Chapter XXXIII: Never should have come here.
April 5th 1112 VTE, Frickenberg, County of Frickenberg, Pomerania
Pomerlane had just won a magnificent victory last month and destroyed an entire army by maneuvering and hard marching. In one audacious move, he expelled the Pomeranians from Uppland and Ingria and forced the Prince of Salzwedel to retreat. It was now time to strike while the iron was hot and Pomerlane executed phase 2 of his plan. First, he sent Quedlinburg to march back to Schemmerhofen to invade Salzwedel lands from the South and dispatched a letter to the Count of Glückstadt-Schwerin, a potential ally in the North who was loyal to Pomerlane cause, informing of his intentions. On March 9th, he set out for Pomerania aiming to crush Pomulius on three sides and trap him in his own lands. The King of Pomerania be damned, the die was now cast.
By April 5th, Pomerlane arrived near Frickenberg. There he met the Count of Frickenberg, Johann-Pomu von Frickenberg. Frickenberg was worried that Pomerlane would devastate his lands and was for plunder, but Pomerlane reassured him by stating that he had no such intentions. He told the Count that he came not as a conqueror but as a liberator, and that he should join him. Frickenberg, while no fan of the status quo, hesitated in throwing his lot in with Pomerlane despite other Northern Princes joining him. He told him that he had reservations in joining now but declared he personally would refuse to answer any call to arms against the Prince of Blood for he saw the righteousness of his cause. Frickenberg clarified he might be willing to join after the Stormfurys were crushed. The two men shook hands and that night Pomerlane retired to his tent to write some dispatches to his subordinates and write a letter to his wife.
Emylia had told her husband that her own loneliness was compounded by the lack of letters, of all types sent from her husband. The two promised to write to each other often, and Pomerlane finally had the time to inform her properly on what was going on right now and to indulge her in love letters he filled with poetry to his beloved LiLi.
As Pomerlane began to deal with the dispatches and letters, an Assassin lurked into the Imperial camp that night. He subdued a guard and put on his disguise before making his way to Pomerlane's tent and managing to lure away and kill the guard on watch there. Entering the tent and trying to act normally, the assassin approached Pomerlane writing a love letter to his wife.
He asked the assassin "Karl, is something the matter?" while still writing. The Assassin didn't reply and drew his blade.
Pomerlane noticing this, puts down his pen and says calmly "Never should have come here." as he stands up. Immediately the Assassin lungs towards him with a sword which Pomerlane proceeds dodge before disarming him and headbutting him, sending both men falling backwards. Table falls over and ink spills all over the letter. Thinking quickly, Pomerlane picks up a silver plate and the Inkwell to see the Assassin recovering himself to attack again with a knife. Pomerlane blocks the knife with the plate before throwing the ink into the Assassins face, which blinds him temporary. Pomerlane kicks him to the floor, mocking him by saying "I've fought midgets more fearsome than you". He then grabs the assassin by the neck and asks him who hired him. The Assassin recovering his sense, gut punches Pomerlane and forces him back. He then lungs at him again but misses the staggering Pomerlane and falls to the ground.
A short lull develops as both men grab their knives and slowly approach each other, doing circles to see who would attack first. Pomerlane proceeds to start mocking the assassin "“It's amazing that such an incompetent assassin was hired to kill me and made it this far. Pathetic. If you were a real assassin, I’d be dead already. Give u-"
The Assassin, who allowed these taunts to get into his head and filled with fury dashes forward to silence him for good, but in his haste Pomerlane dodged his blow once more and hit him across head with the hilt of his knife. As he stumbles backwards dazed, Pomerlane takes his Stiletto and thrusts it into the guts of the assassin and then removes it. The Assassin staggers back in great pain, clutching his Abdomen and starts to cough up blood as Pomerlane grabs him by the neck and forces the Assassin, who eyes are now filled with the fear of the man in front of him. Pomerlane with great emotions says "I do not care who hired you or why, I expect such things as the dangerous man I am; but you interrupted me in writing a heartfelt letter to my Empress, and for that, I will make you suffer!
Pomerlane throws him back to the ground, and the assassin grows limp from the great pain he is in, continuing to cough up blood. Pomerlane couches next to him as 4 guards burst into the tent to make sure their master is alright. Before they can say a word, Pomerlane waves them off saying “This man is no more. He is dying and no threat anymore. Allow me to seal his fate." Seeing the now ruined letter next to him, Pomerlane's rage increases. He holds up the ink stain parchment up to killer and with great anger says “DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU DID? My private letter, filled with love and passion to my Empress has been ruined thanks to you!”
"Ju-Just coughs up blood Just kill... me..." the assassin meekly responds.
Pomerlane then punches him in the face, breaking his nose. "You filthy barbarian! I put hours into writing this letter for her. Beautiful poetry describing my love to her is now unintelligible, I will make you pay for what you have done as I see fit" Pausing a moment, Pomerlane then stands back up and grabs something off the floor. He laughs as he crouches back down in front of the Assassin whose face is white with fear. Looking at the pen he picked up with a smile on his face, Pomerlane says "It is only fitting for you to meet your fate with this tool. You ruined my letter and because of that I will be writing my next letter, to your employer in your blood" The assassin grimaces and recoils in fear as Pomerlane continues to look over the pen before looking at the Assassin again. With bloodlust in his eyes, he thrusts the pen deep into the neck of the assassin and strikes his neck. The assassin shrieks in pain as the knife is slowly sent into his next before it reaches major arteries, and he starts to bleed out rapidly.
Pomerlane would indeed, do as he promised, and write a blood letter. But this letter that he wrote was solely to the King of Selenium, Magnus, whom he believed sent this assassin. In the letter, he mocks Magnus for sending such a poor assassin and tells him that if he truly wanted him killed, he would have hired the best of the best instead of someone who couldn't beat an unarmed man with his fists, and random objects. Magnus is utterly confused by this letter, for the King never hired an assassin to kill Pomerlane because Magnus wanted him to be alive so he could parade the "Bandit King" around in chains. Even if he didn't want this, Magnus believed it was against a man's honor to assassinate his enemy.
Rather, the Assassin was hired by none other than the Duke of Pomura, Pomuranus V, who had no such qualms with honor or spectacles. To him, Pomerlane was just an obstacle in his path towards victory and it didn't matter how he died, but that he died. This wouldn't be the last time Pomuranus would send assassins after the Prince of Blood either.