Of Kings and Pawns

Chapter 33 - The Price of Honor

The night sky above Drest Den was heavy with foreboding. The once-proud seat of House Drest stood silent, its walls darkened in preparation for what was to come. Lord Sigfried Drest gazed across the battlements of his ancestral home, a weight pressing down on his shoulders unlike any he had felt before. Below him, the last of his household was being evacuated under the cover of darkness... his wife, his children, and his loyal servants, all spirited away in secret. This had to be done. But it tore at the very core of who he was.

Otto Eigermann’s plan had been laid out with chilling precision: Drest Den would burn, a staged attack by House Veize, a house sworn to Varsaw that is bordering Eigermann domain, to justify the invasion of Varislow. Sacrifices had to be made. The loss of a few lives, a few soldiers left behind to perish in the flames, would give Otto the reason he needed to march against Varsaw. But it was not Otto’s seat that would be razed... it was Sigfried’s. And the men who would die tonight would not be Otto’s soldiers; they would be Sigfried’s men, loyal to him until the end.

Sigfried clenched his fists as he looked over the quiet courtyard. His men... those few chosen to remain... had been briefed, though they didn’t know the full extent of what was about to happen. They had been told it was a defense exercise, a precaution in case of an attack. They trusted him, as they always had. That trust was the weight he bore now.

From behind, footsteps echoed on the stone steps leading to the wall. It was Albrecht, Sigfried’s most trusted lieutenant. He had been Sigfried’s right hand in many battles, but tonight he was merely a witness to the unthinkable.

"Everything is ready," Albrecht said quietly, his voice heavy with doubt. "The men are stationed. The torches are lit. All that’s left is for the flames to start."

Sigfried did not turn to face him. "And my family?"

"Safe," Albrecht replied. "They’re on their way to the western hills. No one will know they’re gone until it’s too late."

A long silence passed between them as the reality of the night settled in. Sigfried had always valued honor, always believed that his house stood for something more than mere power. But now, he was about to betray that honor, sacrificing both his men and his home for a political game orchestrated by Otto Eigermann.

"Otto’s plan…" Sigfried began, his voice trailing off as he struggled with the words. "It’s madness."

Albrecht didn’t respond. He had seen the toll this decision had taken on his lord, the inner conflict gnawing at him ever since Otto first suggested it. To burn one’s own seat, to sacrifice one’s own people, went against every code of honor House Drest had upheld for generations.

"I had to tell my wife," Sigfried said softly, more to himself than to Albrecht. "I had to tell her everything. It’s against all my values, everything we stand for, but… I couldn’t send them away without telling them why."

Albrecht lowered his head, understanding the gravity of Sigfried’s decision. "It had to be done, my lord. This is the only way."

"The only way," Sigfried echoed bitterly. "To justify Otto’s invasion. To spill the blood of innocent men, to burn our home, all for a war we don’t truly want."

Albrecht stepped closer. "If we don’t follow through, Otto will find another way, perhaps one even more devastating. At least this way, your family is safe. The men who remain… they believe in your cause. They’ll die knowing it serves a higher purpose."

Sigfried closed his eyes, the weight of his decision crushing him. "But do they know that it will be by my own hand?"

Albrecht said nothing.

Sigfried finally turned, looking into his lieutenant’s eyes. "Start the fires. Make sure everything looks as Otto wanted. Leave no trace of doubt."

Albrecht gave a solemn nod and turned to leave, his steps disappearing into the night. Sigfried was left alone on the battlements, the cool breeze doing little to calm the storm raging inside him. He had lived by a code of honor all his life, but tonight, that code was shattered. His house would burn, his men would die, and Otto Eigermann’s war machine would roll forward, all based on a lie of Sigfried’s own making.

He descended the steps, his heart heavy as he walked through the courtyard where his men stood ready. They greeted him with respect, unaware of the fate that awaited them. The soldiers looked eager, trusting him to lead them through whatever danger approached.

Sigfried felt his throat tighten. How many of these men would still follow me if they knew the truth? He couldn’t allow himself to think too deeply on it. He had to remain resolute, cold. His betrayal had to be complete.

As the flames began to catch, licking at the wooden beams of the lower structures, Sigfried gave the final command. The men raised the alarm, believing an attack was imminent. The staged assault had begun. His own soldiers, disguised as House Veize, rushed in, and chaos ensued.

Shouts filled the air as the few soldiers who had been left in the barracks rushed to defend their home. They fought bravely, but it was futile. The real soldiers of House Veize would never know this night had been used to tarnish their name. They would wake up to accusations of treachery, to a war not of their making.

As the battle raged, Sigfried felt a strange numbness take hold. His mind disconnected from the violence around him, though he caught the eyes of the men who trusted him. He could see the fear in them, the confusion as they were cut down by soldiers they believed to be Varsaw’s allies.

Then it was time.

Sigfried drew his sword and, with a steady hand, cut down the last of his loyal men. It was an act that twisted his stomach in knots, but there was no turning back. Otto’s plan demanded sacrifices, and he was the one who had to make them.

As the last of the flames consumed Drest Den, Sigfried stood in the courtyard, watching his home burn. The keep, once a symbol of his family’s honor, crumbled before his eyes. The men who had died tonight, the soldiers who had trusted him with their lives, were gone. And for what?

He felt hollow. His house would rise again from the ashes, rebuilt in the aftermath of Otto’s war. But the stain of this night would never leave him. He had betrayed everything he believed in.

Albrecht returned, his face illuminated by the glow of the fire. "It’s done, my lord. By morning, the world will believe House Veize attacked us. Otto will have his justification."

Sigfried nodded, though there was no victory in his heart. "Yes," he whispered. "He will."

He turned his back on the burning keep, the flames reflecting in his eyes. "But at what cost?"

As they left the ruins of Drest Den behind, Sigfried couldn’t shake the feeling that, despite the strategic success of the plan, he had lost far more than his home. He had lost his honor, and in the end, perhaps that was the greatest casualty of all.