A plan in motion

It was weeks before the muster completed. Sadarth's Imperial Army would be badly outnumbered by the combined armies of the Kingdoms of Oloan. The Kingdoms of Oloan also hosted more knights and warrior-nobles than anyone had ever needed, who would ride her own levies, who had bare months to learn how to march in step.

Sadarth would not stand for battle to be joined under those conditions.

The Kingdoms of Oloan did not have very large populations, but all of its people were dedicated, in one way or another, to supporting their warrior elite. Each knight and lord guarded his or her own people jealously, making certain that each peasant had one and only one abuser. To defend themselves, they formed alliances and swore fealty to their stronger peers. Through alliances and fealty were the Kingdoms of Oloan held together, with the High King nominally holding lordship over many lands, but only in truth being able to oversee a small domain. Regardless of bonds of fealty and alliance, the nobles of Oloan were constantly squabbling. Consequently, the Kingdoms of Oloan had many, many well-armed and battle-hardened warriors who were very interested in keeping the peasants down, and saw putting down Sadarth's rebellion as the worthiest cause of their lives.

Sadarth merely had to make them get back to killing each other. The field she had selected would be ideal for the Oloani to turn on each other or run away.

Covered by her invisibility- a spell she had been practicing a great deal- she stole into the camp of the Oloani. She was fortunate enough to arrive when a meeting was underway.

"I will have her!" declared a familiar voice.

"Countess Asidia, please-" So that was here her name.

"I will do to that witch a thousand times over what she did to me! I'll chain her to the town square- MY town square- for ten years as she wastes away. I'll leave her there naked and it'll be justice, you'll see!" So, the Countess wanted to get back at her. Sadarth was rather surprised she escaped. The Sunley City Assembly must have been merciful. Seeing as she was coming back to kill them, they might have reconsidered that decision. It was also a pleasant surprise that the rumor of Sadarth's nakedness had not yet reached the Oloani.

Apart from the countess reemerging, there were no surprises. The strategies were simple, the blustering predictable. It was all as Sadarth wanted.