Weymewesto, Bagyarosia.
Sarika watched from a distance as her army relentlessly bombarded the walls of Weymewesto, the capital city of the Bagyarosia kingdom.
Unlike her previous success, the Barlia army had a hard time breaching the fortifications because their walls were thick, made of solid stone and brick, and fortified with towers. Despite the typical fortification it has, the strength of the wall somehow far exceeds her expectations.
Her army had tried everything they could use to try and weaken the walls, including catapults and battering rams, but the walls remained standing. They had also tried to scale the walls but were greeted with a barrage of arrows and boiling oil. Wemeywesto defenders were proving to be a formidable force.
In the end, she decided to use cannons despite the weapons were not meant to be used on Bagyarosia. And it has been over two weeks now.
The city has yet to fall even though she expected the city to fall within days. Their ammunition is running out and the next supplies aren't coming anytime soon.
Sarika had grown restless as time passed. She was not used to waiting, especially now when the lieutenant general we're informed about Victor's arrival.
She watched as her soldiers fired cannonballs at the wall, causing clouds of dust to rise up with each hit. But even with the heavy bombardment, the wall remained standing.
"Damnit!" Sarika cursed as she returned to the command tent. "How is that wall still standing?" She turned to Nolan, "Any news about their supplies?"
"No, ma'am. According to our investigation, Prime Minister Philip had a habit of regularly stocking up on their supplies. We can guess they can last for a few months." He replied.
Currently, the officers and advisers of the Barlian army gathered at the command tent to discuss a way to capture the city and plan their next course of action. A large map of the city was mounted on one wall, while maps and reports were spread out on the tables.
Sarika's jaw clenched. "We can't keep up this bombardment for months. We need to come up with a different plan." Her army has sieged them and cut off their supplies. But, waiting for them to surrender would take at least a month.
One officer suggested, "Ma'am, we could try a direct assault one more time. We'll use our numbers and the firepower to overwhelm their defences by attacking on full scale."
After giving it some thought, Sarika once more shook her head. "That's too risky. We could lose too many soldiers and still not capture the city. Just because we have the number, doesn't mean we have to use it."
"What about digging a tunnel under the wall and breaching the city from there?" All eyes turn to another officer.
Sarika replied, "Sounds like a hassle to me. It may end up taking more time than sieging the city." The idea was rejected.
The discussion had reached a stalemate, and the officers spent several minutes brainstorming new ideas. At that moment, a soldier burst into the tent, exclaiming. "Breaking news, everyone! Vofors City has fallen. General Victor has successfully captured the capital of the republica."
Sarika's eyes widened in disbelief. With one city conquered on his side, Victor's next target should be Dalfos. If she lagged behind, he would take the city and all eyes in Barlia would be on him. As a man, he would receive more attention than her. Without a doubt, her branch family would attempt to undermine her achievement.
"Damn it," She muttered under her breath.
"Err...actually, I had another message to deliver." said the soldiers.
Sarika looked up, "What is it?"
"There's another delegation sent by their king to negotiate a peace deal with us."
'Peace deal?' Sarika's eyes brighten up. "That's it! Send the delegation in." A small smile formed on her face. The delegation came at perfect timing.
Inwardly, she's grateful that Bagyarosia doesn't give up and keeps sending them despite being rejected multiple times. They can just peace out with them now and deal with them later.
Nolan nodded and signalled for the soldier to escort the delegation into the tent. Sarika didn't forget to put on her most diplomatic face and greeted them with a smile.
As they entered, Sarika stood up and extended her hand in greeting. "Greetings, distinguished guests. I take it you're here to talk about a peace agreement?"
The delegation's leader, a grey-bearded man, stepped forward and spoke with a stern voice. "Yes, General Klover. Our goal never changes, that is to negotiate a peaceful resolution and put a stop to this meaningless war. We believe that both sides have suffered a tremendous loss. Our king is willing to offer a compromise."
Sarika nodded, pretending to agree. "Indeed, we have lost many lives in this war but Barlia has a lot more left." She leaned forward, intrigued. "So, what are your terms?"
"Our king is willing to cede two towns; Dunston and Caushilbo to your control, in exchange for a guarantee of non-aggression against the rest of our kingdom," the grey-bearded man said.
"Give us Dunston, Caushilbo and Haugdak and I'll end this war."
The grey-bearded man's face contorted in disbelief. "That's too much! If we lost Haugdak, this kingdom would only be left with one city. Can you even call that a kingdom?"
"You can call yourself a micro kingdom though." She said nonchalantly before issuing a threat. "Do not mistake our willingness to negotiate for weakness, old man. I can easily split the army into two, one focusing on siege while another focusing on conquest. I asking you to hand it over so we both could avoid bloodshed and save time."
The grey-bearded man looked nervously at his fellow delegates, who were clearly uncomfortable with the turn of events. "Give us a moment to discuss."
With a smug expression on her face, Sarika reclined back in her chair. She was aware that she was in a stronger negotiating position. "Sure, take your time."
The delegations promptly exited the tent. They huddled together and spoke in a hushed tone. The grey-bearded man asks, "Do you think of her condition? Should we agree?"
"Absolutely not!" One person disagrees while the other looks reluctant.
Another delegate spoke up, "Stop being stubborn, we have no choice but to accept her terms for now. Barlia came and attack us abruptly and we don't really have time to properly respond. Our troops have done a very good job defending the capital until now. However, they too have become too exhausted while Barlia can always rotate their soldiers. It is better to let it go now. We can always retake the city later after mustering our strength. It's better than uselessly losing more lives and resources now."
The rest of the delegation nodded, realizing the logic in his words. After several minutes of further discussion, they came to an agreement.
As they returned to the tent, the man with the grey beard stated, "We are willing to accept your term, however, Barlia had to pay a sum of compensation for the damages you have caused to our people."
Sarika, still leaning on her chair asked. "Very well, state the amount you want."
"We request 500,000 Ryntum gold coins."
Sarika raised an eyebrow, "That's a hefty sum."
"It's a fair compensation for the loss of our land and resources," the man replied.
"Very well, I accept these terms," Sarika said with a smile before turning to Nolan, "Draft up the peace treaty immediately."
Nolan nodded and quickly got to work. In the meantime, she ordered her troops to cease their attack on the city and returned to the camp.
After an hour of waiting, Nolan bring the draft of the peace treaty and handed them to both Sarikan and the delegation's leader. The two of them carefully read the treaty, ensuring all the clauses were clearly stated.
[Peace Treaty Between The Principality of Barlia and the Kingdom of Bagyarosia
Preamble:
Both the Principality of Barlia and the Kingdom of Bagyarosia hereby agree to end the ongoing conflict between them.
Article I: Cessation of Territory
The Kingdom of Bagyarosia agrees to cede control of Dunston, Caushilbo and Haugdak to the Principality of Barlia.
Article II: Compensation
The Principality of Barlia agrees to pay a sum of 500,000 Ryntum gold coins to the Kingdom of Bagyarosia as compensation for the loss of territory. The payment shall be made within thirty days after signing this treaty.
Article III: Non-Agression Pact
Neither party shall engage in any military hostilities against each other. Any dispute shall be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means.
Article IV: Prisoner Release
The Principality of Barlia agrees to release all prisoners of war held by them from the Kingdom of Bagyarosia. Similarly, the Kingdom of Bagyarosia agrees to release all prisoners of war held by them from the Principality of Barlia.
Article V: Ratification
This treaty shall be ratified by...]
"Looks good to me," Sarika commented after the quick review. The delegation's leader also nodded in agreement.
The two sides proceeded to sign the peace treaty, officially ending the war between them.
Before leaving the tent, the delegation said to Sarika. "We are glad that the conflict ended. I hope your side can deliver the promise."
"No worry, I will," Sarika assure them.
Quickly, she gives an order to Nolan, "Gather our officers. Our next target is Dalfos."
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