Sweet Waters Throne

76 Chapter 7The discreet strolling between Aeryn and Deagol in the garden wasn’t so discreet as they thought because a spy of Lord Gandalf was listening attentively. Deagol talked about the new war strategy which involved blocking out King Castellan’s army and sacking the city through Green Mountains passage. The spy’s name was Sir Tommy, the brave.

Tommy was a knight to Lord Gandalf’s army and he gained the nickname “the brave” for he was the only knight who was brave enough to ride one of the lions without falling during the battle of Stonedance. It wouldn’t come as a surprise because Tommy was a bastard of Gandalf’s uncle hence he had the Squire blood and bravery in his veins even though he nearly died when his lion was attacked and killed.

Apart from being brave, Tommy was also daring and he played an act of a servant following Deagol whilst still remained undercover and not even Deagol himself once suspected of his acts. Tommy used the family’s distraction with the funeral and fled the castle. He rode hard towards Lord Gandalf’s and King Castellan’s camp.

The minute he arrived Tommy called upon a meeting and he shared what he heard with the leading team. King Castellan immediately took action especially after realizing that he left his wife and sons in the King’s City, if he leaved them alone then it would be a massacre.

“You can’t leave Your Grace” Lord Gandalf was against it. “This is the moment when the war ends, send me and my men. I shall take one hundred thousand, a strong army to withhold the city while you remain with the rest and march towards their side. An ambush is what I advise, take them when they least expect it” he insisted.

The offer sounded too good and Gandalf knew Castellan wouldn’t resist it. After a few discussion with Lord Aubrel who was also conflicted and shocked of the news, they all agreed it was better for Gandalf to go back to King’s City and defend it with his lions and men while they finish the war and crash Mithandir’s army once and for all.

“How many men do they have Tommy?” King Castellan was still reviewing the whole situation. He was battered, worn out and clearly exhausted because he thought the battle would simply be a walk in the park however things hadn’t turned out the way he thought they will be.

“Forty three thousand in Stonedance, twenty thousand knights led by General Haul who happens to know all the secret pathways around the kingdom and two thousand who have led Lucian Mithandir to the Silent Sea”

“Is he fleeing?” Lord Aubrel was stunned, then he hissed “Coward”

.....

Lord Gandalf added “He knows he’s lost the war, but this is good... we send men to search out all ports alongside the Silent Sea, I say we double them and send five thousand strong. They make sure to bring back his head, I shall mount it on top of the city’s gates”

Castellan agreed to Gandalf’s plans and everything that came out of his mouth. Not only did Gandalf prove himself to be a better ally during the war but he also had measures and plans which in the end proved to be helpful to the whole camp. “Alright, we go as planned then. Lord Aubrel take five thousand men and make your way to all the ports in the Silent Sea and bring me Lucian’s head. Gandalf you take one hundred thousand men and save my city, I shall remain here and crash these men once and for all”

With that the battle of Stonedance took a twist turn. The desert was still hungry for more men to feed to its heat, and it didn’t show any sign of stopping. While at the same time Lord Gandalf was making his moves of taking the silver throne. The first thing he did was administering the men only loyal to him, so it turns out he only lost thirty thousand men while Castellan lost seventy thousand during the time of the war.

The majority of the army fighting for Castellan were Gandalf’s men, and he took one hundred thousand hence leaving his twenty thousand men who joined up with the remaining eight thousand men loyal to King Castellan. Even if he would have wanted to turn on Castellan right there in Stonedance, Gandalf would have won his measures and collected the silver throne for himself.

But a true enemy was going after the city, soon enough the fight wouldn’t even matter anymore if they are locked outside of the King’s City. “His twenty thousand against my one hundred thousand and five lions... we shall eat them while they still breath” Gandalf said to his trusted adviser Tommy while they left the camp and heading towards the King’s City.

Tommy rode beside Gandalf as they led the army, he was the only man in the whole army who knew of Gandalf’s plans to usurp the throne. “Let’s hope the king doesn’t make it back with all his men” said Tommy.

“He has eighty thousand and my twenty, I specifically gave orders to our men to stay behind. Castellan will win the battle but he will lose men and let’s say he remains with fifty thousand... against my one hundred and twenty thousand men loyal to me. He doesn’t stand a chance”

“What if we lose our men?”

“Against a sixty something general? I doubt it Tommy”

“The general led fifty thousand Prophisian knights to battle and he only lost ten thousand. His men are war heroes, decorated knights and they...”

Gandalf intervened “They are outnumbered to five times their size. I may offer the general a deal, either he joins me or he dies. My lions will split them to pieces, and I shall mount his head up hight the city’s gates” finished Gandalf and hushed his horse to race faster. The rest of the men were on foot and marching like true soldiers.

Unlike General Haul’s men who were tired, starving, and feeling completely lost of hope. Gandalf’s men were afresh, well feted, armed and strong. This was part of Gandalf’s plan to never let his men deep into the fight for fear of losing them, hence he kept them at the back while he and his sister Lady Aryan instructed the lions.

Since Castellan saw Gandalf devouring men to pieces using his lions and clearly fighting harder, he never turned to look and when he did, he realized he’d lost seventy thousand men. But he believed in Gandalf and his oath, he never doubted him not even for a second and the last mistake he did was letting him inside his city to defend it.

Crossing the Green Mountains was a torture by itself, not to mention when you have to cross it on a horse. All twenty thousand knights led by General Haul were on horses because they needed to hurry up and make sure they barred the gates. It would have been easier for them to use the normal passage which was smooth and faster but very trackable and this was supposed to be a secret mission.

However, the mountains weren’t easy on them. The horses were stuck and they had to unhorse and climb them. It took them two days to cross the mountains, while during that time Lord Gandalf was already inside the city and he gave orders for the gates to be barred. The only gate which was left open was the one close to the green mountains and they are usually unguarded.

The distance from this gate close to the green mountains and to the King;s City was a ride of three to five days and that’s just shows how big Prophis was. Apart from the King’s City there were other two huge cities such as Claydall and Raven which were also heavily populated. There was also a great number of small villages and towns all over the kingdom.

Katarina was warned with Gandalf about the ambush that was set to take place. “Go inside and lock your doors, I will take my men and defend the city” and Katarina believed him, that was a grave mistake because before leaving the capital Lord Gandalf took the whole garrison to sword.

The two thousand knights who were on guard to protect the palace were slaughtered all of them during the night, and they were replaced by his men. Almost one thousand of them burned when they were set on a trap, and the rest one thousand were slaughtered and that day Gandalf’s lions fed to their fill. “There you go... feed my beasts for you shall feed more when the sun rises” and during the first light Gandalf led his men towards the gates of the Green Mountains.

Katarina locked herself and her sons inside her chambers. The King’s City was calm and the usual celebrations and music which normally take place continued. These folks had no clue as to what was going on, and sure they wouldn’t care even if they know. The lines of succession and the battles were none of their concerns, all they did was drink ale and fuck whores.