Hayna's Folly

** Bonus Chapter **

Thanks for the continued support, hope ya'll are enjoying the latest volume.

I apologize about the reduced releases but I'm focused moreon the first blood contest right now, and running a might bit light on ideas for where to go with Volume 7.

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- - Lunan Remnants POV - -

How could this have happened, that upstart lord to not only have the ability to take over our territories so quickly but also have secret tidings with a great kingdom such as Carthage?

The man has surely sold his sole to the devil, offering up the spoils of this war to his overlord in exchange for getting rid of his greatest rival the great strategist, this me Queen Hayna.

The queen stood on her palatial balcony staring southward toward the sea as she witnessed the arrival of dozens of warships along with transport ships.

Her entire army was away at war to stop the advancing armies of Julius and the traitors of Lunan.

But now, her capital faces invasion by a full naval invasion force from the great naval state of Carthage.

Carthage did not have much in the way of diplomatic ties with Lunan, but for them to take action such as this to attack without warning is an act most despicable.

The gritting of the queen's teeth was audible to all her guards standing reading in her office, along with some guests she invited from abroad.

After once again looking out at the approaching fleet and her own city's garrison preparing to receive them, she returned to her office.

"Seems like the terms need to change once again huh?"

Grrrrr.

Once more she ground her teeth.

The men before her were representatives she'd invited from the Germanic Confederation but these backwater barbarians were delaying action by allowing the situation to worsen day by day to get better and better terms for their assistance.

"Fine this will be my final offer, should you choose to decline it, then kindly exit my city before it becomes a battleground lest you get cut down by either side in the incoming conflict"

The men merely nodded their heads allowing the queen to continue.

"We shall offer up tribute of 500,000,000 Lunans and we will allow the enslavement of 25% of the population if you lords succeed in repelling the Carthaginian Naval Assault, and send that disloyal dog Julius and his rebels calling themselves a nation packing and return those lands to Lunan control"

Upon the ending of her offer, the Queen just sat there staring across her desk at the Germanic representatives, her guards meanwhile could only stare at their queen in shock.

Was her pride so great she would willingly send 25% into slavery to another nation just to get rid of this lord who showed her up by saving Lunan from Visigoth, was this woman really a person who should be leading their people?

The Germanics meanwhile could only sneer with gratitude.

Lunan was a large kingdom, and thanks to the repeated invasions the majority of their people now lived in the south, so the Germanic Confederation being allowed to acquire more than 10 million slaves of their choosing meant that those men freed from the fields could be armed and entered into the army for greater conquests.

So after taking no more than a minute, these men accepted the Queen's Terms but the deal was not yet set, till they had the agreement in writing they would not act.

And so begrudgingly the queen summoned scribes who were forced at knifepoint by the queen herself to create the contract that was then signed by herself and the representatives.

Should they succeed she would be the queen who gained territory but sold out her own people.

25% of the people of her existing territory's people, and all those who lived in Julius's lands save for Julius himself who was to be taken alive and offered to the queen, as further reward Lunan would sign a one-way non-aggression treaty for a span of 10 years, and make payment of 500 million Lunan.

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- - Germanic POV - -

The agreement set the Germanic representatives left with the agreement in hand to rally their forces who'd setup camp just outside the city in the adjoining forest so that the citizens and garrison forces would not see them.

Should an agreement not have been met these men were instructed to attack and raid the city, enslave all it's people and the blame for the disappearance would be lain at Julius and his Latinum's feet as the disappearance would be perceived by the surrounding lands to mean the total slaughter of the cities peoples.

But instead the queen driven to the edge had signed an agreement that would benefit the Germanic Confederation even more so than they could have hoped.

This city was sizable yes, but to get in excess of 10 million people, and their chosen at that.

He he he these men could hardly contain their chuckles in the presence of the queen.

They could strip these lands of all their men, with 25% of the countries people disappearing into slavery, they would be left with the sick, old, and infirm or those too young to pose a threat, even with the 10 year non-agression treaty a nation such as this would not survive long, Visigoth would surely come calling once again and without their men even with the reclaimed lands this stripped nation would fall faster than anything.

So to gain all the perks now was their best chance, they can get rid of this upcoming militaristic noble, gain all the remaining men of Lunan, prevent the greatest prize from falling into Visigoths hands.

Now they stand to profit further more, if they succeed in repelling the Carthaginian naval assault they could acquire those great ships and bring them home, where their own shipwright could reverse engineer them allowing for greater dominance by their own forces at sea.

The gates having been opened for them these Germanic forces began to march out from their forest camp and entering the city.

The citizens who sited this army were beyond shocked but seeing their peaceful entry were less anxious than they should be if only they knew what traitorous act their queen had gifted to this army.

The siege of the city was about to begin, and whomever became the winner would decide the overall fate of Lunan be it, it's peoples complete enslavement, or liberation.