The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Twenty-Three: Borlin's Warning

The King's council Chambers was filled tonight. All around were his vassals. Arch-barons. barons and knights alike. Queen Thedora sat to his left and Archduke Amos Velrock sat to his right. The King himself sat atop a tall chair that stood over a large table where everyone else sat at, Barons and Arch-Barons alike. There had not been a meeting such as this since he rallied his forces to to combat the approaching Corasian army, more than a decade ago. He did not remember it being this loud.

"My Lords!" he shouted, "Please, let's have a little quiet in here."

They all obediently lowered their voices. Many clearly were eager to speak. Why should they not? Many of them had sons marching in the Prince's army. Austin did not intend for the Prince to leave Blackfield so abruptly, and with only half the Royal Land and only a third of Forthren. That would give him just over twenty-thousand. A formidable force, but not one that could drive out the Morcars, especially since the King keeps getting reports of how the Western Lords were getting smashed.

"Very good. Now, as you all know, my son has taken his army out of Blackfield and towards the Westland," he went over all the facts they knew, "I've called you and your armies here to march after him."

"Very simply put, my King," said Walsh Vignor, one of the other archbarons of the Royal Lands, But he's already marched? He'll have at least three weeks on us."

"I've sent word to him that he is to halt at Anton. There is where our forces will meet. Archduke Amos and myself will command the army. We will also gather the rest of Forthren. We will have at least another thirty-thousand men."

"What of your brother Arnos? Or Markus Elenor?" asked Baron Willem Nordel, "Surely they will have a part to play in this conflict."

"Letters have been dispatched both north and south," Quincy replied, "They will mobilize and march as we need them to."

"And I suppose Horith Ryden is incapacitated," said Vince Bailor, father of Martin Bailor. 

"Lord Horith has not sent us any letters since my son has been dispatched."

Nordel let out a sarcastic laugh, "Of course he didn't."

"But what information we do have is that the Morcars are mostly in the southernmost region of the Westland," Quincy spoke, "But that they have a large army approaching Rainguard."

"Does that mean we are already too late," the Queen asked.

"Who cares about Horith Ryden?" one of the Barons spoke, "Let us defend our own borders!"

Vince Bailor turned back to face the lord, "Lord Corpilus, if Horith and his sons die, that leaves the Westland open to the Craxtons. The Kingdom cannot deal with a Morcar invasion and another Rochistyr  Rebellion."

"The Rochistyr are long dead," Maxwell Corpilus declared.

"But their blood still runs through the Craxtons. And they have been waiting for their chance to put Horith Ryden's head on a pike and spit in the King's face."

"I'm aware of the animosity Craxton has towards us. That is another reason why we must help. If the Morcars take the Westland they will have a foothold and will be able to raid all the Eastern Kingdoms as they see fit. Therefore I will also ask my father-in-law, King Terran of Theyola to reinforce us."

"Are you sure he will?" Nordel asked.

"Nordel, Theyola is all but a part of Liticea," spoke Duke Amos. 

"And I'm husband to his daughter and father to his grandchildren."

Queen Thedora stood up, "My father will not hesitate to help us," she spoke as if Liticea were her home country, "He sees Liticea as a brother and our king as his own son. Do not question my father's loyalty to both his country and my husband."