The War (All Chapters + Synopsis)

Chapter 23.2 - Ilena

First light strikes and I'm up in a flash. I pull on the battle dress of a Feralin general and knight. I forgo the sashes, pins, brooches, and regalia, choosing comfort and practicality over showing off. I tie my hair back into a simple braid, remembering the time when my hair barely touched my shoulders, of the time when I may very well have felt some semblance of love for Katlyn that was beyond sisterly affection.

The halls are only just starting to come alive as all the officers and nobles joining our quest to rid Feralis of the Dark Crown prepare to depart. I make my way quickly to the stables where our horses were fed and rested for the night. My sword taps my calf as I walk, the feeling of the small blades pressed against my thighs, forearms, and hip are comforting. Whenever we go into battle I always prepare as many knives and weapons as I might possibly need, always make sure that if my magic fails I will still be able to fight.

A half-sleeping stable-boy comes out to tack the horses, but I shoo him off to sleep again. With practiced hands I get our horses to take their bridles and harnesses. I dress them each up with a blanket then a saddle, ensuring that the leather loops of the saddle are fastened snugly on the warm bellies of the majestic beasts . My horse nuzzles me as I attach the saddle bags and adjust the stirrups. Katlyn joins me only moments later, preparing her own horse. Together we do Lues and Amalia's horses, and find that Genna is already doing his horse when we go to tack her.

"I like doing my own tacking, it's so annoying when things aren't adjusted correctly, besides, I couldn't sleep," he explains rather defensively. "I'm going to see my mother again for the first time since I left, I just... I don't know what I'm going to say to her."

"Just say that you missed her, and blame me for everything because it really is all my fault that you had to leave," I suggest and Genna nods before processing what I've said.

"It's not your fault, it's mine for being so stupid about the whole thing. You saved my life Ilena, you defied aunt Amaryllis in doing so, I'll never be able to repay you for that," Genna says.

"Let's just say we're even then."

Genna nods at my suggestion, and then my brother arrives with the rest of our entourage in tow. I bow to my aunt and cousin, to my little brother the king. Countess Amarion is joining us as a representative for her aging father, and Exypnos joins as one of my brother's principal advisors. The former, along with my aunt, cousin, and Addilyn, will be taking the soldiers from Ifai, and half of the royal guard with them, while my brother, Katlyn, Amalia, Genna, and I take the rest.

We bid farewell to our relations, and say goodbye to our friends as we split off at the gates and go our separate ways. We hear, when the sun finally rises, that some of the counts in Eri have already defected from Carber and joined our sides. They were just waiting for our army to swoop in and give them courage. The portion of the army we're with meets a little resistance from the Dark Crown, particularly on the borders, and a lot on the southernmost part of the duchy.

Our soldiers, as they did all those other times, successfully wipe out the enemy, but each time the number of dead on our side increases more than we'd like, while the number of deaths on the other side start to dwindle just as we'd hoped. By the time we reach Chlorida in the early hours of twilight, Carber knows we're here.

We find this out, when he sends us a raven with his now royal seal pressed onto a sealed envelope. The letter seems benign enough, a welcome home from our uncle, but the message is clear. The element of surprise has been lost.

With this solemn knowledge we enter the capital of Chlorida, Chlorida. Here the herald doesn't even get to finish half the titles, before Aunt Thea runs to her son in an utterly unladylike manner. Nobody cares though, this is after all a much anticipated family reunion between a mother and her only living child.

Ushered inside we break bread, discussing new happenings in and around the kingdom. As the hour grows later the conversation becomes more dreary as we discover what's been happening in Moor since we left.

"That bastard's instituted military regulations on the city and surrounding suburbs, none of the lords are very happy about it and you can understand that the Merchant Council is outraged, but he's a dictator, there's nothing they can do," Aunt Thea finishes a rant about the latest of King Carber's exploits with this uncharacteristically blunt statement.

"Well, we won't have to worry about him for too much longer, Limani fell to us through the forced surrenders of each county, by their people too!" Lauria exclaims, walking in with a pale envelope in her hand. The handwriting is that of Aunt Avery. "Unfortunately the death tolls from Eri and Xiros were far higher than expected."

"By the gods, how many?" Genna asks her concerned, and Lauria looks down at her feet before answering.

"Five-hundred casualties at best, one and a half-thousand at worst," she says and that darkens everyone's mood as the last rays of sunshine vanish behind purple clouds.

"We've lost more in a single battle than you have in five, I'd say you makraz are very good at keeping death-tolls low," Amalia comments. "If you're this good, why is the war still going on?"

"Because we try not to hurt innocents, and the provinces of Spero are full of them. Spero is a veritable human shield for Queen Raverna," I explain simply. "But it will end, just as soon as we topple Carber's self-made throne."

***

Our army is now over 145 thousand strong, nearly three quarters of the Feralin Royal Military's combined strength. With Eri and Limani in our hands, and Ochyro never having fallen, we have Moor surrounded. Captain Tristayne meets us on the shores of Ochyro. His reunion with his mother is almost as tear jerking as the one Genna had with aunt Thea.

After four days we have at last we have breached the boundaries of Parar, Chamilo, and Alia county. Dila and Epo were housing soldiers from the Feralin Royal Army, so they were already in our hands. As the sun reaches it's peak, stretching it's golden arms across the sky, we finally catch a glimpse of the glorious city we call home.

Moor's banners have been replaced by the ugly standard that Carber has created. We park our large army around the walls of the city, and wait for something to happen. Carber sends a messenger out, asking about the fate of Sergio. We show the messenger Sergio, resplendent in the simple military dress of an honorary officer. Together with an offer of peace if they surrender, we send the messenger back to Carber and the traitorous Apaeteon. A few hours later they fire an arrow at us, a declaration of war, and seal the gates, the start of a siege.