“Well…we’ve certainly found ourselves in quite the predicament.”
Remus opened the discussion with a less than cheerful declaration. He sounded almost disgusted by the current state of affairs.
“We knew our enemies would band together to oppose us, but I’ll admit that I did not foresee them doing so this quickly,” said Couran. “It’s remarkable given that Paradille and Seitz have never been on the best of terms. I can only assume that either the Duke of Seitz is an especially capable man, or we underestimated the depths of the grudge that Paradille’s rulers bear against Missian.”
“Both, I would presume,” said Remus. “The Duke of Seitz, Ashude, claimed his domain by casting down his former liege. To think he would be anything less than capable would be sheer folly─as would presuming that Paradille would feel anything less than betrayed by our actions. Declaring our independence after begging for─and receiving─their support in the previous war was an act tantamount to outright treachery.”
Couran furrowed his brow. Remus’s words had carried a reproachful bite that had not gone unnoticed by his king.
Unlike the other duchies of Summerforth, Paradille’s loyalty to the emperor remained as strong as it had been at the peak of the empire’s authority. It was hardly difficult to imagine that the duchy’s rulers would view Couran as the pretender to an illegitimate throne, and be enraged by his attempt at unilateral secession. All the more so since said secession had only been possible thanks to Paradille’s cooperation with Couran in the recent civil war.
“Allow me to make this clear: in no way do I regret declaring Missian’s independence,” said Couran. “Even if it was a mistake, it’s far too late for us to walk it back. We have no choice but to accept the state of affairs as it stands, and find a way to overcome it. In terms of military might alone, I don’t see our position as hopeless.”
“Perhaps,” Remus conceded. “Nevertheless, the state of affairs in Lund County is dire. It was the border county we were least expecting to be invaded, and thus, the border county least defended. Its castle was never well-fortified to begin with, and I expect that holding out against the enemy forces will prove impossible for its defenders on their lonesome. That said, it is far from certain that reinforcements would arrive in time to make any difference. With Seitz and Paradille working in unison, we must assume that the army that’s come knocking at our northernmost door is a mighty one indeed.”
A mighty army would require a similarly mighty band of reinforcements to repel─but the greater the numbers of the force that Couran attempted to send, the longer it would take to mobilize them. It seemed far from certain that the castle would still stand by the time they arrived.
For a moment, Couran hesitated. “If the castle falls, we need only reclaim it,” he finally said. “We were already preparing to invade Seitz, and we have more than enough mercenaries on our retainer. Our military is as prepared for this as it could ever be. We will not be defeated─not even by all the forces of Seitz and Paradille combined.”
Missian’s economy was strong, and as its king, Couran held the authority to utilize incredible amounts of money. In terms of pure numbers Missian’s military was close to equal to those of Seitz’s and Paradille’s combined, so long as you counted the mercenaries on Couran’s payroll.
“What news do we have of Ansel’s recent movements?” Couran asked Robinson.
“They are unchanged, Your Majesty. Ansel remains paralyzed by a domestic power struggle. Considering their need to defend against the threat of their neighboring duchy, Rofeille, it would be all but impossible for them to mobilize any sort of reinforcements to send Paradille’s way, even should Paradille demand them,” Robinson replied without hesitation.
The nobles in attendance seemed relieved to hear that Ansel would not be sending any support to Paradille. A war with three duchies at once, after all, would have left them with very slim prospects of victory.
“The enemy is unlikely to receive a great number of reinforcements…but nevertheless, we should remain on guard,” said Couran. “The fact that Ansel lacks a single ruling authority means that each county has the potential to act on its own judgment. If our numbers wear thin and one of Ansel’s border counts realizes it, they may well jump at the chance to launch an opportunistic strike of their own.”
“This is true,” Robinson admitted. “Frankly, it’s difficult to say what the state of affairs within Ansel is at the moment. A degree of caution does seem merited.”
Ansel was the home of Summerforth’s emperor, but the emperor himself was still young and far from capable. In all practicality, he was nothing more than a puppet of his retainers, who held the true power. Many of Ansel’s nobility thought rather poorly of this status quo. Some plotted to seize power themselves, while others were more loyal and sought to restore the emperor’s rightful authority. Motives and intentions varied, and dramatic incidents were frequent, ranging from uprisings to the assassination of prominent nobles to entire noble families being put to death after some treacherous plot or other was unveiled.
It seemed safe to assume that Ansel would not be suddenly unified and dispatch a full, cohesive army to aid in the conquest of Missian. That said, if any of the fractured powers within the duchy got it into their heads to do a little profiteering by way of the war, it was possible that they would make moves of their own.
“For the time being, dispatch orders to all counts whose territories do not lie on the border,” said Couran. “Tell them that Missian’s armies are gathering in Arcantez, and that they should send all available troops at once. If we aren’t able to reinforce Lund County in time, we’ll have to besiege its castle in order to reclaim it.”
“If the border counties are to be exempt, then am I to assume that Canarre County should be instructed to hold position and tighten its defenses? If I may, that strikes me as something of a waste,” said Robinson.
“Canarre’s troops are exceptional, yes, but the fact remains that Canarre lies on the border with Seitz. We can’t leave that front unprotected,” Couran countered.
“But what if we were to task Canarre’s army with invading Seitz itself? In the best case, we could drive the enemy to divide its forces. Even if we feigned an invasion, with no intention of claiming any Seitzan castles, the army of Seitz likely fears Canarre’s forces enough that it would still be an effective diversion.”
“A feigned invasion, you say…?” Couran muttered. He crossed his arms and sank into thought. “So we’d threaten them with a bluff…? Though of course, dispatching soldiers always involves a degree of risk… What say you, Remus?” he finally asked, conferring with his chief tactician for advice.
“I would caution against feigning an assault,” Remus replied. “Canarre’s armies going on the march would hardly amount to a threat worth acknowledging. At the very least, the report that Canarre’s armies are on the move would not be enough to convince Seitz to split their own forces. If they truly feared Canarre so, they would have abandoned all thought of conquering Missian to begin with.”
“True. Seitz’s commanders aren’t dull-witted enough to fall for a simple diversion…” Couran muttered. He seemed convinced by Remus’s logic.
“That being said,” Remus continued, “leaving the army of Canarre to bide time in a land where battle may or may not break out would indeed be a terrible waste. Were I to make the call, I would not command them to feign an assault on Seitz─I would command them to go on the warpath. Claim a castle or two, and Seitz would have no choice but to withdraw their troops for a counteroffensive.”
Couran looked somewhat shocked at Remus’s proposal. “You would have them take the battle to Seitz itself? I hardly think that Canarre’s army has the manpower to topple a castle. An ill-fated invasion leading to a crushing defeat could lead to Canarre falling to the enemy in turn. Though then again, I suppose it’s hard to believe that Ars and his people would be thrashed that soundly…”
Claiming an enemy castle, as a rule, required the attacking force to be larger than the defending one. Canarre’s population was unremarkable by Missian’s standards, and its army was similarly lacking in size. Their soldiers were exceptional, to be sure, but tasking them with going on the offensive would still entail no small amount of risk.
“Why not send them reinforcements?” Robinson suggested.
“Reinforcements?” repeated Couran. “I doubt we have the men to spare, considering the size of the army we’ll be fending off.”
“But if Canarre’s invasion is successful, that army will shrink as Seitzan troops rush back to their homeland. Reinforcing Canarre could be the key to making our own defense a success.”
“Perhaps so… But how many men to send…? Too many and we won’t be able to hold the line in the north, but too few and Canarre’s invasion is liable to fail.”
“Fifteen thousand men, perhaps?”
“Fifteen thousand… Would that be enough to topple a castle…?” Couran muttered, lapsing into thought once more.
“Furthermore, perhaps it would be advisable to include the Maitraw Company among those reinforcements?” Robinson continued. “Their capabilities are well-proven, and they would be sure to make a difference. I’m told they’ve used their recent payments to bolster their numbers, as well.”
“The Maitraw Company, you say…? What are your thoughts, Remus?”
“I, too, believe that fifteen thousand men would be fitting, and that the Maitraw Company would be suited for the task. They were sent to Canarre’s defense recently, and handled themselves well enough, but their true strength lies in their capabilities on the offensive. They’ve worked with Canarre’s forces a number of times, as well, and should be prepared to fight by their side once more. A well-coordinated force has a high chance of toppling a castle, even if somewhat lacking in numbers.”
“Hmm… Compelling, indeed…”
Couran paused to think once more. The Maitraw Company would be effective reinforcements, but a part of him still leaned toward turning their expertise toward the defensive line instead.
The better the troops I send to Canarre, the sooner they’ll be able to claim an enemy castle. Sending a questionably helpful force, meanwhile, would only slow them down─better to send no one at all, in that instance…
Finally, Couran reached his conclusion.
“Very well, then. We will instruct House Louvent to mount an attack on Seitz, and send fifteen thousand men as reinforcements, the Maitraw Company included.”
The course was clear. Canarre would go to war.