The Will Of The Kings.

Walls and Betrayal. Part 1. (Not copy edited yet!)

Valessa walked across the courtyard, between the sanctuary and the palace, looking up at the great tower. It seemed to reached up to the mid day sun. The tower had become the home for Lord Gants, against the wishes of the High Priest. Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she could not stop thinking of her father, or his possible fate. She turned, heading for the main gate. The day before, she had woken in Williams's hall, her home. Now she walked within the curtain wall that defended the royal palace and sanctuary that lay at the centre of the citadel. A citadel that housed all the great lords and families of Farnbreth.  A city that was the soul of a nation, on the brink of collapse. Valessa, reaching the main gate, made her way up a tiny spiral staircase that led to the battlements over the gate. It was so surreal. When she had first heard of the southerners and all the people had headed north, she had felt as though a great tide of enemies would come, destroying and killing at any moment. If the battle was lost then the city would be destroyed, Perhaps all that would come, but things were happening so slowly. The battle was almost certainly lost, but still the city stood, so quiet and still as she looked out over the battlement. No warnings, no sightings of the southerners.

Farmer and Crain had escorted her back to the sanctuary, and as Valessa represented William in his absence, the High Priest allowed them entry. Everyone else were crammed in to the far north of the city. Many were leaving heading even further north. Most of the people had never thought they would travel so far, or go to other lands. Many more camped in the farmlands between the city and the northernmost forts that were still manned by the mish mash of a  militia that represented the remaining bulk of Farnbreths army. As Valessa looked out over the city there she had no real idea what had become of the King, or the army!

Looking down from the battlements and across the open grassland, which separated the grand houses of the citadel from the curtain wall of the palace, the size of the defences reassured Valessa. High thick walls topped with battlements, towers that reached up to the skies as they swept up from the massive wall. Any enemy that came out from the safety of the grand houses would find themselves in the open with nowhere to hide. The problem was, as far as Valessa could see, was that less than a hundred warriors could not cover the whole length of the wall. Not good, she thought, as a call from the gatehouse went up.            

,"palace guard approaching, open the gate" The guard yelled

 Vallessa ran to see, and as she did so she noticed that the High Priest had also come from the sanctuary and guards came from the tower. No sign of Lord Gants. Valessa felt an air of anticipation, of expectant hope as the guards on duty rushed to open the gate. Leaning over the battlements Valessa saw Lord Jonts and his guard marching up the south road, and soon enough William, Rook and Balor came in to view. Balor although on his feet, was looking a little unsteady. Excitement and joy rushed through Valessa as she turned and ran down the spiral staircase almost losing her footing as she went.

It was not long before William, Lord Jonts and the others were within the sanctuary. Lord Jonts guard had been dismissed to quarters, although they were to remain at the ready. There had been an exchange of words between the captain who was under Lord Gants orders. He had been ordered to escort Lord Jonts to Lord Gants chambers. The High Priest intervened and the captain backed down returning empty handed. William and Lord Jonts exchanged looks but things began to become clear as the High Priest explained.

The King was almost certainly dead. The army had been split and those who could, had fled north. Only those under any sort of leadership had made it back to Farnbreth and eventually to lord Gants. They numbered just over a thousand tired and defeated warriors. It would be sometime before they could be fully relied upon. They were now camped around the north gate of the citadel. Lord Gants best scouts had been sent out in the night, and they had confirmed that the vanguard of the south men army had reached the forts and they could be at the gates of the citadel within the day. It was clear that there was little to stop them. Regardless of all this, Lord Gants was acting as if the city would live forever, coloured by his claim to the throne. That final piece of news stunned them all, and sent Lord Jonts into a rage.