I know, I know,’ Norn thought to himself, having a conversation with the ring of piled stones rather than continue to think of rumors and speculation. ‘I’m late for breakfast! Gotta get the water so I can start cooking!’


    You’d have had time to put on some socks if you hadn’t slept in! Just have to do better tomorrow so you aren’t cold in the morn!’


    Silly old man, you should’ve gone to bed earlier!’ he berated himself. If he couldn’t even do this properly, what good was he to his family?


    It’s not meant for me anyways,’ he thought.


    War! After all this time! War… although, Darvish has been at war for a bit longer than me and my brothers, hasn’t it?”


    ADVANCE!” the black eyed Knight bellowed like rolling thunder. In every direction at once came the stomping of footsteps. From out of the fog stepped lines of soldiers, emerging from between buildings, up and down the street in which the crowd stood. Each one of them equipped with spear held high and shield overlapped in a phalanx, marching in unison. Those that tried to run quickly found themselves either skidding to a halt and trying to run in a different direction or, those panicked enough, attempting to break past the shield wall only to be repelled!


    ENCIRCLE!”Gilford ordered but no sooner had the word left his mouth than did a brave young fool rush forward and try to attack the Prince and his Knight! With fist he struck but was intercepted by a blur of white as Gilford side stepped the strike, passed the arm from one hand to the other and strike at his temple with an open palm strike! Another rushed forth and the Knight adjusted the balance of his body onto his back leg and gave a great kick to the stomach of the second would-be combatant before drawing it back and ramming his knee into the gut of the first! Both crumpled to the ground clutching at their abdomens!


    HALT!” Prince Ganymede shouted out, his voice distinct from the booming echo of his Knight. As one the soldiers stopped and stood, awaiting their next order just as they’d been trained to do. Gilford stood back up straight and adjusted his gloves while the prince kept a hold of the man’s wrist who had attacked him, pinning him where he knelt under pain of a broken elbow should he resist. Ganymede looked around at the throng of ningen around him and felt at once vindicated and disappointed. He’d hoped for something a bit more organized than this, frankly, but he would make due.


    war, do you understand? War. You don’t get to decide when it comes for you, it just does. And I am offering you a way out.”


    Kill you?” Prince Bayamon asked with an equal amount of derision in his tone. “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? To be made a martyr to either immediately ignite the western continent against the mainland, or do so eventually after the civil war is over? No, no, no, no! I’m officially done playing your games! Give me your name!”


    precious capital city of yours!” she hurled back at him! “All ye do is take, an’ take, an’ take until there’s naught left but wee boys who get taken and returned years later without knowing what home is! It’s a load of shite!”


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    then try again with those that survived. You didn’t believe me then when I sent messengers to tell you that I agreed with your plight, and that I wanted to help you achieve your goal of political independence, but maybe you’ll believe it now that it’s coming straight from my lips, hm?”


    and you expected anything else to happen? Are you sure you’re not the daft one?”


    four miserable months! Do you have any idea how impressive that is!? How wasteful it would be to kill you without learning your name?”


    your homeland grow.”


    Empire,” she spat, “duty, pride… but their eyes were distant. Always looking south, beyond the horizon, like how I’d imagined they’d looked to the north when they thought of home!” She sobbed, unable to hold it back. A quick, deep, shaky breath righted her tone. “The Empire took what was mine and perverted it somehow! Took away the babes I weened and turned them into scarecrows facing a far off field, waiting for crows that’d never come! How could I respect an institution what would do that to a mother’s children!?”


    Could never bee breached. The question was moot. Another excuse. More distant, crackling fire.


    told this before.


    were progressing, even when he wasn’t receiving reports like the one Gawain had just given him.


    felt as if all of this was happening in slow motion! Each day that passed seemed to be longer and longer, and while he made it a point to attend as many war councils as he could to make decisions, be informed, and defer to Gawain or another Knight in matters which he did not feel qualified to make a ruling on, spending the majority of his time cooped up in the palace with nothing but his imagination, memories, and time had left him feeling antsy. Such was part of the reason why he’d begun sneaking away in the first place to help out in Damocles itself. At least sorting through rubble he was actively doing something. Other than thinking, thinking, thinking…


    again.


    brothers,” the thing tempted, placing the emphasis in sing-song. It got Mordred to turn his eyes towards her. The singular black horn on the left side of her head was now in the sun, rising up off of her skull before spiraling down past her jawline.


    very long game!”


    majesty. You know the rules: no tell without touch!” she laughed, falling back onto the bed, arms at her side, legs spread. Inviting.


    game was. All she ever desired of him was his touch, and he was loathed to give it to her. Each time it felt like surrender in some incomprehensible way. Like he was, in fact, losing some important battle which he had no knowledge of. She was poison. Hideous and addicting.


    improve on what his father left behind, same as you. But with a firmness that you simply lack…” Mother Harlot’s bare knee rose up and pushed between Mordred’s legs. The Emperor pulled his hips back, shifting his weight onto his hand consequentially. The abomination gasped!


    mark on history by changing the course of it forever…” A vibrant pink tongue darted out from between her pied lips in a circular motion. “He wants to be there when nations are born… Separate. Individual. Different. Not like your empire, so uniform and together…”


    still thinks that’s a possibility?” Mordred asked quietly in disbelief. He rose up off of Mother Harlot and sat beside her right side. He recalled his younger brother’s curiosity about how the world came to be as it is. How he’d pestered his father and tutor for answers. Why was the Empire the Empire? Had there ever been anything else? Could there ever be anything else? He remembered how Bayamon had been told, time and time again, that differing nation-states would only cause conflict between people because of perceived differences which were, ultimately, inconsequential and ephemeral. He remembered, once, one of their tutors had tried to illustrate it with a board game, separating pieces out, explaining that they were on different sides. Demonstrating how their separation created conflicting interests. Mordred remembered later trying to remonstrate this elegant point to Bayamon himself. Bayamon had flipped the board on him even faster than he had their tutor.


    I please you, your majesty?”


    wonders I could show you. I’d make you feel more complete than you’ve ever felt in bed before. Stronger men than you have had me. You can have me, too. I’ll tell you all about Mr. Wink, your brothers, what’s to come for you. Anything you want to hear my dear, sweet Majesty.”