The Journey 55.

Autumn. The City Of Fanile. The Province Of Galmede. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

Prince Fallins, the youngest of three royal brothers. Never actively thought to train with the sword. Not until he was about seven years old. When he was out and about in the city one day. And he witnessed a duel between two nobles.
From that day he badgered his parents, especially his father, the previous king of Terrindim. To allow him to train with the sword.
Which of course, his parents were dead set against. As swordsmen amongst the nobility are duelist.
And no member of the royal family should lower themselves to become a duelist.
And though his parents were dead set against him training with a sword.
He had his usual allies when it came to things he wasn't allowed to do.
First of, his two older brothers. His oldest brother Crassil, who is over a decade older than him, who he absolutely worshiped as a child.
And is other brother, the middle one of the three. Paldim, about five years older. Who he was closest to when they were growing up.
And since the then twelve year old Paldim had declared he was going to join a faction. Which turned out to be the Balford faction.
He began learning sword craft, and other weapons as he had plans to be at least a general in the armies of the Balford faction.
Much to the chagrin of their parents. Who thought their sons if they were going to join a faction. Should aim to lead that particular faction, and not take part in any battle.
Which to this day, is still frowned upon for any member of the royal family of Terrindim to get involved in.
With his older brothers fully supportive of him learning the sword.
He had two other backers who were just as favourable in him training with a sword.
And those two were arguably the two most important into seeing he learnt the sword.
And because of them, his father the previous king, reluctantly allowed him to begin training with the sword.
After all, when the twin royal dragons allow someone to do something. They can do it.
So it was then that the young prince Fallins learnt swordsmanship alongside his brother Paldim with the instructors in the Balford faction.
And even at such a young age, anyone with a grain of knowledge when it came to sword craft.
Could see that the young prince Fallins was a unique talent with the blade.
Within two years he was already better with the sword that his older brother Paldim.
And even before he was a teenager, he had left the instruction of those in the Balford faction who were teaching him.
As he had outstripped all they could teach. So he sent word throughout the kingdom, for the greatest swordsman in Terrindim to be found.
And it was from there, that a very minor noble from the south of the kingdom. Who belonged to a small faction at the time, the Welmind faction was considered the finest swordsman in Terrindim.
And it was he, who taught the young prince Fallins for the next five years. And by the age of sixteen, considered the youngest of the royal brothers to of mastered the sword.
In particular the longsword, which isn't all that popular of a weapon here in the kingdom of Terrindim.
As shortswords are preferred by soldiers and airman alike. While officers and the nobility prefer a sabre, or sabre type blades.
And the nobility when it comes to dueling, like to use the rapier as their weapon of choice.
It was when the youngest of the royal brothers spent half of his time south in the province of Cramoor that he met his future wife Laenna the dragon rider. And within three years, when he was nineteen, they had married.
He didn't have to ask his father permission for that. As his oldest brother Crassil was king by then.
And he told both his brothers they could marry whoever they liked.
Which is what Crassil did, to a noblewoman from the central provinces by the name of Pania.
Who from the get go, prince Fallins did not like. And over the years would learn to hate. And with good reason as it turned out.
Also, when the youngest of the royal brothers was nineteen, something happened that gave him his legend so to speak.
It cemented into the minds of the populace, both commoners and nobles alike.
That he was the best swordsman in the kingdom by far.
As the then nineteen year old Fallins fought three nobles in a duel. Not one after the other, but all three at once.
As he had joined the Welmind faction at the time, which his wife the rider Laenna belonged to.
And that trio of well known duelists at the time belonged to a rival faction.
That faction being the Golmard faction, which was rising in ascendancy, about to become one of the largest and most influential factions in the entire kingdom.
Which they eventually did, though it was delayed a few years from happening.
For on an early autumn day twenty one years ago. The then nineteen year old prince Fallins dispatched the three best nobleborn duelists in the Golmard faction within moments of one another, as he fought them at the same time. Something that's never been done before, and nor since.
And from then, the word spread throughout the entire kingdom that king Crassil's youngest brother, prince Fallins was the finest swordsman in Terrindim by far.
A reputation that has lasted to this day. As he's fought many a time since then, whether it be in a duel or in battle. Where prince Fallins the swordsman has been more than successful.
Which again, this day. A cold autumn morning here in the capital city Fanile. He intends to be, successful again.
The youngest of the royal brothers looks quickly away to his right across the vast courtyard here in the so called real palace of Terrindim.
He sees a number of the king's guards standing infront of the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire.
With the royal dragons, is king Crassil himself. Along with his granddaughter, princess Sarsha. And the young girl's mother, princess Kelriss.
Prince Fallins knows that the twins as they're known. Only care about their current rider, and their next rider.
Though the youngest of the royal brothers has a sneaking suspicion about the dragons he's known all his life.
Something to do with his brother Crassil hardly riding upon them since he's been king.
Infact their father hardly rode upon the backs of the twin dragons too.
Prince Fallins only remembers his father riding just a handful of times upon the royal dragons, Blackflame and Whitefire.
Who at the moment, are occasionally growling and roaring as they watch what's going on infront of the main keep, here within the walled off section of the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
As the youngest of the three royal brothers, Crassil, Paldim and Fallins.
Prince Fallins figures the twin dragons will let things play out here in the inner sanctums of the royal palace. After all they've done so in the past.
As the family of prince Fallins history is sprinkled with members of the family turning against one another.
Often here in the walled off section in the center of the royal palace complex. Which itself is in the very center of the city of Fanile, the capital of the kingdom of Terrindim.
It will be no different today, as up along the steps infront of the main keep, a number of the extended royal family are fighting one another.
Prince Fallins, who is heading directly to where queen Pania is standing near the base of the long set of steps, watching what's happening further up the steps.
The youngest of the royal brothers, who is the most famous swordsman in all Terrindim.
Slightly grins as the queen has yet to look back into the massive courtyard. If she had, she would've seen her brother inlaw, who wants to kill her. The grin quickly disappears when prince Fallins sees what's happening elsewhere along the steps infront of the main keep, here within the walls of the inner sanctums of the royal palace.
He sees his brother Paldim, alongside his two nephews, Paldim's son Craefar, and king Crassil's son, crown prince Waniq. At the top of the steps, fighting a number of men the middle royal brother doesn't recognise.
But considering another of his nephews, Sormis. Is just behind that lot, he figures they must be from the Grayvin faction. And that prince Sormis has aligned himself and his faction with his mother, queen Pania.
Prince Fallins isn't overly worried about them. For though he knows his nephew Waniq hardly knows one end of the blade from the other.
Not so his brother Paldim, who once led the Balford faction. Who might not have the skill of himself in combat. He's a gritty and cunning fighter all the same, who has seen more than his fare share of battle, when he was leader of the Balford faction.
Prince Fallins knows that anyone who comes up against his brother Paldim, will not know that the middle royal brother is an extremely dirty fighter.
He knows from experience from when they trained together when they were young.
And from the number of bodies lying on the steps near prince Paldim, they found out first hand how dirty the middle royal brother can be in a fight.
The famous swordsmans and duelist has heard about the reputation of his nephew Craefar in battle.
Although young to be given the rank of fleet admiral in the Balford faction, he thoroughly deserved in.
And it's known he's fought alongside his crew when ever they've boarded an enemy warship. And by all accounts he's accomplished with the blade, not to mention he's learnt a lot of his father Paldim's dirty tricks in combat.
The youngest of the royal brothers slightly winces as he sees his nephew Craefar is fighting with half a blade. Obviously a dress sword that's broken, all the same, he's still using the blade to good effect, as he's just stabbed it into the face of one his assailants who has got too close.
Prince Fallins as he continues to walk across the vast courtyard here in the walled in section of the royal palace, looks away from the trio in the Balford faction towards the top of the long set of steps infront of the main keep.
He looks away to his right, and slightly frowns as he sees a young woman sobbing on the steps, holding a young man in her arms, trying to staunch the flow of blood in his side.
It takes a moment for prince Fallins to realise that it's his young nephew Dalvin, the youngest of his brother Crassil's children.
And though he didn't go to their recent marriage in the summer, he figures the young woman is Dalvin's new bride.
The youngest of the royal brothers wonders who would of attacked young prince Dalvin.
As he belongs to a small insignificant faction, who is not interested in politics, and the politics of the factions of Terrindim at all.
Then prince Fallins looks sharply at his sister inlaw the queen, who he knows was dead set against her youngest child Dalvin getting married.
He figures she had something to do with the attack upon young Dalvin. And figuring that prince Sormis has suddenly aligned himself with his mother the queen.
Prince Fallins wouldn't be all that surprised if the older brother Sormis himself, attacked the younger brother Dalvin, on this cold autumn morning here in the city of Fanile, the capital of the kingdom of Terrindim.
The master swordsman looks further to the right along the steps infront of the main keep. And he suddenly stops as he sees something that way.
It's his daughter inlaw the lady Kallie, with a cut along one arm, holding a bloody long dagger in the other hand.
While standing down a pair of men, who are wielding long daggers themselves.
The noblewoman originally from the northern province of Hanamede, is standing over his her husband, prince Fallins son Simeon, who is clutching his bloody side.
The youngest of the royal brothers never agreed with his young son marrying an older widowed woman in the Salmain faction.
He never told his son Simeon not to marry the lady Kellie. For the simple reason his wife Laenna along with the dragon Greenfire, thought the two of them should marry if they were determined to do so.
Prince Fallins relented at gave his son permission to marry the noblewoman from the mountainous north of the kingdom.
They married down in the province of Cramoor, if they had married here in the capital, prince Fallins wouldn't of attended.
Now it seems his late wife and her dragon were right. For the lady Kellie is fighting for her life to keep herself and her husband alive.
Prince Fallins takes a quick look at his intended target, queen Pania. Then he takes off running, heading more to the right.
There's a number of royal guards standing around, not knowing what to do. As it's it bit difficult to intervene when most of those who are fighting one another infront of the main keep are members of the extended royal family, those they're supposed to guard.
Prince Fallins as he runs by one, drags the guard's shortsword out of it's scabbard as other guards get out of his way.
The youngest of the royal brothers gets to the long steps, drawing his longsword as he does so.
And though he initially wanted to kill the queen. That can wait for now, as he has something else to attend to first.
Prince Fallins runs up the steps, and throws the shortsword he took from one of the nearby royal guards.
The blade slams into the back of one of the men trying to kill his daughter inlaw and son.
That fellow goes down with the blade through him, and the other turns to see what's happened.
For his troubles he gets lady Kellie's dagger in the side, and he screams in pain.
The scream is cut off short when his head goes flying off his shoulders as prince Fallins longsword cuts through his throat and neck.
The lady Kellie nods in thanks to her father inlaw, then she kneels down to attend to her husband.
The youngest of the royal brothers looks at his son, and seeing that he isn't fatally wounded.
Prince Fallins the swordsman says "You'll be alright son" followed by "I'm here now" and turning to look along the steps infront of the main keep, the youngest of the royal brothers adds "Time for me to end it all now" . . . . . .