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Chapter 26 - Information for Public Disclosure: The Crown Guard

The Order of the Guardians of the Crown, otherwise known as the Crown Guard, is the largest cavalry-based unit incorporated in the Kingdom's Royal Army, currently with approximately 4,000 knights and men-at-arms. As the members of the Crown Guard are to sworn fealty only to the King, the admittance in the military order is strict and limited, but increases one's prestige as a warrior incomparable to that of any noble's knight or that of a normal men-at-arms under the Four Grand Generals of the Royal Army.

The order's most notable achievement was the Battle of Denhark in the Third Runtallian–Gittlornian War. In the autumn of the year 549 of the Runtallian Calendar, around 350 war galleys and transport vessels from the Republic had set sail for the northern coast of the Kingdom under the orders of the Republican Senate. The invading force landed on the Duchy of Randuin, specifically at the port town of Denhark, disembarking over 40,000 phalangites led by Republican Governor Amadeus. The invasion from the Republic was anticipated by Duke Grendle and the other northern lords, and the Nordfell Faction had initially intended to fend off the invasion by their armies alone, but nevertheless the scale of the attack was unforeseen and almost caught them off guard. Even with the defender's territorial advantage, the northern lords were only able to muster 10,000 men, mostly professional soldier retainers and mercenaries, as at the time peasant levies were limited due to the harvest season. As a result, Duke Grendle wrote a letter to the King pleading for military assistance, as was expected of him in the first place, but the Duke still refrained to seek help from the other ducal factions, which can only be attributed to his pride and arrogance.

As days passed by without any major battles taking place, the Duke of Randuin received his reply from the monarch in the form of the First, Second and Third Banner of the Royal Army with the Crown Guard headed personally by King Garrett Siegmund Durhamfortt XIII along with two of the Four Grand Generals, totaling to 19,000 infantry and cavalry. As the Republican Army received reports of the reinforcement, Governor Amadeus decided to instigate a field battle with the Duke's army to eliminate him before the King's forces arrived. However, half an hour during the battle, a horn was suddenly heard in the horizon and suddenly a contingent of heavy cavalry several thousand strong emerged upon the right side of the Republican Army, which eventually resulted to a flanking maneuver, and not too long the Gittlornians began fleeing the battlefield as many of their comrades get slaughtered. At the end, the Republicans were routed and before they were able to successfully board their ships to escape, the death toll had already amounted to 13,000 casualties and another 8,000 soldiers and officers were captured and ransomed. It is also worth noting that after the disastrous war with Norsmund three decades prior, the influence of the Royal House declined over the years due to the previous monarch's failed military campaigns, paving way for the ducal factions to gain more power and influence. However, after the Battle of Denhark, the Crown Guard gained recognition for their exceptional discharge and strengthened the Royal authority throughout the Kingdom, especially on the northern region after providing reinforcements and winning the war. The current king was able to also consolidate his rule among the hostile lords of the western region owing it to the military presence of the Crown Guard.