As the walls of Smederevo reverberated with the relentless bombardment of Roman artillery, the harsh truth settled upon the defenders like the dust and rubble around them: their king had forsaken them. The solemn promises made by their monarch—that no supplies would cross from Bulgaria, that no Roman ship would sail into Serbian waters—had dissolved into the harsh light of betrayal.
The reality of their situation sparked a palpable shift among the ranks of the rebels. Morale plummeted as swiftly as the fortress walls crumbled under the Roman onslaught. Soldiers, once resolute in their defence, now discarded their weapons and sought refuge at the base of the city walls, where the impact of the explosions was somewhat diminished. Commanders scrambled futilely to rally their troops, but the spirit of defiance had been crushed; there was no heart left to fight for a king who had abandoned them.
