Accompanied by the creaking of chains, the drawbridge slowly descended, spanning the moat and opening the way to the castle. Yet, no one dared to move hastily.
Mayor Bonn's face turned deathly pale. Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, he stared at Gwynnis on the high wall, powerless. He knew his end had come, and cold sweat trickled down his face.
Finally, a refugee mustered the courage to make the symbolic first step. He knelt before the drawbridge, bowing deeply to Gwynnis, then entered the castle with his head lowered. With one leading, many followed suit, crossing the bridge and heading towards the castle, leaving Bonn behind.
Bonn, coming to his senses, yelled furiously, "What are you doing?! You are my subjects! This is betrayal, rebellion, insurrection!"
"I command you to return immediately! Do not take another step forward! Anyone who disobeys is a traitor!" His hysterical shouts only hastened the refugees' steps towards the castle.
Realizing his commands were futile, Bonn's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. His horrific gaze turned to his guards, who had followed him loyally for years, even through the recent hardships in the forest. But now, even they stood motionless, heads lowered.
"Stop them! Don't let them cross!" Bonn screamed, jumping with rage, but not a single guard obeyed. Instead, they looked at him with a mix of complex emotions.
Bonn was at a dead end.
Finally, after all the refugees had entered the castle, only a few dozen guards remained with him. They looked at each other, then at Gwynnis, and back at Bonn, the atmosphere heavy with tension.
Sweat dripped from foreheads. The first guard muttered an apology to Bonn before rushing into the castle as if afraid of missing the opportunity. One by one, the guards followed suit, each leaving a word of apology as they headed towards Gwynnis's castle.
In the end, only Mayor Bonn and a few loyal guards remained. These remaining guards, either with no family or having lost them to the Hafdanians, chose to stay with Bonn to the very end.
Gwynnis felt a twinge of admiration for these loyal guards. Their unwavering loyalty in following their master to death was a trait many rulers sought in their subjects.
However, this did not mean that Gwynnis would blindly trust those who abandoned their lord for self-preservation. While he understood their struggle for survival, he knew he needed to take measures to ensure these new arrivals wouldn't betray him as they did Bonn.
"Now," Gwynnis commanded, "Close the gates!"
With his order, the drawbridge slowly rose, severing the last path to survival.
Bonn stood motionless, his head drooping in defeat. After most of his subjects and guards entered the castle, he seemed to lose all his former vigor.
Gwynnis, observing this, felt compelled to encourage him. "This is truly a pitiful sight, Mayor Bonn. Please, gather your spirit," he implored. "Stand tall and dignified as a ruler, and face death with composure. Allow me to offer you a final salutation."
With a solemn expression, Gwynnis slightly bowed to Bonn, his eyes filled with respect. This gesture reignited a fire in the previously lifeless Bonn. A whirlwind of emotions - hatred, anger, murderous intent, and resentment - engulfed him.
"Very well, very well! You've done well, Gwynnis! Just you wait! One day! One day!" Bonn screamed hysterically, then turned and walked down the hill towards the main road, followed by the few guards who remained loyal to him, walking towards an uncertain fate.
As the day waned and the setting sun cast long, lonely shadows behind them, Gwynnis turned to find Jervis's questioning gaze. Jervis, who had been by Gwynnis's side for some time, had learned to read his lord's intentions and to trust without question. Yet, Gwynnis still perceived the uncertainty in his eyes.
Just letting him go?
Indeed, Bonn's journey was fraught with danger, but it wasn't certain death. Perhaps, by some chance, they might even manage to cross the Hafdanian blockade and reach the Earl's domain thirty leagues away.
Gwynnis smiled gently at Jervis's puzzled look. "Impossible. The moment Bonn turned away, he was as good as dead."
Everyone had seen Bonn's refusal to enter the castle, his departure from Targas, making them all witnesses. As for where he went and what befell him, only the heavens knew.
Gwynnis nodded at Jervis, who understood and promptly set out to carry out his orders. Moments later, a small group of cavalry left the castle, following the setting sun.
From that moment, Windermere City vanished from the world. The city was destroyed by fire, two-thirds of its citizens perished at the hands of the Hafdanians, and the remaining third were "scattered and whereabouts unknown." The mayor himself "disappeared without a trace," possibly meeting his end on some secluded path at the hands of the Hafdanians.
Believe it or not, that's how history recorded it.