I watched as the wall crumbled into chunks of stone that crashed down onto our homes. Fire spread everywhere around me. Smoke and soot filled the streets. I tried to focus, to keep my attention on the fight. But the screams. The piercing cry of children as they fled the city, I simply couldn’t. I tried to look for them, but within moments I found myself surrounded in the dark grey veil of dust and debris. The sounds continued. I could hear metal clanking together in front of me. Smoke. Fire. Metal. Soldiers. Screams. It was so much, too much. I fell onto my knees, trying so hard to block it all out. Then the ground rumbled again, it was close this time. A shadow blotted out the area around me. I looked up to see the towering figure looming above me. Their greatsword rose above their head.

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weeks earlier...

Massive, steel doors opened into a large room lit by torchlight. I stood behind two diplomats as they exchanged nervous looks before turning their attention to my king.

“good afternoon, Governor” they bowed to him, but he simply nodded with a gruff frown. I was so tempted to scold them, to slap them across their thick skulls. “KING!” I would say, I was just waiting for the order to kill them. I wanted to gut them like fish for what their intolerable disrespect. I, however, act at the will of the throne. So I stood there, glaring at them with my arms crossed as they spoke. “Governor, we implore that you reconsider your succession” they pleaded, but to no avail “my mind has been made up, I will not rejoin your union”.

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They continued to go back and forth like this, explaining to us, tempting us with benefits to sway our minds back to their circle, but through every attempt my king would smile, and refuse. Finally, my king told them in kind but stern words “We will not join your union, I look toward the best interests of my subjects. You, diplomat, do not share those interests, therefore I do not share your cause. I will talk no more of the subject”. It’s funny, until then I had no idea what a simple sentence could do. They sighed, their expressions turning sour as they left for home. I didn’t even get to kill one of them! Yet, somehow as they left us, I felt relieved, we would finally be free to make our own country.

Then, just was they left I heard the longest, loudest groan ever heard in my entire life. I turned to see my king, sunk into his chair. He looked up at me, rubbing his temples “Oh chavalier, tell me. Have I doomed us all? Have I led our people to the end of ourselves?”. I was shocked, through all of his confidence, through all of his reassurance, even my king had doubts. He had fear. I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “We haven’t failed yet, you’ve given us a chance to become more than what we are” I nodded. He smiled for the first time that day “Thank you” he said, standing up. He dusted his clothes and headed for the doors to his quarters. As the sun set though the stained glass windows, I turned to the steel doors and headed to the streets.