The following day, Elena Liniore had already secretly escaped in the middle of the night through a secret passage under the castle with her personal guards. Leaving The king, her sister and two other brothers in the castle.

“Your Highness, The Princess had left a letter, only for you to read.”

A Butler gave a letter to the king which was supposedly left by Elena before her escape, the king accepted the letter and only opened it after the butler had left the room, the contents of the letter stated:

Father, I know there is a spy in our ranks, this letter can only be read by you. I have escaped to the western border to meet with the Daughter of Duke Votle, Lia. They have agreed to send a number volunteers, I don’t know when I can return, but I promise you I’ll return.
                                                                                                                                                                   ---Elena

“I see, but ‘a number of volunteers’ won’t be enough they already have amassed the support of the northern nobility.”

The king responded to the letter, he was slowly losing hope in the war, losing support of most of the lower nobility and some of the higher nobility, along with knights defecting to their enemies sides.

The King sat on his chair, staring at the letter.

Until the door suddenly barged opened, one of his loyal nobles barged inside, with a scared expression.

“Your Highness, the, the, Baron Froy, he defected, he’s marching his army to the castle!”

The sudden report shocked the king, Baron Froy was the noble that he placed in charge of the eastern defensive sector, if he defected then the Eastern Defensive Sector had already fallen.

“Your highness you need to evacuate!”

The king made a depressed look at the ground, but suddenly his depressed expression turned into a serious expression, he then suddenly stood up from his seat dropping Elena’s letter to the ground. And yelled.

“Get me my armor! Tell the remaining knights to fortify the castle! You can evacuate if you want, but I’m a king, I’ll die leading my men.”

The Noble’s expression then changed, to a calm expression, though he was scared he didn’t let it affect him.

“Your highness, you never change, we retreated to this castle loyal only to you, I’d rather die here accompanying you.”

The King nodded to his noble’s decision and both accepted their fates.

“I’ll await you on the bailey.”

The Noble at the door then stood at attention.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

***

Upon hearing the news, Fredrick and his older Brother Julius rushed to their father’s room, the hallways were filled with swords and arrow bolts, guards running and preparing for the siege.

The both of them barged at the door, surprising the butler and a few nobles, to where they were preparing as they were donning their armor.

“Father! What do you mean you’re staying!”

Fredrick Yelled in a fit of rage by his father’s decision.

“Fredrick, Julius, Join Elena at the western border, take Leona with you too.”

“Father! What kind of Decision is this!”

Fredrick was the only one yelling but Julius stayed silent, but suddenly Julius then placed his hand at Fredrick’s shoulder and shook his head, in a ‘stop’ like manner, to which Fredrick stopped.

“Then, I’m staying with father.”

Fredrick said aloud, but his brother, Julius, denied his request.

“You’ll take charge in the western border, your friend Marquis Vret, had already received my letter to move to the western defensive sector.”

Fredrick then went into a depressed state, before noticing something wrong about what his brother said.

“What do you mean, ‘had received my letter’ did you command my Aide?”

Fredrick interrogated his older brother.

“Both of you are just young, this battle will cost the lives of all of the people here, tell Leona to follow you.”

“Bu-“

Fredrick was interrupted by his father, who was still donning his armor.

“Your Older Brother is right, leave with Leona to the Western Sector, that is an order not as a father but as the king.”

Fredrick went silent, looking at his surrounding, looking at the noble’s eyes along with his older brother.

“Yes, your highness, I will say my goodbyes, I hope his highness, will join us at the western sector, may the goddess Prisia, guide you.”

The king didn’t reply and Fredrick immediately left to where a guard walked past him in haste, that guard then stopped at the door of the king’s room.

“Your Highness, Baron Froy, has united his army with the nobility of jon’s Marquis Potu, their numbers had united to an army of 18,000.”

Fredrick hearing the guard's report clenched his fist in anger, he knew victory was impossible and their deaths were inevitable.

***

The Castle had already been fortified, in the middle of the afternoon, they finally saw the flags and the smoke that was being emitted by the large army of almost 20,000 a few kilometers away from them, to where the defenders were only 3,000 loyal soldiers.

The guards were being eaten by fear, their legs, bodies, hands were shaking, they knew their death was inevitable yet they didn’t leave when they had the chance.

The castle was powerful enough to withstand a large-scale siege, it had two layers of walls, the outer and inner curtain, it had fixed ballistas on the walls, it had a barbican, which was the only entrance to the castle, it’s walls were thick enough to withstand different types of siege weapons long enough to hold for reinforcements, but the siege that was about to come was different.

“Prepare the Pikes to the Barbican! Knights and archers to the Outer Curtain!”

The Captain now issued the command for the siege that was about to happen, the Captain’s strategy was to hold the outer curtain from enemy Knights climbing on it, while the pikes were placed on the barbican, a small narrow path that would make the enemy enter a choke point, it also had holes on the ceiling for the defenders to throw rocks and arrows at.

Meanwhile inside the castle, Fredrick was on his way to his younger sister, and once opening the door, she was already awake and was also dressed in her light armor.

This made Fredrick look at her in a serious manner.

“Father said that we should already go to the western sector.”

“No.”

Leona Denied his brother’s report.

“What do you mean ‘No.’”

“Are you deaf? I said no! I’ll join father at the frontlines.”

Leona made her decision, to which her brother looked at her with a saddened look.

“I knew you would say that.”

Fredrick’s expression saddened, he placed his hand on his sword's handle that was sheathed on his waist and unsheathed in a quick manner, taking Leona by surprise.

“Enchantment magic, Paralyzing Sword.”

“Dechan-“

Leona was unable to continue her chant with her brother’s speed, she was defeated, his sword deeply sliced Leona’s Light armor, the force of her brother’s sword pushed her to a nearby cabinet weakening her severely, the enchantment then took effect on Leona’s body, she was unable to move.

“You gave me no choice Leona, Father wanted us to escape.”

Fredrick said as he held his sword in his arms, the sword still emitting a bright light, the runes that were engraved on his sword was still glowing, he then sheathed his sword back to his scabbard at his waist. He was about to carry Leona before her stopping him by saying:

“Then, at least let me say goodbye to father.”