When it comes to defending ones love generically it would entail to be the person who courageously stood in the front, withstanding everything against every force that means harm to your love ones.
But there’s another that Karl realized long ago with his childhood love Helga, it was too be beside them.
Letting them fight their fight.
Yet of course to see your love ones struggle is a painful sight, ever more when you know you could do something.
And that is what Karl is witnessing right now, the pompousness, headstrongness, and dismissiveness of the four crown princes of the other four kingdoms in Sikile that is being a pain in the ass towards Theophania.
“I say this once again and hoping you four would please understood it…” Theophania at wits end, said.
“Again? Your Majesty, you really think we would go for your plan? This…. Union of Kings?” One of the crown princes said mockingly.
“And Queens.” Karl added.
“Of course, and ‘a’ Queen.” Again, mockingly that said crown prince responded.
“Gentlemen it is the only way to have a winning chance when my brother-in-law, the Iron King, sets his eyes on Sikile.” Theophania said stressingly. “The last Cimrun stronghold west of Tuath has fallen, Canrie is being subjugated by one of the Iron King’s warrior and soon to be vassal, and when that HAPPENS… Circondato will be a wall that entraps us rather than protects us.”
It was a powerful point that the four crown princes should heed immediately, but… they laugh, they scoffed, and they be little the notion.
“Even if Circondato becomes a wall for us, it will still be a wall Phania.” Another of the crown princes said mockingly towards Theophania, with a dash of condescension with the nickname calling.
“True! And besides what do these stranger north folks have to defeat us? The army my kingdom alone raise can go head to head with every invader that has come to this island of ours!” And another of the crown princes stated.
“Perhaps with those invaders of old I’ve read about, but have your bronze and iron ever face something called steel?” Karl suddenly chimed in.
“Steel? You really expects us all to believe you north folks have some special iron?”
“How do you think my brother and his eldest conquered nearly all of Albion?”
“Your nephew is called ‘Wall-Breaker’ for a reason! By Aita, I bet you yourself might have taught him how.”
Karl let out a huge smile at the accusation as it was true, the brains and hearts of his nephews and nieces all came to be nurtured by him after all.
“But that’s the point! your nephew has the name as man that inspired his men, your brother’s men.” One of the crown prince points out.
“Men.” And the one who points this out so specifically towards Theophania, is the very one that is so familiar with her. “A mere woman like you should have just followed heed to us men of tomorrows Phania, this I grant has merit to think about, but this is something no women like you should concern yourself.”
“…” Theophania was silent, not out of surprise, she expects this fully actually, but out of frustration. “Even after all this years Iason… you still want my Kingdom.”
“It is mine by right of our union.”
“Our ‘union’ was but a piece of paper of betrothal signed by our fathers Iason and I have not only defy it by not honouring it, but by also marrying and consummating it every night with my husband here.” Karl was dragged and used as a humiliating piece against Iason. “Now I’ll say this again Iason, you are not my master, you are not my husband, you are not my equal even, you are but a prince that still clings to his father thinking he can get everything just because he is a man.
Honestly too I know why your father’s sent you all here rather than being here themselves. And yes, I take every moment of this a slight, but also… I realize it’s an opportunity, to see who I am going to deal with the future, to see if you four are an actual threat to my rule as a Queen of Syacus.
And so far… I see nothing but weak men here who only resorts to belittling me and dismissing me, just because I’m a woman, I pray for your realm to have such insolent and narrow-mined sovere-”
“One more sound from that vixen mouth of yours and I’ll strangle you to death Theophania.” Iason snapped as he suddenly grabbed Theophania by the throat.
“Pa… the… tic….” Theophania took another jab at Iason fragile ego.
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“Son of a bitch, get your hands-“ Karl suddenly was held back. “What the?! Get off me!!!”
The situation became heated as this convene of sovereigns was on a verge of a catastrophic incident.
Karl was struggling to get to Iason and Theophania, trying to fight back against the other three crown princes. He punch them, push them, everything he could do with his fist and legs to save Theophania.
But out of nowhere… blood dripped, it was small at first, but it suddenly got larger and it belonged to Iason.
“Aghh… YOU FUCKING BITCH I’LL EN-” And that was it for Iason, cut mid-sentence as he was stabbed at the forehead by Theophania.
Iason fell in front of them all, shocking everyone in the room. But soon the tension rose again as they crown princes knew it’s not safe anymore for them here.
So, they tried to take the knife that’s stuck on Iason forehead, but they weren’t quick enough to grab it as Karl went first and swiftly cut them down.
“Ahh shit…” Karl can see the war that’s about to happen.
“I… killed him, I finally ended hi-” Theophania then threw up. “Ughh… that’s… normal right?”
“Yes haha, yes, it is Phania.”
“Haha… but… we’re going to war aren’t we?”
“Of course, we did plan for this after all.”
“Against Eirikr, not… the whole of Sikile…. By the Aita…” Theophania finally realizes the whole picture that she messed.
“Hey! It’s okay, we may not have the numbers, but we do have the advantage! Especially… after this, but it will be an uphill battle though.”
“I know… can we really do it Karl?”
“As long as I’m still with you.” Karl went close and hugged Theophania. “Everything is possible Phania.”
“…damn it, Geir is always right, you have such a beautiful way with words.” Theophania looked lovingly at Karl at the face.
“I am the sensitive one after all! Haha…” Karl looked back at Theophania lovingly as well.
“I’m going to kiss you now.” Theophania lean her lips towards Karl’s.
“Eww no! you just thre-” Karl was kissed right in the lips. “You’re so gross.” And Karl kissed her right back.
* * *
Under the misty night, with the sun beneath and the moon watching over them, men of war fastened themselves for everything that will surprise them.
Sentries placed all over the towers, walls, even made to patrol a couple of walks outside of the place they are defending. All of them kept alert with sharp eyes like an eagle, for those eyes means their life or their death.
There are also those inside the walls, resting, eating, and even some drinking as they have fought many battles on the open field.
Geir and Karl was amongst those warriors, as they were eating, drinking, and planned the next move they would make the next morning.
“The mercenaries from Gancio should arrive this morning, my lord!” A knight, already out of his armor, reported to Karl.
“Mercenaries?” Geir was surprised. “Are you serious Karl?”
“I sure am! We’re outnumbered brother!”
“Should’ve thought about that before cutting four of their heads.” Geir said somewhat mockingly. “Huh… fine, then I am guessing you want me to handle them?”
“Yes!”
“Huh….” Geir took a large, annoyed sigh. “Okay then, what’s our plan tomorrow?”
Karl after receiving Geir’s agreement, told the plan for their next battle.
It was quite simple with a bit of trickery that is a staple mark of Karl’s, he planned that they’ll be a faux parley between him and the other kings of Sikeli.
It was more or less to give time for Geir and one of his commanders, to bring a couple of their men behind the enemies, to strike them from the shadows and to end this war much more quickly.
A cunning and a very dishonourable move, but honor was out of the table when the four men, the four princes from the kingdoms in Sikeli, tried and failed to dishonour Theophania.
“But why did you have to kill them? I thought you were smarter than this Karl!” Geir berated Karl.
“I know, I know… I just… couldn’t take it anymore with their disrespect towards Phania, especially when they tried to touch her! What was I supposed to do?” Karl defended himself.
“Imprisoned them! Make them a hostage! Four of them are still a prince, their heads attach to a body is much more valuable than what we have now…”
“I know… but brother, you wouldn’t believe the sex that me and Phania ha-”
SMACK!
“Ow…” Geir smacked Karl’s overproud nature.
“That’s for being stupid!” Geir then reach back to Karl’s head and patted it this time. “And this is for being a man, a very passionately in love man.”
“…” Karl blushed a little.
“Just… please don’t lose yourself like Eirikr, passion and obsession are not the same, but the line that divides it is very blurry.”
“I know and I won’t, brother.” With a resolved and a somewhat scared look, Karl promised Geir.
* * *
The sun was up, overseeing the miles of men lined up perfectly and disciplinedly like the soldiers they are.
Karl was making small talk, distracting the other kings to buy time for Geir and one of his commanders to cross the river undetected. Thankfully it was running smoothly, quite great even as only a couple of scouts Geir and his men had to kill on the way.
But the time ran out eventually as one of Geir’s scout reported back that the battle has begun, with Karl and his men standing their ground across the river, taking the full brunt of the avenging army of the princes he killed.
Geir and the Karl’s commander made haste as they know that Karl and his men wouldn’t last very long.
When they finally came out of the fray, the swordsmen and spearmen, mercenaries or not, rushed to the rear of the enemy, hacking, slashing, and disorienting them. The rangers and bowmen also, positioned themselves on higher ground to release a shower of deadly arrows on them.
With all of them being led by Geir and Karl’s commander, defending Karl and his men from the certain doom they would have befallen to.
Karl seeing this, roused his men and unleashed their second wind. It made them push, made them went into a frenzy as they know that the enemy are as good as dead in this sandwich.
From an eagle’s eye up in the air, you would only see ants rushing to one another, to the point they made themselves a ball of matter that.
But if you go down, down to the eyes of the soldier, you would see blood, steel, and the skies darken by the hale of arrows.
Geir remembered this kind of view very well, he remembers the smell, the taste, the sweat, the rush, the pain, everything. A past him would love this, feeling of taking another’s life, ripping and shredding them to pieces with his steel-arms.
But that monster is gone, that monster chose to go to the grave and stayed, as the one here is not a monster. Geir kill not for his pleasure, but for his survival, for the people he care, to defend, not to do indulge.
And defend he did, when his and Karl’s men finally linked and was about to wipe out the enemy. Hel, even the kings that Karl distracted are all but bodies now in the dirt.
Victory was at sight and they both knew it, but… something was wrong. The hale of arrows that should’ve still darken the sky was nowhere in sight.
Geir felt weird, the feeling was aching him and he found it when he took a step back from the battlefield to see… another army on top of the hill that the rangers and bowmen took, was rushing down to everyone.