Chapter 315: Preparing for Battle and Recovery

"Your Highness." Athalaric walked over to Theodoric with cold, angry eyes. "A messenger was sent ahead from the envoys sent to the Commonwealth." Athalaric saw his king’s eyes light up for a second but quickly dim, trying to hide his excitement. "It’s not good news. The Princess ran away. Her father ordered her return, but the entire party had been slaughtered. Her whereabouts are unknown."

Theodoric chuckled at the absurdity of the story and shook his head. "You’re kidding me. A woman escaped from armed guards and then somehow had skilled killers working for her to help in her second escape." Waving his hand, Theodoric just sighed. If the Commonwealth was that against the marriage, there was no need to embarrass him like this.

"Her first escape was real. We know that." Athalaric turned and watched the distance siege they had started. The first defence was always a sign of how the campaign would go. Things would be fine if the fort fell within a week, but anything longer and the camping would be a coin toss. Even with the mass mobilisation in the north, they always defended the south heavily.

"So a third party interfered?" Theodoric said with a sigh, getting a nod from Athalaric. They both knew who it was. They expected something may happen to stop an alliance from forming between the Commonwealth and Gotics, but not so soon. "Whatever, Nogrovod is too important. We never intended to help Snowid anyway. Athalaric smiled and watched as Theodoric pulled his sword out.

Despite knowing his King was lazy, he knew that when it came to things she wanted, he would actually put effort in. The Nogrovod gold mine was one of those things. It was enough for him to put his desires on hold for a while, letting him breathe a sigh of relief. "Ignore all messages from the Commonwealth from now on unless they are important. You can be the judge of it."

"Of course, my King." Athalaric bowed towards his departing back and went back to work ensuring the armies’ supplies were in order.

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"Our scouts have reported my Liege." A messenger came over to Alfred and bowed. "A large group of Templars have been seen marching south. The Church has gotten involved." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Alfred frowned but expected it. He knew something like this would happen eventually. "Report when they have gotten out of sight. Summon Henryk and Isra for me." The messenger nodded and walked off.

Hours passed, and at sunset, the two arrived in Alfred’s tent. Seeing their faces, he knew they had gotten the report aswell. "We will attack once the Church has gotten far enough. We knew reinforcement was coming, but it by the looks of it, the church wasn’t the one they were expecting."

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Henryk asked with his usual caution. "If the Templars return alongside the Laska reinforcement, I don’t believe we will have enough to break through."

"William has enough men to break through. The fact that Snowid’s camp had no change means that they haven’t crossed the river for some reason. He will know. William men will be energized and can’t risk moving men around." Alfred paused and tapped the table, thinking about the church.

"Who would they send for this? Which Grand Templar?" Henryk looked at Isra, who shrugged. She didn’t understand the church very well and never had a need to interact with them in her life.

"It will either be Templar Micheal or Templar Gabriel. My guess is Michael, however. He is older and has a reputation for winning wars." Alfred frowned. Even he knew about Micheal from across the continent. One of greatest Templars in the Church’s history who had seen the reign of two Popes. Since the Tempalr’s founding to be labelled as great by friend and foe alike wasn’t lightly given.

"I trust William. He isn’t a stupid man and will know this enemy better than any of us ever could," Alfred said with confidence, but Henryk frowned.

"General Flanders’s reputation is deserved. As someone who was once his enemy, I know him better than most. But if it’s Michael, then we are not just worrying about his ability to lead. He is probably one of the best swordsmen in the world, even if he is past his prime. And if Garbeil has come, then we have the same problem."

Henryk’s fears weren’t unfounded. Every Grand Templar was the best of the best. From thousands, only four ever existed at once, and each was chosen purely on skill and faith. Alfred frowned, thinking about this. If it was skill alone, he wouldn’t be scared, but it was their minds that did. Each Grand Templar took an oath of Sacrifice. An oath that they would willingly damn themselves for eternity for the Church and its faith.

For people indoctrinated in Sol’s teachings, taking the oath was essentially throwing everything they had ever lived for so others may have it. To do that required willpower that was stronger than even the sturdiest diamond. They were unshakeable and incorruptible. They could do anything because they had already dammned themselves willingly.

"Are these two men just people?" Alfred had to ask. If victory was something they would achieve at any cost, then it would be a problem. They could justify any static, no matter how barbaric, using the excuse it was for the Church.

"Micheal has the title of Rightous Swrod for a reason," Henryk said with a tone full of respect. "If the Pope ordered it, he won’t hesitate to slaughter thousands, but if he has no such order, peace will always come before violence. Gabriel, however...."

His silence was enough to understand what type of man he was, and Alfred nodded. "Will attack Snowid once the Church is south. I have faith in William. You should aswell." Henryk nodded. "Prepare your armies, we need this over. Catherine should have the third front open within the month." The two nodded again and left Alfred alone.

Looking around his tent, he saw a symbol of Sol and scoffed. ’The Rightoues Sword.’ No such thing could exist. Micheal may be a man with morals, but at the end of it, he was simply a killer. Just one who believed he was right.

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Issac led Abu through the halls of the Palace with a cold gaze. The servants made sure to avoid his eyes whenever he passed, not daring to anger him more than he already was. Despite having returned Edward, he had watched the boy for the past few days and could see that whatever had happened to him had stuck.

Standing outside his door, Issac looked at Abu. "Two things. Never leave him alone in the dark, and never put him in a crib." Abu nodded, and seeing the man, Issac took a deep breath. Opening the door, Gaia’s sister sat with a gentle smile, watching Edward, who sat alone on the floor, not doing anything.

His once cheerful eyes were gone, replaced by a deep void as he showed no expression. Abu frowned instantly, seeing him. He had seen many people with faces like that when back as a slave. People cut themselves off from their surroundings as a way to protect themselves. To escape the reality they were in. Some managed to break out of it, but others couldn’t.

Abu walked over and crouched in front of the boy he had been told to protect. He couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty. While Alfred orders him to look after Edward in the future, he makes it his job to get close to him when he is young and build trust with him.

Telling himself he should have been there or that he could have protected him, he came and went. There was no point in dwelling on the past. He needed to focus on the boy’s future if he wanted to help him. "My Prince." Abu never wished to bow to anyone. He had lived under the feet of men for too long. He didn’t even bow before Alfred, his Emporer, but in front of the young boy, he willingly did so.

Edward looked up at him with a flat expression before looking back at the ground. The sister of Gaia shook her head and sighed. "He won’t say anything. He used to love reading time, but now he just sits here and does nothing."

Abu looked at her and smiled. "Keep reading to him. Even if it doesn’t seem like he’s listening, keep doing it." Abu got up and walked over to Issac as the sister grabbed the holy book and quietly read. Pulling Issac just outside, he peeked at Edward through the door and frowned.

"This... His Majesty and the Empress will be devastated when they see him." Abu looked at Issac and squinted, "Have you sent word yet?"

Issac bit his tongue and shook his head. "What do I say, Abu? Their son is a husk of himself. I don’t know what to do. I would rather siege a castle on my own than send that message." Issac took a deep breath. "I’ve been thinking. How do we prepare for the fallout that is going to come?"

Abu frowned aswell. Alfred was a tyrant. He knew this. He knew that he wasn’t a man that he should follow, but the good Alfred did for the people was beyond anything he had ever seen from any other lord. He was willing to overlook all that as long as he never turned his back on those who needed it. Even if the intentions weren’t good, he freed slaves, taught the common man, and provided a way beyond hard labour for someone else.

But seeing Edward, anything that had come before, from the Night of Long Knives to the purge of the clergy, would be nothing to what he would do when he returns. "Where is Esmond?"

"In the Safrid Lands. He’s following up on nobles who started acting out of line. He will return soon, however." Abu clicked his tongue as he remembered his time as a lord.

"We won’t be able to stop His and Her Majesty’s fury when they are back. So prepare scapegoats. A lot of them." He hated thinking like this, but he had no choice.

"I already have the culprits locked up waiting for their return, but they couldn’t have been alone. It will be easy." Abu nodded and looked at Edward again.

"You have work to do. I’ll look after the Prince for now." Issac smiled and left. Taking a deep breath, Abu walked back into the room and watched Edward with a sympathetic gaze.