[Music Recommendation: The Wolf and The Moon ~ BrunuhVille]
The darkness of the early hours was slowly yielding to the pale light of dawn, but the heavy rain from the night before had left its mark on the Kingdom. The streets were empty, save for one lone figure trudging through the muddy ground, his shoes leaving behind a trail of soggy footprints. The air was biting cold, and the rain-soaked clothes clung to his body, making him shiver.
In order to avoid the drizzling rain, the figure ran to a small stall, the dim lantern casting a warm glow on the wet pavement. Taking out a cigarette, he lit it with a flick of his lighter and drew in a deep breath, letting the warmth spread through his chilled bones. The smoke curled up, carrying with it the sweet scent of tobacco.
"Malcolm?"
The figure turned. "Master Louis?" He pushed back his hood to clearly see the man’s face.
"It’s really you, Malcolm. I’m sorry I’m late. I had to be sure nobody was following." Louis brushed off the mud from behind his trousers, leaving a trail of wet sand.
The man named Malcolm narrowed his eyes. "From your letter, you said no one in the palace is suspecting you."
Louis nodded. "But don’t you read books? When you least expect it, that’s when people will be watching you."
Malcolm chuckled, taking a deep drag of the cigarette. "I see that Freya is really rubbing off on you with her wild imaginations."
Louis smiled, giving him a friendly grip on the shoulder. "It’s good to see you again, General Malcolm." The two men nodded. "I saw an inn open nearby. Let’s leave the rain."
Getting to the inn, the owner, a middle-aged woman served her first visitors of the day warm tea and went back inside the kitchen to get their orders ready. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
"I didn’t know I would be hearing from you so soon," Malcolm said, removing his wet jacket and placing it on an empty chair.
Louis inhaled deeply, taking a sip of his warm tea first. "I had given up after the princess got married. I thought she wouldn’t need the army anymore, but then she mentioned it last night to Freya."
"You said so in the letter you sent to me. But I can’t assist her just yet. The Mother Queen made me swear that the army would only be led by a Queen. From what I gathered, Princess Oriana hasn’t been crowned Queen yet." Malcolm replied, tapping his finger gently on the table.
Louis nodded. "You’re right. I’ll explain all of that to the princess today. I just wanted to meet with you so you’ll be ready to train the men. If the army is being mentioned, it means there will be need for them soon. Let’s not fail the Queen Mother."
"Don’t worry, my men are always prepared for anything. Get the princess ready, and we’ll arrive when summoned." Malcolm said, looking outside the inn where a carriage had just arrived. "We should go now, before people see you."
Louis picked up his jacket. "I’ll go first. See you soon, General."
Malcolm waved, taking another drag of his cigarette. He picked up his jacket, ready to leave when someone bumped into him.
"Watch it!"
Malcolm took a step back, looking at the woman who was loosely dressed despite the rain. He knew women like this and the type of work they did, but he didn’t want to judge anyone’s life. He bowed. "Forgive me, milady."
"Madame Rosalie! Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you." The inn owner ran out of the kitchen with a bright smile.
Madame Rosalie was taken aback by the man’s gentleness; it was rare to see men like this. She was about to make him a customer when the inn owner arrived, and the man bowed and left.
"Who was that?" She asked the inn owner. "A regular around here?"
The inn owner shrugged. "First-timer. He didn’t even buy much. Maybe he came to wait for the rain to cease. Come, come, I have an offer to make."
Rosalie looked one more time at the man before following the inn owner inside.
. . .
Back at the palace, the soldiers of Avon were fully armored and standing outside despite the heavy rain that grew stronger, beating against the ground. They stood tall with their heads held high, a sight that would terrify any opponent. There was not a single smile on the faces of the men and women who fought for Avon.
The servants peeked from inside the palace as whispers of war filled the entire palace. It was only during serious occasions that the soldiers were seen like this, with their faces marked with coal.
"All hail His Highness!" Rowan shouted the moment Adric stepped out of the palace.
Adric’s hair was pulled back with a black band engraved with an eagle in the center. He wore golden armor, a privilege reserved for the one who leads the army. His brown eyes had lost their warmth, and his face was stern.
"We have been attacked; Avon’s border now lies bare for our opponents. Should we go back to sleep because it’s raining? While our women are taken away as concubines and our children as slaves?" Adric shouted with a powerful voice.
"No!" The soldiers replied in strong unison.
Adric raised his sword. "We have been humiliated, and we need to regain our standing! What do you say?"
"I say we do it!" The soldiers shouted again.
Adric nodded. "We are going after an army in Orion called the Queen’s army. And when we get it, we will go after the kingdom that has tried to bring shame upon us!"
"Yes!" The soldiers shouted with both excitement and a thirst for blood. It was a battle cry.
Fidelis stepped out of the palace, his expression showing his displeasure with the war. After the last war that Avon won, Fidelis didn’t want to send his son out there again. Also knowing that it was Oriana’s kingdom that was good to be attacked, didn’t sit well with him but he had not choice.
"Your Majesty," Adric bowed first, kneeling. All the soldiers joined him. "Wish us success, Father."
Fidelis touched his son’s shoulder. "I prayed that the war would end with my reign. Let this be the last for Avon. May all our soldiers return to their families." He leaned forward and kissed Adric’s shoulder.
Adric stood up and bowed deeply to his father. When he stood up, he turned to the soldiers. Amidst the heavy rain, he shouted, "For Avon! We conquer Orion—"
"Wait!" Oriana ran out of the palace, breathing heavily with both hands holding up her gown to avoid tripping and falling. "I have the Queen’s army!"
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