King Cormac sat on his family's ancient ivory throne, in the throne hall of Stormwatch, attending to his subject never one for politics, Cormac prefers to be at sea, sailing for months endlessly, " politics bore me, sitting here and listening to all this bores me" he had once said, being the third son of his father, King Kormac, Cormac was never bred for the throne and rulership, but a series of disasters had brought him next in line for the throne, being the commander of the third fleet of his father, Cormac had commanded House Thoren fleet in the four weeks of war nearly twenty years ago against the Auric kings, the sudden death of his brother crown prince Romac on the triplets and subsequent death of Macron his second brother after a brief illness, brought him next in line, scared that he might lose his last son to a foreign war, his father King Kormac summoned him back to Stormwatch, leaving the command of the royal fleet to his cousin Prince Jamac. Cormac ascended the throne at seven and twenty years following the death of his father at seven and ten years, a pragmatic, sturdy sailor, Cormac longed for the sea, but the death of his brother on the triplets broke the will and zeal of his father to keep fighting for cursed land, but Cormac thought differently, for weeks his council and he has been looking for avenues to move back into these islands, the Mountain knights might be fierce, but without constant supply from the mainland, they would not last in war, and seeing his fleet has been recuperated and back to its full power, Cormac sought to write his names in the annals of history, and before the century turns he would.
"We should send the first and second fleet," said his admiral, Lord Stormsurge, a valiant capable sailor, "We impose a blockade on the islands and route any resistance on the sea from those so-called mountain kings" the admiral bellowed, Cormac and all his advisors knew that a war on land with the knights of the mountains would result in total annihilation of any land expedition, but without their supplies they would starve out making resistance futile. First hand, Lord Seaborn was more a politician and diplomat than a solider, he knew the cost of war with the mountain kings and was pragmatic, opting to explore more diplomatic means, "We could offer them an incentive for giving up these islands" he said, "Incentive?" queried Lord Stormsurge, "we own those islands by right and by all the laws of gods and men, and we would take it with blood, we have been made a fool for too long your grace, your fleets are at your command and are at the ready more than ever, we need to strike now". "War would drain our coffers and grain stock" said Lord Crosby, coin master of the storm lands, "We can not afford a protracted war at sea with the current state of our finance, perhaps we could wait till the fortnight..." "Every minute we waste debating on this issue gives those pale bastards more time to solidify their position on the islands, their fleet grows by the day, and if we do nothing they will soon turn their eyes on our lands, your grace we need to act". King Cormac looked at his council, weghing their advice to heart, he knew he had to act soon, "My son has never been to sea before, peharps now is the perfect time for him to learn about his family ways, the triplets are ours by right my good lords and peharps we have ignored them for too long, ready the first, third and fourth fleet, impose a total blocklade of the islands, I want the second, fifth and sixth fleet ready for war, Lord Seaborn, ready the royal entourage, you are to visit the Vine lands and treat with King Ryker, we would need more supplies for this war, and mayhaps persuade them to stop the shipments of grains to the mountains, send along the seventh fleet to show our continous support for their safety and intrest".
As he left the council hall, King Cormac knew the weight of the command he had just given, and the consequences of war, he had watched on as his father kept a protracted war both on the eastern narrow sea and western sea, the endless death and wailing it brought to the kingdom, but he was his fathers subject first before a prince, and when his father had ordered him to sail his third fleet to the western sea to aide their allies in the war with the Auric kings, he had no choice but to obey. His brother Romac had led the expedition on the triplets, smashing the mountain king's navy in three decisive battles and landing his soldiers on the first of the triplets, he wiped the resistance he faced within two weeks, and he was perhaps the greatest commander his house had ever borne cause none of his ancestors had ever bested the mountain knights, but the gods are cruel and funny, breaking the will of two of the islands, the next one would spell tragedy for him and his house. Romac was hit with a crossbow to the eye killing him instantly, his death led to confusion among his generals and captain, some opted to continue the campaign while others wanted to solidify the two islands under their yolk, when his father the king heard of his son death he was shattered, refusing to eat or leave his chambers for days, the indecisiveness of the captains and king altered the course of the war, and when Macron died after a brief illness on the sea while heading to the islands his father lost it and ordered the complete withdrawal from the islands, even summoning Cormac back home.
Cormac was well aware of the limitations of his soldiers on land and knew that for total victory, the mountain kings must be broken from within. No army has ever been able to successfully invade and defeat the mountain kings in their home lands, and therefore invading the mountain lands directly would have been futile as stupid, but Cormac was determined to get back this islands and establish House Thoren authority on it, moving into his wife chambers he sat down and sighed, "What is it?" asked his queen, queen Brynn, his brows narrowed and jaw stiffened, "Tell me" she said, "Where is Ronan?" the King asked, "He is with the arms master training, what is going on Cormac?", unlike his brothers who were bethtroed at birth, Cormac had married the love of his life, and had been blesseed with three children, ever the warm and supportive wife, Brynn had never been one to doubt or question her husbamds decisions and rule, and his aparthy toward those cursed islands, who had taken her brothers as well, Queen Brynn never wanted her husbands rule to be marred with wars and death, and forten and five years he had done so, but now she senses danger, "I've decided to take back the triplets, Ronan needs to begin his training at sea, he would join the seventh fleet under my cousins command and sail to the vine lands, war is coming and he needs to be prepared to rule".The queen was dismayed and confused at the uttrances of her husband, for althogh she had knew this day would come, she did not expect it to be so soon, " He is only a child, he is only ten and three, he is my only boy, my only boy, you would send our son to die? For what? For three parchment of cursed lands? For your ego or that of your counsellors? You would have me bury my only boy at sea? I would not allow it Cormac, not while I still draw air". The king was tired, he knew his wife would fight the decision he had made but he knew it was also the right thing to do. "The boy needs to be prepared Brynn, we can not protect him forever, he needs to know the sea and how to command men, he needs to be ready to be a king, he can not do that cuddled up in this castle forever, what happens when I am no more? Do you think he would be able to lead this nation without the ability to sail and fight? I commanded my first ship at his age Brynn and it is time he learns about our ways. I am not sending him to die Byrnn, he is heading to the Vine lands, far from any conflict at sea". "Far from conflict?" retorted Brynn, "there is an endless, ongoing conflict between them and the Aurics, and you say he would be far and safe from conflict? He is our boy, my son, my only boy, and you would kill him for nothing?". " He is the crown prince Brynn, and he leaves in two weeks, and that is final". As the king left her chambers, his heart shattered at the just concluded conversation with his queen he knew that his problems were only just beginning.
"Father you wished to see me" Ronan said as he entered the council halls, "Sit" Cormac said, "Have I ever told you about my first ship?" "No father," said Ronan, "I was about your age when I commanded my first ship, I called her Stormbreaker, I loved that ship like I love your mother, when I was ten and eight my father gave me command of his third fleet and Stormbreaker was my flagship, I loved the sea, gods, I could stay on sea for months and when we went to war against the mountain kings over the triplets, I saw how my brother's first, second and fifth fleet destroyed the mountain kings navy in just three battles, I was eager to join but my father opted to send I and my fleet westward, to fight alongside the Vine kings against those golden bastards of the west, it was glorious and fulfilling. You are the crown prince, Ronan, the crown prince of a sea-faring people, you need to know the sea and be able to command it, you are to begin your sea training in two weeks, you are to join my cousin Prince Jamac on his seventh fleet and serve as his steward, you are to learn the ways of your house and if it comes to war, you will fight like the crown prince of our house and you will not fail." "Yes father," Ronan said, as he watched his son leave the halls, Cormac made peace with the idea of losing him.
King Thayer paced his council halls as his counsellors debated the issue at hand, a report had arrived about the movements of the Stormlands navies, "over one hundred ships your Highness" said Lord Arkon, admiral of the mountains navy, "Are they preparing for war?" asked Lord Vorgath, first hand to king Thayer, "We cannot say for certain, there is a large number of vessels sailing south, we suspect an expedition to the western lands, but the mass accumulation of ships around the triplets suggest a blockade of the islands are in place or soon to be" Lord Arkon said. "One hundred ships you say? How many do we have in our navy Lord Arkon" asked the knight commander Ser Fregborn, 'Sea-worthy ships, about ten and six, we can not seem to alleviate the blockade if they choose to engage us in the open sea, and if they begin seizing our trading vessels, it would spell doom for our coffers and we would not provide naval escort for these vessels either, we do not have the numbers your highness" Lord Arkon said. "What are our options? Give up our islands to those vermins? Are we to do nothing and watch as they steal my lands?" King Thayer roared at his council, "We could repair all the other ships in the harbour Your Highness, but it would take months before they are ready to sail".... "Then get to it then"… bellowed Thayer, " Your Highness we need to explore other avenues to stop or alleviate the blockade now before the ships are ready, and if we send the bulk of the navy now to lift the blockade now, we are opening ourselves for a blockade and coastal raids, we can not afford to lose the navy to lift the blockade your highness" Lord Vorgath said, "So we fold our hands and do nothing, Lord Vorgath, your wise advice is we abandon our knights and soldiers on the island to starve and die because we can not do anything, is that what you are saying my good Lord? Query the King, " No Your Highness that is not what we are saying, what we need is a pragmatic solution to this, if we are successful in lifting this blockade, what then, the entire navy is about ten and six ships, this report states that about one hundred ships are blocking the entire three islands, we can not lose the navy for the three islands, we just can not do that, your highness". King Thayer sat down, tired and overpowered by the reasonable words of his first hand, he knew the vital truth as did all his council, a war on sea with the Thorens would spell defeat, and if they lost the navy to lift the blockade, it would mean problem for them. "We would wait and see as the Thorens play their card, if they choose to invade the islands, we would know how to reply to them," Lord Vorgath said, " but in the meantime, Lord Arkon how many ships are at the harbours and how fast can they be made ready for sea?" "About ten and two my lord, and it would take the fortnight to get just one of them sea-worthy" said Lord Arkon, "Very well then, get to it, we will need them as soon as possible, Ser Fregborn begin readying the knights, and send a message to the island's commanders that help is coming, Lord Kragon ready our coast defences, we must be ready for any possibilities"