The Monarchy The Burning Lands

Chapter Fifteen

The shaw girl looks back glancing over her people and hears her father.

"do not worry my child you will be home with your people again."

The girl remains quiet and her father steps up to her whispering.

"it will be alright."

his daughter looks to her feet and he grips her hands holding them comforting his daughter. 

"Edmond gave his word and he is the true O'Sullivan king. his brother would be stupid to go against such words. Archibald will treat you well as his brother demands, as his king demands."

the girl looks over her father nervously and asks sounding unsure.

"is he, is he like the tales say?"

"tales are tales my daughter.."

"I haven't found one tale praising him, not one at all father." 

"it will be okay, I assure you." the girl is escorted to a carriage and helped inside. the door closes behind her and she looks out the small window at her father who nods to her watching the carriage ride off and out of sight.

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Archibald sits on the throne hearing a voice.

"sire, king Edmond has arrived."  Archibald remains seated as everyone in the room gets to a knee showing respect for their king. Edmond walks down the long hallway leading to the throne and up to his brother. Edmond turns his head and Archibald asks.

"Why are you here?"

"I heard about the fall." Edmond states sounding upset and Archibald glances up to his brother as he states.

"you came all the way here for that?"

Edmond shrugs his shoulders and stares down his younger brother.

"I wished to check-in make sure you are well?" 

"I am a king even if its just a stand-in I can handle my affairs, ed."

"well, I came with some news, with information."

"of what?" Archibald asks sounding annoyed with his elder brother and Edmond leans down.

"I have proposed to you a new wife."

Archibald raises his eyebrow at his brother not finding amusement in what Edmond said and Edmond steps back at the look his brother is giving him as he states defending his actions to his younger brother.

"its, well, it is political, the move archer it is not negotiable..."

"please tell me, Edmond, for the sake of all that is normal you did not move forward with something without consulting my ideas first?" Archibald stands and Edmond looks to the floor.

"It has already been agreed."

"what stupid thing have you done?" Archibald asks and Edmond corrects him.

"a great political move is hardly stupid." Edmond points his finger in his brother's face getting mad at him as Archibald yells back in his brother's face.

"if it is smaller then the one I had planned it clearly is stupid!" Archibald yells at his brother voice shaking in anger and the guards all look around pretending not to hear the confrontation. Edmond remains composed as he speaks freely to his brother.

"The Shaws are a great political move-"

"not as good as the Cranes!" Archibald sits down angered at his brother and speaks.

"they are the largest arms dealers in this entire monarchy. the Cranes are contracted by the Galvins, every single weapon has been made by the Cranes-"

"but not close to the weaponry made by the Shaws 

"The Shaws are no more brother. the Shaws cannot guarantee the accuracy or the connections that the Cranes have to the true king. those that I was about to secure for the O'Sullivans forever, our blood would have run through the Crane dynasty forever..."

Archibald sits there enraged at his brother but gets up speaking firmly as his hand shakes showing his rage.

"do not try and tell me that I am wrong! we know I am right!" Archibald screams and he plays with his sword hilt as the men in the room look on worried at the two brothers about to fight. Archibald stands there enraged and his brother speaks calmly.

"if I need to speak  as your king brother, I will..." Edmond steps forward and stares down his younger brother.

"or perhaps I will speak as a Galvin."

Archibald grits his teeth as he speaks freely to his brother.

"are you really, brother, really going to pull that Galvin bullshit with me?" archer gets angrier and hears a voice speak softly.

"aren't you brothers?" the girl comes closer and Archibald lifts his eyes as he states.

"mind your business, girl." Edmond motions to the girl.

"This is princess shaw, brother." Archibald bites his lip and bows his head showing the girl some respect.

"future, queen," he states and Edmond asks.

"then it is settled, brother?" 

"future queen shaw. I did not say future O'Sullivan." Archibald sits back into his throne and the girl looks between them.

"This seems very petty. if I may speak isn't family important in this clan?"

"aye, very." Edmond states and turns to his brother.

"the shaw's sit without a king brother. they need a strong leader, a man who can shape their kingdom to its old glory, a fighter, a warrior."

"I'm giving you the Shaws, the whole kingdom, the land untouched, an army that is still and can be in their prime again."

"they need their king, brother. their young, vicious, spirited king." Edmond stares down Archibald and motions to him.

"I think it should be you. I think you should be the one to bring the Shaws back" 

"and what of the Crane territory?" Archibald asks sounding upset.

"conquer it, brother."

Archibald turns his head and Edmond speaks.

"They tortured you, beat you, lefts scars on your body, defamed you, brother. take the shaws and march on Crane city take the land and that castle in our name."

Elizabeth shaw lifts her eyes asking king Edmond.

"you want the Shaws to attack the Cranes?" she says sounding worried.

"no girl, I want the Shaws to conquer the Cranes completely." Edmond motions to Archibald and states.

"and I want you to lead them as their new king." Elizabeth shakes her head disagreeing.

"we shaws do not do that anymore."

"girl, not by choice. why do you think the Shaws and O'Sullivans are so close?" Edmond leans towards her and whispers.

"the shaws bathed in blood, in glory in the wars of the old world. now they are poets, writers but they want blood they always want blood."

Edmond lifts his eyes to his brother as he smirks to him and speaks firmly.

"brother why marry a crane when you can conquer them completely in your revenge?"

Archibald sits there thinking over Edmond's words and Elizabeth speaks up next to him.

"what if I don't want this, this savagery of my clan?" she states and Edmond motions his eyes to his brother.

"you and your soon to be husband can take this mess up between yourselves." Edmond bows his head deeply as he pounds his closed fist to his heart and speaks fondly to his younger brother.

"brother, I wish you well whatever you choose." Archibald nods his head doing the same motion and bows his head.

"thank you, my king."