Memoirs of Kitty Siam Ch. 23

I asked him about the conditioning of the enemy troops compared to his and his following words confirmed my suspicions after I had observed the Kreetin army marching south.

Sadly General Smett lamented that the army of Na'Tal is similar in make up to the army of Kreet. They are mostly ceremonial forces made up of lazy conscripts and volunteers that form up several months out of the year to drill and parade about. He warned that they look good marching down the road, but were worthless in battle against the Ishtan.

I wondered out loud as to why they were not better prepared for war if after all they were an army.

The General interrupted my musings and explained that it had been centuries since there was war on this continent and that the army though ceremonial, from time to time would be mobilized in small divisions to chase after bandits and small groups of marauders that would sack a small village or raid a castle. They were nothing near the hardened professional force that had attacked Na'Tal.

As I sipped my wine I turned the conversation to the makeup of the Na'Tal and Kreetin armies and asked about archers, cavalry, or mounted units and how they fared in the fight against the Ishtan.

The General just gave me a confused look that unfortunately gave me the answer that I was looking for. He had no clue about the units that I had just asked him about.

My conversation with the General went on for several ours and he was honest and up front with his answers. He detailed how the Ishtan out numbered his forced by about fifteen to one when they came ashore on the southern most tip of his country. Like a swarm of locusts then moved up from the south looting every village that they came to and putting the villagers to death. He deployed as much of the army as he could assemble and faced them in several major battles but he just did not have the forces needed to turn them back.

The Ishtar slowed their advance once the main corps of the Na'Tal was destroyed. They began securing their conquered territory then advanced slowly to the North. They surrounded the capitol city and laid siege to it for over three months before the King tried to break out with his remaining forces and retreat to the border with Kreet. He was killed in the attempt and his son the Prince surrendered the Kingdom to the Ishtar a few days later. The Ishtan publicly executed the Prince the day after he surrendered.

General Smett cautioned that he has been receiving regular reports on the Ishtan army's occupation of his country. The Ishtan have embarked on a mission of genocide as the civilians are being herded to the North, and those that do not move or evacuate fast enough are put to the sword and left to rot in the streets of fields where they fell. The Ishtan army is now close to the border with Kreet and perhaps has already crossed over, as it had been several days since he has had any news from the area.

I was fascinated and alarmed by all that the General had told me, and I knew that our conversation was at an end when I heard Prince Vortak calling to me from the other side of the locked door. As we stood to leave the General took my hand and kissed it softly and told me how amazed he was that after all this time, it was a beautiful young woman that would come to ask him about the Ishtan when it seemed that no one else cared to hear what he had to say.

As we walked to the door I stopped and kissed his cheek softly and thanked him again for his time and his wisdom and for sharing his experience with me. I promised him that I would do my best to put the information he gave me to good use.

I do not believe that he thought that there was anything that I could do from the defeated look that he had given me as we said our goodbyes before I joined the Prince and the others in the Foyer.

It was late and it was time to leave, we said our farewells and made our way down the line of assembled Lords and Ladies. The Prince and I were the first to leave flanked by his guards. The guards mounted their horses and took up position around our carriage as we made our way back to Grimsod castle.

The Prince had a very sullen look about him after his meeting broke up. I was tempted to ask him what was wrong but thought better of it. Instead I thanked him for setting up the meeting with the Ambassador, and told him that I had learned a great deal from our conversation.

We made general conversation on the ride back to the castle. There was so much that I wanted to say and a few times I brought up the situation in Na'Tal and the Prince squashed every attempt that I made to talk to him about this. He did make me feel more at ease when he finally volunteered that he did not want to discuss this within hearing distance of his driver and guards.

I nodded in agreement and told him that I understood.

When we arrived back at the castle we went straight to the floor that housed the Prince's quarters and he bid me to join him for a bit before turning in for the night.

At first I thought that we were going to make another mess on the table and of course I was up for anything but the Prince's mood did not indicate that we would be getting naked with each other tonight.

I followed him to his quarters like an obedient servant. When we entered his quarters he abruptly locked the door behind us shutting out his advisors, scribes and guards. We stopped inside and for an awkward second he looked at me and told me how beautiful I looked tonight, but that in the future he preferred that I wear my hair down when we attend events like this.

I thanked him and agreed to do as he suggested but wanted to state that should I have to defend him, it would be much easier for me to fight without my hair getting in my face. Again I remained silent as his mood did indicate that this argument would go over very well at the moment.

He leaned on the edge of the table that we had stained in the morning. It appeared that the mess had been cleaned up quite well. He caught me looking at the table then pressed his finger to the underside of my chin then lifted my eyes to meet his. My country is about to be invaded by the Ishtan, my Generals and Lords believe that our army can stop them at the border. Kitty, give me your honest opinion from what you have learned tonight.

My Prince, I believe that your army like the army of Na'Tal will be destroyed if they meet the Ishtan on the open field of battle in their current configuration.

His reply to my assessment was a quizzical, "What?"

My Prince, it is clear that army of the Ishtan are better trained and out number the combined armies of Na'Tal and Kreet. The army that you are about to face is a professional well-trained force and they will over run your forces in a conventional infantry battle.

But my Lords and Generals think that we can win he retorted.

I just sadly shook my head, as I looked my Prince in the eye.

What do you know that they do not he challenged.

I have studied the writings of generals and emperors spanning many centuries, and I have studied their battles during my days at Osaka Academy, and what I see shaping up on our southern border is a repeat of General Custer's battle against the Apache at Little Bighorn.

He knew nothing of the reference but asked me about the outcome of the battle.

None of General Custer's men survived the battle, they all perished.

And I am playing the role of General Custer he asked.

Yes My Prince, you are.

He looked at me, his face drawn and I could tell that I had gotten through to him, and then he asked if there was someone from my history that found them selves in a similar situation as he is facing now.

I thought about it for a moment and the first thing that came to mind was the German Army vs. Stalingrad. I knew he did not understand the reference but his eyes brightened for a moment as he thought about my words, and I think he had hope for a positive outcome.

He asked me meet with him in the morning to discuss the battle of Stalingrad with him at first light.

Before we parted for the evening I let my Prince know that I would have a plan for him by morning if I could have Lord Tausin, Teela, a scribe, a mathematician, a senior blacksmith and a senior carpenter meet me in the castle library to work out the details.

I think in his mind he was trying to figure out where I was going with this but would honor my requests. He called for one of his administrators and issued the required orders. He also ordered that his staff assembled outside the castle's library and that I be given whatever I request through out the night.

I just had to ask why all of a sudden there was a great sense of urgency, and the answer I was not expecting.

The Ishtan army he said was moving in force toward our Southern border and it would not be long before crossed into Kreet.