Siege of Bellemont

The siege of Bellemont was a year long siege of the castle of Bellemont during the Six Years' War. It began on the 3rd of Harvest's Luster 975 4E and ended over a year later on the 16th of Harvest's Luster 976 4E. A large Stahlheimian army under the command of Marshal Erwin Mueller encircled the holdfast, hoping to eliminate a sizable Almeronian stronghold and source of morale. The defense of the castle was led by Count Christian Durand, who hoped that the King's army would be able to relieve his forces in time. The siege ended up being disastrous for Almeron, resulting in a loss of a talented commander and morale, as well as freeing up a sizable Stahlheimian force to join more important fighting elsewhere.

Background
Count Durand had been forewarned by a survivor of the Battle of Havre that a Stahlheimian host was marching rapidly towards his lands. He set immediately to preparing the castle for a defense and sending a messenger to the King, asking for assistance. Any man or women that was capable was given a spear or crossbow, and those that were not were sent out of the castle and ordered to head to a nearby village for protection. The Count knew that extra mouths to feed would prove disastrous in the case of a siege. As he was tending to the last of his preparations, the Stahlheimian force under Marshal Mueller was approaching and the advance guard sent forth one of Mueller's Lieutenants, Sir Aldhard Schmidt, to negotiate for the castle's surrender. He offered clemency for those that threw down their arms, and was denied with a curt and now famed response on the part of Count Durand. "We fight to the last," he called. And so the siege began.

When Marshal Mueller received word that the castle would not surrender, he understood the gravity of the situation. So soon after losing so many men in taking Havre, he could not risk assaulting a hearty and patriotic garrison. Of the 52,000 men under his command, he determined 5,000 would be enough to properly envelop the castle and deter any attempt by Count Durand to sally forth. He left the 5,000 men under the command of Sir Aldhard Schmidt and gave the order to besiege the castle and slay anyone who attempted to leave it.

Course of the Siege
The siege lasted for well over a year, covering a large initial period during the war filled with otherwise minor skirmishes and maneuvering. As the Stahlheimian force began enveloping the castle, there were several attempts by the Almeronian soldiers to prevent them. Volleys of crossbow fire alone could not prevent anything, however, and a force of Imperial pikemen standing watch over the gate prevented the small force of cavalry under the Count's command from sallying forth. Thus the castle was effectively surrounded, and over the next several months starvation became an increasingly prevalent issue as food stores dwindled and Sir Schmidt's forces quickly used local farmsteads for sustenance.

The spirited skirmishes and patriotic calls that dominated the first two months of the siege were slowly replaced with dispirited stares and utter boredom, neither side committing to anything but waiting. Then came the fear as it became abundantly clear that the food could not last, yet Count Durand managed to keep his forces calm. He assured his men that the King would come and relieve them, though over time it became abundantly clear that this was not the case. Of some 600 initial defenders only 40 had died, but the sense of dread as the hope of rescue faded was overwhelming. Thus as the siege neared it's end and food supplies where dwindling, the Count relented to the eventuality of defeat.

He ordered his Castellan to surrender the castle and ensure all those that remained were treated kindly, for the Count could not disgrace his honor by doing the same. He gathered a score of his most loyal knights, donned his armor and took up his lance, and by his own command had the drawbridge lowered. His men charged forth with patriotic cries and the banner of Almeron flying high, catching the Stahlheimian host by utter surprise. Scores were cut down before Imperial halberdiers managed to pull the knights from their steeds and cut them down in their fury.

Sir Schmidt was too late to offer clemency to those brave men, slain in a righteous fury by his own. He roused his men and prepared to assault the castle, stopping only when he saw the flag of surrender flying high above Bellemont's walls. The castellan followed his Lord's final command and negotiated for a peaceful end to the siege, his men worn from dwindling supplies and months of inaction. Those that lived were captured and made prisoners, though Sir Schmidt swore no harm would come to them. The siege was ended with little bloodshed.

Aftermath
The siege proved to be a major loss for Almeron despite the relatively few number of troops involved. Count Durand's death meant the loss of a valued commander as well as the extinction of his branch of that noble line. The fall of the castle saw the nearly 5,000 men under Sir Schmidt's command largely freed up to join the fighting elsewhere. As the fighting grew thicker near Saint-Jean, King Charles learned of his men's defeat and Marshal Mueller learned of his victory. The latter ordered a force of 1,000 to garrison the castle and watch over the prisoners, directing the remaining 4,000 under Sir Schmidt to make for Saint-Jean with haste in order to arrive before battle was met.