The Stolen Throne

Chapter Twenty-Two - Aribnia

The sun was near to rising. William knew that much as he pulled a sword from a Black Guard's gut. The lightening of the sky told him as much. 

Alarick's battle horn had long since faded to the east as he and his forces headed towards where the enemy's camp was.He'd seen those tents, thousands of them, from where they themselves had camped at the top of the valley. 

After waiting two days for Esmeralda's forces to finally get wind of the armies in Aribnia, William had seen the sheer force of Esmeralda's hand. Her forces had been near to double their own, but no one had balked. Not one army had fled. 

Every single commander - king, queen, lord, general - had stuck to the pledge they'd made to Lucy despite the fact that they were vastly outnumbered. They could only hope that Lucy would arrive here quickly so that her mere presence might cause Esmeralda's forces to surrender.

It had been nearly a day since the fighting began, and after seeing so many good men die William had to question if it was worth it. He loved his niece, loved her as if she were his own daughter, but he knew what the sheer amount of deaths on their side would do to her.

She was already broken from Thomas' and Alex's deaths, could she really take seeing how many men and women had given up their lives to see her on the throne? Let alone the deaths that would have undoubtedly occurred in Eldemere. Esmeralda would not have gone down without a fight. And that was if Esmeralda had actually gone down at all.

William shook his head to dispel that thought. He had to believe that Lucy had won out. Lucy was coming, and she would bring the entirety of Magonia with her. She was her mother's daughter, in the end, she had Alessandra's fighting spirit and if Alarick was anything to go on, it ran in the family.

His area of the battlefield had gone quiet as he picked his way through the bodies of friend and foe alike. There would be a time for grieving, a time for funerals, but it wasn't now. He needed to find his allies. Perhaps if they regrouped, they would stand a chance at taking on Esmeralda's remaining forces in the east.

The plain that the battle was being fought on had large rocks dotted about, courtesy of the mountains on either side forming the valley behind them. William crouched behind a boulder and peered around. There were no great obstacles beyond it and William was able to see the Perlandish banner in the steadily brightening sky. The sun had not risen yet, which gave William just enough darkness to use as cover as he slunk towards them.

By now, their forces had dispersed throughout the plain, seeking out enemy after enemy after the initial front lines had broken. He watched as the Perlandish soldiers continued moving eastwards towards the sounds of battle as all enemies had since been vanquished in this area.

William hurried to keep up with them, only making himself known when he saw who they were going to. King James stood amid a field of destruction as he pulled his blade from an adversary and wiped his blade on the man's tunic.

William was hit with the memory of James fighting his way through an army of rebels when he was just a prince, defending his people from a coup that threatened to destroy the lives of everyone in his kingdom. Though many years had passed, William understood why his sons and to an extent, his army had been so lethal. With a king like that to train them, it was no wonder their armies were so powerful.

"William, I am glad Marx hasn't taken you yet." James said once he saw William.

"It'll take a lot more than a few Black Guards to send me to his realm." William grinned, clasping arms with the king in front of him.

"Have you seen Alarick recently?" James asked.

"No, but the last I heard, he was heading eastward to their encampment."