Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 111  Settling for the battle(1)

The camp of the lords of Messenia , with the High Marshall conte leading it , sprawled across the plain like a bustling, though still temporary city. Hundreds of tents dotted the landscape, arranged in neat rows and guarded by a wooden barricade that ended with spikes at the top and at the base outside of it .

The camp was alive with activity: soldiers sharpening their weapons, squires feeding the horses of thier masters , and quartermasters barking orders as wagons of supplies were unloaded near the center. Cooks stoked fires, filling the air with the scent of roasting meat and boiling stew, while horses were tethered to posts near the cavalry section, snorting and pawing at the ground.

A lone rider approached the camp at a swift pace, kicking up dust as his horse galloped across the plain. As the rider drew closer to the camp's perimeter, his silhouette sharpened against the sunlight, causing the guards at the gate to notice him.

Archers stationed on either side of the camp's entrance quickly raised their bows, arrows nocked and aimed directly at the rider. "Stop where you are!" one of them barked, his voice sharp and commanding. "State your business!"

The rider immediately pulled on the reins, bringing his horse to a halt a few yards away. His breathing was heavy, dust covering his cloak and armor. He raised both hands in a gesture of submission, the horse beneath him shifting restlessly. "Hold your fire!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the field. "I am a messenger—sent to request a parlay with the commander of this camp!"

The archers remained tense, their bows still drawn. One of them squinted at the rider suspiciously. "Who sent you?"

"I carry a message from His grace, Maesinius of house Romenia, first of his name!" the rider responded, urgency clear in his tone. "I seek an audience to discuss terms of engagement. I swear on my honor, I come unarmed!"

The guards exchanged wary glances. After a moment, one of them lowered his bow slightly and nodded to his companion. "Wait here," he said, turning toward the camp to relay the message.

Five tense minutes crawled by as the rider sat motionless on his horse, hands still raised in submission. The guards remained vigilant, their bows trained on him, eyes narrowing with suspicion. The wind rustled through the tall grass, the only sound in the stillness of the standoff.

Finally, the wooden gates of the camp creaked open. Two soldiers, clad in chainmail and bearing the sigil of Messenia on their tabards, emerged, signaling the rider to enter. One of them, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, gestured with his spear.

"Follow us. Move slowly, with hands in full view" he instructed, his tone curt.

The rider gave a brief nod, lowering his hands and urging his horse forward with a light nudge. The gate groaned shut behind him as he was led into the heart of the camp. The soldiers flanked him on either side, their eyes never leaving him as they guided him through the camp's maze of tents and fortifications.

As he rode through, the rider caught glimpses of Conte's army at work. Blacksmiths hammered at anvils, mending armor and weapons. Groups of soldiers sat around fires, their conversations dying down as they turned to watch the unfamiliar face pass by. War horses, muscular and restless, were being groomed and prepared for the coming battle. Eventually, they approached the largest tent in the camp.The flap was pulled back by one of the guards, and the rider dismounted, his legs slightly stiff from the journey. He patted his horse before turning to face the command tent.

"High Marshall Conte and the lords are waiting," the scarred soldier said, nodding for him to enter

The messenger straightened as he stepped inside the tent, the flaps falling closed behind him with a soft rustle. The air inside was thick with the presence of power—dozens of nobles, commanders, and advisors filled the room, all seated around a grand wooden table strewn with maps and plans. Eyes turned towards him, scrutinizing every movement, but the messenger met their stares unflinchingly. His gaze traveled across the room until it settled on High Marshall Conte, who sat at the head of the table.

Conte was an imposing figure, though not for his physical prowess. His bald head gleamed under the dim light of the lanterns, only a thin fringe of gray hair remaining on the sides and back of his skull. His face, plump and flushed, was framed by a thick, neatly trimmed beard. His belly strained against the fine velvet tunic he wore, a stark contrast to the lean and hardened men surrounding him.Apparently a life as one of the most powerful man in the empire left his trace on the man. He leaned back in his chair, studying the messenger with an amused look The messenger dropped to one knee, bowing his head respectfully. "My lords," he greeted, his voice firm and unwavering.

Conte let out a snort, shifting his weight slightly in his chair. "So, you're the messenger from that rabble," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "I've heard your master is quite the thorn in our side, pillaging and besieging our cities like a wild pack of dogs." He waved a dismissive hand. "I trust he found the hospitality of Thegolontia to his liking? Soon enough, he and his men will be sent scurrying back to the snow where they belong, tails between their legs."

There was a ripple of chuckles around the room as Conte's words settled, but the messenger remained unshaken. Conte's lips curled into a sneer, and the tension in the room thickened as he leaned forward, his fingers drumming idly on the hilt of his sword. "What have you come to say, then?" he asked, his voice laced with mockery. "I hope it is to deliver the terms of your surrender. Or is your master finally ready to battle like a true man, even though he still is a green boy?"

The messenger held his ground, rising slowly from his kneeling position. "My lord," he replied, his tone even, though there was a subtle edge beneath it. "His Grace, Prince Maesinius, offers you one final opportunity to swear fealty to him, as he did before this campaign began. It was your refusal to recognize the legitimate heir of the late Emperor that set this conflict in motion. His Grace believes you made an enemy of him the day you defied the rightful bloodline."

A low murmur rippled through the room, the tension climbing as Conte's expression hardened. His fingers, which had been tapping lazily on the sword hilt, clenched around it, his knuckles whitening. Slowly, he stood up, his bulk looming over the messenger.

"Swear fealty?" Conte's laughter rang out, a harsh and bitter sound. "I will sooner kiss a beggar's foot than bend my knee to that pup, or to any of his so-called lords of the snow" he spat, his voice rising with disdain. His eyes narrowed into slits, the insult hanging in the air. "I am no vassal to upstarts with dreams of thrones and crowns, much less to one that has savages as companions."

'Though you have still not swore to no one,' the messenger noticed in his mind, though he refrained from saying it out loud .He held his gaze, undeterred by Conte's fury. He bowed his head slightly, more out of formality than submission, and continued, his voice clear and resolute. "Then, my lord, it seems His Grace shall prove his right on the battlefield. In the spirit of chivalry and to uphold the honor of combat, he extends to you an invitation. Tomorrow, after dawn, two hours' march from here, he proposes a battle to settle this dispute."

There was a pause as the weight of the challenge settled over the room. The nobles shifted in their seats, their eyes burning with resolve as they moved towards Conte.

The messenger stood tall, his gaze unwavering as it locked onto Conte. "Do you accept, my lord?" Conte's nostrils flared as he stared back, his bloated fingers tightening around the armrests of his chair. A bitter silence hung in the air, thick as smoke, as the nobles in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Conte broke the tension, pushing his heavy frame up from the chair. But pride would not allow him to show it. Not here. Not before his men.

"We accept," Conte's voice boomed, louder than before, as if to drown out any hint of uncertainty. "Tomorrow shall be the day of our glory. The gods themselves will witness as we vanquish those who dare lay claim to what is not theirs."

He paused, lowering his head for an instant, his next words dripping with reverence, "May the gods hail the rightful." @@novelbin@@

The messenger's eyes gleamed with something close to acceptance, but he kept his composure. "May the gods hail the rightful,"

Outside, the messenger mounted his horse. Maesinius had been right all along. Conte never had a choice, as the fall of Thegolontia had sealed his fate. With his vassals watching his every move, to hesitate now would have been to show weakness. His pride, his fear of losing control, had forced his hand.

 It was already decided—tomorrow, on the battlefield, both men would prove the rightness in their words.