Chapter Twenty Eight - The True King

“Did you bring the boy?” asked DiCaprio anxiously, his eyes scanning the crowds for any sign of him.
“Some Ligon showed up and carried him off with her mouth or something,” said General Binks. “But do not worry, I have brought to you the Stone of the King. I did take it from him, so that way he would not accidentally “lose” it along the way.”
“So you believe this Ligon carried him off to her den to eat him?”
“I know not, my lord King Orlando. I merely know that the Ligon carried him off in her, or his, mouth.”
“But you do have the Stone of the King you say?”
“Yes, my lord King Orlando.”
“Give it to me then! Do not keep it for yourself.”
“I would not do such a thing, my lord king. Vladisk!”
“Yes, my lord General Binks? What is it that you wish for me to do for you, my lord General Binks?”
“Bring me the Stone of the King.”
“Yes, my lord General Binks. As you say, my lord General Binks.”
It was all Binks could do to keep from using his sword to knock the head of Vladisk from it’s position on his shoulders to a new position lying on the ground. “Hurry up, Vladisk!” he cried impatiently.
“Yes, my lord General Binks. Here is the stone you requested, my lord General Binks. What do you have for me to do now?”
“Fight, for goodness sake, Vladisk! Fight the enemy! Stop your dillydallying, and just fight. Here you are, my lord King,” he finished, bowing briefly to DiCaprio.
“Thank you General Binks. I assure you, your loyalty to me is most appreciated. Most appreciated.”

With that DiCaprio walked away, going back past the army, making sure not to be seen as he slipped through the shadows.

The scout came rushing back to King Eldor, waving his arms in frantic excitement, or was it worry?

“My lord King! My lord King!”
“What is it? Speak quickly now!”
The scout gulped before responding. “It is the army, your majesty! They are surrounded! The main army is attacking from the South, but there is a company attacking on the north side of the camp.”
“That is not good. Prepare the army for battle. We ride into the fight, not come before it as we had hoped. Octavian!”

Octavian appeared with Edmund from around the other side of a small clump of trees. The two had been talking along the way, and became quite good friends.

“Yes, my lord? What is it you wish for me to do?”
“Bring me my armour. We are riding into the battle already. And Octavian, you will not wait on the sidelines as was our custom. Instead, you shall fight in the battle alongside the rest of us. Quickly bring me my armour, and then you and Edmund must prepare to fight. Oh, and Yoran also!”
“Yes my lord.”

Octavian hurried off to get the armour for the king from one of the pack horses. There was not very much, but Edmund insisted on helping anyways. Bringing the armour back to King Eldor, they helped him into it, and then handed him his sword. Once he was armed and ready to fight, they went to find Yoran and prepare for battle themselves.

“There you are Yoran!” called Edmund. “I was wondering where you had gotten too. Are you ready to fight?”
“Ready, I am, young Edmund. Now ask you the question I do. Ready are you for the battle we are about to enter?”
‘I am as ready as I suppose I will be. Or can be for that matter. How about you Octavian?”
“I am ready,” he said with a nod. “Earlier I would have thought this to be such fun, but, alas, or rather fortunately, I no longer view it as such. I hope that we survive.”
“I would rather die than live under DiCaprio’s rule,” said Edmund thoughtfully. “As for me,” his mind suddenly flashed back to his first conversation with Kathryn. He quickly drew his mind back to the present. “As for me, I hope that we win.”
“Is there something, or someone that you do not want to have to live through the rein of DiCaprio, should we happen to lose?” asked Octavian curiously.
“Yes,” Edmund found himself saying.
“Does she know?” said Octavian.
“No, she does not. I wish that I could have realized this before we left. What if I die, Octavian? I wish I could have told her, at least then my heart would be lighter. I may die, and she would never know.”
“Do not think like that. You will not die, Edmund. Instead, after the battle is done, tell her yourself. If you do die, I promise you this, I will tell her for you.”

Edmund looked deep into Octavian’s eyes, and Octavian looked into Edmund’s. There they saw true friendship and kinship. Grabbing each other in a hug, Edmund blinked back the tears that had suddenly found their way to his eyes. Instantly Yoran pushed them to the ground, as arrows whistled over head. Jumping to their feet they unsheathed their swords and joined the battle’s fray.

“Reinforcements my lord king!” cried a soldier to DiCaprio. “From Aiuilindale!”
“This is not good,” muttered DiCaprio. “Draziw!”
“What is it?” asked the Varnhyme as he approached.
“I need you to begin your assault, they have just gotten reinforcements from the capital city. We can not allow this. You must begin now.”
“Am I to be dictated to by a mortal?”
“You yourself are not immortal, Draziw. Just remember that.”
“Still you dictate to me! How can you do this?”
“More easily than you know Draziw.”
“Very well. I will begin.”

Draziw walked toward the battle, and then raised his arms to the sky. He lifted his head, and his eyes glowed their shimmering green. He murmured in the ancient language, and commanded the stones to do his bidding. He danced them in the air, and rained them on the heads of the army of King Eldor.

“Raise shields!” cried the king as he brought his above him.

Edmund and Octavian did so, working their way towards the king, for they saw the shield of some unfortunate soul lying on the ground that appeared to be the right size for Yoran to use to protect himself from the stones. Just as Edmund grew near to Eldor, the word glowed again on his shield, the torc on the head of King Eldor glowed, and the stone that wedged in between the king’s belt and his waist glowed as well. Draziw stopped his rain of stones, and the battle around Eldor and Edmund stopped as well. A mist rolled in, and Heather the Sage appeared.

“The days of the True King have come,” she said, her musical voice sounding sweet and heavenly. “Ligon’s breath has brough light to the darkness. Now the breath of the Ligon has shown to you truth of the true monarch’s name. The time is upon you, but it is up to you as to what to do with the time given to you.”

The mist rolled back, and with it Heather the Sage. Everyone turned to one another, and gasped. For the word that was glowing on the shield of Edmund was but one word, and read thusly, ‘Edmund.’

DiCaprio turned to Draziw and General Binks, who had come over at the sight of what had just happened. His face was twisted and angry, and hatred sped through his blood.

“This is an outrage I will not suffer any longer,” he said, barely keeping his temper in check as he spoke with them. “Draziw, you will continue to wreak havoc on them. General Binks, you will be in command of the army. And if you live past the battle, I would sincerely hope and pray to whomever it is you pray to, that I am in a good mood. At least, that is what I would do if I were you.”
“Yes, my lord king,” said General Bink with a bow. “May I be so bold as to inquire as to what it is your most royal majesty will be doing while we carry out your orders?”
“You may,” said DiCaprio through gritted teeth. He drew his sword and pointed towards Edmund. “I will be personally seeing to it that Edmund dies. Now go, before I change my mind and order your deaths now.” He turned towards where the young man stood, looking in shock at his shield, and at King Eldor, and then at Octavian and Yoran. “EDMUND!” he called out to him.
“What is it that you want, DiCaprio?” came the answer as Edmund turned towards him.
“I challenge you to a battle to the death.”
“And what about the others?” asked Edmund as he moved a few paces closer to DiCaprio.
“The others will do as they see fit. My general will be commanding the attack, but if your mangy friends wish to be slaughtered while watching us fight, than that is your problem.”
“Do not go!” whispered Octavian as he grabbed Edmund’s arm. “You do not need to accept his challenge. Please, Edmund, my lord, do not fight with him in open combat.”
“It is what must be done, Octavian. Yoran, and Octavian, stay with the king. I must go face DiCaprio. If I die, Octavian, please, tell the Lady Kathryn, that I love her.”

Octavian nodded, he could not bring himself to speak. He released the arm of Edmund, and watched as Edmund accepted the challenge give to him by the Duke of the Seventeens.

“Very well then, DiCaprio, I accept. You and I shall duel then, til one or the other of us will die.”
“So let it be written, so let it be done!” roared DiCaprio, as he brought his sword up to deliver the first blow of the duel.