A Nation At War

In the city of the sun, Amatieâ in the land of Baharamoth, it is the celebration of the founding of an independent country. The king, King Marshall, Queen Lilya, and Prince Ethan are on the front float in the parade. It is the tenth year since Baharamoth has been created. Years ago, King Marshall was king of Dol- Marath, a now war-torn and poverish country. He was afraid for his family’s survival, and left the kingdom. He moved very far away, and founded Baharamoth in the place he settled. Anyway, it’s the founding day parade, and is Prince Ethan’s birthday: April 7th. In fact, this birthday was especially special because it was his eleventh. As the float got to the end of the parade, the king got off, went onto a the courthouse steps, and made this speech:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, good citizens of Baharamoth, to-day is a very special day, for it celebrates two things; first, our founding day, and second my son’s birthday. My son is celebrating his eleventh birthday. In addition, it has been eleven years since I have left my throne in Dol Marath, and have founded this humble country. In eleven years, this country has managed to double in size of population, and acquire large amounts of land. There has been word, that Dol Marath has been held under siege by King Liam, and are almost out of food and able men to defend it.”
Then the page runs in and goes to talk to the king. The king stoops down to listen.
“What is it lad?” he inquired.
“T-t-th-” he stopped to catch his breath. “They have struck, and have broken through the defenses. They are requesting aid immediately.”
“And we will answer their request.” shouted the king.
Then he addressed the people.
“Dear people, the time has come for me to ride to war for our motherland.”
Then the bells rang and the guards sounded.
“Assemble the army, the Calvary, and armada, we ride to war.”
Some people in the crowd cried, some cheered. The prince was very upset by the turn of events because there was a ball to be held in his honor tonight, and his dad would not be there. As the army rode off to war, the wives of the soldiers waved until they disappeared over the horizon then went to pray and cry.

The war on the first day was as fierce as all battles are. It was bloody, and it seemed that every minute, many fell dead. King Liam and King Marshall were in the middle of the chaos fighting.
“Wow! I have not crossed swords with someone with your skill in many years. The last one that crossed swords with me was killed in a very short duel.” Snickered King Liam.
Then he dodges a swing from King Marshall’s sword, throws down his sword, and unsheathes a dagger. Now a dagger may not seem like a lot, but this was no ordinary dagger. It was an enchanted blade, capable of poisoning you beyond imagination. The poison attacked your voice, disabling you from talking, makes you a deathly pale, and makes you lose all your hair. King Liam trips King Marshall, and slashes King Marshall in the face with the dagger. The wound stretches from under his right eye to his chin. Marshall fell away, leaving Liam to do as he pleased.

Meanwhile, back in the castle, Prince Ethan comes running to his mother during the ball. He felt not for dancing, as he was very sad.
“I miss daddy, when is he coming home?” complained Ethan.
“Soon, soon.” soothed his mother. “Come now, let’s get u to bed. The party is over.”
“But I want to wait for daddy!” cried Ethan.
“He will not be back tonight.” Said his mom
“How do you know?” asked Ethan
“I just have a feeling” she answered.
“Fine, I will get ready for bed” he grumbled
“Goodnight son, I love you.” Said his mom, “I will see you tomorrow.”

Back on the battlefield, King Marshall struggled to stay alive. King Liam has now broken loose, and is decapitating people left and right. Someone needed to stop him, as he was heading into the city. The country’s boundaries are now open, and its bravest, most heroic defender has fallen.

The next morning at the castle, Ethan is getting ready for church, as it is Sunday. He is climbing down the stairs, when he falls.
“Thumpdy Thump! Bang Clang!”
He fell down the stairs and right into a coat of arms, which collapsed on top of him with a loud clanging din.
“Ow!” Cried Ethan. “This is a very unlucky morning for me, and I don’t want to go to church to-day, for my father has not yet returned.”
Just then, the nurse walked into the dining room.
“News from the battlefield.” She said.
“Carry on said” the queen as she sat down to breakfast.
“They have broken in on the west gate, and are pushing north, killing and burning all in their path.”
“Any news of m’ lord?” inquired the queen.
“He was wounded in the face, verily, he shall live” replied the nurse. The queen broke into shrill sobs, for her husband was wounded in his face.
“Any more news?” she asked.
“Many of the men fell at the sword of King Liam.” Replied the nurse.
“Henceforth, leave us now and send word to ring the bells of the city, for we are in a time of great sadness.

While King Liam was already in Dol-Marath, King Marshall attempted to reconcile what little army he had left. (This would be an impossible task for someone who could not talk.) Somehow, he managed to blow his war horn, assemble the little army, and camped out in the field. That night, he wrote his plan down. This was the first day of a war that would stretch for many years.

The bells were ringing in every belfry in the city, as people gathered in the streets. Most of the women who lost their husband in the battle were in satcloth and ashes, were morning for the loss of their husband. The queen was in her chamber, mourning for her husband was wounded, yet she did not know the extent of this particular wound. Prince Ethan was in his chamber reading, for he cried all night. He was tired and started to doze off. Someone watched from the courtyard, and they crept up into the outer chamber of his room. Ethan did not know, but had the slight feeling something was wrong. Then he felt a person creep closer, closer, closer…

The next morning, when the army woke up, they saw that a thick fog hovered and covered everything. This was perfect for the good army, because they could sneak into the city, and attack. That is exactly what they did. They waltzed right in, found the king and King Marshall slew him. The dark army attempted to flee, and were shot down.

The nurse came running to the queen.
“M’Lady, Ethan is missing!” She screamed. Panic filled the city, as everyone thought him to be dead.
“There is a message for you queen.” Said a page. “We have the prince. If you want to see him again, you must pay us a king’s ransom in gold.”
“What will we do? I don’t have any gold.” Said the queen.

Prince Ethan woke up to find himself in a dank, smelly, dark cell, bound and gagged.
“Well, this is a fine fix I am in.” he thought. Then he spotted the door. The hinges were very rusty.
“If I can break the hinges, the door will fall, and I can escape.” He though.

On the field outside of Dol-Marath, the nearly defeated army of King Marshall celebrated their victory, when a sinister laugh pierced the party.
“Ha-ha-ha! You think you have defeated me. Well, you have not! I am still here! You killed the fake!” King Liam sneered and laughed. The happiness of King Marshall’s army was now crushed. Then King Liam ran away into the fog.
“After him!” shouted one of the guards. They lost him for a couple of hours, and kept tracking him, until they found him. This time, they knew it was he. King Marshall took his sword, and stabbed it through King Liam’s heart. King Liam was dead.

As he bashed his shoulder into the door, the wall behind him started to crack and crumble. He did not notice, and kept hitting the door. Then he heard voices coming down the stairs.
“So what does boss want us to do with the kid? said a deep raspy voice.
“I don’t know. He just said to ‘dispose’ of him.” Said another voice.
“That is exactly what I asked you dunce!” screamed raspy.
“What?” asked the other.
“I asked what boss said, you said ‘I don’t know.’ Then you said,’ to dispose of the brat.'” Said the enraged raspy voice.
“Oh.” Said the other stupidly.
“I need to act fast to get out of here before they kill me.” Thought the prince. He kept hitting the door, until the wall crumbled under the weight of the water. The pressure was devastating, and crushed everything under its weight. It knocked down the gate, and killed the two goons that were sent to kill Ethan. Nevertheless, the cell was flooding fast, and Ethan could not get out, he was chained down.

News travels fast in this world; relatively speaking. In a few days, news of King Liam’s death reached Baharamoth, and Bar-Räccnu. The people of Baharamoth were overjoyed at the news of King Marshall’s triumph, and King Liam’s defeat. Back at the palace, the news reached Queen Lilya with great pleasure. Now we can live in peace without worrying about King Liam attacking. Bar-Räccnu was not at all happy. They now summoned Grondu to become king of their dark land.

The army of Baharamoth stood in awe of their king, for he slew their hardest known enemy. They praised him, bowed to him. Then, the head of the army held a speech.
“Army of Baharamoth, we are overjoyed at the victory over King Liam. We are dismayed though by the losses we have suffered, and for the families of those that lost a love one or two. We will now have a time of silence after we sing our national anthem.” As the national anthem subsided into silence, the fog lifted, and the sun shone over the entire place.

The water was rushing over him, and he could not get out, could not get up to get oxygen. Ethan opened his eyes, and saw his chain floating in front of him, he was free. However, he could not get up to get air anymore because there was no room between the ceiling and the surface of the water. He struggled and fought, but to no avail. He was stuck, and his lungs hurt for the lack of oxygen.

The ride back to Baharamoth from Dol-Marath was very long and tiring, even for the victors. But, when they arrived back, they were greeted warmly. The king was straightly taken away to the doctor and apothecary, but they both said the same thing about his problem; no cure.

Ethan woke with a start, but found he could not get up. He did not know where he was, or what he just went through.
“Mom? Dad?” he called, “Where are you?” No one answered, and he was afraid. He tried again to rise, and this time he got up. He found himself in a coffin in the graveyard. Then he remembered everything, up until the time he blacked out. Then the undertaker came out. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Ethan awake.
“What’s wrong? Not used to seeing the dead alive again?” joked Ethan
“What?” said the undertaker who was in a daze from drinking too much ale.
“I am just kidding.” Said Ethan. Then he started to cry. The undertaker showed empathy.
“What is wrong?” he asked. Ethan then began to unravel the tale.
“Two days ago, my dad went off to war, and it was my birthday. Then I was captured and placed in the cell. It flooded, and I almost drowned, and I want to go home.” He cried.
“Can I help, I can help you home. Where do you live?”
“I live in Baharamoth. In Amatieâ.” He answered
“Wow! You were kidnapped and sent here. Are you like royalty or something?”
“Yes, I am the king’s son. King Marshall is my father.” Said he.

After the battle in Dol-Marath, the noblemen of the country fought over who should become king. The couple that rose to the top was Nobleman Steve and his wife Yvonne. They had a daughter, Beth. She was the same age as Ethan. They feared for her safety, so they moved her to Baharamoth. Now, when they where ruling, there were many attempts to take their lives, yet none worked. Beth and Ethan played together every day. He told her that when he became king, he would make her queen or duchess, and she said she would want to be duchess some day. He also promised her the kingdom should he be killed while he ruled. It was secret though, so no one was supposed to know.

When the prince had returned to Baharamoth, only one person greeted him. Beth was overjoyed to see him. She talked his ears off, and hit him with a barrage of questions. Then he wanted to go talk to his mother. He arrived at the castle, and saw that his dad was home. He ran into his father’s arms, and his father caught him and spun him in the air. Then he noticed the wound on his face.
“Daddy, how did you get cut in the face?” asked the prince. The king said nothing. “Why are you not saying anything?” he asked. Ethan’s mother had to answer.
“He got poisoned, and can not ever talk again.” she explained. He ran out of the room in tears. He was sad and could see the effect war had on people, especially his dad.

That night, the king planned a victory party for the next day. The servants and cooks worked all night. The queen then went to bed. The king never made it to go the party, for he died…or was murdered that night.

The next morning, the queen awoke to find her husband, the king dead, a knife through his heart. Most people still to this day believe that she killed him, for she did not act as though she was suprised or upset. That day, we had a trial, and the murderer, the queen herself admitted to the crime.
“Yes, I killed him. He was no longer able to rule. He was not able to speak, and what kind of king can not speak?” she shouted to the peoples of Baharamoth. Her punishment was banishment to Bar-Räccnu, henceforth, she was never able to come back to the country. She was very unhappy, as was everyone. The prince was the hardest one because he was the judge, the jury, and the executioner. Then after she left, they held a coronation for Prince Ethan, who now ruled as king.

The old queen found herself alone in Bar-Räccnu. Just then, a man came up to her and asked her who she was.
“I am Lilya, ex-queen of Baharamoth.” A smile came over the man’s face.
“Come with me, the king would like a word with you.” he said. She followed, and went unto the king.
“So you are the old queen of Baharamoth, what then pray tell are you doing here?”
“I murdered someone. I was banished here.” she replied
“Excellent. Do you want revenge?”
“Yes, I want it very much.”
“Well, you could help me. I am planning an attack on the country. You could tell me everything about It.” said the king. She accepted his alliance, and together they planned.

King Ethan was in the library with the council.
“Putting Lilya in Bar-Räccnu was a bad idea.” one said “She will betray us and become a spy for them.”
“No she will not” said Ethan, and that was the end of that. They then discussed what they were to do about protecting the country.
“We need to build a wall around our country. That way we will be safer.” said Ethan
“We do not have the material nor the people.” said a council member
“Sure we do” said another. The conversation continued on for several more hours, but Ethan had fallen asleep.

Several months later, there came a terrible cold over the land. The King knew it was time. He assembled the guard to protect the gate, and a legion of archers to shoot down the evil army. Then a warhorn sounded from far away. They where here! Ethan looked and saw King Grondu with Queen Lilya and felt stupid that he did not listen to the council. He gave the order:
“Open fire!” The first wave sent in was obliterated immediately. The second wave was tougher, and some men made it to the gate, only to be shot down there. The third wave was able to bring in a siege ram and start attacking the gate. They got boiling oil dropped on them.
“You said they were not protected at all” shouted and enraged King Grondu.
“I am sorry, I did not know” replied the timid Lilya. Then Grondu arose and slew her. Then he gave the order for the crossbow men to open fire.
“Send in the special squad!” he sneered.

Ethan was on the wall, and saw all that had happened. He saw that Grondu killed Lilya. He was mad even though she had killed his father, she was still his mother. He fell and started crying. He ran to his chamber, and plotted his revenge.

The archers shot at the crossbow men, and the crossbow men shot at the archers. Even though the crossbow men were more powerful, they failed to damage the archer line on the wall. They split and retreated with the rest of the army and left only a few men alone in the middle of the field. The men had on weird backpack looking things, and they ran for the gate. A blast sent men flying. The gate was down, but Grondu was already gone.

That night, Ethan had them build a makeshift gate. A scout from Grondu’s army was riding around to see what was going on, and was amazed by the fact that the gate was still standing. He rode back to the camp and told Grondu his report.
“The gate is standing, but the wall around it crumbles.”
“Amazing! The gate still stands!” he said “Well, we still have some special squad left.” he said, but secretly he was worried.

The next morning, the fighting was fierce. The Baharamothians were on the offence now, and were chasing the Bar-Raccnuians away. The two king broke loose, and clashed swords.
“Not bad for a little boy!” snickered Grondu.
“Really, well this is for my mother!” cried Ethan.
“Yeah right, like you can kill me.” Grondu pushed Ethan off the cliff they had moved to. Haliandro, the lead archer saw Ethan fall, and shot Grondu. The rest of The Raccnuian army saw this and fled, but were destroyed. Ethan, was not recovered though. Haliandro looked for him over the cliff, but could not find him. The entire city mourned,

Ethan was dangling under the cliff, on a narrow ledge by one hand. His arm dislocated and he let go in pain. He started falling faster, faster, faster, untill he hit a ledge with his leg. The impact broke his leg, but not his fall. He fell 150 feet into the fridged river below. He was out cold during the fall, but as soon as he hit the water, he revived, a little. He drifted downstream, and soon was on a beach where the river bends. A little girl was walking on the beach, and she saw him. She ran home and told her mother.
“Mother! Mother! I saw a boy on the river bank, and he looks dead.” She said.
“Show me.” Commanded the mother. She took her mother to the spot, and found the boy. The mother carried him to her hut, and looked over him. She sent some men to the castle to get help.

Back at Baharamoth, the people were discussing who was to become king, or queen, when they were interrupted. A lad ran into the room and spoke to the head of the council.
“Some men from the village on the river are here, and they say they found a boy from our country.” Said the lad.
“Bring them in.,” said the head. They were brought in, and they discussed what to do.
“Haliandro, go with these men to their village and get the boy.” Said the head.
“Yes sir.” Said Haliandro. When he got there, he was in shock when he saw who it was.
“That is our king!” she said. He picked him up and carried him all the way back to Baharamoth. Haliandro’s mother nursed him back to being well.

In a couple of weeks, Ethan was up and about. He threw a victory party that day. At the party, he honored Haliandro as a hero. He gave this speech:
“My dearest friends, ladies, and gentlemen…” he stopped to think. He continued.
“My goodness, I have much to say, and yet I am speechless! I-I have been through much the past several months. I have been almost drowned, I almost experienced death twice, and I lived to see both of my parents murdered. I want to honor my friend Haliandro for saving my live and his mother for nursing me to get better.” The crowd applauded. Then Haliandro got up to speak.
“I can not accept this honor, I am only a kid, and I do not deserve it. I do not know what to say.” He said as a tear came to his eye.

That day, everyone learned many things about the king. He is very wise and loving. He is mature beyond his years, and he will reign many years