by Gerard Bond
Ercanbold opened the file given to him by the attendant. He had set this up perfectly for full effect.
“Let me read to you all of a report from the last war fought on this land twenty years ago. It was the last major engagement at the northern coastal wilds the Kingdom was involved in. It says here a troop of two hundred men plus officers were ambushed by a larger force of King Olav’s army south of Gevalia and that you were surrounded. In the ensuing battle a number of men were killed including all the officers. Now here is the interesting part, as you were a nobleman it would have been your natural responsibility to take charge of the men and deal with the enemy. But, that did not happen. A commoner of no rank at all by the name of Wollfen took charge and saved the day. He ended up saving all the men’s lives and routing the enemy. Where were you during all this Lord Cathan?”
Cathan looked on, not quite understanding the nature of the question.
“I followed the orders of that man in question, he was a natural born leader.”
Ercanbold shook his head.
“That may be so, but as a nobleman it was your responsibility to take command.”
There were nods and murmurs again around the room. The mood was changing from shock to one of judgment. Cathan was getting indignant.
“I believe you are judging me just a little too harshly Lord Ercanbold. I was but 15 years of age at the time!”
The murmuring didn’t abate, they were forming their own opinions. Lord Ercanbold addressed him very formally,
“I put it to you Lord Cathan that in the face of such odds and knowing you were in real danger you took the one option that preserved your life, you fled to save yourself!”
Cathan was stung by the accusation,
“That is a lie! I have done nothing but serve the Kingdom to the best of my abilities! Even after I made my way north, I took it upon myself to split my men up and warn all villages and towns south of here to evacuate and head to Kassandrea. I also ordered that they burn anything of significance in the enemies path!”
Cathan just made a big mistake. The King and his entire entourage looked on incredulously.
“You did what?! Tell me it isn’t true? You are talking of thousands upon thousands of people!”
“Yes my lord and they are heading this way to seek the sanctuary of Kassandrea as we speak.”
Lord Ercanbold addressed the King.
“My liege, this man has acted in an entirely improper manner and taken liberties far beyond his authority. Not to mention his conduct in the southern battle.”
The room concurred, many calling out “Hear hear.” The King looked at Cathan, not pleased at all.
“I am terribly disappointed in what you have done and also failed to do. You had no authority to order the destruction of valuable Kingdom assets and no authority to order the evacuation of the population in the south, you have acted in a cowardly manner.” Lord Cathan could do nothing but stand there, eyes wide and silent, “Furthermore I find it difficult to sit here and not judge you personally responsible for your actions. In view of all that has transpired I believe that serious punishment is in order. What say you?”
Cathan swallowed hard and protested,
“My liege, there is a major enemy army probably marching on this city as we speak. I have done what I felt prudent in light of that in the best interests of the Kingdom.”
The King spoke in a low and dark tone,
“Probably does not allow you the freedom to make major decisions on your own. No Lord Cathan I find you criminally responsible for what you have done. In light of the seriousness of what you openly admit I personally enact the rights of the throne to deal directly on this matter. I find you guilty of having worked against the good of the Kingdom. I so order you be taken into custody and thrown into jail at the pleasure of the throne. You will not be released until I am satisfied you have paid your debts to the crown. It may be a very long time indeed Lord Cathan. Guards! I want this man taken into custody immediately and taken to the prisons below.”
Two guards moved forward and stood to either side of Cathan. As he was escorted from the room, his head was bowed in shock and resignation.
Prince Alard watched him go and went back to thinking. Lord Ercanbold had set this up perfectly, Alard could not speak up in Cathan’s defense on anything. He did not know the man and did not have any information to go on regarding the situation. Ercanbold had played him and played him well. And the mention of Wollfen? He seemed to pop up in the most unusual places. Thinking some more Prince Alard turned to the King.
“Father, I would like to have a private discussion with you in due course,” The King nodded, “I must take my leave in light of this information, there is much that must be done now that we have new threats to be dealt with.”
Prince Alard arose and bowed to his father then left the room.
He returned to his own office and spoke with an adjutant there sending him off on a few errands. Then he sat down and wrote out a couple of letters that he stamped with his official seal in hot wax on their back. These he had taken away by another adjutant to be delivered immediately. He rose and left the office, making his way downstairs below ground level he traveled down a large corridor. It angled downwards with burning braziers on the walls and the flickering light cast moving shadows on the walls.
The Prince approached a guard in the gloom of weak light.
“I am here to address a new prisoner who would have been brought here in the last ten minutes.”
The guard nodded.
“Yes my lord, this way.”
The guard led the prince down the hall a bit further and came to a holding cell on one side.
“He is being held here until his papers are processed and officially stamped my lord.”
The Prince nodded and motioned for the gate to be opened which was done promptly.
“I thank you, I wish to be left alone with the prisoner. I will call you when I am done.”
The guard bowed his head and retreated. Alard turned and looked at the forlorn man sitting in the dark as he moved into the cell. Lord Cathan stood and bowed his head.
“Please sit,” Cathan sat back down, “You must be in a state of shock after that travesty of justice in the meeting.”
Cathan looked up at him.
“You understand? I could not believe what I was hearing. I had no way of defending myself.”
The Prince nodded his head and sighed.
“If I had known what the meeting was about and what may have transpired during it I would probably been able to prepare some sort of balance to the arguments. But unfortunately Lord Ercanbold set it up right from the word go to suit his own ends.”
Cathan simply did not understand.
“How is it that such a man holds a position of great responsibility like that?”
The Prince quickly realized he was dealing with a rather naive nobleman.
“You don’t spend much time dealing with the intrigues of noble courts do you?”
Cathan shook his head.
“No that stuff is beyond me and I have left it to my father for the most part. I must admit I have contented myself with learning the crafts of the military and staying out in the wilds during most of my tenure to the crown.”
The Prince gave a rueful smile.
“I guess you have learned the hard way not to trust anyone or divulge any more information than you have to eh? Well, it is true when it comes to that kind up there.”
Cathan looked at the Prince.
“You do not agree with the King and his judgment?”
Alard looked him dead in the eye.
“Not one bit. Totally excessive and misguided, it should have been Ercanbold in here.”
Cathan looked back in surprise but said nothing.
“Furthermore I do believe that Lord Urroz got his just desserts, it's just a pity it cost so many good men’s lives.”
The Prince sat down opposite Cathan on the edge of his bed.
&
nbsp; “I want you to tell me what transpired down there on the battlefield that allowed you to walk away without a single casualty.”
Cathan looked at him, the Princes frankness had certainly taken him aback but at the same time he also realized that he could air his grievances and may even get fair consideration from him.
“When we first arrived at the enemy fort I quickly saw it was a trap. It was designed to do nothing other than be attacked. Beyond that I couldn’t ascertain much more but that became obvious after the battle started. It was there to destroy whatever forces were sent against it, they succeeded totally.” The Prince nodded and Cathan went on, “I tried to warn Lord Urroz of what to me was obvious but he would have nothing of it. I was sent to the rear with my men. There was an attack by the heavy horse and they were wiped out. Then Urroz meant to send more men in but I interjected at that point and implored him to seek out more information before launching again. It was at that time he dismissed me from my position, he ordered me and my men from the field. The rest unfortunately became a foregone conclusion.”
Prince Alard sat quietly listening. He wasn’t surprised by anything that Cathan told him, he had known Urroz quite well.
“And what did you do after Urroz’s army fell?”
“I quickly worked out that any Isogorrean forces were sure to move north from that time or at the very least quite soon. I split my men up into small groups to send word out to all the outlying areas three days out on our left and right flanks to all the towns and villages. I ordered that they flee and take what they could with them and come here to Kassandrea. They were to burn whatever else was left behind.”
Prince Alard sat there quietly in thought, how many people was that?
Tens of thousands, probably more.
“Let me assure you Lord Cathan that you have done the right thing, do you understand?”
Cathan looked on, his heart was aching and he bowed to the Prince.
“I thank you my Lord and Prince, you don’t know how much it means to hear someone acknowledge that, it really was the only thing that I could do.”
The Prince stood up.
“Have no fear my friend, I will do my utmost to get you out of here. I cannot promise that you will be able to return to your own lands. In fact I’m sure that will not happen but you will be a free man still in service to the Kingdom. You have my word on it and in time, I do believe you will win your right to return home.”
Cathan kneeled at the Prince’s feet and took the prince’s hand kissing the ring on his finger.
“My sword and shield are at your service my Prince, you may order me to do as you wish, I thank you.”
The Prince nodded.
“By the way I meant to ask you, the report that Ercanbold read from, there was the mention of the man Wollfen that took command of your company of men, he was a young man?”
Cathan thought about it.
“Um no, I would say about his late thirties, probably even older your highness.”
The Prince thought that to be interesting, he didn’t think that the Wollfen he knew about would be in his sixties now.
“Very well Lord Cathan, you will be hearing from me very soon. Be patient and all will be well, may the gods be with you. Now I must go and get things started, I bid you good evening.”
Cathan kept his head bowed as the Prince left the cell. The guard returned and locked the gate. For Cathan the blackness in his heart that had been growing since he had been taken away into custody was gone.
Back upstairs Prince Alard made his way directly to the King’s chambers. He already knew what he was going to say. It was just a matter of convincing his father of what should be done. Standing before the chamber doors he addressed the Guard before it.
“I am here to see the King, he is expecting me.”
The guard nodded and retreated inside, he came back out within the minute.
“If you would be so kind as to wait a few minutes your highness, the King shall be ready to receive you soon.”
Alard waited patiently, he spent so much time waiting on his father he was used to it.
Finally he was shown in, his father was sitting at his desk pretending to read. Alard was sure if it were a drawing of some nude girl he would be showing a lot more interest and as if on cue he thought he heard a girlish giggle come from the direction of the bedroom.
“Good evening father.”
The King looked up and smiled.
“Come in my son, it's good to see you away from the formalities of the court, please sit down.”
The King motioned for Alard to make himself comfortable. As the prince sat down Arrick made a quick statement.
“I hope you aren’t going to plead Lord Cathan’s case, he got what he deserved.”
Prince Alard looked at him, sometimes he tired of his fathers ways.
“Is it the way of the King to punish those lucky enough to survive a slaughter?”
“Hardly survived, more likely ran.”
The King wasn’t going to be easily swayed on this, he had just lost an entire army group.
“I have looked at his personnel report father. He is an exemplary officer who has seen many battles in the northern wilds against much more rabid creatures than mere men. I cannot see how you can hold a junior officer responsible for the losses we have incurred in the south.”
“Oh that’s not what I have him incarcerated for my son. You should know better, he has ordered the destruction of so many assets that rightfully belong to me and it is for that reason I hold him in the jail.”
“But father, it is better to not have them at all then to hand them to the enemy, surely you can see this?”
The King looked at him as a loving father might look at a wayward son.
“I am not going to allow the enemy to simply waltz up to the gates of this fair city now am I? Even as we speak I have ordered the mobilization of the civilian militia of the immediate districts. I can count on thirty-five thousand men.”
The Prince realized that reason was not going to work here, it was time to get political.
“And father when word gets back to the Baron Cazzara of the northern wilds that you have thrown his only and most loved son in the castle dungeons, how many men do you really think you could count on then? He would be able to account for over half the number you speak of.”
The King sat back a little, yes his son was learning the art all right and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
“What would you have me do? Release him and have the Lords of the high counsel see me weak? That will not do. I may have a reputation for the softer sex but that does not mean that within the confines of the counsel I don’t have to command respect.”
The Prince was a little frustrated but he decided to plug on.
“You don’t have to set him free, just give him a post where he will serve the good of the nation as well as be seen to be still out of favor with you, may I suggest such a place?” The King nodded, “Send him to the North Eastern provinces to serve under Prince Fitzgerald, there Lord Cathan can serve the Kingdom killing orcs and defending our borders still.”
The King liked that. In fact it was preferable to having him sit in jail, everyone knew how harsh such a posting was.
“Yes I concur I do like that proposal and it will make me look even tougher than I do now. Granted, it shall be done.”
The Prince relaxed and was relieved. Lord Cathan had put his faith in him and it made him feel good to deliver on his promise.
“Thank you father your wisdom has served you well, which of course begs the question, what of the Isogorrean army?”
The King gave him a wink.
“I will have you know I have ordered Lord Ercanbold to mobilize a force of 5,000 regular troops to ride south along the coast road and hit any advancing forces in the flank, give them a little stick back for what they did to Lord Urroz. I expect they will depart during the night.”
“Who is to lead them father?”
T
he prince was looking worried again.
“Oh I have no idea, I have left that in the capable hands of Lord Ercanbold. Be rest assured, whoever gets picked won’t make the mistake of trying to take any fort.”
Alard was not convinced.
“I can only hope he is three times as competent as Lord Urroz. Remember father, Urroz lost the battle and all the men and his own life, it was not Cathan’s doing. Also remember that it was Lord Ercanbold who hand picked all the officers of that campaign. I hope you take heed of what I am saying if we take another setback.”
The King nodded but he sensed that the conversation was coming to a close and was thinking of what lay behind his bedroom doors.
“Yes, yes of course, now I will not hold you up any longer. You must deal with Lord Cathan immediately. We shall talk again soon?”
Prince Alard stood up and bowed his head.
“Yes father, may the gods be with you.”
“May the gods be with you too my son.”
The Prince turned and left the chambers moving off down the hall deep in thought. The Queen approached from the other direction.
“What troubles you so my son?”
The Prince looked up in surprise and smiled.
“Hello mother, it is good to see you tonight, I hope all is well.”
The queen nodded.
“Yes I am well thank you, now tell me what is bothering you.”
The Prince looked at his mother.
“It’s father, we are in a serious situation with the invading forces and he has yet to make any real decisions in dealing with them.”
The Queen responded quickly.
“Do not fear my son, he may lack the hard edge that his father had but when it gets more immediate he will act accordingly.”
The Prince wasn’t so sure.
“By then it may be too late.”
“We must all work with the cards we are dealt in life my son, we cannot control everything.”
They both stood there and heard the giggles from inside the chamber.
“You are right mother, what happens is as the gods choose. I thank you and hope you have a good evening. I must be off.”
