Snippets of a Knight's Woe

Chapter 12: Talk of War

Amara and Aegis found themselves standing in front of the king's chambers. Amara had been summoned by her father, and she was pretty certain why he needed to talk to her—her thoughts were focused on war.

Aegis held the door open for his princess, and Amara entered. The king indicated for Aegis to come in as well. He stood in front of a large table with a map on it, a slight frown pinching at his brow as he looked up and slightly smiled at his daughter. "Hi, pumpkin. Sorry to interrupt your day, but I need to discuss some things with you."

Amara greeted her father and pointed at Aegis. "You're allowing Aegis to attend our meeting?" Her father nodded and waved his hand for them to come closer to the table. "Yes, it's best that he hears this as well." Aegis remained quiet at her side as they moved to the table and looked down at the map of the continent.

The king took a deep breath and pointed at Pratue. "Angora, the capital of Pratue, has fallen. The Redivans currently occupy the royal palace there." The king dragged his finger from Pratue to Foytic. "The Redivans have already begun scouting out the lands of Foytic," he continued, moving his finger through Foytic to Amaranthine, tapping on the very location they found themselves living in. "And something tells me they're not going to stop," he said sarcastically.

"Currently, the royal families of Foytic, Amaranthine, and the surviving members of the Pratue royal family who have sought sanctuary in Foytic have allied together to stop the invading threat." The king continued explaining the situation. "During these past couple of years, while the Redivans isolated themselves, they have managed to vastly improve both their military and technical might." The king exhaled heavily. "No strategist could have predicted that Pratue would fall so fast; the Redivans' invasion was precise and expertly executed."

The king crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his daughter. "At the moment, we don't know why the Redivans are doing this. We have a number of theories, but nothing concrete." The king shifted his gaze from Amara to Aegis. "I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Amara looked down at the map and then back up at her father. "I had a chat about some of this with Alaric last week. He mentioned that Queen June of Redivan had died, and soon after, King Dias isolated his kingdom, only to come out of that state to invade Pratue." The princess crossed her arms and tilted her head back. "There is too little information based solely on the army's movement. We need to know more about what the Redivan king is thinking. Was Queen June murdered, poisoned, or was there foul play within their court? Was it an assassin sent by another nation, or did he lose his mind? Was the king always planning to invade and used his wife's death to rally his army? I can't say for sure."

Amara took a moment to think. "All I can say is that I really believe the catalyst for all of this is Queen June." The king nodded and turned his gaze toward Aegis, asking pointedly, "And what do you think, Aegis?"

Aegis shrugged. "Who knows? I can't say much about the reasoning, but what I can say is that all your armies need to come together to fight them. At this point, the Redivans will carve a bloody trail through Foytic and all the way to here." Aegis looked at Amara and moved a bit closer to her. "I don't want you anywhere near a war, Princess."

The king sighed and nodded. "Amara, can you leave us for the moment? I'll send Aegis to your room once I'm done talking with him." Amara eyed her father curiously and wanted to inquire about what, but Aegis gently stroked her arm. "Go to your room, Princess. I will be there soon; your father probably just wants to talk about your future protection during these uncertain times." Amara nodded, hugged her father goodnight, and quietly left.

The king looked at Aegis and then at the door. "Did my daughter really go to her room, or is she trying to hear what we are talking about?" Aegis grinned at the king. "No, Your Majesty, she really went to her room, but only because she expects me to tell her everything once we're done here."

The king nodded and moved to sit in one of his chairs, indicating for Aegis to sit in the other. The king made himself comfortable and asked Aegis in a steady tone, "Now that we are alone, Aegis, why don't you tell me about your parents?"

Aegis lifted an eyebrow. "Your Majesty, my parents were murdered." The king chuckled dryly. "You really take me for a fool, boy." The king tapped his armrest. "You're built like your father, but you have all the features of your mother—the auburn hair, the green eyes. The mirror image of June." The king sat up in his seat. "So, let me ask my question again. Why don't you tell me about your parents, only heir to the Redivan royal throne, Crown Prince Aegis?"