Halfdan pulled a hood over his head. Slipping into the crowd the gates opened as Helga's forces made a dash for the coast. He knew that he couldn't stay in Alfred's sight, but he didn't trust being around Helga when they returned. She valued him now for his ability to get close to Alfred, but once back home, that was gone. She may kill him and although he wanted to see what she would do once back, he valued his life more. As they marched, he quietly slipped away into the woods.
He was giving everything up. His old life, his power and connections. He was throwing himself back into the world he lived in for so many years. But he was ready. The new world excited him, and he wanted to see how far he could climb in it. Originally he wanted to use Alfred to do this but knew that was over. He let his greed overtake him and tried to keep two people near him who could never interact. But in that prison, the idea of staring from nothing in the new world did seem fun. He wanted to try that now.
It hurt to leave Helga. He didn't care for her, instead thinking she was the worst person he had ever met, but the excitement she made him feel was a fresh feeling, he knew it was a dangerous thing and that her eyes could turn his way at any time so he gave it up. Walking into the forest, no one noticed the small man disappear into the treeline.
Alfred led his army to the invader's fort in haste. He had received word that they had started a retreat, back to the coast. Helga had called for it. His eyes were cold. Marching with his men they arrived at the cleared-out fort, only a few stragglers left behind. Alfred couldn't even be bothered with it. He left a hundred-odd men to clear it out and search the place whilst he continued on. He knew they were taking a lot of stolen goods with them, hopefully slowing their march.
But he also knew they had a half-a-day head start and had some distance on them already. It was a race against time. With an uninterrupted march, they would be able to reach the coast in two days. They obviously would destroy whatever was in their way, but they no longer had the need to lay siege to forts like they did before.
Alfred forced his men to march for a day straight. Although they were tired and wished to rest, no one had dared to voice complaints to Alfred in the mood he had been in since the day in the hut. They hoped he would return to normal, but felt it was only possible once the invaders were dead. Only when the moons hung in the sky did Alfred finally give rest to his men. He knew he was working them hard, but he couldn't let her escape.
In his then Alfred couldn't sleep and only wished to work or move, keep his mind occupied. Charles walked in dragging a small figure behind him in chains. Throwing them to the ground.
The invader looked up with a snicker. Yet it quickly was washed from his face looking at the face of the man in front of him. A shiver ran up his back and he couldn't believe that the young man in front of him made him scared. But it was understandable to anyone observing. The anger radiating off Alfred's body was intense. Charles reached for his weapon. Although he would never strike Alfred with it, he was ready to intercept any attack he threw out at the prisoner. He could still be useful after all.
"Who is he? Why is he here?" Alfred barely got the words out of his clenched teeth. The prisoner knew that he had to play his cards right. One wrong word and he was dead, he didn't doubt it for a second. He had been told he was condemned to die at Helga's hands, but Jarl Halfdan quickly offered him a way out, one of his men bringing him the deal. He didn't doubt it knowing that it was a fact he was a Knut loyalist in the camp.
Halfdan had told him that the King of this land was a weak man who drank with his enemies. He had stupidly believed it after hearing Helga's news of pregnancy with the king and offered to trade places with him. He had been promised it was a more likely way to survive by tricking the weak King, but seeing him now he knew he had been played. Still, he would make sure to survive.
"We found him in a cell. Left behind." Charles said quietly. Alfred's rage seemed to calm down a little. The man knew that it was what he had to play on.
"Your Hig..."
"Who said you could talk?" Cold. It was the only way he could describe Alfred's voice. Those eyes that look at him with pure contempt and hate. It was something he had never seen before. "Why did you bring him here Charles?" Alfred said with a smile toward him, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.
Charles felt the sweat on his hand fall looking at the smiling face. "Forgive me, your Highness. I just felt he would be better to us alive. He said he had news." Alfred gave a calm nod. It was too much of a sudden switch up from himself seconds ago, and although he was still clearly seething, the calm display he gave made the tent tenser.
"Of course." Alfred looked down at him. "So. Why were you in a cell?" Alfred posed the question but he knew he didn't really care, only wishing to slice him in half. But he also knew that Alfred would hate someone even more right now.
"Helga." Just saying the name caused the veins on his head to pop. He could see it. He had been told by Halfdan this news and given pre-warning to play into it. "She said I was to blame for Frode's death. Locking me up she wished to use me as a sacrifice for her news." He didn't dare say about her claiming to be pregnant not wishing to have a knife in the eye. "I don't know what happened but it seemed she sacrificed Jarl Halfdan instead, calling him a traitor who was worse and that Floki would love to have his company more than any the God would mine." He stuck to the script. Halfdan had asked to fake his death in front of the King. He had been desperate to get out of his sight and the captive was willing to cling to any straw of survival.
Alfred had no clue what he lied about. He could see he was being truthful and lying. He assumed Halfdan was alive. He was told about a sacrifice that happened the other day, but he couldn't see that snake dying so easily. "Go on." Alfred however wished to hear what more he had to say, even if it wasn't the full truth.
"She waited, teasing me about what she could do to me. She said it was by her grace that I could live another day. That was until she got a vision from the Gods. To return home and wait for her children to be born." His voice got quieter finishing his last sentence accidently letting it slip. Ducking his head trying to make himself smaller he hoped that he wouldn't get beheaded. Alfred's face went empty as he said those last words. It was a silent fury but one that was more dangerous than anything he had experienced. He knew he spoke too much but he also remembered Halfdan's words.
'The King hates Helga more than anyone in this world. If you wish to survive play on this hate and take it away from yourself. Say anything that you must. And if you feel in danger, remind him of his rape. He is a man who is so disgusted he will be forced to excuse himself. Just be subtle.'
Suddenly Alfred's breathing intensified. His eyes went wide as he covered his mouth. Seeing Alfred's reaction, he knew Halfdan's words had some merit to them. He knew that it was a chance. He remembered what Halfdan had told him, With a quiet voice, he spoke, "She told me something once. Before she left," Alfred looked at him, "'I will return with the conquerors of the world, and together we shall unite the two realms.'" It was a gamble. Although he accidentally let it slip before, now he hoped it was his lifeline. Silence lingered but he could see it worked. Alfred stood up.
"Lock him up. Never take an eye off him. If he disappears, I will kill the guards." Alfred ran out of the tent holding his mouth after giving the order, leaving Charles captive alone. He didn't fight as he was dragged away, glad he got to live another day. At that moment he knew he had a higher chance to live than he did with Helga.
Helga could smell it. The smell of the sea. They were close. Although she wished to stay, Halfdan convinced her not to on her second visit to him. Although she didn't really care about the lives of her followers, she did wish to live. Being convinced that Alfred would do everything in his power to make sure she died, was enough. She was sure he just needed time to calm down. She didn't mind leaving for a year or two. Thanks to Halfdan's words she rushed to the coast, not allowing her men to take a break. Unknown to her, it was thanks to this frantic charge to the coast that Alfred had been unable to catch. She sat in her makeshift bed smiling whilst holding her stomach. She couldn't wait to return to him with the surprise.
The situation in the Sultanate was a stark contrast. Unlike Alfred who was chasing his enemy, William stood on the wall, waiting. He could see the Sultanate forces approaching. Their seige equipment wasn't large. Obviously, Nasr didn't wish to cause too much damage to the city. It was something that made William scoff. Even if it was his own house he was willing to level it if it meant victory. The only reason the Sultanate countryside had been left in such good shape after the Kingdom's invasion was because of Alfred's order.
William watched as they made camp. The siege wouldn't happen today it seemed. He turned and left the wall, given the order to get him if anything happened. Walking through the port city, the sound of laughter, yelling and talking was loud. The people had been left alone for the most part, and it had allowed life to continue as normal. Some had left after the occupation but it was still less than half. Looking at the gate, it was obvious that was going to change.
Making his way to his quarters, he called the rest of his command. Firing orders to begin Marschel law and to prepare the civilians for a siege he began to write strategies. He needed civilians under control for the war. He even thought about sending them away on boats. Whilst he wished for them not to die in the siege he didn't really care if they did, only thinking that the panic that would be caused by them when it started was bad for him.
The debate between him and the other commanders lasted for an hour. The final touches on their plan to defend the city and what to do with the civilians. In the end, it was decided that women, elderly and children would be sent away on boats. It would let the men feel at peace knowing their families escaped, but also created goodwill with those who lived there. He knew Alfred wanted the Safrid people to see him as a good and kind ruler and this would help. He hoped to have Nasr on edge. He needed him to act dumb. If he was impulsive and attacked first he lost the support of a major city. If he waits he gives William more time than he needs. The order was carried out quickly and William made sure to send a message to Nasr.
Within Nasr's camp, the messenger was brought in. Nasr didn't know what to expect. Was it surrender or a trick? The messenger unfolded the note he had, "Duke William of Flanders, General of the Kingdom of Ammar, has offered a temporary white peace to His Highness Sultan Nasr Safrid. He hopes that the peace can be honoured whilst the women, children and elderly are evacuated from the city." The messenger gave the words.
Nasr tapped the table. He didn't know what to make of it. Accepting a white peace gave William time to fortify his defences. Was it all a trick? Why would he even care about the women and children, it wasn't his land. He thought about the man in question. Although he was an enemy, there was respect behind his name. A seasoned but ruthless warrior and leader. A great strategist who rose to his place in the Kingdom's military through ability, not his rank. He was someone who would raze a village if he had to feed his soldiers.
He knew the man would already have a plan. He had been in the city for how many weeks now and yet didn't do this until they were at his doorstep. It reinforced his belief that it was a trick. A sudden burst of mocking laughter left his mouth. "Of course, that is only right." Sending away the messenger his face went cold. 'Everyone is trying to trick me.' He thought about the capital and the den of snakes it was. He thought about the army inside the city walls and its obvious tricks. Nasr called his advisors. He wouldn't move today, he would give William that luxury. For now, he would let them rest.
Once dark the messenger returned. William looked at him waiting. "The Sultan laughed and accepted it." William nodded sending him away.
"What do you think?" Asking his son, he took a sip of his drink.
"I don't know. We know he is an impulsive man. Maybe he accepted and is fine with it. Maybe you find a knife in your heart tonight, maybe we wake up to arrows blocking the sun." Issac said in a disinterested tone. His opinion didn't matter at the moment, his father already had his plans.
"Either way it's fine." William said, "He accepts the peace, he gives us more time than we need to prepare, he attacks tomorrow then we already have our plans thanks to his slow march he just loses the support of the people here." William smirked before he spoke. It was an option he hadn't thought of yet, "If you wake up and I'm dead, cover it up until the siege is over. Let those who need to know, know, but take over."
Issac was impressed by how easily he spoke about his death but said nothing. He knew his father had accepted his age and that he wasn't getting younger. Raising his glass, he put a cheeky grin on, "Let's hope I don't get my inheritance too soon." His words got a hearty laugh from William as they touched glasses, drinking, overlooking the quiet city.