Preparing for the worst

It has been weeks since Captain Willard had been dispatched his task of taking and securing a port for reinforcements and you haven't heard anything from your own kingdom, much less from the Holy Father himself. For all you know, you could be alone waiting for the inevitable siege to kill you and your men. But you have to stay positive both for yourself and your men.

You wipe sweat from your forehead as you and your men continue digging a massive trench around the city Kerak as part of your fortifications. You labored alongside your men to dig a massive trench to discourage any and all direct assaults. While the city lacks in catapults and trebuchets for now, it made up for in raw materials such as wood, clay, stone and other natural resources which would prove useful in preparing the city defense.

You have also enlisted many of population to help construct the fortifications. You shared with them your ambitious plan after you had informed your men. Unlike the other kingdoms, Almain had a standing army not raised by nobles, while nobility exists in your country, the men were loyal to your family, and the country. You had seen Almain men give their lives to defend your father from an ambush when he was still alive.

Unlike other monarchs, you don’t have to worry about desertions or betrayal of Nobility as the Almain Military is one of if not the finest, professional and most organized militaries in the world, having once fought off the entire continent alone during your great grandfather’s reign. Perhaps here in the holy lands you would make a name for yourself.

As you continue to dig the trench in the searing hot sun alongside your men, you felt a tap on your shoulder before turning to see a beautiful woman with cocoa colored skin handing you a jug of water.