The Monarchy The Burning Lands

Chapter Nineteen

Archibald sits there on top of his horse hearing the pounding of his soldiers as they bang their fists on their armor. he eyes over the crane kingdom with a smirk and raises his hand silencing the pounding sounds. he motions forward and the army envelopes him rushing down the hill on their horses and towards the city. he sits there overlooking the assault and hears his wife as she sits firmly on her own horse looking her husband over displeased with his choices.

"I cannot believe you decided to go through with this..." she shifts her eyes down to the battlefield eyeing the shaws and cranes fight relentlessly with each other and Archibald shakes his head as he comments

"your lack of faith in m,e your husband, your king it nauseates me, my wife-"

 "good let it be your lesson, my husband.." she motions to him and he smirks towards her.

"Perhaps it will be your lesson, my wife. I will claim crane city in your name call it a late wedding gift." he trots his horse over to her and kisses her cheek as he motions to her. 

"we will walk into the castle together and you can be the first to sit upon her throne." lady shaw remains quiet and Archibald yells out motioning behind him.  

"second wave!"

 The horses run out carrying the Shaw flag and Archibald grins wide as he motions to the men and back to his wife.

"they are going to place the shaw flag right in the city center to mark the beginning of the shaw crusade."

lady shaw shakes her head upset with the man and he turns his head staring his wife down.

"you will come to thank me Elizabeth-"

"Perhaps if you live through the day, my love."

Archibald nods to her with a smirk and motions forward.

"I go with the third, love..." Archibald motions back to some men.

"keep around her I will not have you at undue risk, queen." 

Archibald pulls out his sword raising it as he yells out.

"third wave on me!" the shaws and O'Sullivnas line up behind their king and Archibald smiles wide as he yells out.

"to our city!" he points his blade towards the battle riding through the waves of enemies and cutting them down slowly. he laughs out hearing the screams and hearing the cranes.

"Mercy!" he cuts deep decapitating a crane and yells out.

"bathe in their blood!" he feels his horse rile up but controls it and pushes forward connecting the third wave with the first and second. he continues riding forward towards the city gates and smiles wide eyeing his men holding it as he yells forward.

"ride to the castle! we take this city!" Archibald leads his men through the city and eyes the flag of the shaw clan firmly placed in the middle of it. he stops his horse eyeing the people surrounding the flag and Archibald yells out.

"the shaws reclaim our land!" Archibald holds up his sword.

"Anyone who does not wish slaughter should retreat to your homes!" many of the people leave and Archibald stares over the few that remain and without speaking his men slaughter the remaining people. he slowly gets off his horse and Archibald eyes the castle bridge come down. he smiles to himself and hears a shaw captain behind him.

"they welcome us.." Archibald nods commenting to the shaw captain.

"they know their defeat."

Archibald walks down the long hall making his way to the throne and eyes queen crane sitting down. she turns her head and eyes her ex-lover as she states boldly.

"Archer-"

"that is king shaw-" she turns her head eyeing her ex-lover and gets off her throne. she walks peacefully up to the man and he turns his head as she reaches out and touches his face. she runs her hand along his cheek and with a smile asks.

"why would you do this?" Elizabeth walks in and stands next to her husband and queen crane drops her hand and glances over the shaw as she asks.

"the shaws?" 

"my, shaws." Archibald comments and motions to Elizabeth.

"and my wife-"

"oh.." queen crane lets out a small laugh as she motions to Elizabeth "how unfortunate..." before Archibald can react queen crane quickly slices Elizabeth with a small blade slitting the girl's throat.  Elizabeth falls forward feeling the blood rush out of her neck and Archibald's questions.

"Elizabeth?" he kneels next to her and glances up hearing the loud footsteps of soldiers. when he glances up he eyes the white Galvin armor and feels his hands shake in fear as spots Alvis fully dressed for battle. Alvis turns his head eyeing his friend sounding surprised.

"Archer?" Archibald glances to Alvis and down to his dying wife as he asks.

"what, what happened?"

"retribution no doubt. queen crane is in her right to protect her people." Alvis motions to the throne and queen crane sits back into it. Alvis strolls up and motions to the queen behind him.

"you really miscalculated this time, friend. the cranes are in a very long contract with the Galvins and of course as is business we always protect our investments.." 

Alvis motions forward.

"I would hate to purge the entire shaw army. so do your duty as king and tell them to yield." Archibald remains still and Alvis turns his head. 

"you would be crazy to battle the Galvins" the shaws behind their king play with their blades but Archibald motion back.

"yield, my men." the soldiers behind him stand at attention and Archibald bows his head sounding sincere.

" I was not aware of the Galvins presence-"

"yet you incited a war!" Alvis yells angrily at his friend and Archibald comments.

"I simply gave the shaws their chance to take their land back."

"yes, and with a total disregarded for your queen, her safety." Alvis motions down to the dead shaw queen and glances back to Queen crane as he bows his head.

"This is your victory, Queen Crane. so, therefore, it will be your choice of how to proceed."

"send the army back home and Archibald will stay here, he will negotiate a peace contract."

"pace? what makes you-"

"you don't have a choice." lady crane steps down off her throne staring down her ex-lover and turns her head as she states.

"either that or I hang you by nightfall." Alvis motions to the crane and motions back to his friend.

"I don't think she will hesitate"

"I won't." crane states and Archibald turns his head as queen crane speaks firm.

"Also, I expect a knee." Archibald turns his head.

"excuse me?"

"I expect you, to take a knee." she turns her head and Archibald glances down at his dead wife and up at his ex-lover.

"I am a king, a king. you can hardly expect me to-"

"Archer." Alvis states and motions to the queen.

"take that knee." Alvis motions to his friend and Archibald takes a deep breath getting to a knee as lady crane walks over and holds out her hand.

"and a kiss of my ring  to show your respect to the Cranes." Archibald glares up and she smiles down at him.

"now archer." he leans down kissing the girl's ring and she smiles down at her ex-lover as she nods her head.

"well let us begin negotiating."