Chapter VIII Plotting
3rd Era, 845, 26th of Last Nightingale
Sepheran Kingdom
Province of Riverlands, Valiant Castle
Markus Cantillon
The Riverlands was accurately named because of the men hundreds of rivers running through the province. House Vale-who ruled the province, did so from Valiant Castle. It was built over a thousand years ago and was still standing, had even been improved. It had been built on a small island in a Y shaped river crossing. Sitting in the middle of a river fork it made it very hard for an invading army to siege. Add to that their supply storage that could last them for years, well.
Markus had to give it to the Vales. Most provinces was ruled form fortified Keeps inside a capital, but the Vales preferred to do their ruling from a Castle. They were ready for an invasion or aggression from another House ruling a nearby province.
The walls and ceiling of the Council chamber was painted. Every piece of the walls was painted and there was castles, forests, horses and people doing a lot of things. It was a beautiful sight and reminded him that he should have the ceiling in his own Keep repainted. It needed an overhaul.
The table was a wooden carved map of the Kingdom. Very impressive work in Markus’s opinion.
Across from him sat Duke Aemon Dragon Slayer of House Vale. Lord of his House and an old friend of Markus. He had the ebony black hair color the Vales was famous for. A lot of people was always curious about how he got the named ‘Dragon Slayer’. It was quite obviously really. He killed more Dragons than any man alive. Simple.
He had a thick strong beard and long black hair tucked into a ponytail. His black hair didn’t show a single hair of grey and hid his age. He was sixty-two, five years older than Markus himself.
They weren’t the only two around the table. The third man was Duke Benedict the Giant of Artois. His nickname was as obvious, if not more so, than Aemon’s. He was over two meters tall and a real muscular son of a bitch. He was bald with a big brown mustache attached under his nose.
“That’s…I know you, Markus,” Aemon said. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think this through a hundred times over. You already have a complete plan for ceasing the Kingdom.”
Markus had left the palace, against his lovely daughter’s frightened pleas on the 19th, a mere day after their treasonous conversation they had and he arrived a few hours ago. To his joy Benedict was here on other business when he arrived.
“There has been too much peace,” Benedict commented.
“Off course,” Markus answered Aemon’s statement. “With an inexperienced King, with even less military experience and dwindling loyalties, we have an opportunity we may not have for decades to come. First off, I want your answer on a marriage between our children. What do you say my old friend?”
Aemon smiled warmly and nodded.
“I accept. My son Vaeylon will meet your daughter when we have planned our move.”
Markus reached out and grabbed his cup of wine. He sipped a little. It was a tad bitter, but just like he liked it.
“Sounds good.”
“Tell us now,” his friend Benedict grumbled. “How do you propose this will work?”
Markus nodded and put down the cup. He rose and gestured across the map of the Kingdom.
“This won’t be an easy war. In fact no matter what we do it will turn into a Civil War, but how long depends on our opening moves. If we don’t appear strong the other Houses will side with King Victus or try to grab the throne themselves.”
Aemon scratched his beard and rose to his feet, as did Benedict.
“Agreed. So we focus on gaining resources and knocking the Gails off their feet.” He looked down at the carved wooden map.
Markus scratched his own black beard.
“We must avoid the eastern Provinces of Storm Coast, Felwood and Heimdal. They need to have the possibility of neutrality so they can focus on fighting raiding beasts from the Forsaken Lands.” Both his old friends nodded in full agreement. Operating there would destabilize the Kingdom and kill tens of thousands of innocents when the Men-at-Arms couldn’t focus on defending the east,
“We must take the capital. Sephera must be ours. It will have to be our first move. Before we even declare our intentions.”
“Apart from excellent blacksmiths and stone quarries Skyhail doesn’t hold much,” Benedict stated and half shrugged. He wasn’t much of a strategist. His strength was fighting and battlefield tactics and he didn’t care to hide his confusion at this idea.
“The capital is an important,” Markus explained. “Whoever holds it, holds the Royal Palace, has the prestige of it. Losing his own province, his capital and palace is a great loss of face for Victus.” Then he smirked. “Not to mention capturing Lord Praetor Augusts, his wife a good number of supporters. If we get to Tiberius Darbonne we might be able to put House Darbonne under our thumb.”
“You think they will march for the throne after we do,” Aemon said aloud. “I agree. Tiberius is as loyal to Victus as we are right now.” He ended with a mocking chuckle.
Benedict smirked, but Markus stayed on task.
“When we take Skyhail, we can march into the Thunder Mountain province, which will open up a sea province with shipwrights, farmlands and stone quarries.”
“Will House Stark join with us? Do you know that?” Aemon inquired.
“No. But a smaller, but prideful House will. House Black. Lord Tybalt has so many kids he’s married them off to most nobles Houses under the Starks, created secret alliances and Tybalt has sworn allegiance to me assuming I give the Thunder Mountains to him.”
He pointed at the province of Dread Marsh, ruled by House Stallion.
Aemon understood before he spoke and filled in,
“We must cut off the red stone. Stallion is a small House, if we convince them we will end up victorious, they will join us.”
“That is what I hope,” Markus said. “If they don’t, we blockade all roads and cut them off from transporting their Red stone and receive any wheat and grain. Starve them into submission.”
The Giant Benedict scratched his chin and grunted.
“Attacking is definitely not a possibility. They may not have a big army, but the terrain is perfect for a defending force. Which have been proven many times over the centuries.” He looked at Markus. “You control the southern province of Dark Hollow but north lies Echo Falls, Darbonne territory. We’d have to march into their lands to fully cut Dread Marsh off.”
Markus took a few steps around the table, looking at the map for a moment before speaking.
“If Tiberius stand with us, no problem, but if he doesn’t. I will gather my Bannermen in Dark Hollow and take Echo Falls. Not to mention that spring is soon here and we need to secure the farmlands Echo Falls possess.”
Aemon gestured for a servant to fill his wine glass.
“I am a little concerned for Oldtown Island and your ports. Gail will blockade them both.”
Markus nodded.
“Yes, but when they fight a pointless war at sea, we will ensure total control over the Kingdom. The northmen islands can come later. Besides, I think the Northmen will take the opportunity to rebel.” He spoke with a plain and sharp voice, as Aemon and Benedict had come to expect from him. “How many hundreds of thousands of men have died on those northmen islands in the last fifty years? I think that if they rebel when we do…let them have independence. We cannot lose all the islands mind you, but some, sure. It will spread House Gail’s resources and manpower.”
“Victus is young and still seeks to prove he is a good King,” Aemon stated. “He will defend the Houses controlling the islands to ensure their loyalty.”
“Which will slow him down significantly,” Markus than pointed out.
“It can be discussed when my son sit on the throne with your lovely daughter beside him,” Aemon mused. “My son is a knight, a soldier. He may want to prove his military strength by retaking any islands lost to the Northmen. But, the most trouble they cause, the better it is for us.”
Markus knew that, although it sounded somewhat easy out loud, it would be a tough fight and it might turn into a bloody mess for all of them. But with the right plan they would succeed. He had no doubt that when it was over his daughter would marry Vaeylon Vale. Actually maybe they should marry when he took Skyhail. His greatest worry was that something would go wrong and the palace would remain in Gails hand. That would put Elisabeth in danger and Augustus-cruel as he was-could execute her.
He clenched his hands just thinking about it and his mood soured. He would never let that happen. And the poor girl couldn’t leave because that would be suspicious.
“He will take Sephera,” Aemon promised him.
He shouldn’t be surprised that his friend knew what he was thinking about. Still he was though. A little.
He gave an appreciating nod.
“Actually,” Aemon said with a grin. “If I know my son right-and I do-Elisabeth is his perfect wife. Rumors of her beauty reached his long ago. He would never let his future wife be in danger. When I send word to him to begin, he will take hundreds of his best knights, mount and ride for Skyhail and the palace. Elisabeth will not be in danger Markus.”785Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU0oTFWlI7
