1653 Crown Prince By Default
All around the world, things were getting heated up, as seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, and hours to days.
There was unrest across Hertfilia... particularly in the land of the giants!
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- Central plains, Soma Empire, Omania-
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The sun hung high on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the vast plains surrounding the Royal Capital City.
When the rest of the world was facing rainy storms and hails, Omania's situation was the complete opposite.
This was their 2nd Dry Season, a deadly wind with terrifying winds and tornadoes that could destroy the homes of many.
The wind rush happened yesterday, so today, nature was bound to give them peace. However, that wasn't what concerned the locals.
The wind carried the scent of impending battle, with crackling tension that made everyone uneasy.
On the towering city walls, countless defending giants tightened their grips on their arrows, plunging them forward with every command.
"Steady... Steady... Fire!"
The giants were panicked, worried and fearful of what was to come. The enemy had got them good. They knew no way out of their current predicament.
The moment the first attack hit Soma, the 3rd prince sent word to the monarch.
Over time, they have been trying to eradicate these bastards to no avail. These people always had fleets and fleets of backup coming in from heaven knows where.
Thus, they kept losing battles against the enemy, with some mighty generals falling in battle or some fleeing back to the capital with whatever soldiers they had left.
It's said the enemy had strange weapons like giant arrows far bigger than they.
From how the enemy moved, they understood their plans.
The enemy only took down major cities, which were potential reinforcement sites.
These cities typically had Knighthood academies and other public barrack zones.
The enemy didn't waste time heading to villages or towns. All major generals and leaders resided in these major cities with their families.
Even if the generals and commanders were not around they still had a large fraction of their powers in their home cities.
Destruction was their goal.
The intruders worked their way from the main coastal cities before finally regrouping at the Capital.
The Capital meant hope for many of their uncounted warriors not yet defeated.
The giants dared to say that if the capital was lost, it would mean their Soma was over!
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On the battlefield, Ballista Siege weapons loomed large, with their massive wooden frames adorned with ropes, and pulleys, that aimed at the City's gates.
His Majesty, Timothy Lexx the Great, surveyed the battlefield with a pale face.
Today was a hot sunny day, yet for Timothy, it felt cold.
His face was watched with weariness, as his eyes, once filled with determination, now reflected a mix of anguish, frustration, and sorrow
The weight of their impending loss bore heavily on his shoulders, and the air around seemed thick with disappointment.
How? How do they stop such a terrifying force?
Were his people, proud Soma giants, going to live their lives in slavery because of his incompetence from here forward?
Bam!
He smashed his fists against the stony edge, not kindly the blood dripping from it.
"Your majesty, it's not your fault!" Commander Jackson exclaimed, seeing Timothy's bloodied hand. "The enemy must have been planning this attack for years. The bastards have been planning on taking our Soma for a long time."
Tomirhey nodded heavily. He knew they were right, but he still felt aggrieved and unwilling.
His fiery confidence which had fueled his every decision, was now replaced with gnawing self-doubt, questioning his choices, tactics, and leadership that led to now.
From the moment they received the word of the enemy's first attack, should they have counterattacked using different methods? Was there something they could've done differently to alter the course of the outcome?
Regret gripped Timothy's heart as he pondered the potential missed opportunities and lives lost under his command.
It wasn't just Timothy feeling this way.
Despair lingered in the eyes of the many commanders and generals.
Yet amidst the sorrow and anguish, a flicker of determination remained.
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Pah!
Timothy slapped his thighs, forcing himself out of his desolate state.
On the battlefield, morale was everything.
If they felt they lost, then the men would also feel the same, making mistakes and not performing their best.
Who were they? Giants! The proudest people to wall this world!
Their Vine God will never let them down.
From the ashes they shall emerge, protecting their land and people from these dastardly invaders!
What's more, it's not like they were completely out of hope.
From the time they got word of Adonis's many attacks on Soma, they had sent several people to their allies for help.
During this time, Timothy also bundled his wives, unmarried daughters and youngest son of 6, and spent them out of the empire.
He meant what he said by saying 'bundle-up' because they were so stubborn, refusing to leave. As giants, they didn't know the definition of cowardice; it was not in their nature.
If he didn't knock them out and tie them up with chains, these people would never leave the empire no matter how he threatened them.
As their monarch, he felt proud. But as their family, he felt helpless.
Anyway, he sent a few people out for help but did not expect the enemy to move so fast.
Timothy felt that even if he fell, his Soma empire still had hope for survival.
At the same time, he also wondered what had happened to his 3rd son, the one he was most optimistic about.
Though United against outsiders they too had internal strifes, especially since he hadn't picked a crown prince his oldest sons all fought against each other, secretly planning assassinations here and there. Only Artemis kept out of it.
Despite all this, he still loved all his children. This was a grieving time for him, as he heard these bastard Adonis followers had slayed his 1st and 2nd sons in their territories.
Timothy didn't know how he stayed calm after hearing the news. His first and third fainted from shock, wanting to wear armor and head out to fight when they awoke.
Automatically, this made Artemis the next monarch, seeing as he only had another 6-year-old son, and several daughters, over 11 of them.
Yes.
Third Prince Lexx Artemis, was now Soma's Crown Prince!
