A War of Kings

 

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Introduction

20 years have past since a terrible tragedy tore a royal family apart and put brother against brother. Not willing to forgive his brother Roderick for his past sins, Liam must take the reign as the new King of the North but doubts if he can live up to the great duty of being King.

 

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Chapter One

King Eric was the most noble and honored King the Northlands had ever seen after many years in battle he retired and he and his wife Sara decided to have 3 sons. Charles was the first born son who was noble and heroic like his father, Roderick was a little different, he was very temperamental and often started fights with his brothers. Liam was the youngest son, he was very kind hearted. Even though he was not as great as a warrior as his father and brothers, he showed compassion to all men and was very protective over the things he loved. One day King Eric and his sons were out on a hunting exposition and Charles and Roderick were going back and forth working hard to impress their father with their hunting skills while Liam was having trouble using his crossbow . Roderick became very frustrated when Charles started to get the best of him, and his fathers approval of Charles's display only made things worse. That night when Roderick was in his room, he couldn't get past what had transpired earlier that day and he became filled with rage and set on a plot to murder his father and brother Charles. Roderick snuck out of the Castle evaded the castle guards and when in search of Nyla the evil Forrest witch. Once Roderick arrived at Nyla's den he was met by two Ogres, who gave him a riddle to solve before he could see Nyla. Roderick wasn't able to solve the riddle and became very frustrated  and threatened to murder the Ogres. Both the Ogres let out a roaring laugh and stood up. The towering Ogres frightened Roderick and he threatened to leave, but as soon as he turned away the witch Nyla appeared and told him that the Ogres weren't real and that it was just a spell. Roderick was impressed with the witches magic and then informed her of his intentions. Nyla was surprised that Roderick wanted to murder his father and brother Charles but made the potion for him anyway after telling Roderick a story about how King Eric banished her to the deep dark woods. Roderick hurried home with potion in hand, and by the time he returned it was morning so Roderick snuck back in the castle and rushed up to his room to devise a new plan. The handmade summoned everyone down for breakfast and Roderick snuck off to the kitchen. Liam saw Roderick sneak away and was curious what he was doing. When he thought no one was looking Roderick poured the potion into his father and brother Charles's cups. Liam confronted Roderick and ask what he was doing. Liam then saw the potion and tried to yell out but Roderick grabbed him and stuffed him into the pantry. Roderick then went back in to the dinning area and waited for his plan to play out. Everyone came in to the dinning area too eat, and King Eric started recapping the hunting exposition with Charles, which made Roderick very upset and under his breath he whispered "you'll both get what is coming to you. In the midst of the story Queen Sara asked Roderick were his brother Liam was and Roderick made a lie about Liam not feeling well and passing on breakfast. Queen Sara replied that she would go check on him after breakfast. Then Roderick getting bored with his father's rambling offered a toast to a great day of hunting, but he had an alterer motive. After a long winded toast everyone drank and King Eric and Charles dropped dead on the table. Queen Sarah let out a loud scream that echoed through the castle halls and Roderick ran up to his room to sulk, regretting what he had done. Hours later the chef found Liam in the pantry and Liam rushed to his mother to tell what Roderick had done but his mother had ever more heart breaking news for him. Once everyone had learned the truth about what Roderick had done they sought him out for punishment. Fearing for his life Roderick fled into the woods never to return.  King Eric and Prince Charles death spread throughout the North Kingdom, while Roderick traveled south in search of shelter. Roderick wandered through the wilderness for 30 days with limited food and water until he found a man call Jaris. Jaris was a South Kingdom assassin. The South Kingdom were sworn enemies of the Northland and Jaris didn't take kindly to seeing a prince of the North Kingdom. So after a brief confrontation were Roderick got the best of Jaris, Roderick explained why he was on the run and since King Eric had been an enemy of Jaris he agreed to bring him before the King Eldron, King of the South to see if he would offer him shelter. Back in the Northland their was a funeral ceremony for King Eric and Prince Charles and afterwards their was a council meeting that would swear in Liam as the rightful heir to the throne and send out the Kings guard to find Roderick. In the South Kingdom, Roderick is brought before King Eldron and he begins to interrogate Roderick and tries to understand how a man could kill his own father and brother. King Eldron gives Roderick a few more harsh words and then gets right in his face and calls Roderick a coward. Then King Eldron does something unexpected, he offers Roderick a reward for killing King Eric because he was a sworn enemy of the South Kingdom. He told Roderick he could marry his oldest daughter Mirren and become heir to the South Kingdom. King Eldron was very old and would die soon, so Roderick agreed to do what King Eldron commanded. King Eldron then instructed his handmade to summon Princess Mirren. Roderick was very nervous about meeting Princess Mirren, he thought to himself that if she was ugly he would just have her killed. Princess Mirren entered the room and Roderick was instantly taken by her stunning beauty. As they began to talk, Roderick was also impressed that Princess Mirren was very much a lady with the heart of an assassin. Time passed and Roderick and Mirren were married, King Eldron died and Roderick took control of the south kingdom, and he and now Queen Mirren bore two sons. Meanwhile in the Northland King Liam was now of marring age and took a wife name Princess Alene from the west, they also had two sons. Liam struggle with the idea of being King because in his mind he didn't earn it, the title of king was given to him because of a tragedy and he didn't think that he should have been chosen as the rightful King. Queen Sara who's days now consisted of being an advisory to King Liam and being a full time Grandmother to her new born grandchildren, called King Liam into her chambers to council him and give him some encouragement on being King and to remind him to do what he could to bring Roderick to justice because it would help him over come the death of his father and brother. While they were talking, one of the King's guards rushed into the Queens chambers saying that a scout had learned the whereabouts of Roderick and wanted to know what King Liam wanted to do. Liam jumped up and declared that they would ride all night to capture him and bring him to justice. Queen Sara urged King Liam to calm down and suggested that they should gather their forces and send out the Kings guard until he gathered his thoughts and came up with a plan on what to do when he finally captured his brother. Queen Sara also suggested that King Liam was a little too emotional and riding off in such hast would only get him killed, and it wouldn't be good for his new born sons to grow up fatherless. After taking his mothers instructions King Liam had a short meeting with the head of the Kings guard. He informed King Liam that Roderick was now King of the South after marrying King Eldron's daughter Mirren, and that Roderick also bore two male heirs to the South Kingdom. The head of the Kings guard also informed King Liam that he didn't want to say anything in front of Queen Sara fearing that hearing that Roderick bore children might change her heart about his punishment. Liam told the guard that news might change his heart also, but then the guard told King Liam not to change his mind so hastily because Roderick wasn't a noble King, he said that he had earned the nickname the "Dark King" because of the terrible way he treated his servants, and then told Liam that he had earn the nickname the "Light King" because he was noble and just and kindhearted like his father. King Liam replied that he wasn't the warrior his father was, then the guard replied "you will be." The guard also said that the South Kingdom is still the enemy of the Northland and anyone that allies with the South should be punished. So after three days planning, King Liam made love to his wife, hugged his mother and kissed his new born babies on the forehead and then set out on a ten days journey to the South kingdom.

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