Chapter 39:Dark night

King Richard led a meeting inside a massive tent for discussions about the siege of the castle. Alongside Ethan, the other siblings were also present. Besides the generals, two dukes and the duchess, the wife of one duke, were in the tent. Everyone gathered around a large rectangular table in the center of the tent. It was time to discuss the matters regarding the upcoming war.

"As you know, Your Majesties, this castle holds significant importance. It is the only castle bordering the Asina Kingdom. Forests surround the other side of the border and difficult-to-cross mountains. Our enemies know very well the importance of the fortress. Therefore, it is highly likely that the Avarya main army has already set out, and we estimate they will reach here within the next 10 days. Hence, no matter what, we need to seize this castle as quickly as possible," said Duchess Theodora. Duchess Theodora was also Anna's mother and the head of espionage activities for the Asina Kingdom. Ethan could sense the dangerous aura emanating from this woman.

Listening attentively to Duchess Theodora's words, King Richard began speaking with seriousness. "Yes, as our duchess has expressed, this castle holds strategic importance. Therefore, tonight, we will launch a full-scale attack. Now, the real question is how we should execute this attack."

After his father finished speaking, Prince Henry requested permission to make a suggestion. "Your Majesties, may I speak?" Richard nodded, giving Henry permission to proceed.

Prince Henry began speaking calmly. "Your Majesties, instead of directly attacking to seize the castle, perhaps we can provoke the enemy into abandoning it. For example, we can disrupt their supply lines or raid strategic points to disturb them. This way, we might encounter less resistance in capturing the castle."

"Didn't you hear what Duchess Theodora just said, brother? We only have 10 days to capture this castle, but if we follow your suggested strategy, the main army of Avarya Kingdom will probably catch up to us," Princess Isabella interjected.

"When did we start fearing the main army of Avarya Kingdom? We'll fight them when they arrive. Of course, you women tend to exaggerate things, but brother, this is not a place for women; this is a battlefield," Prince Henry retorted. Some generals smirked and glanced at Isabella upon hearing his words.

"You're mistaken, Prince Henry. In fact, the battlefield is not only for fools. I say this based on my experiences," Duchess Theodora said, visibly angered by Henry's words. King Richard watched everything unfold silently. "What are you implying with those words, duchess?" Henry asked angrily. "It implies that you're a fool, brother," Isabella said sarcastically. "You!" Henry stood up in anger.

"ENOUGH! Are you trying to create unrest where I am? Don't you value your own life?" With King Richard's words, silence fell over the tent. After a while, both siblings quietly apologized, bowing their heads simultaneously. King Richard then turned to Ethan, who had been silently observing the situation. "Do you have any suggestions, Prince Ethan?"

After gathering his thoughts, Ethan murmured. "Your Majesties, as Duchess Theodora also pointed out, time is a critical factor... Sometimes, the simplest solutions can be the best. We need to attack the castle in one go." King Richard nodded in agreement with Ethan's words. Since there were no other suggestions, Richard began speaking. "Then it's decided. Tonight, at midnight, we will launch a full-scale attack with all our might," he said, and everyone nodded in agreement. Subsequently, there was a discussion for a while about who would lead where in the army. According to this, along with King Richard, Isabella and the dukes would be in the center. Ethan said he wanted to lead the right wing and they decided that Prince Ethan would lead the right wing. Henry would command the left wing. Gideon, a highly esteemed general, would lead the archers. And finally, Roland, another important general, would command the cavalry unit to be used in case of an attack. With this arrangement, everyone returned to their tents to await midnight.

When the stars were glowing in the sky, the army had already prepared for the attack. In the dark night, the army silently moved towards the castle, each soldier filled with excitement and determination in their hearts. Ethan, as the leader of the right flank, was giving orders to prepare his troops for battle. Everyone fixed their eyes on the target, and silence hung in the forest like the breath of death.

As they approached the castle, they encountered unexpected resistance. Enemy soldiers greeted them with fire on the walls, and archers continuously launched their arrows. Ethan quickly assessed the situation and, along with his right flank, launched an attack to break through the enemy's defense line.

Based on the information they had gathered from the corpse of a fallen enemy, Ethan knew that the walls on the right side of the castle were weak and unrepaired. With this knowledge, he aimed to take the right flank. The intense attacks from the wizards caused a minor breach in the right flank.

Each leader was leading their unit, struggling to seize the castle. Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, the troops were advancing with determination, getting closer to capturing the castle with each passing minute. However, they encountered even fiercer resistance along the path to the castle.

Arrows from the castle walls were targeting the soldiers, and some were falling. Ethan quickly assessed the situation and ordered his troops to retreat to a more sheltered position. Then, he communicated with other leaders to develop a safer strategy to reach the castle.

Meanwhile, King Richard and other leaders were directing their attacks towards the center of the castle. They tried various tactics to break the enemy's resistance, but they struggled to make progress against the vigorous defense of the castle.

Ethan assigned a quick messenger to inform King Richard and other unit leaders about the breach on the right flank. Units close to the right flank had already seen Prince Ethan's banner breaking through the castle walls and had come to support, but their numbers were still insufficient. Enemy units had already focused their attention on Ethan's unit. The rapid maneuver of the enemy units showed the skillfulness of the castle captain.

As the battle raged on, Ethan noticed the castle captain standing before him, wielding a long but slender sword. Ethan dismounted from his horse and prepared to face the castle captain. Ethan's dismounting and confronting the castle captain caught the attention of both sides' soldiers. The two enemies looked at each other intently. Before long, the castle captain made his first move...