As the sun started to rise, Hans could hear sounds from on the other side of the barricade. Blade against blade, and war shouts. No one had breached the blockade, and it sounded like it was coming from…
The gates! Anna did pull through, and Marcus was here. Quickly, he climbed to the top. Tall building were blocking his view, he couldn't make out who would be friends and who would be foes. Still, he had to get out there. When Hans had sent Anna off, he had no idea the strength of Ferdinand's forces. She certainly would not have, so Marcus would have had to guess. He was sensible when it came to making decisions, but Hans had seen far too many botched judgments come from even the most knowledgeable.
"Come on, we've got no time to waste. Let's go meet the cavalry." He leapt over the barricade and into the street, crouching into a roll to avoid hurting himself. The East Gate wasn't far.
Fortunately, Marcus's troops were easy to spot. Since his forces almost always fought on the sea, they didn't wear metal armor like the Royal Army did. Marcus kept his troops on the outside of the gate, and in the open air plaza just inside.
Keeping his lightly armored foes in the open, where they can swarm the slower moving royal guards. Basic battlefield tactics. Hans and his forces had no armor at all, so he could merge in smoothly.
Those troops were a lost less dangerous than that giant snow monster he fought when trying to find Elsa in that ice palace. And they went down when you hit them. Hans wasn't focused on killing them: Armor was always stronger around the more vital parts of the body, but a shot to the legs would take them out. Professional soldiers didn't fight like rabid wolves when cornered, they surrendered.
They serve who is in charge, not anyone in particular. Ferdinand would keep his personal guard at the Palace, since he'd be worried more about our brothers in there than out here. These men would serve me, but not if I slaughtered them willy-nilly. Hans stabbed one guard in the hand and twisted his way towards another.
"Well, look what the gods dragged in." Once the soldiers had been dealt with, he found Marcus.
"Hoping you'd find me dead already?"
"That certainly would address indignities. Open war is your only answer, Hans?"
"I had to do something before we were found out. If Ferdinand got these people on ships, they could go anywhere, and, if we tried anything, he'd pin it on us if they were missing."
"Well, then, you have what you need. Congratulations. Now, how do you plan on continuing? You might be able to handle the forces here in the town, but the castle is almost impregnable. You'd never be able to assault it before troops came from elsewhere in the Isles."
"And yet, you still came." Hans smiled. "You have a plan?"
"Perhaps. But so do you, and you initiated this attack. What is yours?" Marcus certainly could think.
"Well, I do have a few…tricks up my sleeve." Hans hadn't told Marcus about the…skills he picked up. Maybe it would be a bad idea to reveal them, but the people seemed to accept Elsa's magic when she reinforced the barricade.
But she wasn't the Witch of Dark Flames who sacked the city. Hans hadn't really come up with a perfect plan, he hadn't the time to think of one, and racing through thoughts now, he still couldn't come up with one. His magic was bound to come up sooner or later; Samuel, as a spy, might already even know about it.
"Let's move. Follow me."
"No, no, no!" Ferdinand was pacing and ranting as he walked across the throne room.
"Ferdinand, you're making me dizzy." Rickard remained seated on the throne.
"This is important!" He hadn't the time to waste on the puppet now. Hans saw through his little plot, and now, if the spies were right, Marcus was here in support for the least of the Princes.
Varisen never had a very large army: It might have been the capital, but it was a small island and forces were better kept where there'd be more havens for bandits or brigands. More of the Isles's forces were seamen, and they took orders from Marcus.
"What are they doing here anyway?" Rickard started to muse. "Marcus has never been so unreasonable, and there are peasants attacking too. What could be…"
"Shut up!" Ferdinand yelled, and stormed out of the throne room back towards the Great Hall. There was still time: Marcus's forces would need to get past the outer palisade first, and then through the castle walls themselves. The Royal Palace was not designed to be a fortress like Hyensignor, but it was strong.
Of course…Hans has that magic now. The wooden front doors could be strong and barricaded, but it was all kindling to him. The outer walls were stone though. Best to deal with this problem here.
"Well, brother, are you seeing this carnage?" Ferdinand could hear Tobias approaching from behind him, Natan stoically walking behind him.
"I am not blind, Tobias. Have you come to offer your assistance?"
"Hm?" Tobias smiled and stretched his arms behind his back. "It's just Marcus. He's got every right to come into the palace. I'm sure if I sent a messenger, he'd take me up on it and tell us exactly why he's here."
"If he just wanted to come here, he would have just walked inside. He brought his troops and attacked."
"Does this have anything to do with that little insurrection by the docks? Oh, don't look so surprised, Ferdinand. You think Samuel doesn't know everything, or tell me his little tidbits? Our deal little brother Hans is stirring up his own trouble, and Marcus saw fit to side with him."
"If you know this, why are you wasting time? Natan, you should be out there dispatching these rebels."
"Fighting our brothers…the ultimate taboo." Natan frowned.
"He attacks, he betrays. Blood is not a shield, Natan. Get into your armor!" Ferdinand screeched, the first time he'd ever done so, to his knowledge.
Natan glared at Ferdinand, but said nothing and turned to walk away.
"Ooh, look at that. I wonder what he's going to do. And what are your orders, puppetmaster? I suppose you're going to force me on the front lines?" While that was tempting given Tobias's mouth, it would do no good since he really was terrible at it.
"Think up your strategies." Ferdinand ordered. "I have other people to speak to."
"Like who?"
"Like me!" A disembodied voice came from nowhere, but Ferdinand recognized it as the Crone. She materialized from a thick carpet. Ferdinand didn't know everything about her powers, but she could dissolve her form into water. With boots on, perhaps he didn't feel her beneath him.
"Who is that?" Tobias jumped backward.
"You've decided to assist me?"
"I've decided to watch closely. Despite all of the little prince's protests, the magic brings itself to war against the Isles. Is it old revenge from its precursor, or did my hate pour into it when it was bound? It is beautiful." The lines on the woman's face were twisted and cruel.
"You will not be spared, witch. Hans will kill you." Ferdinand didn't have his sword with him, so he could do little more than that.
"He has already tried. He cannot defeat something that has no form. The Isles will shatter from this infighting, brother against brother will expose the pain and deceit and trickle to the people. Chaos and war will erupt. Hahaha! If only I knew a royal brother would have done it, I'd have brought it here long ago."
"Who is this!" Tobias didn't have a weapon either, but he looked incensed. Ferdinand had no desire to answer him, and started to turn away. He needed weaponry of his own. For the time being, the witch was here, and Hans had no love lost for her, it seemed. She may not side with him, but she served herself, and would defend herself against Hans's forces.
Just as well. Let Hans bring his forces. That arrogant little twerp rallied the people because he considered the opinions of their low births. For that alone, he deserved to be killed. And, if Hans could be killed by the right person, that magic he possessed could then come under his control. It may lack in subtlety, but such power could not be denied.
