As the army rested in town, Count Jan sent out dozens of scouts to scour the surrounding area. The commanders already had a good idea of what to expect from Charles, as the troops stationed in Westbridge could easily observe his movements and formations during the siege, but it was still important to explore the territory in detail. The enemy could have easily hid a portion of their forces in some small nearby settlement or forest, and use them to attack from behind during the actual battle.

  Fortunately this was not the case. Though horsemen sent by Charles had frequently looted the nearby villages over the last weeks, searching for food and supplies, they never stayed for long. The forests were also empty. The enemy patrols only consisted of small groups, occasionally bringing carts along to carry more stolen goods.

  The serfs were eager to talk with Jan’s scouts. Though the rebels terrified them, they felt safe from retaliation when talking to heavily armed loyalists. Besides, even if they had been threatened before, it would be impossible to tell which village talked. A fact that the soldiers made sure to repeat often, in case anyone was still afraid.

  It seemed that Charles hadn’t prepared any surprises in the backline. He brought all of his forces together to focus on the battle in the field. Now that his own men reported Varre drawing ever closer, he even stopped looting. He needed all of his soldiers on site and ready for a fight as soon as it occurred. There was no more room for distractions.

  The only men still leaving the siege camps were the scouts. They often encountered loyalists, but the groups tended to stay a safe distance away from each other, refusing to engage in skirmishes before the battle.

  After spending a full day resting and gathering information, Varre met his commanders to discuss the plan for the coming battle. The grandiose room in the mayor’s mansion was packed with nobles, eager to end this war once and for all.

  Jan began the meeting by spreading out a large map of the local area on a table. “Some of you have never been to the capital before, so listen closely. This is the city of Westbridge,” he pointed out, “the Wester river runs through the center, splitting it in half. The city is surrounded by a tall defensive wall, with an additional moat dug around it, flowing with water from the river.

  “There are six gates leading out of the city. Currently, Charles has split his forces evenly between them, but he will mostly bring them back together in time for the main battle.”

  “Excuse me sir,” one of the younger nobles interrupted, “how does he plan to do that exactly? I mean, I can see that there are several bridges on the map, but they’re all inside of the city, right? How are the men on the other side going to cross? Will they have to find another ford, like back at the Elster?”

  “Good question,” Jan replied and pulled out a couple wooden blocks, used as markers for occasions such as this one. He started placing them on the map, “Charles has spent these last weeks building fortifications. He also constructed two bridges, on both sides of the city. His men have been using them extensively throughout the siege. I’m sure that they’ll cross and group up as soon as they hear we’ve left this town. Tomorrow morning. There will be no point in trying to destroy them at that point.”

  Varre leaned over the map. “Do we know anything about their battle plans? Any ideas of what they have prepared for us?”

  “They’ll meet us on the Western side,” the count replied with full confidence.

  “How can you be so sure?” another aristocrat asked, “if they get on the Eastern bank, they can try to repeat Elstercross. They’ll be safely defending on the other side, while we’ll be stuck here. And unlike with Clement we don’t have an advantage in numbers anymore. It’s three thousand against three thousand.”

  Jan didn’t seem impressed by the nobleman’s reasoning. “They wouldn’t do that. If they retreat to the other side, then we’ll be able to free the city without fighting. We’d have access to three of the gates and could simply ride in.”

  The aristocrat blushed, but refused to give in. “Of course, but Westbridge will still be under siege from the East! We’ll have to ride out against them, and they’ll still have the advantage of holding up behind a river.”

  The count frowned. “There are bridges inside of the city. Ones that we control. We’ll just cross and leave through the Eastern gates. They can’t approach too closely, or we’ll open fire from the walls. We will be able to rally outside, on the Eastern side, at our own pace and fight them whenever we’re ready. Now are there any more questions?” he glared at the gathered commanders, almost offended at such a simplistic mistake.

  The embarrassed nobleman stepped back, hiding behind his peers and avoiding Jan’s gaze.

  “What about the terrain,” Varre asked, bringing the conversation back on track, “do we have any idea how they might set their formation?”

  “Yes,” the count straightened up and pulled out another marker. “They’ve been building some earthworks here, in between these two villages. The fortifications seem unrelated to the siege, so they most likely plan to use them during the battle.”

  “The Northwest of the city, huh?” the king noted.

  “Theoretically, we’d be able to enter the city without engaging them, if we so wished. Or draw in reinforcements from the city guard,” Jan added.

  “We can’t just leave them be!” Baron Gregory protested, “we’ll have to engage them!”

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  “I agree,” the count nodded, “I’d recommend staying outside the walls and meeting them in battle. If we were to try entering the city, they might attack us from the side while we’re disorganized, trying to cram the wagon train through the gates. We wouldn’t even have the time to position enough archers on the walls.”

  “That too, I guess, but I was talking about honor,” Gregory grimaced, “it’d look very bad if we simply avoided Charles. People would call us cowards!”

  “They would,” Jan slightly smirked, “but it’s an option to consider. And since we’re speaking of options, what about you, your majesty? It would be safer for you to stay in the city during the fighting.”

  Captain Hakon perked up, eager to hear his monarch’s decision.

  “I think that would look even worse,” Varre crossed his arms, “I’m staying here. Leading the battle.”

  The baron visibly relaxed, happy that his liege’s honor would remain unstained. Hakon managed to keep his reaction mostly hidden. Even though watching the battle from the walls would be far safer in the moment, the damage to the king’s reputation could have far worse consequences down the line.

  “Still, it’s an option,” the count noted, “if the battle goes poorly, we can always try and retreat behind the walls. In fact,” he leaned over the map again, “I recommend that our wagon train begins moving into the city as soon as we reach the walls. The Northwest gate is too dangerous, but the other two should be safe to use.”

  “What about the landscape? Are there any surprises we can spring on our enemy there?” Varre looked around the room for suggestions.

  After a moment of silence, Jan finally spoke up. “It’s pretty flat, as you know. There are some forests, but they’re too far to be of use. Besides, I’m certain that Charles would notice our presence. He’s had the time to place scouts around the area. The land around the capital is mostly farmland, so whatever we try, the enemy will have time to adjust. I’m afraid we won’t be able to pull off any more clever tricks. Though if anyone could,” his expression warmed up slightly, “it’d be you, your majesty.”

  The king was slightly surprised to hear his commander refer to him like that. Normally the experienced commander avoided the title, even when speaking with his liege. The previous victories must have impressed the nobleman significantly.

  “We’ll see. Perhaps I’ll come up with something once I see the battlefield in person,” Varre said.

  “I look forward to it,” the count bowed slightly, “and if not, then it will finally be our time to shine,” he gestured to all of the officers gathered in the room. “We’ve seen your genius at work, but now it will be our turn to show off. We’ve been training for a war like this our whole lives.”

  “Indeed, your majesty!” Gregory added, “I look forward to this opportunity! You’ll finally see your commanders in action!”

  “Charles is an excellent strategist,” Jan continued, “I still remember his victories from the Langogne war. He was a legend! But tactics were never his strongest suit. Now, he’ll get the chance to regret that.”

  With that bold declaration, the meeting was concluded. The noblemen dispersed and left for their assigned quarters. Varre too returned to his own room. He dismissed Benjamin and retired to bed. Still, despite his tiredness, he couldn’t fall asleep.

  It’s almost over, he thought to himself, the big showdown. It’s strange though. I’ve done this before. The battle won’t even be happening tomorrow, and yet I’m somehow more nervous than I’ve been before Elstercross.

  Maybe it’s because now I know what killing truly means, he brought his hands above the covers and examined them in the moonlight, it’s funny. It seems so distant now. I can barely even remember Clement’s face. True, he wore a helmet when I… when we dueled, but I talked to him during our negotiations.

  I’ve always heard that you’re supposed to see the faces of the people you’ve killed in your dreams. It hasn’t even been two weeks and my nightmares are gone already. What does that make me then? What would Nilo say if he found out?

  He turned over in his bed. I haven’t talked to him since that fateful day. Does he hate me now? I wanted to give him some space, but maybe I’ve just been avoiding him. But I’m supposed to make him a duke after all this. Can I still trust him? What if he’ll betray me too? Start another civil war to avenge his father?

  He ran a hand down his face. What the hell is wrong with me. We are friends! He’s one of the first ones I’ve made in this world. I have to trust him. He stood by my side all the way until now… Even against his dad.

  We can’t go on like this. As soon as this is all over, we’ll need to have a long talk. It won’t be easy, but we have to. If I just allow these feelings to fester, then who knows, maybe he will end up hating me after all.

  Varre spent the rest of the night coming up with the best ways to approach this subject after the war was won. Though it was stressful, it did distract him from worrying about the coming battle at least. Eventually, the thinking tired him out enough that he fell into a blissful sleep.

  The next day, he was brutally woken up by his chamberlain. Benjamin threw the covers off his liege, but didn’t comment on the king’s unusual tiredness. He brought a warm breakfast straight into the quarters and soon his monarch was right as rain. At least on the outside.

  The army set out early in the morning. Though scouts travelled well ahead of the troops, ensuring that there was no risk of getting ambushed, Jan still ordered everyone to move in combat formation. This way, even if something unexpected happened, the men would be ready for battle within the hour.

  Luckily there was no need for this much concern. The soldiers marched without incident down the cobblestone road. There weren’t a lot of travelers here today, not with the siege blocking all trade, but the surrounding area was getting more and more densely populated with every mile the troops got closer to Westbridge.

  Every village contained a magnificent manor, or a country estate of some rich and powerful noble. Many of these settlements belonged to Varre personally, a part of his extensive inheritance even though he never visited them before.

  Even the villages themselves seemed larger here. And so were the houses. The lands were fertile and well managed. The peasants could easily find plenty of customers for their produce in the nearby city. Many were likely even freedmen, rather than serfs. Some adventurers or craftsmen chose to retire to places like this, hoping for a peaceful life, but being too used to the amenities and comforts offered by the capital to move further at the same time. The locals cheered as the soldiers marched, hoping that this sight meant a quick return to normal days.

  The army stopped for one last night before the battle. Jan sent out plenty of scouts ahead, to warn them in case Charles tried anything unexpected. They confirmed that the enemy troops were moving, but they only left their fortifications and grouped up North. Likely preparing for tomorrow’s battle.

  Everyone was tense, yet eager at the same time. The war was almost over. At this distance, they could literally see the walls of the city off in the distance. Finally, after nearly two months of marching and fighting around the country, they were back. Westbridge was within their grasp. If everything went well tomorrow, then the war could end in one single, decisive battle.

  I always end up getting new ideas for new scenes, or want to continue one of the plot threads. I think I've gotten a bit better at my estimations, but in the end, I end up surprising myself every time.

  When I first started writing this story, I expected that this siege would be lifted around chapter 30! But then I always want to develop something more.

  Now we're at 50 and the army is approaching the city. When I updated my plans last week, I was certain that the battle would have happened by now. I got tricked by my own mind yet again!