Chapter Thirteen: Time is of the Essence

"August. Wake up August we need you."

"You sound desperate Balius."

"August! Your awake!"

"It seems so Balius."

"August don't sound so sarcastic. You have been out for two weeks."

"Two! Weeks!"

I Shoot up from my bed at the news. I wince in pain before I get any further. Everything hurts; my face, my chest, back, legs, and everything else that can ache.

"August you are in no move to be moving about lay still. You barely broke your fever a day ago and your wounds can still fester." Balius my trusted only friend has a worried look on his face. Something he never has.

"Balius. Summon the war council we need to move." Balius paid no heed to my words. If it was anyone else I suspect I might have them flogged or at the very least put on latrine duty.

"August. My dear friend you are in no condition to be moving. I doubt you would even make it far without fainting." Maybe he is right either way the marshal Adrain wouldn't be far by now.

"Balius you know I refuse to have this victory stolen from me by that damned Marshal or my father. If we have set out now we might be able to force another battle." 

"I do have good news for you my friend. Nikolas! Bring in the prisoner!" Balius shouted towards the door. I only now see that I am in a real bed and room not some royal tent. I had forgotten how good it felt to sleep on a real bed in a real somewhat insulated room.

The door swings open with a groan the floor follows suit with a creak as two men enter the room. The first is a young looking man with blonde hair followed by the unmistakable Nikolas. The prison was not shackled as is the tradition for royalty. Royal prisoners were treated more as honored guests than prisoners of war with the expectation that they would not attempt and escape. It was taboo for a royal prisoner to escape captivity and considered extremely dishonorable.

"Seems like Arber did quite a number on you. It is a shame you pulled through." A smack quickly sounded as Nikolas struck the man. 

"Cease at once Nikolas. This is a royal prisoner I refuse to see him treated as some common rabble." My stern words shock Nikolas. I can't blame him for not showing etiquette since there is no way for him to know. Still it is a bad look to let something like that to happen.

"Crown Prince Mesil II. Im surprised you are here, you were not at the parley."

"Yes. Lord Arber believed it would cause you to attack us and try to capture me then."

"You do me a diservice Mesil. I am not so dishonorable that I would attempt such a thing. After all I already smashed your army a mere month and some change ago. I would win eventually."

Mesil didn't speak any further. He was the one leading the main army I had destroyed not to long ago. The memory is bound to bring great shame to him.

"Nikolas take the prince away ensure he is given the upmost hospitality."

"Yes my lord." Nikolas quickly walked away with the price.

With the Crown Prince in my custody it wouldn't be impossible to win this war in a timely matter. The plan would be this. First make it to the capital city of Polis. Then offer the life of the crown prince in exchange for Valburgh's surrender. 

Although with the reputation of Valburgh's king there is a chance he will refuse anyway. 

King Mesil the first not to be confused with our prisoner Prince Mesil the Second is known to be, very evidently egotistical, greedy, and stubborn. On the flip side he is also know to be very cunning and devious after all he does still run a country. King Mesil runs Valburgh more as a merchant Than a proper king he is always chasing profits. 

"Balius I will ride in a damned carriage if I have to we must make it to Polis." 

"I know I cannot sway you otherwise. However you will travel as I see fit under the care of healers at all times." Seeing Balius's stern tone I know I won't be able to fight his decision.

// // // // // // // // // //

The journey to Polis was only two days going at a steady march. As Balius had ordered I was riding in a rather luxurious carriage we had seized a while ago. There was a healer by my side at all times although I couldn't speak to their qualifications but if Balius had picked them I was sure they were alright.

There was a knock at the door of the carriage I motioned for Nikolas who hadn't left my side to open it. Balius jumped into the slowly moving carriage and took a seat across from me.

"How far are we." I hadn't been able to see many of the commanders or scribes so I relied on Balius to be my eyes and ears for most of the journey.

"The scouts have found a good location to set up camp. We will be there early tomorrow morning ." 

"That's good. Tell me our logistics I never got any reports from after the siege."

Balius pulled out a stack of papers from his coat and began to summarize the most important parts.

"We have enough food supplies to last our army for two months and a matching amount of coin. All our wounded we left at Ardenafast along with a garrison of two hundred and half of the healers we brought. During the siege we sustained some six hundred casualties however most were wounded. I estimate that by the wars end half of that number will succumb to wounds so give or take three hundred dead."

"Ensure the upmost care for the dead. I want them buried with all honors and money sent to their families." Orphans and widows could cause massive civil unrest something most governments never really thought about. It was especially important with the feudalistic system in place around much of the world. Every serf dead was an important laborer not working the farms and fields. 

That was why war was so potentially bad for a country to undergo. Even if a country wins there is a number of factors to take into account. For example; how many troops did you lose? If you lose to many another country can strike when you are weak. How is the state of the treasury? That is one of the reason my army was smaller than Valburghs at the outset of the war. Yes I 'Could' have mustered and army of 20,000 or I can muster an army of half that and save on money.

"How many men do we have with us now?" There was no denying our numbers had to be running low even after three great victories.

"We have around over four thousand combat capable troops. That's not including the ones that are slightly wounded and choose to stay with the main army. With them included around four thousand three hundred troops." It wasn't a bad number certainly not the six thousand that started the war but it worked. 

"How many prisoners did we take during the siege?"

"We took some three hundred captives the rest were all killed in combat."

"Anyone notable besides the prince?"

"We captured lord Alban and his brother most of the other prisoners were commoners that escaped from the last battle."

Most of the nobles were killed during the calvary charge in the battle at the Ardenawood plain. It was likely the rest had retired to their own personal estates or the capital.

"August I do have to ask. Did you order lord Felix to lead a contingent that assaulted the wall on purpose?" 

"Why do you ask? Perchance did anything bad happen to him?" I did have a reason for ordering him to lead a contingent from the front. Well two reasons although I must admit one was very petty. 

"Yes actually. Lord Felix was slain I'm combat during the fighting. His son, now Lord Andrew has been confirmed as the new lord of his estates. He did swear to see the war through to the end without withdrawing any of his troops."

I smirked at that which seemed to make Nikolas slightly uncomfortable. I had spoken to Andrew man times he was only a year older than me and had a hatred for his father. I had ordered Felix to lead the front because he was spineless and annoying but that was the petty reason. The main reason was that Felix was a test. With him dead in battle no blame could be laid at my feet for a murder. The plan was to put nobles that were to powerful or would not support me when I became king in positions they would likely be killed. When they were killed, their sons; many of which I had purposely befriended or indebted to me like Andrew would take rulership. Then I would have people that were capable, loyal, and young to me as vassals as opposed to corrupt and old vassals that would try to weaken my power base.

When I became Emperor this would happen on a much larger scale with a much greater effect but that was for a different time.

"Well then Balius my plans progress well. I have nothing more to say or ask you all may leave me and retire for the night." Tomorrow I would have glory and victory. Or not. The future is a fickle thing.