The Debt Of Fate

Chapter 348: Surrender

News of King Edward’s capture spread quickly across the Seventh Region.

When the lords and nobles heard it, shock filled the entire region. No one had expected the king to be defeated so quickly.

Soon, the most powerful lords gathered in the main hall of the regional council.

The atmosphere inside the hall was tense.

One lord slammed his hand on the table.

"We must rescue His Majesty!" he said loudly. "If the king remains a prisoner, what will people say about us? Our honor will be ruined!"

Several nobles nodded in agreement.

"That is right," another lord said. "We still have soldiers. If we gather our forces, we may be able to save him."

But not everyone agreed.

An older noble slowly shook his head.

"Rescue him?" he said calmly. "From whom?"

The hall became quiet.

"From the Lord of the Dark Sea," someone answered.

The old noble sighed.

"You all know the rumors about that man. His ships sail across many seas. His men fight like trained warriors. Even the king and several hundred royal soldiers were defeated in less than a day."

He looked around the room.

"And do not forget something else."

Everyone listened carefully.

"The Lord of the Dark Sea supports King Ernest."

Some nobles lowered their heads.

"If we attack that estate," the old noble continued, "we will not only face the Lord of the Dark Sea. We will also be fighting King Ernest."

Another noble spoke.

"Are you saying we should surrender?"

"I am saying we should be realistic," the old man replied. "Edward has already lost. Ernest is now the crowned king. If we resist, we will only bring disaster to the Seventh Region."

His words made many people uneasy.

A younger lord stood up angrily.

"So we just kneel?" he shouted. "What about loyalty?"

"Loyalty to a defeated king will not protect our lands," the old noble answered.

Soon the hall filled with loud arguments.

"We already swore loyalty to king Edward, as long as he breaths I will not bow to another. This time, they managed to capture the king because he underestimated the Lord of the dark sea," someone argued.

"Are you pretending to be foolish? Have you forgotten Ernest method when he came to quil rebelion a few years ago?" A general asked. He hated that this Lord kept talking about honor when many of them could not even will a sword.

When they heard this reminder they paused. But then they all did not agree.

Some continue to supported rescuing Edward.

Others believed it was wiser to submit to Ernest.Voices grew louder as the debate continued.

But suddenly, the doors of the hall burst open.

A messenger rushed inside, breathing heavily.

"My lords!" he shouted.

Everyone turned toward him.

"What is it?" one noble asked.

The messenger swallowed before speaking.

"Scouts have sent urgent news."

The hall became silent.

"About ten thousand soldiers are marching toward the Seventh Region."

Gasps filled the room.

"Ten thousand?" someone whispered.

The messenger nodded.

"They are moving quickly. At this speed, they will arrive within one day."

The lords looked at each other in shock.

"Whose army is it?" a noble asked with a trembling voice.

The messenger lowered his head.

"The banner they carry... belongs to King Ernest."

Silence fell over the hall.

The heated argument from moments ago disappeared instantly. They could not match these number, the support from the southern king would still take three days to arrive.

"What should we do?" A Lord asked.

"Surrender, king Ernest has already been crown," the general from earlier spoke up.

The hall became noisy again.

Some nobles supported the general’

"Surrender," one of them said quietly. "King Ernest has already been crowned. Resisting now will only destroy the Seventh Region." They felt the war was not worth it.

But several greedy nobles refused to accept it.

They had supported Edward for a long time and had gained many benefits from him. If Ernest took control, they feared they would lose their power and wealth.

One of them stood up.

"We can still defend the region," he said loudly. "The city walls are strong. If we hold for a few days, the Southern King’s army will arrive to help us."

A few others quickly agreed.

"Yes! We only need to delay them."

But the general from earlier frowned.

"Ten thousand soldiers are coming," he said coldly. "Do you think this region has enough men to stop them?"

The noble gritted his teeth.

"We do not need to defeat them. We only need to hold for three days."

The hall once again filled with arguments.

Some shouted about honor.

Others talked about survival.

The debate continued for a long time.

Finally, two colonels who had been standing quietly near the wall suddenly stepped forward.

One of them spoke in a firm voice.

"My men and I will not fight."

The hall became silent.

All eyes turned toward them.

"We will surrender to King Ernest," the colonel continued calmly.

His words shocked many people.

"You dare betray the king?" one noble shouted.

The colonel did not look afraid.

"King Edward has already been captured," he said. "Fighting now will only send our soldiers to their deaths. King Ernest is crown, we are loyal to the throne,"

The second colonel nodded.

"My men feel the same."

Their words made the hall even quieter.

Many people began to think carefully.

If the soldiers themselves refused to fight, how could the nobles force them?

Soon, another officer stood up.

"My unit will also surrender."

Then another voice followed.

"And mine as well."

One by one, more officers declared they would not fight King Ernest’s army.

The balance in the hall slowly changed.

Even some of the nobles who had argued loudly earlier began to lose their confidence.

By the end of the meeting, most of the leaders had agreed. The Lord’s that remind stubborn did not change the outcome.

The next day, the army of King Ernest arrived at the borders of the Seventh Region.

Ten thousand soldiers marched forward like a dark wave. "By the order of King Ernest, surrender or face the consequences" the leading general said with a loud voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the gates of the region slowly opened.

The lords and nobles came out to greet the army.

They lowered their heads and officially surrendered the Seventh Region to King Ernest.

.....

The royal city was quiet that afternoon.

Inside the council chamber of the palace, many lords and nobles had gathered. The news that King Edward was captured by the Lord of the dark sea men had arrived the royal city the previous night.

King Ernest called this meeting to desire his fate

The lords stood in small groups, whispering among themselves. Some wondered why Ernest wanted their opinion, after all since he sat on the throne he always made the decision without listening to them.

Finally, one lord stepped forward.

"We all know that Edward has been rejected by God. Moreover he had done many unforgivable things," he said loudly. "The throne never belongs to him. I say we execute him."

A few nobles nodded in agreement.

"Yes," another lord said. "If we leave him alive, his supporters may try to rescue him."

But not everyone agreed.

Lord Williams shook his head.

"Execution is too dangerous," he said slowly. "Edward was king for many years. Some people are still loyal to him."

Another lord spoke.

"If we kill him, his allies in the south may use it as an excuse to attack us."

"So what do you suggest?" someone asked.

Lord Williams looked at Ernest. He felt there was no need for blood share. "Your majesty, Strip him of power," he said. "Give him an empty title and keep him under guard. He will be alive, but he will have no authority."

Several people began to discuss the idea.

"Yes... that could work."

"Without power, he cannot start another war."

"No, your Majesty, leaving him alive is to create future threats. If he does not revel now his children would," a general argued. The ones who died are usually the soilders. He felt it was best to bring an end to everything. Kill not just Edward but his entire family.

But suddenly—

The large doors of the hall burst open.

A messenger rushed inside, almost stumbling as he ran. The joy on his face could not be hidden.

"Your majesty" he shouted, breathing heavily.

Everyone turned toward him.

"Speak," Ernest commanded.

The messenger bowed quickly.

"Good news from the Seventh Region!"

The room became quiet.The messenger took a deep breath.

"The lords of the Seventh Region have surrendered."

Shock spread across the hall.

"Surrendered?" someone repeated.

"Yes," the messenger said. "When King Ernest’s army arrived, the gates were opened. The region submitted without a battle."

Many nobles exchanged surprised looks. They looked towards Ernest. He had only announced a few days ago that he secured ten thousand men. They had assumed he was bringing them to the capital to defend against Edward, turned out he sent them straight to battle against the seventh region.

Ernest raised his brows, the reason he had confidently sent those men was because he had loyal men among the soilders of the seventg region.

They were supposed to join the ten thousand men and defeated Edward’s hold. What he did not expect was that they would surrender without battle.