Sword of Destiny

Prologue: The Plan

Present Day

He'd done it. He'd bloody well done it. Over a century of failure, and now he, Kantal, the fifth son of a blacksmith, had cracked the nut. He reclined in the luxurious chair, hands clasped behind his head, and smiled. He'd bloody well done it.

"Have you done it?"

The footsteps behind him were whisperingly subtle, but once he recognised them, he went rigid. He turned and came face to face with his king.

"I would never be so bold, your Majesty."

"Yes you would. You're an arrogant sod beneath the façade. And don't call me Majesty. I know you don't mean it." It was a good thing that he and the King were on good terms. Very good terms.

"Then yes, I believe I have a way."

The regal man came and sat in a recliner to his left. Somehow, the King eased into that furniture whilst also maintaining a frustrating sense of authority. As a result, he couldn't relax, and the ache of his upright position quickly caught him.

"Come on then. Tell me. What is it that you've uncovered that any number of military experts have failed to understand in the past?"

"You sound dubious."

"Does that surprise you? I have grown into my reign with an ever-deepening sense that Ahan, our spiritual home, will always be outside our grasp. Our home was stolen from us, and yet for a hundred and fifty years we have failed to retake it. That is a lot of military genius which has failed to pick that particular lock, and now you – a street-rat – claim to have the answer. Am I not entitled to a little dubiousness?"

He gulped. When the King put it like that...

"Your Majesty, are we not—"

"This is no time for games, Kantal! Just give me the damn story." The King stared at him, eyes like pointed daggers.

"Well, my king; what do you know of Ahan?" He wasn't sure if the condescending approach was a good idea, but he needed the King to see the merits for himself. It was a gamble, but it was a gamble he had earned. Probably.

The King glared. "Is this really the time?"

"Please, your Majesty. Humour me." The ruler of Delfinia didn't look humoured. "It is important."

"Fine. Then I know Ahan is a fortress."

That it was. Ahan was a country within the embrace of two sets of bordering mountains, and access was all but impossible from the north, south and west. And from the east there were only defended waters, so that was no option at all. She really was a fortress – his king had that absolutely right. But armour always has its weak points, or it did in his experience. He pushed on.

"And if you were to prise open the defences, how would you do it?"

"I would attack the Gates." The frustration in his king was bubbling, but he didn't explode. Yet. His king was playing along for the time being. He needed the man's trust, so this was important. The King needed to see the merit.

And the King had it right; the Gates of Ahan were the best places to attack. Always. But that had been done many times before, and always it failed, so they needed another way.

"And we will attack the Gates. We will attack all three simultaneously. That is how we will do this thing."

His king rose, anger burning his face. "That is not a new option, Kantal! Keep talking or prepare to be cast down from whence you came." That was a long way down.