The Journey 56.

Autumn. Fanile In Terrindim.

Crown prince Waniq looks at his brother prince Sormis who looks a bit more unsure of himself. Now that more than a few of his sycophants have fallen to the blades of prince Paldim, prince Craefar and the crown prince himself.
Though admittedly, the only reason prince Waniq's dagger has got blood on it. Is because he stabbed one of their attackers who his uncle Paldim punched in the side of the head first.
The crown prince of Terrindim took the opportunity to stab in between his uncle and cousin.
And thought he got pretty lucky to actually stab the man, who tumbled down the steps with a wicked gash in his face.
Prince Waniq, the leader of the Balford faction looks down beyond his furious looking brother Sormis.
To where their mother, queen Pania is standing at the base of the steps, here infront of the main keep of the so called real palace.
The queen is surrounded by her supporters, well those in their extended family in the Golmard faction.
The faction that she leads, a faction that's at war with the Balford faction, which prince Waniq essentially leads.
The crown prince who sees that his mother looks just as furious as Sormis, seeing that he's still alive.
As she's made it no secret she hates her oldest offspring, and wants him dead.
Looks away to his right along the long, wide set of steps found infront of the main keep.
And spots his advisor lord Ganulf, along with the sorcerer, sir Gilbane. Who is one of the crown prince's closest friends.
Run up onto that end of the steps. After fighting their way through a number of the enemy.
Who were part of the invited nobility and court officials. For the ceremonies this cold, autumn, morning to celebrate the king's crowning day.
The crown prince of the kingdom of Terrindim, then quickly looks away to his left along the set of steps.
Prince Waniq blinks in surprise at what he sees. Or to be exact, who he sees. Who is walking along the steps, heading in this direction.
The head of the Balford faction definitely wasn't expecting to see this individual here in the walled off section of the Royal Palace of Terrindim this morning.
"Uncle" quickly and quietly says prince Waniq, who hurriedly adds "Away to our left" followed quietly by "It's uncle Fallins".
Prince Paldim, the middle royal brother. Who is eyeing up their assailants. Who are far more cautious as a fair few of them are now dead or incapacitated.
Looks quickly away to his left, and spots his younger brother, prince Fallins. Who is here in the inner sanctums of the royal palace.
On the steps infront of the main keep, who is walking in this direction.
The middle royal brother, who is the former head of the Balford faction.
Knows who exactly his youngest brother the swordsman is heading towards.
"Keep them occupied" quietly says prince Paldim to his nephew Waniq, and his son Craefar.
"Don't let them see him" quietly adds the middle royal brother who has a deserved reputation of being a drunk.
But for the last little while here in the capital Fanile. He's been completed sober. A feat most people wouldn't of thought possible just a a couple of weeks ago.
Prince Paldim yells out at those further down the steps "Is that all you've got?!".
The next oldest royal brother behind king Crassil, looks at the queen, his sister inlaw, and shouts "You'll have to better than that my queen!" followed by "I'm hardly breaking a sweat up here".
Following the cue of his uncle Paldim, crown prince Waniq shouts at his brother "Why don't you come up here and try your luck Sormis?" followed by "You too much of a coward, is that why you're letting these others do your dirty work?".
The crown prince of Terrindim then looks to the base of the steps, here infront of the main keep, and shouts out to his mother the queen "Come on mother, this your chance to get your hands dirty for once!" followed by "You've got blood on your hands already!" he then adds "Why don't you finally strike a blow yourself, instead of letting all these others do your bidding!".
Queen Pania, furiously yells at those with her towards the base of the steps, to join in on the attack.
Most of them do, as they run up the steps to where the others are just down from the trio who are in the Balford faction towards the top of the long set of steps.
"Hell, well that did it" sourly mutters prince Craefar as more of their enemies rush up the steps towards them.
Then the young prince, who is the son of prince Paldim and the lady Desamo, who is a fleet admiral in the Balford faction.
Looks quickly away to the left along the steps, here infront of the main keep, in the walled off section of the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
Prince Craefar refrains from grinning as he sees his uncle Fallins the swordsman walking along the steps, heading in this direction.
With his eyes firmly on the queen, who has yet to spot him. Nor has prince Sormis and the other assailants have yet to spot king Crassil's youngest brother, the most famous swordsman in the kingdom.
"Shit, we're in for it now lads" loudly mutters prince Paldim, who quickly decides the best thing to do is to attack the enemy, and he shouts to his son and nephew "Lads, charge the fuckers!".
The middle royal brother runs down the steps and leaps into their assailants, who are taken completely by surprise by the prince hurtling himself down at them.
He's followed by his son prince Craefar, as well as crown prince Waniq, who grimaces in anticipation as he hurries down the steps after his cousin and uncle.
Seeing the three princes in the Balford faction go running down the steps at their attackers. And prince Paldim goes crashing into those rushing up the long set of steps, here infront of the main keep of the inner sanctums of the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
Lord Ganulf, the lord of Highsun, who is the advisor to the crown prince of Terrindim.
Quickly hurries along the steps, followed closely by sir Gilbane the sorcerer.
The nobleman from the northern province of Hanamede, with a shortsword in hand.
Thinks about rushing prince Sormis, who is standing by himself, about quarter of the way up the long set of steps.
The lord of the city of Highsun changes his mind when he catches sight of who is approaching from the otherside of the steps.
The advisor to prince Waniq quickly looks down towards the queen at the base of the steps.
Who is now with just a trio of her supporters, as the rest have gone up the steps to attack the three princes in the Balford faction.
"She's dead" lord Ganulf murmurs to himself as he realises none of those attacking prince Waniq, prince Paldim and prince Craefar, has spotted who is quickly approaching along the steps from the otherside.
The lord of Highsun who has also spotted who is down further along the steps, quickly says to sir Gilbane behind him "Go around and see what you can do for the prince's brother and cousin".
As both crown prince Waniq's youngest brother, prince Dalvin is down and bleeding. As his cousin, prince Simeon, who is married to lord Ganulf's cousin, the lady Kellie.
As sir Gilbane runs up the steps, to get around the melee. The lord of the city of Highsun, enters the fray.
The nobleman from the mountainous north of the kingdom. Who is a famous duelist, stabs the shortsword he's using. Into the back of a man who goes to swing a sword at prince Craefar, who is helping to haul his father, prince Paldim up off those he's crashed into.
Lord Ganulf then kicks another of the attackers, this one in the knee, who turns to confront him.
The famous duelist, then whips his blade up, quicker than the kicked man expects. And the shortsword slices open his face, taking off his top lip and nose.
He stumbles away screaming, and clutching his bloody face. As lord Ganulf helps the three princes in the Balford faction.
Prince Sormis feels a surge of elation when he sees his older brother Waniq go down.
The crown prince slips, barely avoiding a swing from one of the attackers blades.
Seeing his older brother down on the steps, prince Sormis grins in triumphant. Hoping to see the crown prince killed once and for all.
As Sormis, who leads the Grayvin faction, has got behind his mother's faction, the Golmard faction, and their war against the Balford faction, which is essentially led by his brother Waniq.
Prince Sormis frowns as he hears something to his right. He looks that way, and his eyes open wide in surprise, and in fright.
As he sees his uncle, prince Fallins, the famous swordsman.
The second of king Crassil and queen Pania's children fumbles to draw his sword as he backs away along the steps.
"Mother!" shouts prince Sormis, the head of the Grayvin faction who quickly looks down the steps at his mother the queen.
Then just as his uncle Fallins is about to strike him down. A dagger comes flying from the melee further up the steps. And hits prince Sormis in the side of the neck.
The head of the Grayvin faction drops his sword, as he drops to his right knee, then falls to his side, clutching at the dagger in his neck.
He pulls the dagger out, and feels a warm gushing feeling down his neck and throat.
He looks up at his uncle Fallins, who just looks down at him. Prince Sormis lifts a hand up at his uncle for help as he tries to speak, but all that comes out of his mouth is a wet gurgling sound.
His uncle, the famous swordsman just shakes his head, then turns and walks out of view as he heads down the steps.
Prince Sormis tries to turn his head to look at him, but he's unable to, as all of sudden, he wants to close his eyes.
So that's what he does, and he never opens them again.
Prince Waniq sits there on a step, blinking in surprise at what he's just done.
The crown prince of Terrindim who thought he was going to die. For when he slipped and fell down. He saw one of the attackers blades come down at him.
Which was suddenly blocked by another sword blade.
Prince Waniq looked up, and was glad to find his advisor lord Ganulf standing there, over him.
The lord of the city of Highsun, then cut down that assailant with a flick of the shortsword he's using.
The crown prince who essentially leads the Balford faction as he sat there not quite believing he was still alive, saw an opportunity when he looked down the steps, here infront of the main keep in the inner sanctums of the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
He saw his brother Sormis further down the steps, starting to back away along the steps, and attempting to draw his sword.
Ceasing an opportunity, prince Waniq took the dagger his wife, the princess Kelriss gave to him just before the ceremonies got underway.
And thew it down at his brother Sormis. Hoping that it might actually hit him. But rather doubting that it would.
So he was totally shocked that it hit his brother. And right in the side of the neck as well. So well, that it staggered, then dropped prince Sormis.
Crown prince Waniq sat there as he watched his uncle Fallins stand over Sormis for a moment.
Then head down the steps, leaving the second child of king Crassil and queen Pania dead behind him.
Prince Waniq, not quite believing he's just killed his brother Sormis, is hauled to his feet by his advisor lord Ganulf, who shoves the dazed crown prince behind him.
After the lord of Highsun tells the crown prince of Terrindim to stay behind him. And his advisor helps his cousin Craefar, get his uncle Paldim, who is dazed and bloody to stand up.
Prince Waniq, who basically leads the Balford faction looks down the set of steps here infront of the main keep. Where he sees his uncle Fallins has made it down to the base of the steps.
Seeing who has turned up, and seeing her second son, Sormis go down with a dagger in his neck.
Queen Pania backs away, and says to the trio still with her "Protect me".
The three of them nervously glance at one another, as they know who exactly it is that's making his way down the steps towards them.
As she watches her brother inlaw prince Fallins get closer and closer. The queen of Terrindim turns and runs. She doesn't want to face the man who killed her daughter Chrisabol, and her brother Kinvar.
The man who never liked her, and over the years hated her. More so now, since she was the one responsible for the death of his wife, princess Laenna the dragon rider.
The queen doesn't look back as she runs, and doesn't see her husband's youngest brother, easily dispatch the trio of her supporters who she ordered to protect her.
Queen Pania runs, not quickly as over the years she has grown stout, and she was never that quick when she ran in the past.
And now that she's nearly fifty, she hasn't done any running in years. It's a limping run, as she heavily breathes.
The queen if she had run straight out from the steps, and across the vast courtyard.
Those royal guards standing watching what's happening, would of parted for her.
But considering the open gates are too far away for her, she turns to the side instead, and heads to where her husband king Crassil is with the twin dragons, Blackflame and Whitefire.
Though in between here and there, are ranks of the king's guards. Who over the years she has always thought they are to protect her. When infact they only protect the king himself, and his heir, who is chosen by the twin royal dragons.
Queen Pania looks behind her, and gasps as she sees how close her brother inlaw is behind her, and prince Fallins is only walking as he holds his famous longsword in his right hand.
The queen looks forward again, and as she gets close to the first of the king's guards. A shouted command comes from further behind them. And they close ranks, creating a wall of bodies.
"Let me through!" gasps queen Pania in a near breathless shout, as she sucks in air on this cold autumn morning, here in the so called real palace.
She pounds on chests with her fists, all to no avail, as the guards directly infront of her don't budge an inch.
The queen of Terrindim goes to make her way around them, but she doesn't get far, as she stumbles and trips, and gasps in pain as she falls to her knees.
And as she sits there breathing heavily, queen Pania hears someone walk up behind her. She knows exactly who it is.
The queen screams as her hair is grabbed and she lifted up to her feet, and still screaming in pain, she hears her brother inlaw prince Fallins behind her say "For Laenna". Then queen Pania of Terrindim hears no more.
There's silence across the vast courtyard here in the walled off section of the Royal Palace of Terrindim this cold autumn morning.
As prince Fallins the swordsman stands there, holding the queen's head up in the air, as her body lies on the ground at his feet.
The silence is broken by roars from the twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire, they're roars of acknowledgement.
And the youngest of the royal brothers nods in return. Then he drops the queen's head, and turns and walks away . . . . . .