Breaking The Beast {[Short Story]}

Breaking the Beast

{[Breaking the Beast]}
__________
[Enjoy]

    The cool wind blew, grazing the skins of many. Some grew a red tint to the tips of their noses. Their hot breath mixing in with the cool air, and the hands covering their mouths to wrap their hands in the warmth of their breath. The church bell rang, voices were a sound, but in the midst of this, horse shoes galloped in the distance leaving the imprints of a horse's shoe into the cold, white fluffy ground.

    To the distance, a fleet of horses carrying men strode by. Men who took granted of everything. Greedy, obese men wearing the warmest of wool, passing by the freezing people and villages. There was no wood for the fireplaces as the trees weren't dry enough due to the harsh winter.

    These men drove their horses through villages, one after another, to reach the house of the warmth. King Lear of Sweden sat atop his horse, all his warmth kept with him, greedy as every King. In the house of the warmth lived King Edgar of Finland, but what separated him from Lear was his understanding of the non-wealthy.

    King Edgar had provided for his people. He showed care in their ideas, thoughts, their homes and families, even their hunger. This had been the conflict between the two men for six long, hard years now.

{[-]}

    Upon hearing the sound of horses, their shoes hitting the carved stone beneath their feet, King Edgar had glanced out of the stained glass. Disgust had filled in his veins and frustration coiled through him as he watched the fat man struggle off his horse. He wondered what brought him here. King Edgar had straightened himself up for presentation of others, then proceeded his way to the great hall of his beloved castle. As the King had descended his way down to the men waiting for him, King Lear had started to order his men around, telling them to stay guard.

    "King Lear!" King Edgar had said, acting happy. "What a surprise this is! What must bring you to my home?" King Edgar smoothed out his silk robe.

    The selfish man let out a chuckle, his rounded stomach shaking with him, "My dear allie-"

    "I would barely call us allies, Your Grace" King Edgar interrupted.

    "My dear apologies Edgar, but you do not have to act as if you are happy I'm here. I'd rather you be honest with me at the least; especially with what I have come to tell you."

     King Lear glanced around the great hall, catching eyes of King Edgar's men. Edgar followed Lear's eyes. Feeling uncomfortable and on edge, Edgar attempted to moving the conversation along.

     "King Lear, please explain to me why you're here. I am a very busy man, as you know. I have business to attend to."

     "Ah yes." King Lear said with a pause as he brought his eyes back to Edgar, "I have a proclamation for you. As you know, the land of the White Ward you territorialized is currently being unused. My suggestion is to give me the land through a treaty, as we could have avoided the wars in years past. Let me put the land to use."

         Edgar has been trying to keep White Ward under his control for years. It seems empty to others, but Edgar has had the land since his great great grandfather ruled. He refused to give it up. Small villages also were scattered across the land. The villages of the past Kings of Edgar's royal blood have built.

        King Edgar ruffled the collar of his shirt, "Please listen and take my words Lear. I have said this all my ruling. White Ward is ruled by my bloodline and I will not give up the land to you, a person of no care for the people living there. And for I shall not give it to the person after you or in the near future. Now if this was your proclamation, I advise you that you're wasting your time."