Mansa stood outside the large fort. His men still numbered around 2000, suffering very few casualties. That being said he knew something big was happening in the North. He had seen runners coming from the direction of Ali's castle, the resistance against him disappearing at some point as if they no longer saw him as the main threat. Looking to the distant northern border he had a good guess of what was happening.
It took a while but he knew the eventual invasion would begin. Seeing as the Grand Prince had begun his invasion, then it must mean the Kingdom had done so as well. Mansa felt himself in a dilemma. Did he start the long march south, help his Sultan and give up on the Northen campaign, or did he remain North and help the Northen lords?
One look at the grand fort in front of him was all he needed to understand his march was over. To attack anymore without the proper siege equipment was a suicidal affair. Looking behind him at the road he had been following he also knew that it was a hopeless endeavour to march back south. By the time he returned the key stages of the battle would already be over.
Reaching into the bag next to him, he pulled out a white cloth. Tying it to his sword he walked over towards the fort alone, holding the makeshift flag in the air. His men watched in confusion but said nothing, trusting their commander. The men on the wall watched him, bows tracing his body with each step.
The gate opened, and an old man with pale skin walked out in heavy armour. Despite his greying hair, his body was still bulky, showing the many years he still had left in him. The old man gave a respectful nod. "General Mansa." Despite being his enemy, Mansa's name, honour and feats still made others give him the respect he deserved.
"The Grand Prince has begun his invasion hasn't he?" Mansa's question got a stern nod from the old commander. "The march south is a waste of time and to attack anymore is hopeless. I do not wish to starve you or my men when we face a common enemy." With a deep sigh, Mansa spoke, "Let me help the north with the Grand Prince's invasion. Your main army must still be away from the border. I have two thousand good men."
The old commander looked at the distant army. Looking back at Mansa he scoffed. "Why should I? We are enemies right now. Whilst I trust your honour I can't say the same about your men." It was a fair argument and Mansa couldn't complain about it.
"They don't know the gravity of the situation." Mansa looked behind him, and then back to the distant northern border. "I swear on my honour and my life that my men will not betray the north whilst our truce exists. If this comes to be, then I swear on Khors's name that I will offer my neck." His voice was grave, as he lightly bowed his head.
The old commander was shocked but quickly collected himself. Everyone in this line of work knew how Mansa was. If the man was willing to swear on both his honour and the lord's name, then he was serious. "Go explain to your men what has taken place, when ready we will open the gates for you." Mansa gave a respectful nod and silently thanked the man. He turned back around hoping that his people wouldn't do anything stupid, or it would mean his death.
On the southern front, William sat in a tent with his son Issac and the many advisors. They looked at a map with numerous pieces placed around it. "We know Nasr has arrived in the capital with his army. It doesn't seem like he knows about the King's absence yet or he would have made a beeline for us." One of the advisors spoke, pushing the pieces of the map onto the capital.
"As per your orders General, we have summoned an extra two thousand men off the East border. Those in the Southern half of the Kingdom under threat of invasion have been left behind. It should take a month for them to arrive." A second voice spoke up, from across the table getting a nod from William.
"Supply is stagnant. Whilst we have held off with looting nearby settlements for the most part, if shipments continue to shrink we may not have a choice." A third advisor spoke. William looked at the map. The sudden invasion had thrown everything off course and all the progress they made was now halved. It was an annoying thing, but a minor setback for him.
"Have scouts keep track of Nasr. As soon as he leaves the capital, I want to know. Numbers, key figures, anything of value about this force. His war with Harun is on hold, but that doesn't mean they haven't fought. I want to know what we are dealing with." William shot the order of the man in charge of that.
"Introduce stricter rations. Whilst an uncertainty still exists we will have to clamp down on how much we can spare. That being said, don't restrict them too heavily. I want my men still happy and fed. If the worst comes about, I will petition the king to open his emergency grain storage and will open my own. Deliveries will be slower but consistent." Looking at the map, he put a new piece on representing the Grand Prince's new invasion.
"Our King has negotiated a new alliance. The North will now be under heavy pressure. We can expect no new reinforcement from there. The barbarians in the West may see a chance but it is unlikely so we can assume the Western lords will rally behind Nasr now he is back South." Looking at the map, he knew there was only so much he could do in a tent. Everything would have to be solved on the field.
"All of you leave. Prepare what you must. Issac hold back." The advisors got up and gave light bows, leaving the father and son alone. Pulling out his pipe, William lit it throwing the match away. "Tell me. What do you think?"
Issac looked at the map. His father would do this throughout the campaign, preparing and training him. "His Highness said that the alliance between the Grand Prince and the Barbarians had fallen through. But how would Nasr know that? They already took men from the west to deal with the initial invasion, but he wouldn't risk taking more with the uncertainty that an invasion could happen at any moment."
"We must also take into account the civil war that took place. His men will be tired, and from what we know emotionally defeated. Harun and Ali have had him on the run since the initial confrontation. So either when we engage, they will break quickly or fight to the last man in an attempt to restore their pride." Issac sat, his hand on his mouth looking at the map. William smiled. Although his son was inexperienced, he was beginning to think, taking everything into account. He knew teaching him could only take him so far and real-world experience was necessary. "I'm sorry father, I can't think of anything more to add."
William gave a stern nod. "Then tell me, now we are alone, what do you think about the situation of the Kingdom?" Issac was confused, asking his father to clarify what he meant, "Take into account everything that is currently happening. The King, and his wife the invasion. Everything."
It was a strange question but not one unheard from his father. "Speaking freely?" Getting a nod in response Issac took a breath looking to the entrance to make sure they were alone. "The invasion of the South coast was an avoidable tragedy. The King stripping the nobles of the ability to field their own forces without his permission would have made the invasion less smooth. If he created such a law, then he should have put something in place instead."
"So His Highness was wrong for stripping the nobles of power?"
"Not exactly. I just feel he went about it in the wrong way. He should have had something set up in their place. Sure he has the administration side of the Kingdom sorted, but this has shown a fatal weakness that will be exploited in the future by our enemies."
"Then what do you propose?" William asked intrigued. His son had never spoken so much about his thoughts, always afraid of displeasing Alfred.
"Split the land. Into provinces, and sectors. Something. Each province has a permanent force stationed there, that's in charge of the runnings. Those that are small and less important have fewer men stationed and the opposite is true. His Highness fears one person holding too much power and becoming a threat to the Kingdom. Have those put in charge of each province rotated around out every couple years, taken away from the men they build a connection with." Issac, took the Safrid map, drawing imaginary lines on it to reinforce his point.
William blew on his pipe, thinking about what Issac said. It was interesting but he could see it completely destroying the nobility if it came to pass. He brought the point up getting a laugh from the young man. "His Highness has already shown his dislike for the nobility. But I don't agree. Sure you split the land like this, but there is still a need for those to permanently run part of the land. The nobles will still exist, they will just change, becoming glorified landlords. No military power, simply the ability to run their land and collect tax for the crown."
"Anything else?" William was invested. He knew his son had ideas, but always chose to remain quiet. Issac thought deeply. He could see his father was truly listening to what he was saying. It was his chance to maybe have his ideas implemented in the Kingdom. He didn't wish for the credit, just the knowledge of knowing he was good enough to take over for his father.
"His Highness needs to sort out the succession. His son, whilst a cute kid, may never be able to have a child. I understand that to take multiple wives is frowned upon, but he can leverage his status within the church to make it a reality. The Queen, bless her heart, but after a traumatic experience like that, I don't expect her to want another. Her son should still take the throne but, we need a backup, in case the worst comes to happen."
Issac paused, looking into WIlliam's eyes, "My sister is only a couple of years younger than His Highness. When she finishes her studies and comes of age, who is to say they can't marry? We secure the two greatest houses in the Kingdom together by marriage and potentially provide a child for the King who can carry on the bloodline." His voice was sly as he spoke. William looked at Issac, shocked by his ambition, but knew it was normal. He would have been the same if Alfred didn't have to marry outside the kingdom to secure an alliance.
"Catherine has already begun to move on that front. She asked Sasha to try her best." William said with a laugh. He looked at his son's shocked face and laughed louder.
"I feel bad for his Highness, having that beast try and make a move." Issac shuddered thinking about it but pushed the thought to the side. "Even if he doesn't want to take a second wife, he must have a bastard at least. He may not get the respect a King should have, but it's better than the death of the royal bloodline. Let's just hope if it does come to pass, he marries someone who believes in Sol this time. I don't want another issue with the Pope."
William nodded. He looked outside the tent, tired, "I will bring up your proposal about the Kingdom to his Highness in the future. For now, let's call it. I wish to sleep." William got up, his son taking out his own pipe, sitting in the tent, relaxing.