“The sun! The sun is rising into the north!” a crazy woman shouted hoarsely, her ripped cloak flapping in the wind.
Prince Braylon, Vera, Dryndon, and Wun heard her cries as they traveled in their horse-drawn carriage.
“Move!” a Thornish guard commanded, shoving the woman away from the snowy road.
As the group neared the gate of Dorona, the scene shifted to the Castle Pines where a heated argument was unfolding.
“Where have you been?” King Henrick Pines demanded angrily, facing Queen Valerie.
“She awaits her punishment,” Queen Valerie replied solemnly.
“What! This is not right! I will save her!” King Henrick declared.
“No! Henrick, you’re risking your life! You’re out of their reach! We’re out of their reach!” Queen Valerie implored.
“Prepare our men! Hurry! We’re marching to Thorns!” King Henrick ordered his servants.
“Henrick, have you lost your mind?” Queen Valerie asked, her voice trembling.
“No!” Henrick replied determinedly.
“Are you going to leave me?” Queen Valerie questioned.
“If I could!” Henrick snapped, then stormed out to rally his army.
“I am yours, and you are mine!” Queen Valerie shouted after him, her voice breaking.
“Open the gates!” King Henrick commanded from his horse.
Queen Valerie, heartbroken, ran to her room and wept uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Queen Annysha, imprisoned in her iron cage, was at the gate of Dorona with White Guards surrounding her.
“Hornk! Hornk! Hornk! Hornk!” the sound of a horn blared as the gate of Dorona opened.
Dryndon, along with his passengers, entered Dorona with Thornish guards following. A mile behind them, Queen Annysha’s cage trundled along with the White Guards.
As they approached Thorns, King Henrick's army was on the move, and King Orion of the Vale was flying toward Thorns with his army riding eagles.
The Queen of Thorns arrived at Castle Rose. As her iron cage was opened, she saw the ground covered in thorns. Her children, along with Vera, Dryndon, and Wun, waited at the end of the path.
Stepping onto the spiky path, her bandaged feet began to bleed. The Thornish guard whipped her relentlessly.
“Walk!” he ordered, the sound of the whip cracking behind her.
“Braylon! Please!” the Queen cried out in agony.
Despite her suffering, she continued forward.
“Stop!” Princess Lyria cried, running towards her mother. She stepped into the thorns and embraced her, both mother and daughter crying as their blood mingled.
“Get Lyria! Get her!” the Thornish guard commanded, grabbing the princess.
“Mother!” Lyria shouted, gripping her mother’s fingers tightly.
An eagle screeched overhead as King Orion Vale arrived with his eagles. He swooped down and quickly rescued Queen Annysha from the thorns.
“Neigh! Neigh!” the sound of horses filled the air as the Pine army arrived, led by King Henrick.
“Release arrows!” King Henrick shouted, and his army released a volley of arrows from the sky. The arrows rained down on the Thornish guards, causing chaos and confusion.
As the battle raged, the sky was filled with arrows. Eagles screamed, and Thornish soldiers fell as the Pine army pressed their advantage.
King Orion flew with Queen Annysha to the dark and quiet Castle of Nix. They landed inside, where he carefully laid her on the snowy floor.
“Where is your brother?” King Orion asked.
“I thought he was here! I thought the Commander was here!” Queen Annysha replied weakly.
Her bloody feet were bandaged again by her father.
“You should have let me die,” Queen Annysha lamented.
“I won’t! You and Barton are my life! And now Barton is lost,” King Orion said firmly.
“My children! Your army could kill them!” Queen Annysha worried.
“It will be fine. Sleep here,” King Orion reassured her, then flew back to Castle Rose.
Upon arrival, King Orion saw the aftermath of the battle: piles of dead Thornish soldiers and Pinish guards stationed around the castle.
As King Orion landed, Pinish guards approached him with drawn swords.
“Who are you?” a Pinish guard demanded.
“I am King Orion of the Vale!” he declared. “Put down your swords!”
He entered the throne hall where chaos was unfolding.
“Where is Annysha?” King Henrick shouted, confronting Prince Braylon, who was being held by the Pinish guards.
“Stop, Henrick!” King Orion commanded. Henrick looked at him with recognition.
“I’ve got my daughter!” King Orion announced.
The Pinish guards released Prince Braylon and followed their king out of the castle.
Outside, Thornish slaves cleaned up the piles of dead bodies. King Henrick rode back to Pines with his army.
“You’ve almost killed your mother!” King Orion raged at Prince Braylon, slapping him across the face.
“I will be a king!” Prince Braylon shouted defiantly.
“You can’t,” King Orion said, turning away. He released Queen Annysha to Nix and returned his daughter to Thorns for healing.
“I’ve got Sir Ced Leaveshire at Castle Vale! He’s mad!” King Orion informed Queen Annysha.
“You should speak to the High King! She was married to a young lady from the Silvan Tribe! Barton’s enemy!” Queen Annysha advised, weak and lying in bed.
“Mother! How are you?” Princess Lyria ran to her mother.
“I’m fine, my dear,” Queen Annysha said lovingly.
A woman entered carrying small glass bottles, her face covered in black cloth and her skin pale.
“May the Nine Angels guide you!” King Orion said, then left for Castle Vale.
“My Queen! The Maester said you should take this drink for your wounded feet,” the woman said in an Aravaean accent, offering a violet-colored drink.
“Is that a poke weed’s dew?” the Maester asked, shocked, as he stood in the doorway observing the glass.
YOU ARE READING
Crowns And The Nine Kingdoms
General FictionNine Kingdoms of Sin, Nine Kingdoms of the World-A Fictional World Reflecting the Faults of Reality It was believed that the world is flat and only has three continents... Winterlands to the North. Greenlands to the East. Desertlands to the West. Ni...
