Back to the Capital Pt.1

Lenard Geldstein, Month 11, Day 16, Year A.F 652. Rosalia, Kingdom of Rosalia.

The tumultuous journey ended the moment we arrived at capital's walls. It's vast length and its insurmountable height almost made me doubt if it was even possible to take over.

Yet, the moment we arrived, we noticed the men atop the walls. An officer rode out out with the army behind him, intently watching, a hundred men, weapons down and shields lowered, all seemingly defeated.

The four of us looked around in suspicion before sending one of our men forward to meet the leader of their forces.

They exchanged words before our officer rides back with a letter. He salutes in our direction before shouting, "Sir! They are prepared to surrender the capital under a single term."

I look at the Lords beside me, their expression relieved. After all, the harrasment and the consequent rearrangement of our forces were quite a debacle. Seeing that the upcoming battle was to be this quick, it brought them relief and a time to properly ready ourselves for the upcoming battle.

"That is quite odd." I mutter to myself.

Lord Ivid even spoke up behind me, "Maybe they couldn't spare their forces for the capital's defense."

Lord Belford interjects, "Even with such reasoning, giving away an important asset such as the capital and leaving unscathed, without resistance to your enemy. There must be something we're missing."

"Maybe Duke Rivider wasnt able to predict his men surrendering at such resistance." Ivid supplied as he remained deep in thought.

"That man won't leave someone that would surrender so easily, unless they are ordered to do so."

"It matters little. We have arrived, and the capital is being given to us with little resistance. Either we take it now or we dont." Lord Mirs spoke up.

I listen to their words and take in their opinions. It's true that such actions are suspicious, but we surely need the time and the manpower this could offer us.

With this in mind, I gesture him to continue. My expression unreadable as countless thoughts pass through my mind. What is he thinking? To even consider losing such an easily defensible siege.

The officer then started reading the letter, "All they ask was that all enemy personnel are to be pardoned off of execution."

"I say we agree, executing so many men will only look bad for us." Mirs spoke as he hold unto the reins of his horse.

"Nonsense, any enemy we leave alive is an enemy that's bound to fight us another day. I say we take them out now, since their forces looked meager and under-supplied its bound to be an easy battle."

"But killing them at a point like this? We'll clearly look like aggressors and tyrants. If we kill so many of them for all the capital to see, Rivider might just use this against us."

Belford was about to speak up before I interject, "Enough, we will take their surrender and have them imprisoned. We'll use them for all their worth and have the capital welcome us in a favourable light."

Belford stops before bowing his head, accepting of my reasoning. Ivid only sighs in joy at the anticipation of the reentry of the palace.

There is no need to kill the hundred men before me. Starving them in their cells or at least having them work for their due should be enough.

"Tell them of our acceptance." I said to our officer, one which immediately salutes and followed my orders as he rode back to the city.

Half an hour passed and the gates creaks open, the officer standing there in a bow as a hundred me kneeled behind him.

"Seize them!" I shout out to my men as hundreds of my knights rode in their direction.

With quick and decisive movements, the knights quickly take hold of the gate and have the men pinned down and arrested, their arms tied behind their backs as the knights hold them at point black.

Seeing the situation now under control, I gesture to my fellow lords as we rode to the city. Revealing the city in it's entirety. One that leaves me in shock.

The once bustling streets has turned empty, the once noisy industrial sectors of the city were now silent and even the beggars were absent.

"Send the enemy leader here!" I shout as my lords watch city in confusion.

A knight drags him towards me, his expression silent. I ask him about the situation to at least shed light on how the city was deserted.

"How did this happen?"

He looks up, his hand tied in front of him as he replied, "The moment the battle began a riot engulfed the city, the chaos from the palace ignited the anger from the increasing prices of bread."

He looks down in anger as he remembers everything that happened, "The moment you left, they sent all available soldiers to quell the riots."

The anger in his eyes were apparent as he describes what happened within the city "We asked for help from the palace, yet they shut down all gates as the riot exploded throughout the city."

"How did it end?" I ask him as I look around to see the signs of blood and scorch marks dotting around the city.

"It never ended, the people just got tired of all the violence and left."

"I see. How many remained within the city?" I spoke to him as I looked around the desolate industrial district. The weapon shops were empty while some were burnt to the ground.

They obviously robbed the smithies, they took all the weapons within them leaving nothing but the useless clothes and built in furnaces.

He shrugs, "a fourth."

"That sounds ridiculous." Mirs spoke up behind me as we looked at the officer.

Ivid even spoke up, "Where would that many even go?"

He glances at them with his dead eyes as he replied, "West. Some wanted to find a new life at the Iridian Principalities, even that carriage system called A&M happily took them everywhere."

He taps his chin, "Though there was a village that seemed to have been attracting hundreds if not thousands, all promised with land and money."

The words make me stop and think. I was sure that such things were promised to him a few days ago, yet he seemed to have already taken advantage of the situation and have made the measures to take in every refugee out there.

"That sly bastard." I mutter to myself, realizing that this was his intention from the beginning.

It doesn't matter. Once I end this war, I could take away his position. After all, I designated him as an official of that village, not a proper lord.

So there won't be any problem if I strip him of control over that village. With that thought in mind, I continue forward, nodding to the knight as he once more returns the man back to prison.

I hold my head in frustration until a lord Mirs ride back to my position.

He spoke with a comforting smile, "My Prince, you shouldn't let such a setback deter you from moving forward. The best we could do is fix the kingdom to what it used to be as quickly as possible."

I listen to his words before nodding and riding forward once more, now coming upon the city commercial centers and be greeted once more by the devastation.

Countless upended stalls greeted me along with the burnt and broken shops. Each one seemingly raided as dried blood remained.

It seems the first one to fall was the food stalls. With a sigh, I once more rode forward, entering the residential district, now empty, and those that remained peek from their doors as my army marched forward.

It was a terrible sight to see. Their gaunt faces looked back while some begged in the streets.

Even then, with a bid of desperation a beggar ran up to me, shouting as she knelt, "I beg you for you help, your Highness."

The sounds of swords unsheathing makes her tremble and all I could do was throw her some gold as she ran back in to her house. I raise my arm to stop my men as I hear her shout in joy within her home.

Though that came with an unfortunate reaction, the once silent area became manic. As hundreds of men and women ran from their houses, their hands forward begging for the same wealth I gave the woman.

The army behind me deploys as they became a barrier against the manic crowd. Seeing the mess I did, I grit my teeth and pushed on, hoping the situation calms down.

The ride became hectic as hundreds scream out my name, hoping for the same wealth. Though as we came upon the gates leading to the noble district, The typical mansion stood as the servants did their duty and I escape the almost rioting crowd behind me.

I look back in horror, hoping that such a thing won't leave to more problems.