King Nothing



'Sire! Sire urgent news Sire!' The herald yelled while riding towards the center of the encampment. He knew that the King would not hear him from such a distance, and would probably not exit his great tent even if he did. However the herald wanted only a speedy travel through the camp. No one would dare to get in his way if they knew he had urgent news for the King. 'Urgent news for the King!' he called again.

* * * *

'What!' The King bellowed jumping from his throne. He seemed as though he would strike the messenger but then turned to his right and began pacing on his small dais upon which stood the throne. 'How dare he?!' The gruff voice of the angered King echoed even through the tent. 'All of you leave. Now!' The King furrowed his brow, massaging his temples as he sat back down onto the throne. The people filtered out of the hall as quickly as they possibly could hoping not to further enrage the King. While having a reputation of being a just and fair King it was also known that the man could have quite the temper if someone displeased him enough.

'Oswald, you stay.' The King said in a low and calmer voice. An older man who was balding on top, bearing a short white beard and leaning on a staff stepped back from behind a tapestry which hid his private entrance.

'Yes Sire?' The old one asked returning as though he had expected this.

'You know what I ask of you old friend. You have fairly raised me from childhood. While my parents were busy ruling their failing dreams. You took me under your wing and taught me all that I know from the very moment I could hold a pen or see well enough to read. You have been more of a father to me than the late King. And yet as my world falls apart around me you stand and still you say nothing? Come old friend impart your ageless wisdom unto me, this one last time.' The King was standing now and stepped down from his raised platform to stand eye to eye with the old man.

'His majesty honours me with his praise, but I fear that in this matter I have little wisdom to give. I may advise his majesty in scholarly matters of almost any nature, but when it comes to the decisions and the rulership of the Kingdom, your majesty must make the final choice.' The old one stood perfectly stoically leaning with both hands upon his tall, unadorned staff.

'Oswald' the King said in a disappointed tone. 'Firstly, you must stop with the formalities, as I said you have known me for so very long we are equals my friend.'

'Ah, but sire; you are still the King.' The wise one interrupted.

'Oh stop it! You are more a King among men than I could ever be. I see the people, you walk among them with such confidence, every person moves out of your way. Not because you command them to or because your title demands it. They simply move.'

'My Lord, the people move from my way because they do not know who I am; not because they know me. They move from your way as well sire. And this they do because they know you to be their King.'

'Perhaps, but people do not wage war against you.'

'This war is not against you sire. This war is waged against your Kingdom, your power, and your crown.'

'Hmmm...' The King thought for a moment. 'Well they can have it. I don't want it anymore.' The King took the non-ceremonial ring from the top of his head and tossed it to Oswald's feet. The old man stared down at it.

'There is little that you can do to combat this powerful a foe. The army of King Fidus is indeed a powerful one.'

'You tell me things which I already know Oswald. Next you will tell me that he is moving against me during the winter. Which the messenger just now has. Please, spare me the dance. Tell me Oswald, can we win?'

'Of course your majesty. There is always hope.'

'I don't want hope I want a solution! I have only the city guard and my personal escort to take to this battle, where he has an entire army.'

'Why not call conscripts together?'

'Conscripts would take weeks to assemble and get here. Weeks which we do not have. Before I thought that the other Kingdoms were weak and too easily tricked, and that was why they fell. Now I see that by conquering these Kingdoms one by one he has tricked us all. It is not so easy being a King in times of distress as I thought when I was a child Oswald.'

'Nothing is ever as easy in time of distress, my lord.'

'If we had united against this Fidus then he might have been conquered long ago. Now he takes each Kingdom one by one, gaining power as he goes. I tell you that it will stop here. No matter what I must do. I will find a way to defeat him.'

* * * *

'What can I do, what can I do?' The King whispered to his reflection in the mirror. 'I have no army of more than sixty or seventy men at most. Many of them never even battle trained. Yet Fidus comes no sooner than a week and will find me unprepared, as he did all the others.' The King lowered his head.

'Perhaps I may be of assistance'

'Who... Where are you?' The King demanded of the spidery voice as he snapped around and found nothing and no one there.

'Behind you, in your mirror.'

The King spun again to find that his reflection was no longer in the mirror. It was the image of a gangly grey man. 'Who...'

'My name is not important. I can help you... help you win.'

'What do you mean? How?'

'I have an army which will come to you on the day of battle... for a price.'

'Name it.'

'Any man who dies on the battle field from your ranks becomes mine.'

'What would you want with the dead?'

'Nothing more than what you would want with them. To give them a place of honour. But do not concern yourself with that. Do we have a bargain?'

'If I accept your bargain my Kingdom will prevail?'

'Your castle will stand with you on the throne for many years to come.'

'Excellent. I accept.'

The mirror faded back to it's original reflective appearance. The King slept well that night.

* * * *

'Ready!' he called from atop the war horse. The King was dressed in full battle armor and stood alongside all one hundred of his gathered army. Soldiers had come willingly as well as many commoners with whatever weapons they could find. The King could hear all of the whispers of his men as they stood atop their small hill.

'Look at them all!'

'How can we fight that?' They exclaimed as the army of Fidus came over the ridge above them.

The King had chosen this spot for the very reason that his men could stand upon a hill while the other army would have to charge down a steep and high ridge into the valley and then face his own army on lower ground.

However all of this strategy seemed now to be for nothing as the King witnessed the amazing size of the army of King Fidus.

* * * *

The sounds of battle raged all around. The ring of steel upon steel the grunts of the victors and the screams of the slain. The King himself had killed his share, though he realized that most of the dying were from his own force.

'Very well my grey friend; now is the time for your aid, now or never.' he said retrieving his bloodied sword from the body of yet another victim. Though as soon as he did so the King felt a sharp, searing pain in his lower back.

'Yes, now or never...' the spidery voice whispered into his ear from behind. The monarch gasped and dropped his weapon from his hand.

'Your... promise... traitor...' he sputtered out his final words.

'Oh I shall keep my promise. Your castle will stand with you on the throne...'

* * * *

'Kneel!' The darkly dressed Fidus commanded.

'I would sooner die than bend my knee to you or your goblin friend.' The old man said, still leaning on his staff.

'Then you would wish to spend another moth in the dungeon? Fear me old one, your death can be easily arranged.'

'Then arrange it if that is the price to end this torturous banter.'

'First I want you to kneel before me. Then, believe me, I will kill you.'

'Your lordship...' the grey man called from a curtain behind the throne. '...the King is ready.'

Fidus smiled 'Good. Bring him in.'

The King entered the room with a glazed look in his eyes. Oswald gasped.

'Kill me now for my eyes have seen to much.'

'Sit.' Fidus said offering the King the throne. 'Now kneel to your King!' The dark one called

.

'This sight has sapped me of my strength. Nothing matters anymore.' Oswald knelt where he stood. 'The only thing I can do for you now is give you merciful death my King.' The old man began walking towards the throne.

'Stand back!' Fidus told him but Oswald continued walking; chanting as he went.

The old man walked behind the curtain with out being hindered. There was a wailing screech and then the zombie King fell from his seat; dead at last. All around the castle and in far off lands undead zombie minions fell lifeless to the ground.

Neither the grey goblin or Oswald were ever seen again. Fidus was left with nothing but the rulership of his broken, empty kingdoms.



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