Of Kings and Unchained Glory

       The hardened knight hunched down in the saddle as the horse went into a full stride. As he bent down a tear of sweat trickled down the front of his cheek. The young valiant knight knew it was not long before the threat of war was nigh. It had been at the forefront of everyone's mind in the city of Valima. The situation was critical.

       There had been a state of panic when the royal decree had come down from the palace. All of King Bromus's royal guards had made their way down to the city gates. Groups of soldiers were stationed down in the barracks of the city. This worried the knight because he knew the King would come down out of the castle to make his monthly edict.

      The knight's horse whinnied as he slowed to the barracks. The horse had been with him since he was seven years old when his father bought him off a farm in Nankoon. He then put the horse near a watering hole to drink after he stepped out of the stirrups.

      "That's it Jenny. Easy. Jenny, it'll be alright." Peter uttered as he saw the conference hall inside. The hall was packed. Throngs of the King and Queen's compatriots were in full force. Their diplomats and ambassadors to the King had their best dressed on.

        Colors of red and black were interwoven with white and plaid for the men in equal fashion. The tables were laden with the best drinks and food at every table. This was not your usual meeting. This had earmarks if the grand posture that the royal dignitaries rolled out every political year. The dignitaries would appear before the people with their pomp and circumstance to reiterate what the King and Queen wanted.

     It was somewhat a bore to the honourable knight and his brethren. As he looks at the swath of people coming to the hall, he yawned.  "If you seen one camel, you've seen them all." He turned his head and he saw his friend over in the corner near the bar. He eagerly walks over there.

      "How you doin' my friend?" His buddy Roland Evers is surprised at Peter's appearance at this event. "Peter...never thought I'd see you here. These frilly affairs are the worst ain't they?" Peter faked putting a sword in his chest while imitating a struggling Mr. Toad, as his mother read to him as a child. "Give me a plug or give me death...!" Roland smirked in mock frown.

     Roland had tired of this official grand posture as he had. Peter's father and mother were of the demure and unassuming middle class. But it taught him the importance of knowledge and books leading to an education. The time when he was a kid was very changing for him.

      A serious event happened to him that basically put him in the very crosshairs of the royal government and especially the king. It happened late one night as he slept. Two of the king's elite military guard came in his family's home and ransacked the furniture and their jewels. They threatened his father to come with them to join the palace army.

       All men of a certain age once they turned eighteen were required to join the military. And their sons were picked from the creme de la creme of the litter. That is the way the king saw it. Anybody who refused was locked up or denied work.