North America / Kingdom of Yorkania (Crownlands of Manhattan): December 28th, 1517.
It was an ugly day for the world. The sky was grey, the wind was sharp, and the bells of Yorkania rang so loudly that even cowards had no choice but to hear them.
(Morgan's POV)
*DONG* *DONG* *DONG*
The war bells screamed across manhattan.
Soldiers moved like black, white, and gold rivers through the castle grounds. Armor clanked. Horses cried. Servants ran with banners, blades, helmets, parchment, and fear.
I stood in the armory while two maids tightened the straps of black and gold armor around my body.
The chest plate was cold.
Good.
Cold things did not lie.
Percival stood behind me with his face pale and serious.
John stood near the shadow of the wall.
Galahad stood by the door in full black armor with his hand resting on his sword.
Merlin stood near my left side with a look on his face that already irritated me.
"Your majesty, your body has not fully recovered." Said merlin calmly with a sigh and his eyes closed.
"I know." I said calmly while flexing my gloved fingers.
The armory was silent.
Merlin stared at me.
I looked back at him through the mirror and said calmly "If you wish to continue living, do not mistake awareness for obedience."
Merlin sighed.
Percival adjusted his throat and said with a serious tone "Your majesty, one hundred and fifty thousand crown soldiers are being gathered. General bronx has begun mustering his eighty eight thousand seven hundred and seventy seven men. The coastal towns have been warned."
"Good." I said calmly while adjusting my armor.
John stepped forward and said coldly "The catholic ships have divided. Some move toward the northern coast. Others are moving slower, likely waiting for lancelot's route to open from inland."
"Of course. A snake never enters a house from the front door when a traitor has already opened the cellar." I said calmly while continuing to adjust my armor.
The armory went quiet.
Galahad's jaw clenched.
Percival's eyes sharpened.
I stopped adjusting my armor and asked calmly while looking at each of them "Where is the royal uncle."
The doors opened.
*BOOM*
Bagdemagus entered in a fur cloak, his hair half tied, his face far too pleased for a man summoned during a war.
Behind him walked Isabella de' bronx.
The last shield maiden.
Her one brown eye was sharp, and her white scarred eye looked like it had stared death in the mouth and called it ugly. She wore old black armor fitted over her plump, powerful body, with a round shield strapped across her back.
Bagdemagus bowed dramatically.
"Your majesty. You interrupted something far to historic for this kingdom." Said bagdemagus with a grin.
I stared at him.
He smiled wider.
"Your stamina or the war." I asked calmly.
The armory was silent.
Isabella covered her mouth.
Merlin looked away.
Bagdemagus burst out laughing.
"GYAHAHAHA. Good. Good. I missed war already." Said bagdemagus while slapping his knee.
I turned fully toward him and said calmly "While I am away, you will manage Yorkania."
The armory went silent.
Bagdemagus stopped laughing Immediately.
Percival looked at me sharply.
"Me." Asked bagdemagus with complete, utter confusion while pointing at himself.
"Yes.You are old, irritating, hard to kill, politically annoying, and too proud to let the capital fall while my back is turned. That makes you useful because your like a roach that dies but comes back with the 33rd cousin for revenge." I said calmly while pointing at him with sharp eyes.
Bagdemagus stared at me for a moment and smiled while wiping a tear from his eye and saying softly with a far to loud of a sniff "Finally. Recognition."
I looked at Isabella and she straightened her back immediately.
"You. Whoever you are. You will gather every woman in yorkania who still remembers what a shield feels like. Widows. Former fighters. Daughters with strong arms. Wives tired of waiting beside doors. Put them on road defense and inner city order." I said calmly with squinted eyes.
The armory went silent.
Isabella's lips parted slightly.
Bagdemagus slowly grinned.
"Your majesty…" Said Isabella softly.
"Do not cry. I am giving you work, not poetry. No time for sorrows and prayers." I said calmly with a sigh and wave of my hand.
Isabella Immediately bowed deeply and said with a resolute tone "As you command, my queen mother."
I looked at percival and said calmly "The capital is not to panic. The schools remain open. The road wardens continue. Grain routes are escorted. Any noble refusing service pays double the road coward tax."
Percival nodded quickly and said "Yes your majesty."
I turned toward galahad and said calmly "The church came to teach yorkania hunger."
Galahad kneeled.
"Then we shall teach them distance." Said galahad with a cold tone.
"Good." I said calmly.
The war bells rang again.
*DONG* *DONG* *DONG*
I walked out of the armory.
The hall outside was full of soldiers.
They turned.
*CHK*
All at once.
Their swords rose.
"HAIL. HAIL. HAIL." Said the soldiers loudly in unison.
I walked past them with my black cloak dragging behind.
At the castle steps, thousands waited below.
Soldiers.
Road wardens.
Commoners.
Noble sons.
Noble daughters.
Old men with spears.
Young women with bows.
People who had finally understood that a kingdom did not survive because crowns looked pretty.
It survived because hands held the line and competence kept it standing.
I looked down at them and said calmly, my voice carrying over the courtyard "Rome tried poison. Rome tried hunger. Rome now brings soldiers. It is good that they are consistent in disappointment."
The army was silent.
"The church believes yorkania is a throat to be closed. Jersey believes our roads are veins to be cut. Lancelot believes betrayal becomes wisdom if dressed in perfume and silk." I said calmly with my voice raised loud in pitch.
The wind moved.
I raised my sword high in the air and said with my voice still raised in pitch "They are all wrong."
The soldiers stared.
"If rome wants a holy war, we will give them a lesson in geography. They have crossed the sea, entered our roads, touched our grain, and placed their hands near my people." I said calmly with my voice still raised in pitch.
My eyes hardened.
"Now. Now we shall remove the hands and see blood. Kill for your family, kill for blood and kill for me and kill for your and the survival of yorkania." I said with the sword raised high and my voice raised high in pitch.
The courtyard exploded.
"HAIL. HAIL. HAIL." Said the soldiers loudly in unison.
The bells rang harder.
Yorkania began to move.
…
THE END…