“... it was clear that the victor was Duke Ryder.” The scout reported the outcome of the battle and it was obvious from his expression that it was an unexpected victory.

“Clear victor? How can that be? Even if they were taken off guard, Casburland is not known for being inflexible in battle. They would not be such a headache if they were.” The King was shocked, the only way he had seen the battle going was a close fought one. And he knew that it was not him overestimating his enemy’s martial prowess, all but one of Fiveria’s Kings had fought against them and neither side gained any meaningful advantage for long.

“Forgive me, your majesty, I was imprecise. It was not a one sided battle that made it obvious, but that King Marek fell in battle. Casburland’s forces began to crumble as they heard the news.” Though it was not the case, the information that the scout shared was no less shocking than if Duke Ryder had actually crushed the Casburlandian army. It was not uncommon for nobles to die in battle, but Kings? They had the best of the best as their retainers, with the best equipment that money could buy. To fall in battle was almost harder for a King than staying alive.

“Are you sure that your information is accurate?” Braydon had to make sure. If it was true then that was big news. And the consequences could either be very good or very bad for them. The honour of killing the King of Casburland might persuade the neutral nobles to Duke Ryders side, even if he was a traitor who started a civil war whilst there was a war with Casburland. It would make Braydon’s plan more vital than ever when trying to get those same nobles on side.

On the other hand, it would mean that any war plans that Casburland had would be delayed for a long time. The death of a King was not to be taken lightly. If not handled properly, there could be a full on succession crisis and foreign intervention. And any underlying unrest that the country was previously facing would likely burst out into the open in anything other than a completely uncontested succession.

“As certain as I can be without his body with me. It is not clear how or why it happened but King Marek’s personal unit was blocked by his own infantry from behind as Duke Ryder’s spearmen gutted them. Every man in his personal unit fell in battle.” As the scout said more, Aled’s face became more and more pale as a look of horror spread across it. Everyone knew that he would likely have shared the same fate had they not caught wind of Duke Ryder’s movements before the battle started.

“So now we know what outside help he had. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” Cinar added dryly. Nobody else could think of another explanation. Duke Ryder had obviously allied with someone influential in Casburland, also conspiring to kill their own king. And at least half of the plan had worked swimmingly. The throne of Casburland had been vacated as abruptly as the war with Fiveria ended.

“We should get marching as fast as possible. Casburland’s army breaking early likely means that Duke Ryder has managed to save a lot of men, and that only makes our chances slimmer than they were before.” King Aled quickly put away his aghast expression and started doing his job as a ruler. With the battle in the north over, it was only a matter of time before Duke Ryder started hunting them down.

“Damn it!” Duke Ryder was not happy. He may have won the battle but things had not gone anywhere near as planned. Sure King Marek was dead but that was never his primary goal, just a pretty nice bonus. His true goal had run away before he could even reach the battlefield.

“How did the bastards find out?” He had some idea but that did not make him any less pleased about it. Both Duke Burn and the King had commanded their forces to retreat early, that much he could tell without spies. And he knew that it was spies that had ruined his plan too. He knew that the King’s information on his movements were not much, but Duke Burn? The man’s propensity for stirring trouble among his rivals made him a natural fit for running successful spy operations.

“Then he has made a pact with the King? No, of course he has, he is smart enough to know his position.” The Duke continued muttering to himself as he paced back and forth in his tent. After the battle, he had let his men rest before making his next move. With Casburland out of the picture, he had more time to focus on problems closer to home, and the failure of his plan meant that he would have a lot of them.

At least half of the Fiverian army had survived under the leadership of King Aled and Duke Burn. Duke Oakley was no longer a problem even if he had somehow survived, though he would have to make sure to subjugate Earl Blake before he got any grand ambitions of becoming Oakley’s replacement in the region.

“You look happy, oh great King Slayer.” A disembodied voice said from the darkest corner of the tent causing a vein to pop out on the Duke’s forehead. He did not expect or want to see the man again. Yet here he was.

“And what do you want now? Your King is dead, be on your merry way. Unless you are here to present me Aled’s head.” Duke Ryder was not happy with this man or his backer, mostly because of his personality and how shadowy he tried to be despite the Duke knowing precisely who he worked for.

“You mean to say that you managed to fuck up our perfect plan? And you expect to rule a kingdom? It is not our problem that you cannot deal with spies, and since Marek is dead my master intends to keep it that way.” The man’s response distinctly lacked the answer to the question that the Duke asked. And it was obvious that it was purposefully done to rile him up, as if to remind him that he had teamed up with someone equally unwilling to work with him. And it was true, if it were not for the great benefits that both sides stood to gain, they would never have had any contact with each other.

“Answer the damned question, halfwit.” 

“Ouch, it seems like you don’t have many friends. Oh wait, you don’t. And worry not, I only came to say a fond farewell. Even if my kind gestures go unappreciated.” The man’s voice feigned deep hurt before turning to an almost jubilant tone. As he stepped back into the darkness, a tankard was hurled at him. But, once he reached the shadows and slipped away, Duke Ryder still had no clue how it was possible, the tankard harmlessly hit the side of the tent before falling to the floor.

Darkwood

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