Peter sighed as he sat in a posture not at all befitting of a King whilst he overlooked the court from his throne. The lords and ministers all bickered below him, wanting to know what they were going to do about the western forces that had invaded their lands. Prince William had held the line, but he'd lost two territories before he'd managed to stop the advance of the western armies at a narrow pass between the mountain ranges. William held the higher ground, so Peter wasn't worried, especially considering that Isabelle had convinced her husband to aid Wendolan by attacking the West's southern border. It would take time before the actual attack, and it was being done rather discreetly under the guise of Isabelle making a play for her bloodline rights in Wendolan, but Peter knew she'd never betray him.

Still, none of the nobles here at Court – with the exception of Lucas and John, his newly appointed Attendant and Chancellor respectively – knew that this was happening. They were too focused on the slow retreat of the eastern armies. They were distraught that the campaign his father had spent three years undertaking was coming to naught with this withdrawal. They'd called him plenty of names over the past several weeks as they waited for news regarding the East's retaliation. But, with one leg thrown over the arm of his throne, Peter looked the picture of disregard as John attempted to quell the mounting anger in the room.

Peter’s thoughts were elsewhere. It should have happened by now. It had taken a long and tense week of waiting, but he'd received news just a few days before that the Eastern army had advanced rapidly like he'd predicted, so he'd allowed the rest of the plan to go ahead. The 'plundering parties' he'd ordered Isiah to break off from the main force had turned around to pincer the eastern army. Unfortunately, some of those parties had met gruesome ends in traps set by Eastern Scouts. Clearly, he'd overestimated how discreet his withdrawing army would be, especially in such large numbers. Still, the traps had not outnumbered the men he'd sent out, and those that were left continued to rush back. There should have been news by now.

Just as the arguments in the Court were coming to an apex, Lucas rushed in and approached the throne, leaning down to whisper the news into Peter's waiting ear.

"The Eastern army was caught as they were crossing back over the River Arnoc. Both Nathan and Isaac Caramort have been captured alive along with several of the other eastern nobles and generals. Unfortunately, a reserve army has been sent from Caramort Keep to hold on the other side of the River Arnoc, they took in at least a third of the main army, along with Lyle Caramort," said Lucas, "Isiah is asking for orders on whether or not to advance".

Peter grinned. Not the perfect result he'd hoped for, but it was a beneficial result nonetheless. He'd hoped to get most of the army and have any reserve forces unprepared as his army crossed the River. It was the last natural barrier between the northern territories of the East and the rest of the lands. He'd thought his father stupid to attack from that side, but his father had been too arrogant and sure of himself, just like every other would-be conqueror of the East. Peter had understood from the failures of his ancestors that if he was going to take the East, he would have to do it in a way they didn't expect. The East were not necessarily known for their great strategists, but the Forest was their home. A far cry from the rolling and vast grass fields of Wendolan.

Now though, now he had a chance to do what his ancestors hadn't been able to. He held the Caramort Patriarch and his immediate heir as well as what was likely at least a third of the Eastern main army. It was a fact that everyone knew but had somehow failed to acknowledge. The Caramorts were the key to the East. Now Peter had half of them, or at least half the ones that were worth anything, in the palm of his hand.

Peter sat upright and clapped his hands twice to gain the attention of the room as he stood. He felt like his tutor must have when he and his siblings were growing up. At least until these stately men began acting like adults, Peter saw no reason to treat them as anything other than children to be taught.

"Thank you for your council, noble lords and ministers, however, it appears I have need to go and negotiate for my new eastern territory," Peter announced, then he turned to John, "I trust you can keep things civil here, Chancellor?"

"Of course, your Majesty, congratulations on your victory," John stated.

The Court was dumbstruck as Peter left the room, "Vi..victory?"

"Yes," John stated as he turned to Lucas. Lucas stepped forward in response to the unvoiced request and delivered his earlier message to the room.

"The Wendolan army incited the Eastern Army to advance from their defensive position at the River Arnoc through a false retreat. The Wendolan army then caught the Eastern Army in a pincer attack as it fled back across the River to safety. The prisoners of war include at least a third of the eastern army and its leaders, including Nathan and Isaac Caramort".

John smiled. His brother had done in less than a month what his father had failed to do in three years.

"You mean to say that that incompetent child…actually conquered the East?" asked Lord Fern.

"Lord Fern, I would appreciate it if you refrained from insulting His Majesty," John frowned, "My brother may not be orthodox, but he is by no means incompetent. Why on earth do you think that all of his siblings were unwilling to contend against him for the throne?"

Silence befell the hall, then John spoke again, "I think, in light of our King's Victory, that we should dismiss Court for the afternoon and reconvene tomorrow. Long live His Majesty, Peter Octavius".

"Long live His Majesty," the Court echoed. And John could not help but smile when there seemed to be more strength, if with somewhat shocked undertones, in those words than he'd heard in the past month.