A Grand Design 34.

Winter. The Capital City Oaklynn. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

The regent of Oaklynn, lord Sammis is in a meeting with members of court. When an officer in his army hurries into the meeting chamber. And makes his way to where the regent is sitting at the table.
The officer briefly whispers something to the regent of the capital city. Who after a slight pause, nods his head yes.
"Members of court" says lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn when there's a pause in the conversation.
"If you will excuse me, there's something i have to attend to" adds the nobleman who is effectively the acting sovereign of the kingdom of Girdane.
The regent gets up, and says to the members of court here in the chamber "Carry on, i shall return as soon as i can".
Lord Sammis then follows his officer out of the chamber, while inside, the meeting amongst members of the court continues.
"Where?" asks the regent of Oaklynn as he and the officer in his army hurry down a hallway. The officer tells him where, then he says "They came right here".
Regent Sammis slightly grimaces at that, then quietly tells the officer "I hope we don't have to send more of our army out west".
The officer nods in agreement. But from the sudden appearance of those who have just returned to the palace. He thinks more of their army heading out west might be a distinct possibility.
They make their way to an antechamber near the back of the palace. A smaller chamber guarded by the regent's soldiers, and not the palace guards who can be found throughout the palace. Whose morale is low ever since the king, and others in the royal quarters were murdered.
Lord Sammis enters the antechamber, where he finds captain Kilmane pacing back and forth. While Sarmac the keeper stands at the window looking outside. And a tired and unkempt Haric the wizard sits at the table, breathing heavily with his head in his hands.
With the officer who brought the regent here, closing the door, and remaining outside.
Lord Sammis who wants to know why they've returned unexpectedly, looks at the captain, the officer in his army he trusts the most, and asks him "What's happened?".
"Just about everything" dryly says captain Kilmane who stops his pacing to look at the nobleman who is the regent of the capital city of Oaklynn.
"That's what's happened" adds the captain in the regent's army.
Regent Sammis slightly nods and doesn't say anything. He lets the captain take his time, as he knows Kilmane will divulge why he, along with Sarmac and Haric have returned to Oaklynn, when they should be still out in the west of the kingdom.
Captain Kilmane walks over to the table where the wizard Haric is sitting. The officer in the army of the regent leans against the table, and takes a deep sigh like breath.
"Where to begin?" muses captain Kilmane who then looks at the tired looking wizard in the rumpled, ruby coloured robes. Then over at the keeper Sarmac who is still looking out the window. Seemingly not paying attention to the other three in the antechamber.
"Well for starters" says the captain as he looks back at the regent who is standing in the middle of the antechamber.
"The kingdom's army has been defeated in battle against the rebels" adds the captain in the regent's army.
There's a few moments of silence as a shocked looking lord Sammis takes this in, then the regent of the capital city of Oaklynn says "What?".
Captain Kilmane nods, then says "Absolutely routed from what we could see" as the stunned looking regent looks at him, the captain adds "They're fleeing back east, with the enemy in pursuit of them".
The regent of Oaklynn is silent for a moment or two as he takes this in, then he says "How the hell was this able to happen?" he continues with "Even without our army joining them, they still outnumbered those western rebels".
Kilmane slightly shrugs, then says "From what we could find out, the general and most of his senior staff were killed either just before the battle started, or when it got underway" the captain follows that with "Either way, the army was leaderless, and they were trounced and on the retreat in just an afternoon".
"Fucking hell" mutters the regent of Oaklynn, as this defeat of the kingdom's army has, to say the least, put his plans back.
Captain Kilmane then goes onto explain "We got the waagen and went to attack the rebels, but we didn't know they were spread out all through Isanor. We came across a bunch of their supply wagons by accident" he continues with "We attacked them, then took off fairly quickly when a mounted patrol of their's found us".
The captain in the regent's army shakes his head, then says "We came back a little to the east, and attacked some more of them" he then adds "Once again another mounted company of their's found us, and almost got us before we were able to get away again through one of Haric's rifts".
The captain momentarily pauses, before he tells regent Sammis "We left the remaining waagen out west in Isanor, and told them to attack the rebels whenever they could".
"At least that's something" quietly says lord Sammis, the captain, wizard, and the keeper at the window, all nod in agreement with their lord.
Then captain Kilmane says "We headed back east into Wostin, and that's when we found the next thing".
"Oh?" says the regent of Oaklynn, the captain in his army nods, then he slightly winces because he doesn't want to say it, but he continues on with "One of our battalions we sent out west was wiped out" he quickly follows that with "And another one is missing".
The regent's jaw drops down in surprise as he looks at his captain, then the wizard, and the keeper. He looks back at captain Kilmane, who then says "We found the third battalion, the one commander Kaim went out with, they're in Summerton". A town in the duchy of Fandell.
"We told him what happened, and he's going to remain in the duchy of Fandell for now" says the captain in the regent's army.
Lord Sammis who was in shock about hearing the defeat of the kingdom's army. Is absolutely bewildered about what's happened to two of three battalions in his own army he's sent out west to help fight alongside the kingdom's army against the rebels of the duchies of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen.
"How the hell has this happened?" asks the regent of Oaklynn who doesn't know who to look at as he tries to comprehend what's happened.
"Their army is smaller than the kingdom's one, more so if you add ours" says lord Sammis who follows that with "And they're less experienced than both ours and the kingdom's".
Captain Kilmane nods in agreement with the regent of Oaklynn, then says "You're right my lord" he continues on with "But I'm guessing that mercenary army they've hired know what the hell to do" followed by "And that they're definitely experienced".
The nobleman who as the last living member of the extended royal family, is essentially the defacto sovereign, grunts at that assessment from his army captain.
Then he does so again, when Kilmane tells him "It was only the mercenary companies in the kingdom's army that withstood the enemy and put up a fight against the rebels" the captain in the regent's army then adds "If it wasn't for them i suspect that army would've basically been wiped out in that battle".
Lord Sammis sighs, and looks over at the keeper Sarmac and can now understand why he's standing there, staring out the window.
The regent makes his way to the table, and pours himself a goblet of wine from one of the bottles on it.
He looks at the wizard Haric, who still has his head in his hands, looking down at the table as he sits there, breathing slowly and heavily.
"Will he be alright?" asks lord Sammis who nods at the wizard, who is slightly trembling.
"He should be fine with some rest" says captain Kilmane, who continues with "He exhausted himself magically, i guess that takes a lot out of a spellcaster".
The captain may not particular like the overweight and unkempt wizard. But he has to hand it to Haric, who got them out of a few dangerous situations while they were out in the west of the kingdom.
For if it wasn't for the wizard in the regent's army, they would've of got back to Oaklynn, or got out of those situations alive.
After gulping down the rest of the wine in the goblet, the regent of Oaklynn quietly says "What the hell can we do?" he pauses for a few moments then he adds "Send the rest of our army out west to fight the rebels?".
The other three are silent for a few moments, then Sarmac the keeper turns from the window he's been looking out of, and says "Maybe".
The gamekeeper who previously served on the lands of the family of his lord, then looks at captain Kilmane as he adds "The captain has got a few thoughts on the matter".
Kilmane nods, and after pouring himself a goblet of wine, and another which he places infront of Haric, and says to the wizard "Drink" followed by "It'll help".
He looks at the regent of the capital city Oaklynn, and tells him "We could do that" he briefly pauses, before continuing on with "But what we really need is for the eastern dukes, and those in the central region to get involved".
The captain in the regent's army then says "The duke of Poldis just let the rebels pass through his duchy".
"Western sympathiser" mutters lord Sammis in disgust.
"And the duke of Isanor wisely got his forces out of the way of things" says captain Kilmane who then adds "He would of been crushed between those two armies".
The regent of Oaklynn grunts and concedes that point from the captain, who then says "But we caught sight of some of the duke of Wostin's men" he follows that with "They looked ready to fight, but they won't because they'll be badly outnumbered once the kingdom's force retreat back through there, and into Fandell".
The captain in the regent's army says "If the eastern dukes were to combine with those in the center of the kingdom like the dukes of Wostin and Fandell. I'm sure the western rebels won't be able to get to the eastern duchies, and that we'll be able to defeat them".
Lord Sammis nods to that, then he says "You know what that'll mean don't you?" the nobleman who has devised a plan that's taken him years to bring about, which will see him on the throne, adds "It will be a full on civil war we've got on our hands".
"That's what you've got anyway" says a tired sounding Haric the wizard as he speaks up for the first time "Might as well make it official" adds the spellcaster, who with trembling hands, picks up the goblet of wine captain Kilmane put infront of him. And surprisingly without spilling a drop, the rumpled looking wizard in the ruby coloured robes drinks from it.
"If we don't" says captain Kilmane, who looks at his lord, and tells him "You can kiss goodbye to those years of plans of yours" followed by "And any chance of seeing yourself on the throne as king".
From anyone else, lord Sammis would take umbrage at someone speaking to him like that. But since it's from his most trusted officer in his army. He's not upset at all. Infact, he can see the truth in what his captain just said.
"Yes" says the regent of Oaklynn, who then adds "We have to get the eastern and central duchies involved" he follows that with "A few of the dukes here in the east want to get involved anyway" lord Sammis continues with "With this defeat of the kingdom's army, I'm guessing they'll want to be involved even more so".
Captain Kilmane nods, then says "The sooner the better, if we want to stop the rebels somewhere in the center of the kingdom" he continues with "They'll soon know about the defeat, there's no way we could keep that secret" followed by "Someone will arrive in the capital in the next day or two with information about what's happened out west".
"They're all here at court, i was meeting with some of them when i got the message that you were here" says the regent of the capital city of the kingdom of Girdane, who continues on with "It shouldn't be too difficult to persuade them into fighting against the western rebels".
They quickly go over what they can do, then lord Sammis asks the officer in his army he trusts the most "Those waagen won't prove to be loose ends will they?".
Captain Kilmane shakes his head no, then says "I'm guessing they'll eventually all be killed as they continue to randomly attack the rebels".
"They didn't ask about the ones we brought here to the capital did they?" asks the regent of Oaklynn.
Once again the captain shakes his head no, then he says "It's why we had them in separate groups" he follows that with "So they didn't know what the other groups were up to".
Next to the window, the keeper Sarmac nods, as he devised that. So the groups of waagen didn't interact or work together. As they've created havoc whenever they've gone across the west of the kingdom.
"Good" murmurs lord Sammis who doesn't want anything to come back to him in relation to the death of his cousin, king Jarnard the Second of his name, and others here in the palace.
The regent of Oaklynn then tells the trio who have unexpectedly returned to the capital "I need to gather the other dukes here at court" followed by "And get them to agree to fight those rebels from out west".
Captain Kilmane nods to that, then he says "Even if they don't all agree, there should still be plenty enough to join the survivors from the kingdom's army, and defeat the western rebels". Lord Sammis grunts in agreement, then says "I'll be off to do that". Then looking at three who are part of his army, he asks them "What will you lot do?".
"Get some sleep for the rest of the day" replies captain Kilmane, who like Sarmac and Haric, hasn't had any rest over the last couple of the days, as they've constantly been on the go.
"We'll be up to whatever you want us to do tomorrow morning" adds the captain in the regent's army, both the keeper and the wizard nod in agreement with him.
"Very well" says the regent of Oaklynn, who heads to the door, and before he opens it, looks back at the trio who went out west, and says to them "I'll see you in the morning".
Lord Sammis exits the antechamber, and with the officer who brought him the message that Kilmane, Sarmac and Haric had returned.
They head back to the meeting chamber here in the palace, where members of the court are.
As they do, the regent of Oaklynn tells the officer to send out messengers to those dukes in the city, and not in the palace to attend court.
And to send out riders to all the duchies here in the east of the kingdom, and to the duchies in the center of Girdane. And have those dukes not already in Oaklynn, to quickly come to the capital.
The kingdom's army might of been defeated. And one of his battalions in his own army has been wiped out, and another one is missing.
But that's not going to stop lord Sammis continuing on with his plans that he's worked on for years, that will see him take the throne, and be the king of Girdane.
No one is going to stop me, the regent of Oaklynn thinks to himself as he makes his way through the hallways here in the palace of the king.
I will be the king of Girdane, and that's that, silently adds lord Sammis, who after he's finished with things here in the palace later today, or this evening.
Intends to return to his mansion further down the long street here in the center of Oaklynn.
There he intends to take his wife, the lady Mera by force again. For she never willing comes to there bed these days.
The regent of Oaklynn hopes to get her pregnant, so in the future he can have a son that will follow him onto the throne, and be the king.
Even with the recent setbacks, lord Sammis can't help but slightly smile as he makes his way through the palace, that he hopes in the near future, will be his, when he's the king of Girdane . . . . . .