Rosewood Kingdom

I Am

Winter
Year 1333

"Today we fight. We fight for what we believe in. For the rights to be part of something...that we belong." I stand before my men.

"We believe in you, King..." a man I'd come to trust in this process, Cedric of Gregory, placed his dark gloved hand on my shoulder as I rallied my army. King, I lifted a small smirk.

"CHARGE!" I yell over the men that have decided to lay their lives down for my cause. Those who've left their wives and children behind to fight this cause. Their rabid growls and screams fill my ears.

Just across the plain stood my enemy. I'm in front. But as I expect, my prime target is not leading his men as well. Coward.

I go through the sword at what feels like lightning speed, taking several heads with me. I dismount my horse, swinging sword to take more lives. A messenger boy took off back up the hill. Yes, let them know, I'm back.

Meanwhile, King Damien of Washington walked solemnly around his main chamber. The cabinet watched him carefully. "You think he'd challenge me like this?" he asked. His voice rang loudly in the room.

"Well, my King, you chose to send your army without you, we may never know, per se." his leading councilman reminds him.

King Damien rolled his eyes in disappointment but said nothing else.

The overcast is distracting. Blood soaked the ground under my feet. Clangs and bangs against metal are in the far distance behind me. Sores on my feet, my hands. But my blood-soaked sword hanging by my side gingerly. Oh yes, I'm back.

Bodies of what used to be my men surround me. The bodies of the enemy and my men lay dead in the fields surrounding the hills above me. I was sure their screams of pain will haunt me for the rest of my life. But at this moment in time, I'm not concerned with that. Those who survived, including Cedric followed me over the hill on our horses.

The town is deserted. So much for a surprise...some men take it upon themselves to raid the few empty homes to take for themselves. My only thought is the castle.

We force our way up the next set of hills. Knights surrounded the outer walls. I knew more were lining the inside. More clanging and banging, yells for help and screams of pain. Blood. A color I've become accustomed to.

Women screamed in terror as they ran from me and my army. I must say I don't look anything like I used to years ago. Shame. These same women would try to get me to betray my marriage vows when I was a younger man.

I held my sword close by my side. We searched for what felt like hours before Cedric got a hit. "In here!" he yelled. Two others forced their way in the random bedroom ahead of me. He has a small army of knights protecting him. My men swarm the room, killing some and taking others as prisoners.

"Please! Spare me!" the older man pleaded for his life. "Please, I beg of thee."

"Why should I?" I growl. All the hurt and pain I've harbored bubbled inside of me for the first time in years.

The man's eyes widened in shock and fear. "I...I thought you were dead." The man breathed in bewilderment.

"Apparently not." I held the tip of the sword toward the man's throat. Revenge tingled down to the tip of the finger I held the blade with. "How was your tenure as king?"

The sweat dripped down his forehead. "You left no-"

"But I did." SLASH! His head rolled off his body in a clean cut. I broke a window, picked up the head, and displayed the body part out the window. The crowd down below cheered maddeningly for me.

"I AM!"I yelled over them. "I AM! I AM...KING ZEUS!"