Chapter 26: Problem in plans

I looked around me, another village on the Arbor was sacked. There were some people in the village who had some… conflicts about what we were doing. So they… fell silent… because they were killed. 

Any futile resistance that was put up got squashed like a bug. Out of the 35 thousand men, I only took 20 thousand with me on land. The others were on my ships, in case the Reach got wind of what we were doing. Though I already had my hawk kill all of the ravens, so no one would find out.

At the look of the village, it wasn't destroyed, their food wasn't burned. The only thing bad they got from it was some bastards popping out because of some of my more… enthusiastic men. 

But still, the island was taken over, so were some towns and all of the ports. Now the only place left is Vinetown, the place where the Redwyne's have their little castle. I already have an ongoing plan on how to easily take it over. 

….

After six hours I have everything ready, I just march my army towards the castle. As I look at the castle, I see that it wasn't anything special. Even the walls weren't built that high… I could storm the castle and take it over. But that would lead to a lot of unnecessary deaths of my men. 

I am currently riding a horse, as are some of my personal guards. I turn towards one of them, I look him in the eyes and say. "Bring me my longbow."

...

[ General POV ]

As the guards inside the castle were preparing for the battle. They put wooden reinforcements on the gate and all that. They were all nervous and their hands were shaking, and some of them were even crying while clutching their heads in despair.

They were stuck in a castle with a boy lord who knows nothing and his mother who only knows how to play political games, which are useless now. 

They all felt like an invisible force was suffocating them and they were already dead. Even without Arthur's army attacking, the castle was already in chaos. Men who knew would be dying the next day went into a crime spree, from r*ping, stealing and killing.

They had become like beasts locked in a cage. The reinforcements would need at least two days or more to come here and even if they did it wouldn't make any difference, the real army is in the Storm Lands holding siege at Storm's End. 

The dezen of soldiers at the gate were just normal peasants, taken as guards, they had dreamed of being knights of the Reach and all that. But now all of them were in absolute despair. They hadn't even seen the little lord for a couple of days, when even the one in charge was scared, it truly meant no hope for them. Some had already tried deserting but they were beheaded by the Redwyne little Lord's personal guards. 

The guards gave them some promises of knighthood and gold if they held the siege, they tried to raise the morale of the troops, but that coming from the mouth of a guard was just empty words. Even they knew that, after all even if it was true, what use did gold have to a dead man.

...

But on the other side, the little lord was sitting on his father's seat and was being fed lies by his advisors. "Don't worry my lord, even if they all storm the walls, the castle of Redwyne can hold them all back. It has withstood hundreds of wars and this will not be any different."

The boy smiled at this. "You are right Ludwig, if our castle couldn't withstand a simple attack like this. Our family wouldn't have been here for thousands of years, ruling the Arbor."

"But my lord, I think that you giving a speech to the troops might encourage them to look up to you." Said the old maister with a raspy voice.

But the little lord's mother immediately intervened. "I think that would be unnatural, the soldiers already know what they fight for."

When she said this the maister looked at her and thought in his head. 'This woman, she is just afraid that her son might get jumped by an angry soldier or something like that.'

The mother truly just didn't want her son to feel the despair that everyone was feeling. Ignorance is truly a bliss… she understands best what would happen to a female like her if the gates are opened. But she still doesn't want her son to get exposed to the world so soon.

...

But what they didn't know was that outside while the soldiers were feeling despair. The council member, who wasn't there with them, had other plans. He looks at the letter that he got from the strange red hawk.

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If you open the gates willingly, your family will be spared from the cruelties of war. You know how wars go don't you… William of the Vinetown.

 -By Arthur Redhawk 

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He had a calm face as he walked towards the soldiers at the gates and said to them. "The lord has ordered to open the gates and surrender."

The soldiers look at him suspiciously but they are all ready to comply, after all no matter what they will take the chance to stay alive.

But as they are about to take off the reinforcements at the door. A knight noticed this and came towards them while saying. "What are you doing."

William seemed nervous that he might get his head cut off, if they found out that he was planning to betray them all for his family.

He had a moderately successful business on Vinetown, that was why he was in the council of the lord. But even then he doesn't earn the respect of the soldiers. They all see him as just another copper counter and cheese monger.

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MC sure has a plan doesn't he... next chapter will be chaotic as it describes the depth of the MC's plan 

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