The artillery all paused and looked to their lord. For a moment they doubted the sincerity behind Grand Duke Maldenberg's command. They thought that it had to be some sort of sick joke to ask them to fire into the city, in which they call home and have family residing in.
"What are you waiting for?! Are you pillocks deaf? Fire into the city at once, that is an order!"
Looking at each other the artillerymen were reluctant to fulfil their lord's order. In fact, many of them began to refute and protest.
"My lord what about our homes?" cried out one artilleryman.
"I can not do that my lord my parents are still inside the city!" yelled another artilleryman
More and more artillerymen began to voice their objections of displeasure. This was much to the anger and disappointment of Arthur Maldenberg. Disobedience from his soldiers was unforgivable. He had trained them to be a well-maintained fighting machine that followed his orders to the letter. Upset at this he unsheathed his sabre and pointed it at the closest artilleryman.
"Are you defying my orders?! If you do not follow this order I will issue just execution for men who do not comply with my order," Arthur said in an aggressive and domineering tone. Instead of scaring the artillerymen like he intended he only helped grow their defiance.
Infantrymen nearby began to see and hear the commotion and were uneasy about the whole situation. Although they were not directly involved they had families and friends who still lived in the city, if the artillerymen folded and followed through with the Grand Duke's order, devastation would soon ensue.
While the infantrymen nervously approached to watch the drama unfold the situation was becoming more tense. The artillerymen who were trying to be respectful but firm in their denial of duty were becoming more animated with their displeasure, which only irritated Arthur further.
"You swines dear disobey me! I will have your heads on spikes! Soldiers help me deal with these rebellious curs," Arthur bellowed, in a deafening tone.
The infantrymen who were nervously approaching, had now been roped into the heated situation. They watched as Arthur used his sabre to signal them to apprehend the rebellious artillerymen. For a brief moment, the infantrymen battled internally. Their brows furrowed and their foreheads dripping with sweat.
They were aware of their current peril in the face of a well-dug-in Luxenberg army, but firing upon their homes and loved ones was not an option for many of them. For many of them, they had built their lives in that city, some of the men they were standing shoulder to shoulder with were neighbours, friends and family members, and they could not risk the collateral damage to the place called home.
Unsure of their actions an infantryman advanced and brandished his musket, however, he pointed the barrel of it towards his lord, Grand Duke Maldenberg. His arms were shaking and his body slowly wobbled in place, what he was doing was punishable by death.
"I can not let you fire upon the city, my lord. My wife and children are in that city, our house is near the gate. I will not allow you to devastate all that I cherish in this last-ditch attempt at a victory," stated the scared infantrymen.
Arthur's face grew red like a tomato, his rage was practically oozing out of every inch of his body. "Such blatant defiance! Are you mad?! Soldiers execute this man on the spot right this instant," He yelled in a murderous tone.
Hundreds of infantrymen froze in place. Do they follow the will of their lord or prioritise the protection of their homes and loved ones? A few brave infantrymen raised their muskets and joined the lone infantryman.
"He is right, my lord. My father and brother are in that city, I will not let you go through with this. The war is lost. How many more of us need to die for you to realise this? Many of our dead comrades still lay in the streets, all torn apart, you sent them to their deaths," one of the joining infantrymen cried out.
"My mother lives near the gates, our home would be destroyed if you fired upon the city, my lord. I can not let you destroy my home and potentially kill the only family I have left. My father fought at the Battle of Brathurst-Fulkliem under your son's command and he is most likely dead, I will not let you kill my mother in this failed attempt of a siege," another infantryman yelled.
Soon enough dozens of their brothers in arms raised their muskets and pointed them at Arthur, each yelling their own reasons as to why they could not let him follow through with his plan.
The nearby adjutants and Duke Vasselle were not surprised by this as they had tried to warn him previously. Duke Vasselle was true to his word and issued for all his remaining soldiers to return back to his territory, which hopefully had not been conquered.
Arthur's adjutants even began to turn on him and try not to get mixed in with him and his agenda. Shortly the majority of the army had turned on him for issuing such a despicable order. Swift in their actions the infantrymen detained their lord and his family placing them in a makeshift cage.
Arthur was insistent on keeping his family close to him, since if he left them back at Inglefeller, they ran the risk of being captured by the Fontaine faction, while his army was at least a month away. Now his family and himself were captured by their own soldiers.
With the Maldenberg family imprisoned, the soldiers sent a small delegation of men bearing a white flag to offer their surrender to Victor Luxenberg. They were aware of the fact they stood no chance against them and now that they had revolted against their lord, there were limited options available to them, especially when their home was under the control of an enemy family.
The detachment of a couple dozen men arrived at the centre road fortifications with their white flag raised high. This surprised Victor as he was sure that Arthur Maldenberg would fight to the last man.
"Why have you come to surrender? I was so certain that Grand Duke Maldenberg would fight until the last man, what is the reason for his surrender soldier?" Victor questioned.
"Truthfully, my lord. The army revolted against him, we have imprisoned him and his family," the soldier said in a haggard tone.
Victor was astonished but knew this could have happened. With the capture of the Maldenberg family, the war was coming to a conclusion. Victor let out a smal sigh and thought.
'So this war is finally over'