are well-trained. We won't be able to defeat them as quickly as we did with the third division. In addition, Tallwood is a tricky Commander. She is nicknamed the Witch of the black knife for nothing. We can't underestimate her. I would have surrounded her and wiped her out if not for her schemes and tricks. With a fortress and an experienced Garrison at her back, we would defeat her in time, but it would come at the cost of time and men we simply don't have.” At this, he turned his attention to Andrew. “Don't forget, Your Majesty, that the kingdom of Triton is watching. If we take too long or too many casualties, they might just invade, and with our main Army here, we won't be able to resist them.

“So what are you suggesting?” Andrew asked impatiently. He braced Himself to hear that they should retreat, but instead, he heard the opposite.

“I believe we should gather whatever soldiers we can and march on Lapetra, and capture it as swiftly as possible.” Niances explained his reasoning calmly: “Even if we capture Grastide, it won't be a major blow to the Kingdom of Black, although it will provide a stage for further invasions. Lapetra, on the other hand, is the center of their economy, and it would be crippling to lose that. In addition, with the second division gone, the Garrison will be reserves, and one of their militia they can scrounge up. Lapetra is also positioned on flat ground and will be easier to capture than Grastide.” Noticing Phillips's look of dismay. He continued, “There is the possibility of being cut off from the rear, but at that time, all we need to do is fall back. We will still hold the Black Valley and have an advantage in numbers. If they meet us in the field, we will crush them.”

Andrew laughed. “Well, it looks like our course of action is decided. The only decision left was how many troops should stay behind to guard the Black fortresses. Given your strong desire to defend these fortresses, I believe the Kingdom of Unica should be handed over to you.”

There was a moment of silence at his proclamation, but Jacob quickly responded, “ Yes, Your Majesty, we will certainly defend them with our lives if need be,” he said eagerly. The other Affiliated kingdoms didn't particularly look happy about it but didn't object to the decision either.

Some hours later, Andrew smiled as the meeting finally ended, and his Generals filed out. Their plans were in motion, and his finger landed on the capital, Lapetra.