"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-Six (The End)

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-Six (The End)

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Princess Angelina slept poorly. Despite that, she still did not wish to leave the comfort of the bed she was in. The recent deaths took their toll upon the young woman. She just wanted to lie there and let the world go by. However, she knew that she could not do that. She had responsibilities. She had to pull things together and arise.

Reluctantly, she got out of bed and prepared for the day. When she was clean and dressed, she gathered her advisers around her in a big room. There she arranged a caravan back to Calmondak. She knew she would never be able to make it to her father's funeral, but she had to return home to pay her respects. Further, there were people who wished to return to there homes. With the end of the war, there was still much to do.

The people around her treated her kindly. They all behaved like they were walking on eggshells. She was not sure how she felt about that. Nonetheless, she was effective in getting things done with this arrangement. Further, no one made her upset. They just did as she asked. She really liked that part. No one wanted to upset her. If that was always the case, she would be happy. However, she knew she had to take advantage of it while it lasted.

There was much governing to do. She appointed governors to the various parts of her realm. There was no way she could be involved in the affairs of all of the people under her rule. She needed go-betweens. She appointed various people to arrange governments. She would be the ultimate arbitrator, but these governors had a bit of autonomy. If there were problems in the realms, these appointed governors would be responsible. Further, she could always rearrange the governments later.

After all of that was arranged, she did not want to think of the politics anymore. She would delve into the details when she was ready. She had more pressing things that concerned her. In the past, when she was at this point, there was something to distract her. Now, the wars were all over. It was decision making time. At least, it was close to it. She hoped there would be nothing earth shaking to deal with in the near future.

When the details of running the peninsula, Kaanfed, Nunu, and the Maritime kingdoms were put in place, her convoy left for Calmondak. Some advisers would peel off and look into the affairs of Lakeland and other areas along the way. The remaining small entourage would continue on to Calmondak.

The Princess was looking forward to visiting with her brother, Prince James. They could commiserate. They could tell stories of the past. They could talk about their memories of their father. They could even tell stories of Prince William. This would make her feel much better. In this way, she would honor her father. She would feel that she did all she could to pay her respects. It would ease the guilt she felt for not being there.

Further, he brother would be coronated soon. She could linger in Calmondak until that event. Being with her brother would ease the losses she felt acutely. Even the thought of being in the castle in Calmondak eased her pain. Thus, she looked forward to getting back.

As the caravan continued, she curled into a ball in her wagon. She did not want to think about all of the things that needed to be done. Of course, this is what kept her awake. She was exhausted, but she could not sleep. Thoughts swirled in her brain. All the while she thought what next?

After the long travel to Calmondak she found out the answer to that question. Prince James had disappeared. Calmondak was near chaos. Some thought they should wait for the Prince to return. Some thought they should organize some sort of government without him. The entire country was on the brink of civil war. This is what she arrived to. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. However, when she heard the circumstances, she knew exactly what to do.

She declared that Prince James had abdicated the throne. Thus, as the next in line to inherit the throne, she would step in to rule Calmondak. Surprisingly, no one objected to her declaration. The Princess was royalty. She was in line for the throne. If Prince James did not wish to rule, they would accept her as their ruler. It seemed obvious.

In the turn of events over the last several months, the Princess went from runaway bride to ruler of a diverse set of kingdoms. She went from someone with a slight crush on Prince William to spurning him to mourning his death. She went from hating her father for arranging a marriage she did not want to mourning his loss. She felt she was a different person that ran away to the Forbidden Zone.

Despite all of the adversity, the world was set before her. She had the power to change the world. And, changing it needed. She remembered the internets and the Google. She wanted to implement that kingdom wide. That would make it easier to communicate things.

She would improve the transportation system. The aircars were so much more efficient than the suncars. Transportation in the realm could be greatly improved.

Further, she could improve the lives of women under her rule. Women worked outside of their homes in the peninsula. They were capable of many things. They were not only useful in raising families. She could attempt to make inroads there.

Princess Angelina looked over the list she wanted to accomplish. She could do so much. She could influence so many aspects of people's lives. With all of the power, the things in the realm would change. All of it possible because she reigned over the Reunited States of Morica.

The End

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-Five

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-Five

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince James once again awoke. The sun was just peaking over the horizon. He had tossed and turned all night. It was not a fitful rest at all. Things swirled around in his brain, and he just could not stay asleep.

In fact, he had not had a full night of sleep for days. He had only been king of Calmondak for a week, and it was already tearing him apart. He presided over his father's funeral, and that seemed to be the easiest part of his week. He wished they could have waited for Princess Angelina, but they did not know when she would be back. Thus, they proceeded without her. Prince James hated doing that.

The Prince got out of bed and walked to his window. He stared at the rising sun. He briefly admired its beauty, but was soon returned to reality when he heard a light rapping on his door.

"Sire," whispered a voice.

Prince James was not sure he wanted to answer. After a long pause, he replied, "What is it?"

"Did I wake you?" the voice asked.

"I asked what do you want," snapped the Prince. "It does not matter if you awoke me or not."

"Sorry sire," replied the servant with a bow. "There is a breakfast gathering that requires your attendance."

"What is it?"

"Your advisers have been in the process of selecting a -- well -- a -- suitable queen."

The Prince sighed. "And...?"

"They would like you to meet some contenders at breakfast."

"Why?"

"Sire," the servant bowed. "I am just the messenger. I am not savvy to all that goes on at the castle."

"Are you telling me that you do not know why?"

"No! Well -- yes."

"Why did not not just say that?"

"I -- uh -- I -- um -- I -- do not know sire."

"Okay Mr. Messenger. Let us get a few things straight. If you are going to last at your job, you answer my questions directly and honestly. If I ask you what is it? That is to be quickly followed by an answer to that question. Do you understand?"

"I..."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes sire," replied the messenger.

"Secondly, if you do not know the answer to something, you are to reply, I do not know. Do you understand that?"

"Yes sire."

"Only I do not know."

"Yes sire."

"How long do I have to get ready?"

"An hour sire."

"Very good. Now go away and allow me to get ready."

"Yes sire."

The Prince let out another sigh. He looked out the window for a little bit, but had to get ready. His life was filled with had to's. He did not feel he had enough time for all of the want to's. His life had become one obligation after another.

He drug himself away from the window and began the task of getting ready for breakfast. He had to prepare himself for the presentation of the women. It was one of the most tiresome tasks.

When his father was alive, he dated a great deal. It was fun. There were no obligations that went along with the outing. All he had to do was have fun. If he had fun with the person who accompanied him, he would would ask her for another date. Nonetheless, none of the dating led to anything long term. That was fine with the Prince. His father was in good health; therefore, there was no pressure. In this way, the Prince enjoyed the process. Now each meeting with a woman or group of women was loaded with obligation.

Further, each person he met now had royalty on the brain. They all wanted to be queen. Most of the time, it put the women in a bad light. This fact also made the Prince suspicious. In any event, he had to choose someone suitable to rule. He could not just pick someone fun. He could not just pick someone he liked. It was an impossible task.

All of this was compounded by the vetting process. The advisers of the former King put it upon themselves to pick the suitors. These men considered the woman's status, family, and other factors that were important for such a position. Not once did they consider the desires of the Prince. Thus, there was a string of nobles whose only qualifications were the circumstances of their birth.

The Prince dreaded the breakfast, so he took his time getting ready. However, the team of advisers entered his room 15 minutes before the scheduled time. One of them had a clipboard. On it was a list of all the meetings he had. This attendant informed the Prince that the breakfast was possibly the only meal he would have on that day. His schedule was that packed.

The Prince gave a heavy sigh. He wanted to lie on the floor and curl up into a ball. He almost did just that, but the advisers grabbed him by the arm to push him along. However, before he reached the banquet hall, the Prince made a break for it. He broke free from the group and ran. He just ran. At first he did not know where he was going to go. He just ran. The entire complex was connected by a series of tunnels. Thus, he just ran in them.

A few advisers attempted to run after him, but they were in no shape to catch him. They communicated the information to the other staff, and they kept an eye out for the Prince. However, since he was just running, no one knew where he was or where he was going. Hence, they congregated around the common exits. When the Prince finally decided to exit, he left from one of the lesser used doors. It was just close by. Thus, he got away clean.

He remembered his sister running away to the forbidden zone. Thus, he grabbed one of the suncars, and headed there. If his sister could make it, so could he. He had to get away. He had no interest in having every hour of every day planned for him. He decided that he was not ready to be king. Thus, he ran away.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-Four

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-Four

By Douglas E. Gogerty

The Princess arrived at the Pirate Peninsula with her group of five advisers. It was dawn, and they had little rest. Although she had heard that their war was over, there was no evidence of that when she arrived. For some reason, the country was as chaotic as a country at war.

With the chaos, the Princess considered waiting for her troops. Her five advisers suggested just that. After all, they were all tired. However, with the situation, the Princess knew Prince William was likely in trouble. Thus, she decided not to wait. It is why she took the boat in the first place. She would go searching for the Prince.

She asked about the Prince to anyone who would give her the time. Most people she encountered did not know anything about what had happened to him. The news outlets had been blacked out for weeks. Nonetheless, many of them volunteered to join her. They wished to help in the search, and they feared for her safety in the troubling times.

By the time the Princess reached the Capitol city, her entourage was 10,000 strong. They were not an organized fighting group, but they provided plenty of security for the Princess. Further, the group was large enough for people to take notice.

Some at the Capitol knew that Prince William headed to a parlay location to the south. Thus, the massive group would head in that direction. However, it was late in the day and the Princess and her group needed to rest. They would spend the night.

By morning, the group was 25,000 strong. The five advisers with the Princess began drilling the people who had joined up. They would need provisions to survive with this large group. Thus, the people were divided up into groups with specific duties. Most of the joiners were not suited to fighting, but they could gather supplies. Food and water was a priority.

On their scouting missions, some of the groups would return with supplies and more people. As the Princess traveled, her group continued to grow. Forces in their path south either ran or joined. Thus, with 25,000 support personnel, they began to gather actual fighting people. Soon, they were a formidable fighting force.

The group encountered their first opposition force when they reached the parlay grounds. The Princess's army was too powerful to the fight weary forces they faced. Therefore, the Princess had her first victory in the peninsula. With that victory, emissaries from some of the factions asked for an audience. She granted the request.

The Princess sat at a table surrounded by her five advisers when the emissaries from the peninsula arrived. It was a diverse group. Many age groups were represented as well as racial groups. The Princess did not expect to see any women, but there were females representing some factions. This would not have ever happened in the kingdoms. It made her smile.

That smile soon faded with the groups demanding that she leave. Naturally, she refuse. She explained that she came looking for Prince William Thorbjornson. She further explained that she had not anticipated getting involved in the local situation. The emissaries turned when with the mention of Prince William's name.

"Take me to him!" she demanded.

They led her to a nearby tent. Prince William was still shackled to the chair where he was shot. The pool of blood had begun to congeal and flies were everywhere. The smell brought tears to the Princess's eyes.

"There will be proper death ceremony tonight," she explained.

The emissaries did not know how to respond to her demands other than nodding.

"Once the arrangements have been made," the Princess continued. "Someone will explain to me why the Prince was treated in such a manner."

The group continued to nod.

"Move!" the Princess shouted.

The emissaries from the peninsula scattered. Many were not sure what they were to do, but they scrambled.

The Princess directed members of her entourage to coordinate with the various factions. She picked a spot to build a funerary pyre. She knew that it would be difficult to remove him from his death chair, so she instructed them to bring him as he was. The Prince was seated upon a large stack of wood.

As dusk approached, the Princess gave a speech to the gathered crowd. Few in the gathered people knew the Prince in any significant way. However, her eulogy moved many of the gathered. She managed to get through her statement with only shedding a few tears. She surprised herself that she did not break down completely. At dusk, the fire was lit.

With the passion of her words, more citizens of the peninsula joined her group. In the few days she had spent in the area, she had amassed a huge following. The people were tired of the infighting. They thought the civil war had ended with the death of Prince William. However, the conflict rose again out of the assassination.

With each passing day, the Princess's power grew. The emissaries from the fighting factions did not know what to do. They seemed to only be able to agree when there was a common enemy. In fact, they thought of the Princess's group as a force against their state. However, they could not agree with how to handle it. After all, her followers were their own constituents.

A couple of the factions joined together to ambush her. They were quickly and easily dispatched. It was so weak that the Princess did not even know about the attack. Thus, the factions agreed to surrender to her. In this way, the Princess became the sovereign of yet another part of Morica.

She was too busy grieving for Prince William to mark the surrender. She just sat in a dark tent crying. It was then when a messenger arrived to give her news of her father. She curled into a ball on the floor and wept. There was no joy in this victory.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-Three

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-Three

By Douglas E. Gogerty

King Jonathan traveled west with the former king of the Maritime Kingdom. The wars were over. Lakeland was triumphant over the three rebel kingdoms. The King's daughter was responsible for the conquering of all of Morica. Further, she did it with little help from her father. He was proud of his little girl. He had visions of many years of peace.

The news spread fast. While the King still had his scouts in front of his march, they did not report any trouble. There were no ambushes waiting. There were no bandits along the path. The march was not going to be difficult.

In fact, as his army made its way towards home, they were greeted with cheers in the towns in which they passed. Even Lakeland towns cheered for the Calmondak army. This would not have happened in the rule of King Thorbjorn. King Jonathan believed that a new era had come to pass. This filled him with great joy.

If his daughter could unite the people under her rule, Morica could return to prominence on the world stage. Perhaps trade could be reestablished with the other nations. The King could only imagine the great technologies available from other countries. Perhaps his aircars would be a welcome addition to that technology. Thus, the King's thoughts went to wealth. There was money to be made in overseas trade.

The more the Calmondak army marched; the more the army relaxed. Many of the protocols broke down with the precession west. The march home became a great triumph like the very ancient Romans. The group travel became almost a westward moving party. Citizens would join the march for a few days to revel in the victory. The King ignored the breaks in protocol. It would help usher in the new age of cooperation between kingdoms.

At first, the former king and his small entourage were kept from the festivities. After all, he was a hostage of the Calmondak Kingdom. Some in King Jonathan's company did not trust the former king. These voices won out early. There were the only ones not participating in the celebration. However, as the rules relaxed, so did the restrictions on the Maritime Kingdom group.

It started with giving them a few extra rations. Food was being showered on the army, so extra was no hardship. Thus, it was a small favor.

Eventually, the hostages shared in the gifts of the local population. Thus, they would get a small ration of local alcohol to join in the celebration. It was a small gesture to include them. This group felt a little less hostile towards the victors.

As the march progressed, a few were free leave the guarded area with an escort. It was not long before the entire hostage group was escorted out to join in the vast celebrations. King Jonathan thought this would endear the group to his hospitality. Hence, they would be less trouble in the future.

When the army entered Calmondak, the entire entourage including the hostages were fully participating in the festivities. It was difficult to tell who was in fact a hostage. The entirety of the group was celebrating the peace.

No one even thought that anyone could be hostile. It appeared that everyone was enjoying him or herself. After all, it was an unprecedented celebration of peace. An act of violence would upset everything.

Thus, when a subject of the former king of the Maritime Kingdom asked to see King Jonathan, the audience was quickly granted. In fact, he entered the King's tent without being searched. The King greeted the man warmly, and was surprised when he drew a gun. Before King Jonathan could sound an alarm, the gun sounded it for him. The King had four gunshot wounds to his midsection before his assassin was apprehended.

The King was in a large pool of his own blood, and no one could do anything to save him. The field doctors treated him, but the weapon had done too much damage. The King held on for a short time, but his assassin did his job well. King Jonathan died.

In short order, the hostages from the Maritime Kingdom were collected. The king seemed quite surprised at the action of one of his men. He proclaimed his innocence from the plot. However, that was not enough to spare his life or any of the other members of his royal party.

The once reveling party quickly turned somber. A rollicking party turned into a funeral march. The King was placed in a wagon, and he could be viewed in the towns they passed. Just as the news of joy travelled fast, so did the news of sorrow. The parties of peace turned to somber wakes. Everyone mourned the passing of King Jonathan.

Scouts and officials were sent ahead to prepare the funeral. The news arrived at the capitol well before they did. The top officials of King Jonathan's assured Prince James that they would aid in the transition. They had experience running the kingdom, and they would be of great assistance in getting the new king prepared.

Prince James took the news hard. He had a difficult time dealing with the fact that his father was now dead. For many years, he informed his father that he did not wish to be king. He felt the stress acutely, and he felt the pressures of ruling personally. All of this was magnified with the nature of his ascension to the throne.

King Jonathan's men wanted to do the right thing. However, what could they do? What would happen if the Prince stepped down. Who would rule? Would Calmondak could devolve into chaos. Without a willing heir, Calmondak could be heading for civil war. Once the people had hoped for a long peace, but now that peace was threatened. This put even more stress on Prince James.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-Two

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-Two

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William sat there shackled to a chair. The citizens of the peninsula surrounded him. On the spot, he had to decide which course of action to take. He could discuss his actions with an attorney, or he could tell his story in open court. He desperately wanted to sleep on it, but that was not an option. Everyone in the room was waiting for his decision, so he had to make his choice.

"War," the Prince began "is a terrible thing. It forces people from their homes. Many of these people have no where to go. They become refugees. Of that group of refugees, some of us have no where to turn. For various reasons, we are not welcome anywhere. What are we to do?"

"I must assume that you have made your choice," interrupted the judge.

"I have your honor," replied the Prince. "You see, I could not stay in my country because of war. A civil war raged in my country of Lakeland, and it ended the lives of my family. I was seen as a threat to the new monarchy, which was victorious. Hence, I could not stay in Lakeland. Further, the three formerly neutral countries decided to attack Lakeland. I certainly could not go to any of those. Finally, I could have gone to Calmondak, but I would be a hostage to the king there. Thus, I had to come here."

"You had to attempt to claim the country for yourself?" asked the prosecutor.

"May I finish?" asked the Prince.

"By all means," replied the prosecutor.

"I came here and made my way to the capitol. I did this because I was familiar with the area. I had stayed there while my father was in prison."

"If it please the court," added the prosecutor. "The defendant's father was in prison for crimes against the state. He was fomenting unrest among the people."

"Can I object to that?" Prince William asked the judge.

"On what grounds?" asked the judge.

"My father's deeds were wrong. I fully admit that. However, that does not eliminate a son's duty towards his father. Thus, his actions are not relevant."

"Goes to motive your honor," added the prosecutor.

"Objection sustained."

"Thank you your honor -- I think." The Prince continued, "Since I had no where to go, I went to somewhere familiar -- the capitol. In fact, I stayed at the same hotel and hotel room I had previously used. I visited familiar places."

"If I may interrupt," interrupted the prosecutor. "We have subpoenaed a local server to testify if needed. She can illuminate the actions of Mr. Thorbjornson and associates while at the capitol."

"Noted," the judge responded.

"It was mere coincidence that I eventually ran into the deceased troublemakers," returned the Prince. "I was willing to live out my life in peace and obscurity. I frequented a local establishment, where I can assume the server in question works. Unfortunately, these men decided to also frequent this place."

"For the record, these deceased troublemakers were associates of Mr. Thorbjornson's father."

"Yes," the Prince injected. "I knew the men. However, they were accompanying my father for his misconceived mission. I did not wish to establish any report with them, but they would not let me go without conflict. It was a conflict that would not result well on my behalf."

"It is here that they formed their plot to overthrow the country," added the prosecutor.

"I object your honor! I had no knowledge of their plans."

"Objection sustained. Please continue."

"I was dragged unwillingly here. At every point, I looked for an out, but none came. They wanted me to be there because they had something planned for me."

"Objection your honor. Hearsay!"

"Objection sustained. Please Mr. Thorbjornson, stick to what you know."

"Sorry your honor," replied the Prince. "So, I could not get away, and we came to a parlay tent. I had no idea what we were doing there. None! That is when I found out that they proposed to make me king of this country. I swear it was the first I had heard of it."

"What did you do when you learned of their plans?" asked the prosecutor.

"I stood there with my mouth open. I was shocked."

"And, how did you act during the negotiation phase?" the prosecutor enquired.

"I...," stumbled the Prince. "Ever since I was young, I dreamed of being a king. However, in my own country I was well down on the hierarchy. Thus, my dreams of kingdom were just that -- dreams."

"I ask again," interrupted the prosecutor. "How did you act after learning of your men's plans?"

"I...," stumbled the Prince. "These men were not my men. They were my father's. He recruited them for nefarious deeds. These were bad."

"Fair enough," replied the prosecutor. "How did you act after you heard your father's men's plans?"

"I object," the Prince stated.

"On what grounds?" asked the judge.

"He is leading the witness."

"Yes Mr. Thorbjornson he is," responded the judge. "Please answer his question."

"I behaved abysmally. The power went to my head. I got carried away."

"The prosecution rests!" exclaimed the prosecutor.

"Wait!" yelled the Prince. "I was just a pawn in their game. It is evident in my being here and they being dead. I survived because they refused me the cover that they took. It turned out to be ineffective cover, but they left me out to die."

"Immaterial," responded the prosecutor.

"I admit I made some mistakes!" shouted the Prince. "I let the power corrupt me! I did things I would never have done in any other circumstances! I..."

A silence fell over the courtroom as a shot rang out. The entire room was suddenly mayhem. People were running here and there. Officials were looking from where the shot came. There was a mad scramble everywhere. People pointing and saying it came from here or there. The judge attempted to regain order, but no one heard him pounding his gavel.

The Prince sat slumped down in his chair with a pool of blood growing around him. No one paid any attention to him.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy-One

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy-One

By Douglas E. Gogerty

King Jonathan's and Princess Angelina's combined army continued its march north towards the Maritime Kingdom. The Princess would have liked to ride with the men, but her injuries prevented her from doing so. She was forced to sit in one of the protected wagons. Many argued for her to stay with the wounded in the Nunu castle. However, she could not be persuaded to be left behind.

Her father regularly checked in with her, and they had several long conversations. As they traveled, she asked everyone who came to see her for regular updates. Eventually, the scouts would report to the generals and then to her. In this way, she did the best she could to remain involved in the war effort.

After several days march, they entered the Maritime Kingdom. There was no fighting until that time. However, even the fighting in that kingdom was light. The scouts did a good job of preventing any type of ambush. Further, the army was on high alert. At any unusual circumstance, the convoy would stop. Therefore, the march toward the capitol was slow.

From all of the reports, it appeared that the Maritime Kingdom was purposely slowing the progress of the Lakeland and Calmondak forces in order to regroup at the castle. From these early indications, it appeared that another siege would be required to win this war. The Calmondak and Lakeland armies began preparing for such an eventuality.

For weeks, the army continued its slow push towards the capitol. One of the benefits of the slow march was that the Princess had time to recover. She began to ride with the generals by the time they could see the castle complex in the distance. In this way, she had the opportunity to give input on the strategy for the upcoming siege.

As they anticipated, when they got close to the castle, the skirmishes became less prevalent. By this time, the Maritime Kingdom forces would be gathered in the castle. Thus, they would be available to aid in the city in any way necessary. While the skirmishes gave them time to organize, it was time to establish themselves in the city. With the important resources gathered in the city, they could develop a strategy of their own. In addition, they could use the able bodies to collect supplies for the upcoming siege.

However, as the Princess's forces approached the city, they found the gates wide open. The Princess asked for volunteers to enter the city to scout around. Warily, the volunteer scouts entered the city. As they fanned out, they found the streets deserted. Their presents was not opposed in any fashion. Eventually, one of the scouts came to a big tent outside the castle walls.

This scout had found the parlay tent. Inside the tent stood a single messenger. Once he entered, the occupant told him to stay and left. After a short while, he returned with some emissaries of the Kingdom. The emissaries had an official message for the Calmondak and Lakeland armies. The written document asked for a meeting with qualified representatives of the invasion force to arrange a peace settlement. It appeared that the Maritime Kingdom was surrendering without any further fighting.

King Jonathan wanted to send his best men, but the Princess would not hear it. It was her battle and not her father's. She would handle the emissary arrangements. In fact, she insisted that she go herself with a few of her trusted generals. King Jonathan protested loudly, but the Princess would not budge on the issue. The more the King objected; the more she was set on going.

After a lengthy debate, the Princess and 20 men entered the city. All of the accompanying individuals were experienced soldiers. A few of the Princess's generals had diplomatic experience, but only the best fighters among them were asked to join the Princess. The soldiers marched in a box formation around the Princess as they entered the city. They made their way to the parlay tent.

Once again, a sole messenger was in the tent when they arrived. He asked them to wait as he retrieved the emissaries from the Maritime Kingdom. They were surprised that the Princess had come in person. They were even more surprised when she insisted that the King negotiate in person.

The King of the Maritime Kingdom arrived a short while later. He abdicated to the Princess on the spot. Arrangements were made for officially dissolving the Maritime Kingdom and making it part of Lakeland. The Princess sent for her father, and he arrived shortly afterward.

There was a brief discussion on what to do with the former King of the Maritime Kingdom. The Princess felt there were very few choices. She felt that he could not stay in any Lakeland territory. He would be a symbol and could cause problems for her. Even if he did not directly do anything directly, he could cause strife in her kingdom.

One option was to travel overseas. However, there had been so little contact with the countries outside of Morica that no one was sure any civilizations existed on other continents. The former king was not keen on taking this option.

There was the Pirate Peninsula. However, the king had explored this option in the time before the invasion. Several of his scouts returned telling of the civil war raging on down there. Thus, he was not interested in going there.

Thus, the only option left was for him to live under the rule of King Jonathan in Calmondak. In effect, he would be a hostage in King Jonathan's court. However, he would be treated better there than any other place. Thus, he chose that option.

The Princess interrogated the scouts who had recently returned from the peninsula. They told of stories of Prince William's exploits. They described actions that to the Princess seemed out of place. Those actions did not sound like the Prince she knew. However, these scouts also heard of plans that would end the war, but they would not turn out well for the Prince.

The Princess was torn. The stories did not seem right. However, if they were to be believed, Prince William could be in trouble. She decided to skip any ceremony and investigate for herself. She gathered a group to travel overland towards the peninsula. This group would be reinforcements as she planned to travel by sea. While much more dangerous, the seafaring Maritime Kingdom could get her there faster if the Prince was indeed in trouble. She wanted to take that risk.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Seventy

Reunited...

Chapter Seventy

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William was filled with regret. Over the last several weeks, he had behaved horribly. He let the power go to his head, and he was now paying for it. He wanted to respond to the emissaries, but his lungs were too filled with smoke. All he could do was cough. However, he was resigned to his fate.

The Prince was surprised that the people gathered did not kill him immediately. He expected to be shot on site. However, his captors treated him much better than his father's men would have treated anyone in the same situation. He was grateful for that. He decided to express his gratitude as soon as he could clear his lungs.

His captors checked him for weapons and led him into the back of their truck. He did not know where they were taking him, but he was happy for every moment that he was still alive. His coughing began to subside as the truck moved along. He tried to breath in as much air as he could. Soon, he was able to talk.

He began to utter some sounds, but he was instantly silenced by a rifle butt to the ribs. He began coughing again, but it was short lived. He bowed low to the soldier who struck him. He decided that he would not utter any additional sounds.

Eventually, the truck stopped. The Prince was pushed out of the truck and he saw the many orderly rows of tents. There were thousands of tents organized neatly along a central road. The tents fanned out along secondary roads. The Prince assumed the flags denoted the allegiance of the tent owner. It was quite the impressive arrangement of temporary living quarters.

The Prince did not have much time to admire the camp as he was rushed into a large central tent. The man in charge of him pushed him along to where he was wanted. He did not have a chance to look around much. He wanted to marvel in the scenes of it all, but he simply was not allowed.

Once in the tent, he noticed a chair next to a wall on a small raised platform. He was pushed to that spot and roughly placed into the chair. They attached his hands to it, but the Prince had no intention of struggling. He felt sorry for his actions, and he was ready to face the consequences. Nonetheless, he was shackled to his seat.

The Prince realized that he was in a makeshift courtroom. There was a large raised table to his right. To his left were a pair of tables placed upon the floor with a few chairs behind them. Straight out was a seating area. It appeared that his trial would begin soon, as people began streaming into the tent. The rows of seating began to fill up. However, the tables remained empty.

He recognized a few people in the crowd. They shouted and pointed at him. He was now thoroughly ashamed of his actions. He decided to not look at the crowd any longer. He simply put his head down and closed his eyes.

The roar of the crowd steadily rose. It appeared that there would be plenty of people to watch this spectacle. The crowd noise was almost enough to urge him to look up, but he decided it was best that he did not. He just sat there waiting. With the events of the last several days, he was very tired, but his anxiousness kept him awake.

After quite a long wait, the Prince heard a gavel and the room quieted to a soft murmur. The Prince continued to hang his head. He heard someone say all rise, and he attempted to comply. However, his shackles prevented him from standing. Instead he lifted his head to see the judge sitting at the raised table on his right.

"Be seated," the judge announced and everyone took a seat. "Who do we have here?"

"We are not sure your honor," came a reply from the Prince's left. "Please state your name for the record."

The Prince looked around, and decided that they were waiting for him. He was not sure what he was going to say.

After a brief bit of coughing, the Prince stated, "My name is William Thorbjornson."

"Is that all?" asked an attorney on his left.

"It is all that is relevant," replied the Prince.

"Do you not claim to be the new sovereign over our fair land?"

"Mr. Prosecutor, you are out of order," stated the judge.

"I am sorry your honor," he replied.

"While I appreciate all of your interest in this case," the judge began. "There will be no convictions today. This man has rights -- even if he is not a citizen of your land. He will need representation. We are just giving him a preliminary hearing and nothing more. It is here that we will decide what to do next. I will have not tolerate any outbursts. I will act to remove anyone disrupting this proceedings. Have I made myself clear?"

Above the grumble of the crowd several individuals said Yes, your honor.

"Mr. Thorbjornson," the judge continued. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I believe so," the Prince replied.

"Would you like to elaborate?" asked the judge.

"I am afraid that if I do, those statements would be held against me."

"Fair enough," replied the judge. "Let me describe the particulars. A group of mercenaries were hired by one of the local warlords to facilitate some fighting. These men were fierce warriors, and that warlord soon became powerful. After months of fighting, it was decided by most of the parties involved that the fighting should stop. However, these mercenaries were not convinced. A truce was called, and these men went away. Do you follow so far?"

"Yes your honor," the Prince replied.

"Good. The warring factions came to a settlement, but no one knew how to handle these mercenaries. Upon their return, an envoy explained to these men that the war was over, but the asserted to place you on the throne of a new kingdom. Does this sound familiar to you?"

"Yes your honor."

"Very good. Now, we need to decide if you are a threat to us. That is why you are here. If you wish to explain yourself, we are willing to listen. On the other hand, we can grant you counsel and we can go through a complete jury trial. Nevertheless, everything will be determined today. The people willing, you may survive the day."

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Nine

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Nine

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Princess Angelina sat in the tent waiting for her father. She knew he would be angry, so she thought of what she would do and say when he arrived. She thought she knew what was going on, but sometimes it was difficult to tell with her father. After several minutes, the King stormed into the tent.

"Listen young lady!" he shouted while pointing his finger at her.

"King Jonathan," she interrupted as she rose and bowed. "Please have a seat."

"I came here to negotiate in good faith. What do you do? Do you call me? Do you send for me? No! you speak to one of my men!"

"You were not present sire, so protocol dictates..."

"Protocol? Young lady, I should take you over my knee."

"That would be seen as an act of war," the Princess replied calmly. "As an act of war, you would likely not leave this tent alive."

"Why -- I -- could..." he said as he attempted to gain control. He finally took his seat and added, "Yes -- sire."

"That is better. I informed your man of the situation. I assume he is a good man and that he passed that information on to you. I hope you are satisfactorily informed of the situation."

"Yes," King Jonathan replied curtly.

"Good. How do you respond?"

"Thank you. As you know, there was an agreement between the Calmondak Kingdom and the Nunu Kingdom."

"However," interupted the Princess. "I contend that the treaty was rendered moot when Nunu attacked Lakeland and was soundly defeated."

"The treaty does not mention anything about under what circumstance the king was removed from power."

"I would also contend that Nunu ceased to exist when the former king surrendered to Lakeland forces. Nunu then became a part of the Kingdom of Lakeland and this would also negate the treaty."

"I disagree."

"Which is why we arranged this meeting rather than going to war with you."

"Listen young lady, I am your father, and you will listen."

"I am the sovereign ruler over Lakeland, and you will listen. While I do have familial ties with you, I must do what is best for my subjects. Allowing you to claim land that my people fought for is something we will not tolerate. Simply put, it will not be passed on to you in any fashion. We will not let your treaty stand."

"Are you willing to go to war over it?"

"Sire, we already have."

"Would you be willing to fight a much superior fighting force for it?"

"If you wish us to show our strength against you, we would be willing to oblige. However, we do have pressing matters that we would rather attend."

"Like what?"

"The Maritime Kingdom was also a part of this alliance. We are still at war with them."

"Oh yes. I would also like to state that we have a similar treaty with their king."

"You will take their land should their current king fall?"

"Yes."

"And the former Kingdom of Kaanfed?"

"Their king was far less willing to participate."

"When we are victorious over the Maritime Kingdom, will we need to have a similar discussion?"

"I suspect the results of this discussion will suffice."

"Then I will restate our position. You have no claim here. Go home."

"I disagree."

"Let me put it another way. If you control Nunu and Maritime from your position, your kingdom will not be contiguous. This will cause issues for you. Whereas, it would be easily absorbed into Lakeland."

"Our plan was for it to retain some of its sovereignty and instill a loyal subject as its new king."

"Perhaps one of your children?"

"You know, that would be you or Prince James."

"Hence, would it not be logical to renounce your claim and let us take control?"

"Calmondak cannot lose face."

"Stop being silly father."

"In what way am I being silly?"

"You have made your show of force. Anything further will reflect poorly upon you."

"How do you mean?"

"If you attack -- me -- you will appear to be a bully. You would be beating up your own daughter -- a little girl."

"If I do not attack, I will appear weak."

"You know that is not true."

"Do I?"

"Yes. You know that no one will look down upon you for not attacking your daughter's forces."

"Is that right?"

"Of course. Everyone knows that this show of force is just a demonstration. It was nothing more than an excuse to see me and tell me how proud of me you are."

"Everyone knows that do they?"

"Of course they do. No one will think any less of you if you pack up and go home."

"Now you are being silly."

"Perhaps a bit."

"I am proud of you."

"I know father."

"We really do have a claim."

"You can explain it as I have to anyone who doubts you."

"What about your war with the Maritime Kingdom?"

"We gave them a sound thrashing here. They should be greatly weakened. However, if we do not continue soon, they will have time to regroup."

"We could aid you in the fight."

"Your people would be fighting for Lakeland and get little in return."

"They would follow you."

"Also, this may void your treaty with them."

"That is the spirit!"

"I will call my generals and we will start a plan."

"Agreed!"

The Princess now knew that her father's march was just a pretext to join her forces. In that way, the King of the Maritime Kingdom would not automatically assume that the Calmondak forces were joining the Lakeland forces. Thus, he would have less time to adjust his strategy. King Jonathan knew that with the treaty for both kingdoms, the Maritime Kingdom would not suspect if he marched to make some sort of claim. Thus, the show of force was for them.

With the agreement between King Jonathan and Princess Angelina complete, the Calmondak forces would join the fight against the Maritime Kingdom. The Princess insisted that the Calmondak forces be the reserves for the Lakeland troops.

With the armies ready to go, all of the equipment was packed up for the journey north. The Lakeland army was once again on the march.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Eight

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Eight

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William and his father's men were sitting in an establishment. A messenger rushed into the place as they were reveling in their power. The messenger was out of breath and took a few moments to recover. Then to everyone's shock, he announced that the warlords had accepted their offer. They agreed to accept Prince William as their new sovereign.

The Prince let out an excited yell. Someone came over to investigate, and the Prince ordered another round for the group. He could not remember ever hearing such good news. However, before the drinks were delivered, his father's men had stormed out of the bar. At first, he had thoughts about what he was going to do. Instead, he just sat there with a funny grin on his face. He just soaked in the current state and began to daydream.

He was happy that his father's men had gone. He could just sit there in peace. There were several fresh drinks there for him to enjoy. He sat there in a daze.

He was hoping that his father's men would become his men. They installed him as sovereign, and they would want places in his rule. He smiled. That smile soon faded as he realized they were too independent. They were much too unpredictable to retain. Something would have to be done with them. He was aroused from his daydreams by one of the men.

He did not want to go with the man. The man insisted, but the Prince still refused. The man left and returned with a few more men, and the Prince decided to join them. He got used to ordering people around, but those he ordered around were cowed by the actions of these thugs. He had no authority of his father's men, and they knew it.

Thus, he walked with them reluctantly. He walking was such a problem, that the men surrounded him to keep him from wandering. They practically dragged the Prince into the parlay tent. The emissaries from the warring factions were there. There were even groups that were not represented in the last round of negotiations.

One of the representatives stepped forward and spoke.

"It has been greatly discussed, and we accept your offer."

"Were there any dissenting voices?" asked the head of the Prince's group.

"We are all tired of the fighting. Thus, we have voted for peace unanimously."

"Is this what you all want?" said the King's man to the rest of the crowd.

"Yes," replied the representative and the rest nodded.

"You want this pipsqueak -- this pretender to royalty -- this poor excuse of a man for your sovereign?"

"Yes," they continued to respond.

"All of you want this?"

The crowd nodded. They all agreed with the terms. The Prince meekly smiled at the result and shrugged. An elbow to the ribs wiped the smile off his face.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" the Prince's group leader asked.

"It is time for peace."

The King Thorbjorn's men tried to begin a fight but the emissaries were prepared. Before the meeting, they had prepared an escape. They fled before a fight could get going. They pulled out in a big truck as the men chased them. It was all but official that Prince William was indeed the sovereign of the Pirate Peninsula.

The Prince was once again lost in daydreams. He thought about what to name his new kingdom. So many thoughts went through his head. It was not how he imagined, but his dreams had come true. He just stood their with his thoughts as his father's men came back into the tent.

One of the group of thugs threw the Prince onto the ground. He put his foot on his head, and asked, "What are were going to do now?"

"You said they would never accept this offer," stated another to the leader.

"How are we going to continue on if the war is over?" asked a third.

"We should kill the Prince now. That would void their deal," stated the man with his foot on the Prince.

"They seem to be united. If they got together against us..." another added.

"Our allies have deserted us. It is best to kill the Prince and regroup," the man standing on the Prince said.

"Boss? You have been pretty quiet. What do you think?" one of the men asked.

"Boss?" added the man with his foot on the Prince.

One of the men walked over to the leader, and looked at him. He appeared to be leaning casually against one of the tent poles. He was oddly quiet and they all wondered what was happening. What was he doing? The man looked at the leader closely. He reached out to touch the boss when a bullet struck him in the shoulder knocking him over.

"Get down!" he shouted.

Bullets began flying through the tent. The leader of the group was finally knocked over. He had been dead for a few moments, but was held erect by the pole. All of the men dove to the ground. They could hear the bullets whizzing through the tent. Occasionally, one would strike a pole or a table or some other object. Debris would fly around at the strike.

Just as suddenly as it had all began, all was quiet. The men looked around, but they did not dare stand up. They tried to get to the door, but the gunfire resumed when they got close. They looked for other ways out. One of the men pulled out his knife, and said he would cut through the tent and make an exit. That is when they noticed the strange smell.

Before they could do anything, the men noticed that the tent had erupted in flames. One man overturned some tables to use as cover. The men still alive piled behind the makeshift barricade. The Prince stayed in his spot on the ground. He knew he was not welcome in that group.

After a few moments, he tent was gone. There were a couple dozen men with automatic weapons surrounding the smoldering ruin. The men continued to hide in their barricade of tables. However, the bullets went right through the tables. They provided no protection at all. An expanding pool of blood surrounded the table splinters when they stopped firing.

The truck with the emissaries returned to check on the situation. Prince William was still alive but he was coughing horribly. The chief spokesman walked up to him and said, "What do you have to say now -- king?"

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Seven

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Seven

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Princess Angelina got dressed despite the doctor's objections. She knew that it was important for her to meet with her father personally. If there was a treaty, it was voided with the abdication of the king of Nunu. At least, she thought it would be. However, it was difficult to know with her father. She would have to find out, and that is why she was getting dressed.

The Princess believed in doing everything herself. She had always thought that. She wanted to be self sufficient. Thus, she never had an attendant. She never had any help with her day to day things -- like getting dressed. When she attempted to get dressed with one arm, she wished she had help. She felt that an assistant would be helpful now.

Nonetheless, the hospital was staffed by nothing but men. Therefore, she was on her own. Not to mention the doctor refused to offer anyone for assistance. Since she was disobeying doctor's orders, she would continue to do it by herself. She believed that the doctor did not think she could do it.

While getting dressed, the pain occasionally became so sharp that she nearly passed out. Every aspect of her wardrobe was a challenge. She appreciated a time when she had two hands more than ever. The simple act of getting dressed had become quite a chore.

Eventually, she was dressed. She looked a bit ragged, but that was somewhat what she wanted. Her father would perhaps show a little pity with his daughter in such distress. Several members of the hospital staff attempted to straighten this or adjust that, but she scared them off with a look.

Outside the city, both sides worked together to erect a tent. The Princess dispatched some messengers to invite King Jonathan for a parlay. The messengers soon returned with the acceptance of the offer. Thus, the Princess would meet face to face with her father. She would get the entire story from him. She would find out why he marched into Lakeland and then into Nunu.

The effort of getting dressed and walking through the city took quite a bit out of the Princess. Therefore, when she sat in the tent she struggled to stay conscious. She knew she had time, so she reclined a bit to rest. She did not anticipate it, but she fell asleep. After a while, she awoke with a start. She did not know how long she was out, but it was well past midday. Where was the king? He was due hours ago. While it was not unlike him to keep a person waiting in this situation, he would have been there by now.

She got upset with her father stormed out of the tent. The King's retinue was standing on guard in front of the tent with her own retinue. She knew that the King had arrived. He was likely not very far off.

The Princess walked up to one of her father's trusted men, and demanded to know where King Jonathan was. He bowed and told her that the King was in the city. She thought about storming after him, but she thought better of it. She invited the man into the parlay tent. He did as requested.

"Duane McGuinness? Is that right?" she asked as she offered him a seat.

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a bow as he took the seat.

"Mr. McGuinness why are you here?"

"Because you made the invitation."

"Very good sir. What I want to know is why you are here in Nunu?"

"Because the King ordered it."

"Mr. McGuinness, I appreciate you answering my questions. There has been a bit too little of that going on lately. However, I do not appreciate you answering them with as little information as required. Be that as it may, I will ask again. What I wish to know is why the King marched upon Nunu."

"Yes Sire. It is because the King is now sovereign over this kingdom."

"Why does he feel this?"

"By treaty."

"Go on..."

"There is a treaty which states that if the former king of Nunu and his heirs were dethroned, King Jonathan would then be instilled upon the throne."

"And the King thinks this is valid."

"Yes ma'am."

"If I say that the former King was not dethroned -- but abdicated -- what then?"

"You will have to discuss that with the King."

"The King is not here. You are. Do you not speak for the King?"

"Yes sire. However, he would want to speak for himself on this matter."

"As I said before, the King is not here. What is your opinion now?"

"I believe that the former King of Nunu abdicated under duress. Thus, the treaty stands."

"Very good. Who was the treaty with?"

"The former King."

"Thus, if he no longer is around, would that nullify the treaty?"

"I see. In actuality, the treaty was negotiated for the throne of Nunu. Since the throne still exists, the treaty is still intact."

"However, it is not intact. The kingdom formerly known as Nunu no longer exists. It is now a part of Lakeland."

"It was only through aggression that this came to be."

"Ah! But it was not out of aggression but self-defense. The Kingdom on Nunu attacked Lakeland. It was the throne's own actions that led to the downfall of the sovereignty of Nunu."

"Princess, you should really be discussing this with your father."

"I would, but he is not here."

"He wished to let you sleep."

"He could wish all he wants, but I was not consulted. Thus, his representatives must speak for him until he arrives."

"But Mistress..."

"Very well, you may go fetch. However, what you will do is tell him that his treaty is no longer valid, and he should return to his Kingdom."

"I -- yes ma'am."

"Correct, that was not a request. You may go inform him."

Duane McGuinness arose and walked out of the tent. The Princess let out a smile. She liked this Mr. McGuinness. He answered questions and followed orders. She did not have to give them twice. He was a good man. She hoped the situation she put him in would not be too difficult on him.

She listened and there was a small commotion outside. She distinctly heard his voice bark out orders. She sat back and waited. She wondered how her father would respond to the order she gave. King Jonathan was not used to taking orders. However, she knew him well. She knew she had to negotiate from a point of strength, or he would walk all over her.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Six

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Six

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William stayed with his father's men during their time at the capitol. They were on a break from the peninsula's civil war. He tried not to participate in their bullying, but he dared not chastise them for it. After all, they were ruthless and cruel, but they had no reason to remain loyal to the former throne of Lakeland. For some reason, he felt a connection with the men.

Nonetheless, it was apparent to him that these men were after their own power. They had a form of respect. It was out of fear, but no one questioned their power. Whatever these men wanted, they took. No one even questioned it. This amazed the Prince. These men had garnered a reputation in a very short time. Further, they took advantage of this fear.

After a few weeks, the men stated that they had to get back to business. The war was not over, there was simply an armistice. The negotiation period was over, and the fighting may return. They asked the Prince to join them. He declined the generous offer. When they insisted, he joined them.

The Prince left his aircar behind, and traveled in one of the other vehicles. He felt that traveling with them made more sense than attempting to follow. Further, he did not think he could escape them with his own vehicle. So, he just went along for the ride.

As the men traveled south, the damage from the war was much more apparent. There were still corpses lying out in the open. Further, there were bodies hung on poles as a warning to others. There was much cruelty in this war, and the Prince was stepping right into the middle of it.

After several hours of driving, the convoy of aircars pulled up to a compound. The guard waved them right through. They traveled to the center of the compound where an open spot for them was waiting. It was near a large makeshift building with a few guards protecting the entrance.

The group walked right past the guard and broke into a negotiation session. The reaction in the room was the same as in the bar. The tension level rose to a great extent. Even the leaders of the opposing factions feared these men.

"Times up!" the leader of Prince William's group said.

There were lots of But and we need more time, but the smart ones scrambled out of the room. The Prince was not sure what they were going to do. They did not have any firing weapons to just open fire on the negotiating parties. However, he noticed that they had not even drawn what weapons they had. Instead, the men started a big brawl in the midst of this negotiation room. Apparently, they did not want to kill the men they were fighting. At least, not kill them quickly. They wanted to take their time. That is why they did not simply open fire with some sort of gun.

A few men eventually drew knives. However, more regularly they used their bare hands. These men were outnumbered by 5 to 1, but the individuals at this meeting were not match for these seasoned fighting men. Further, the men did not discriminate. They were fighting everyone in the room. If an individual was in the room before they got there, they were a target. When the fighting was over, they outright killed 3 men and left dozens more injured.

When the fighting was finished, the leader spoke to the remaining conscious people.

"Diplomats!" he shouted. "This is Prince William Thorbjornson! He is your new king! If you have any questions, we will be happy to hear them."

This announcement stunned Prince William. Just like everyone, he feared these men. He did not expect them to instill him in power. He thought they would take it for themselves. He was not sure how far their loyalty went. It turned out they were still loyal, and still considered him worthy of rule. It was quite a surprise.

The thought of having his own kingdom left the Prince reeling. It is what he fantasized about for years. Now he was close to it becoming a reality. The only drawback was he would be beholding to these brutes. He was not sure whether he could live with the situation -- both literally and figuratively.

He stood there gazing off into space as the men continued to negotiate with the surviving individuals in the room. Eventually, they all agreed to pass along the proposal. They would inform their constituents of the situation. However, the Prince did not hear any of the conversations. He was living in his own world.

When the room cleared out, he was still standing there looking off. One of the men shook him out of his daydream. He asked what happened, and the men replied. The peninsula civil war may be over, but the factions would have to accept the offer before them. The men explained that it was not likely that they would. Hence, there would likely be more fighting. It seem to the Prince that this was what these men hoped.

This revelation knocked some sense into him. He thought they wished to instill him as sovereign. However, what they really wanted was to present an unacceptable offer to all parties. In this way, the war would continue. Reality smacked the Prince in the face again. He asked what happens next.

They would give the factions a couple of days to decide. If they rejected the offer, the war would continue. If they accepted, they did not know what would happen. They had never thought that they would accept the Prince as their king. Thus, they did not know what to expect should the parties accept the offer and end the war.

The men patted the Prince on the back and escorted him to a nearby pub. In this way, it was no different here than it was in the capitol. The men did what they wanted, and no one asked questions. The Prince began to get used to the situation. He had a group of very powerful men who surrounded him. They seemed to respect him. At the very least, they accepted his company.

He loosened up and began acting more regal. This delighted the group. He did not know anyone there, so he did not feel bad about abusing them. He made orders, and expected them to be fulfilled without question. Soon, he was drunk with his new found power. However, like everything in his life, it could not last forever.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Five

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Five

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Princess Angelina woke up in a strange bed. She wondered what had happened. The last thing she remembered was a sharp pain in left her shoulder. She relived that pain when she touched that shoulder. She realized that it was now bandaged, and her left arm was immobilized.

Her wrappings made it difficult to get out of the bed, but she tried. A nurse noticed her struggles and came over to put her back in bed. It was a good thing because when the Princess stood -- from her perspective -- the room spun in circles. The nurse caught her before she hit the floor.

"Rest easy," he said.

"Where -- am -- I?" the Princess said weakly.

"You are safe," the nurse replied.

"It did not ask how I was," returned the Princess more strongly. "I asked where I was!"

"Sorry sire!" he replied with a bow. "You are in the castle of Nunu."

"What am I doing here?"

"Lakeland forces have captured the city. The doctors thought you would be more comfortable here."

"How long have I been out?"

"According to your chart," he replied looking at the clipboard.

"Just tell me."

"Approximately 16 hours sire."

"Where are the other injured?"

"They are in the castle's infirmary."

"Take me to them."

"But..."

"That was not a request."

"I do not..."

The nurse ran out of the room before he finished the sentence. A short while later another person entered. He was the doctor.

"Sire," the doctor began. "You need your rest."

"I will rest with the rest of the soldiers."

"But sire."

"That was not a request."

"Yes sire."

The doctor left with a bow. A few moments later he brought back the nurse and an orderly. The orderly was pushing a gurney. The pair carefully slid the Princess onto the gurney. The sides were raised, and the orderly pushed her out of the room.

She was pushed into a room crowded with injured soldiers. They cheered as she entered and waved. There was barely any room for her gurney, but a small space was made for her. The orderly raised her head a bit, and she could look out over the room.

"Thank you," she said to the orderly.

He did not say anything, but gave a bow.

"Well done!" the Princess said to the room.

More cheers went out. She looked around the room at the injured troops. Their faces brightened up by her being there. This also brightened her up.

"I must say, you are the best fighting force in the world!"

The cheers were much louder now. There were several bright smiles. Even some of the gravely injured soldiers beamed considerably.

"The doctor said we must rest. While I take no orders from anyone..."

The room erupted interrupting her comment. The Princess waited for the patients to quiet before she continued.

"As I was saying, I take no orders from anyone, but I have taken the doctors request under advisement. I recommend you do the same."

"Yes Sire!" the injured soldiers replied.

With that, the Princess closed her eyes and managed to sleep some more. A few hours later she was awakened by someone moving her bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked the orderly.

"I was told to move you to more private quarters."

"You will do no such thing!"

"But..."

"You tell the person who told you to move me to come see me immediately."

"Yes Sire!" the orderly replied with a bow.

He left her in the middle of the aisle and immediately ran off. A short while later, he returned with a somewhat official looking gentleman. She did not know the man, but gave him a very stern look. The man almost collapsed into his bow.

"Who are you?" the Princess asked.

"I was the king's man for many years," the man replied while looking at the floor. "I run this castle."

"What is it with everyone suddenly? I did not ask you what you did, I asked you who you were."

"My name is Jonathan Helmsley sire."

"Mr. Helmsley, on whose authority did you use to move me from this room?"

"Ummmmm," he began meekly. "I just thought that you would be more comfortable..."

"Stop!" the Princess interrupted. "Did you not understand my question?"

"Yes sire."

"What was it?"

"You asked whose authority I used."

"And?"

"It was my own sire, but ..."

"So you were used your own authority over my own wishes."

"It is just..."

"Mr. Helmsley you worked for the previous King, and you likely had a fair bit of power in running this castle. Is that correct?"

"Yes sire."

"Those days are over."

"As you wish sire."

"If there is space in this place where individuals can be made more comfortable, then these men here deserve it more than I. Thus, what you will do is prepare those places for as many people as can be fitted comfortably. Do you understand?"

"Yes sire."

"Anything else?"

"No sire."

"Push me back to my spot, and then you may go."

"Yes sire."

Jonathan did as he was told and pushed the Princess back to her spot. He gave a deep bow, and left the room. She got out of her bed, and went around to the men. She wanted to personally thank each of them. However, she was quite weak. She had to fight the tunnel vision as she first got out of bed.

She stood with her eyes closed for a few moments and then went to talk to the person in the cot next to her. She asked about his injuries, where he was from, and got to know him a little bit. Then she thanked him for what he had done for her. She then got up and talked to the next man.

A nurse thought about approaching her and advising her to go back to bed. However, instead she went to find the doctor. The doctor came in with a stern look on his face. The Princess return the look, and the doctor backed down.

"Sire please!" the doctor begged.

"I am tired of resting," the Princess explained.

"But sire..."

"These men fought for me," the Princess interrupted. "The least I can do is talk to them. It is not too strenuous; I promise."

"I will get you a wheeled chair."

"Very good."

The doctor returned, with an office-type chair with wheels. It was not what she expected, but it was well received. With her arm the way it was, she would not be able to get around on the chair she was expecting. The Princess thanked him for his kindness and ingenuity.

She was talking to one of the men on her chair when one of her generals entered.

"Sire," he said as he got on one knee.

"Yes?" the Princess answered.

"I have grave news."

"What is it?"

"An army is marching from the west."

"What!" she exclaimed. "Whose army?"

"We believe it is your father's."

"Why would my father be marching here?"

"Apparently he had a treaty with the Kingdom of Nunu."

"He did?"

"It is our belief that he is coming here because we attacked the Kingdom."

"So, you think there may be another battle here."

"Yes sire."

"Prepare the men!"

"Yes sire."

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Four

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Four

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Prince William spent several weeks exploring the capitol city of the Pirate Peninsula. He frequented the bar he found on the first day. He became friendly with the bartender, and she became friendly with him. It seemed that all of the strife raging around the world and the city avoided him.

The hotel seemed abandoned. He stayed at the same room every night. At no time was their anyone at the desk. In fact, he never ran into another person at the hotel. He felt that it was an odd situation, but these were odd times. For the first time in a long time, he enjoy himself. However, he knew that would not last forever.

He was enjoying some time with his favorite bartender when a familiar face walked into the bar. One of the men that accompanied King Thorbjorn in prison entered the establishment. An eerie quiet spread through the room. Several people ran out the back door. The bartender froze. She stared at the man in fear.

His father's man scanned the place for threats. He looked around but did not pause on any one person. He did not appear to see the Prince, or at least recognize him. The tension did not leave the room as he walked out. A few moments later, he returned with a group of six men. The man at the center was another one of his father's men. They sat at a table in the corner, but every person faced outward.

One of the men waved at the bartender and she warily walked over to the table. Someone made a joke, probably at her expense, and they all laughed. The bartender did not even smirk. They each placed their orders and she rushed back to fill them. The men sat and talked as their orders were filled.

A small amount of calm re-emerged in the place. The bartender did not relax, but the patrons began to return to normal. However, without being able to converse with the bartender, the Prince decided to leave. Before he left, he heard, "Prince William!"

He thought about ignoring it. He thought he would just walk out as if he did not hear. However, as he opened the door he saw another familiar face guarding a fleet of vehicles. Hence, he decided to look at who called him.

"Oh!" the Prince said with a bit of mock surprise. "It's you!"

"You are alive! What do you know!" shouted one of the men.

"Come join us," insisted another.

"Well, I..." began the Prince.

"I insist," stated the leader of the group.

With that, the Prince sat with the men. The bartender gasped in horror when she noticed her friend sitting with these men. The Prince knew that he and the bartender could never return to the way it was. His time enjoying her company was over. With the friendly talk and the smiles, she would never trust him again. The Prince felt a little sad about that.

The men detailed the events of the weeks after he left. They talked about the riots and the fighting. They told the stories of a large force that came to the prison to break their comrades out. This is how they got out and the prison was destroyed. There were stories of fights and the grab for power.

While the assassination of the governor was well planned, the succession was not. The man who planned the thing assumed that he would be instilled in power. That assumption cost him his life. This resulted in near complete chaos. Many people wanted to have the power of the state. Each faction faced off against each other. There were regular battles. The civil war had begun.

The men stated that they had allied with Scott Richards. He was one of the local aristocrats and had gathered a formidable army. They believed that he had the best chance at coalescing power. That is why they joined him. They told stories of their battles. They bragged of their glorious victories. They came back to the capitol to relax for a while. That is what they were doing there at the bar.

Just like that, Prince William was caught up in the activities of the peninsula. He talked about his adventures. He spoke of the wars raging on in and around Lakeland. He talked about the treachery of Prince Bjorn and the assassination of the King. He talked about how Princess Angelina had been swept into power over all of Lakeland after the civil war and death of Bjorn.

After all that his people had gone through, he felt it better to leave than to make a claim to the throne. After all, he was in the wilderness making his way back when the war ended. No one knew he was alive. He made it sound like he entered the peninsula for exile rather than facing off with the people of Lakeland. The men seemed to buy it.

The men drank a few more drinks and laughed heartily. The bartender was haggard by the time they left. They did not pay for a single thing. They just enjoyed themselves and walked out. She worked hard, but got nothing in return except harassment.

They all walked over to the hotel where the Prince had been staying. They opened a locked drawer and each got a room key. The Prince asked for the key to his room. He now understood things better. These men took whatever they wanted. Who knows what happened to those who disobeyed. They likely died. It was also most probably a terrible death. He was mostly sure that is what happened innkeeper.

These men were much more dangerous than they were under King Thorbjorn. They had become ruthless and cruel. Nevertheless, he was now a part of their group. They had an allegiance to him, and they would likely treat him with respect. However, that did not make them any less dangerous. He did not know if they would turn on him. He hoped he would live long enough to find out how loyal they were to the family.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Three

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Three

By Douglas E. Gogerty

With the Maritime Kingdom's army marching towards them, Princess Angelina's forces gathered together. The generals determined the best location to engage the incoming army. The incoming army was not completely unexpected, so the Princess's army was quickly in fighting order.

The Princess and her generals decided to abandon the siege of the city, and pull all of their forces south of the Nunu capitol city. In this way, they would not have to worry about the Nunu forces flanking them. While this would allow the Nunu army and the Maritime army to join forces, at least the Lakeland army would have a place to retreat. Further, they could find out what the Maritime Kingdom's plans were.

The Princess watched from a safe distance as the Maritime forces marched unaccosted into the Nunu's fortified capitol city. The Princess felt that it was fortunate that both armies were now within the city's fortifications. The Princess gave the order for the Lakeland army to close off all of the exits. In this way, they trapped both armies inside the city. The Lakeland forces returned to their siege of the city.

In an effort to escape the city, the armies within the city tested the strength of the Lakeland resolve. Fighting broke out at the entrances to the city. However, these entrances were choke points, and few soldiers could engage each other in combat. With the Maritime kingdom new to the surroundings, they did not fully utilize the Nunu defenses. Thus, the Lakeland forces did well in enclosing them in the city.

The trebuchets resumed their assault on the city's interior. The Lakeland forces continued to leave the walls untouched. The Princess had several soldiers watching to make sure no one climbed over the walls. They wanted to trap the armies inside rather than engage them on the field. With even more individuals inside the city, the resources would not last very long.

The bodies of Nunu, Maritime, and Lakeland forces began to clog the entry ways. Eventually, the communication between the Nunu and Maritime forces allowed a greater use of the city's defenses. Thus, the tide turned in their favor. However, the Lakeland forces used the corpses to further clog the entryway as they backed away. The engagement between the two forces became even more limited.

Gunfire erupted from defensive holes in the walls. The Maritime army shot their guns from the walls to further drive the Lakeland forces away from the entrance. The Lakeland army was forced into using its turtle shell type defense shield. It was a heavy steal roof that took 14 soldiers to move. It pushed the bullets aside, but was quite unwieldy. The Lakeland forces put several of these at the entrances to shield several hundred soldiers. These fortifications supported enough soldiers to keep the entry blockades in place.

The fighting became even more intensified. While the Maritime army was not used to the surroundings, they were quite well drilled. They continued to fight against the Lakeland forces. The entrances became slick and red with blood. However, the Nunu and Maritime armies were trapped inside the city. Nothing they did broke them free from the Lakeland forces.

Princess Angelina went to the entries to cheer on the soldiers. This was unheard of in Lakeland history. The generals attempted to prevent her from going, but she wanted to personally urge the fighting. With each visit, the soldiers pushed harder. The Maritime soldiers took the brunt of the surges as they piled up in front of the entry gates.

The Lakeland soldiers stacked each enemy corpse in the way. If the Maritime or Nunu soldiers wanted better access for fighting, they had to put the bodies inside the city walls. This would also work to the advantage of the Lakeland army when they began to rot. The situation was working in Lakeland's favor in most regards. The Princess urged the men on to continue to press the advantage.

A Maritime soldier noticed the Princess and formed a plan. In her finery, she was quite out of place. Thus, he knew she must be important. Therefore, he had soldiers target her. The gunfire became less random and more directed. The Princess felt the danger. However, instead of shrinking for the danger, she urged her soldiers even more. They stepped up to protect her. The battle grew greatly in intensity. The soldiers in the city fell with more regularity.

The trebuchets also increased their fire. The flaming bales became more effective. Those at the gate were able to direct the fire a little bit more. Thus, several interior buildings were set ablaze. They were quickly extinguished, but precious water was used. If the trapped armies were unable to break free, their resources would be quickly diminished.

It was just about dusk when the Nunu and Maritime armies retreated. The roar of battle suddenly became silent. An eerie silence fell over the entry gates. The Princess urged caution. The lull in violence could make the soldiers drop their guards. The Princess stated that is how tragedy strikes. Her army kept a careful watch.

Suddenly a shot rang out, and the Princess fell. Chaos ensued. The Lakeland troops stormed into the city. They lost all discipline. The Nunu and Maritime soldiers were overwhelmed by the siege. The Lakeland troops slaughtered anyone they came across. The sudden surge caught everyone off guard, and just as quickly as it started it ended. Thousands of dead soldiers littered the court yard. Few of them were from Lakeland. The Maritime and Nunu army quickly surrendered. They were not prepared for such a strong push at that time.

The King of Nunu was captured, and brought before the generals. The fight for Nunu was over, but the cost was high. So many dead soldiers scattered around the city. The Maritime generals knew they made a mistake in entering the city, and it cost them deeply.

However, what happened to the Princess. All of the soldiers asked when the fighting ended. In the confusion, a group of soldiers carried the Princess to the hospital. The uninjured were barred from entering the hospital. Thus, few knew what had happened to the Princess. Further, the doctors were too busy with the wounded to give any updates. Thus, everyone sat around waiting for news. It would have to wait until morning.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-Two

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-Two

By Douglas E. Gogerty

The peninsula had changed greatly since Prince William had been there last. It had only been a few weeks, but unrest can change things quickly. It seemed to him that there were riots and lots of looting. The cities he drove through were in great disarray. However, he could go nowhere else in Morica, so he had to find a place to stay.

Although the Prince thought the place was chaotic when he was last here, it seemed that it was much worse now. The governor's assassination appeared to turn the people into a raving mob. The Prince wondered who was behind it and why. He thought in passing that it was his chance for a kingdom. He tried to suppress that thought.

He headed for the capitol. He thought he would stay in the same room he had when he was working on his father's release from prison. The people who ran the place knew him, so they may be willing to rent him a room. Otherwise, he would have to find some other place, and that could be risky.

After spending another night camping, he was ready to sleep in a bed. He would easily make it to the capitol in his suncar as long as the roads were clear. The thought of being in the capitol in the midst of all of the intrigue brought the thought of kingdom back into his head. Nonetheless, he had to be cautious. He was a stranger in this land. The roadblock warned him of the dangers within the borders.

It was late morning when he arrived in the capitol. It had definitely been a war zone. The destruction was massive. The road was still passable, but there was debris everywhere. The Prince continued to drive cautiously. Winding his way around the wreckage on the road, he made it to the capitol building. It was demolished. The prison that held his father, was a pile of rubble. That filled him with dread.

He drove the short distance to the hotel that he had stayed. Remarkably, it was still standing. He drove up to it and parked. He cautiously entered the hotel. There was no one there. He looked around and called out, but there was no answer. He waited around for a few minutes, but no one came. He continued to look around for a brief time, but the hotel did not appear to be staffed.

There were options. He could try somewhere else. He could camp out again. However, since he was there, the Prince decided to try his old room. He walked up the stairs. He tried the elevator, but he noticed there was no power in the building. He walked down the hall the room he stayed in for several weeks. He recognized the hallway and walked cautiously along in semi-darkness. He found his door and knocked.

There was no reply so he tried the door -- it was unlocked. He thought what harm could it do? Therefore, he walked in and locked the door behind him. He felt that the bed being made was a good sign the room was empty. However, it was just a guess. After all, they had a housekeeping service when he stayed there. They made the bed when he was away.

He plopped on the bed and gave out a heavy sigh. Gunfire outside awoke him from his revelry. He was not as far from the violence as he thought. Several other thoughts raced through his head. However, he felt somewhat safe in his room. It was locked, it was a few floors up, and no one knew he was there. It was a feeling he had not had for several months. He was not a cog in the turnings of this state.

He listened for more gunfire, but he heard nothing. As he listened, he fell asleep. It was a fitful and restful sleep. It was another thing he had not felt for quite some time. He felt refreshed when he awoke from his short nap. It was time to find some food. It was around lunch time. He thought about dipping into his supplies, but then he thought he would have a look around. Thus, he would wander around and look for someplace to eat. He could also discover what was happening around the capitol.

He messed up the bed as a sort of signal to himself. If it was as he left it, then he would feel better about it being empty. If it were made, then he would worry about the situation a bit more.

He left the room and began spiraling away from the hotel. He left his car where he parked it, and simply walked around getting farther and farther from the hotel. Eventually, he ended up at the only open place he could find. It was a bar a few blocks away from both the hotel and the capitol building.

He asked the bartender if they served food.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I am just a bit hungry," replied the Prince. "If you offered some sort of sandwich or something...."

"If you got money -- we got food," she replied with as surly a voice as she could muster.

"What kind of money do you accept?"

"What kind do you have?"

"I do not have any local currency, but I have some Lakeland coins."

"The local currency -- as you call it -- is worthless. How much Lakeland money do you have?"

"I have enough for a sandwich and a drink."

"We probably could get a ham and cheese back there..."

"A what?"

"Ham and cheese..."

"What is ham?"

"You have never had ham? Well, mister sit back there...

"William."

"Well -- William -- You are in for a treat."

"Very well."

"What would you like to wash that down?"

"What do you recommend?"

"Well -- seeing as you have never had ham -- how about a beer?"

"A beer would be good."

"You have heard of beer -- but not ham?"

"I am not from around here."

"Really? I would have never guessed. How did you get passed the boarder guards?"

"My natural charm..."

"Hah! We'll get right on that sandwich."

The bartender poured the Prince a beer. It was a dark bitter drink. It was not like the week watery stuff that was brewed at the castle. However, he enjoyed it. He loosened up a bit more and flirted more intently with the bartender. After several minutes she brought him his sandwich. It was just like the bacon sandwich he had back home. He wondered what other differences there were in the language.

"Reunited..." - Chapter Sixty-One

Reunited...

Chapter Sixty-One

By Douglas E. Gogerty

Princess Angelina's army continued to march towards the capitol of the Kingdom of Nunu. There were occasional skirmishes, but the main Nunu force was nowhere to be found. Hence, the Lakeland army continued their march. However, they were really uneasy about the situation.

Scouts continued to fan out in every direction. The generals continued to worry about being surrounded. Thus, they had many soldiers looking on the roads in front of them, behind them, and in every direction. They did not want to assume that the entire Nunu army would be waiting for them at the capitol. Nonetheless, the closer they got to that city, the more apparent it became that this was the situation.

Nunu was the weakest of the allied kingdoms. Traditionally, they had more trouble with internal strife than with anything else. Thus, they could never garner a strong army. Their armies were generally split in two and fought each other. The surrounding kingdoms were fine with this situation. Kaanfed and the Maritime Kingdoms enjoyed the buffer as long as the internal strife did not spill into their own kingdoms.

Therefore, it became more and more apparent that the King of Nunu pulled all of his troops back in an effort to protect him. This was a common occurrence with the Nunu forces. The Lakeland generals became more confident of this with each report from the scouts. It appeared that the Lakeland forces would have to siege the capitol city. The Lakeland army would not have to meet Nunu on some field of battle, and this suited them fine.

After weeks of marching, they made it to the capitol city. They continued to scout around for any encampments of soldiers. They wanted to be sure they would not be outflanked. As they approached the city, it was clear that it was bustling with soldiers. The generals gave the order to the Lakeland army to keep their distance. They did not want to get too close to the city's defenses. It would not do to slowly lose soldiers. At least, they did not want this until they were ready.

The capitol city was ancient. Legend has it, which the king fully supported, that the city's inhabitants used to hunt the leviathans of the sea. The town prospered on such hunts. Thus, the people claimed to be descended from great hunters and warriors. There was a history of a great seafaring prowess. The generals informed the Princess that even if this legend was true, Nunu had long abandoned such practices. The Princess and the generals believed that the sea would not pose a great threat to the Lakeland forces.

Nonetheless, if the Nunu citizens could get supplies from the sea, the siege would be a long one. The Lakeland army closed off all overland supply lines into the city. This was the first step in the siege. There would be no supplies entering the city by the roads. Those citizens and soldiers in the city would have to survive on any rations that were gathered before the Lakeland army arrived.

Once the guard was set for watching the roads, the construction of siege equipment began. Once again, if it were not necessary, the Lakeland army would not use gunpowder. Those watching the roads would be free to use any weapon at their disposal. However, there would be a limited supply of gunpowder. Thus, other weapons would be used to push the siege.

The Princess told her generals to start the gunpowder manufacture process as soon as feasible. If the siege took a long time, they would need it. If it were a short siege, then they could use the new supply of gunpowder against the Maritime Kingdom. Hence, some of the soldiers were sent on gathering the supplies for gunpowder manufacture.

The first weapons constructed were the trebuchets. These could throw items into the town square. Further, they could be set well outside the range of the city's small arms fire. The arrows and bullets were very inaccurate at that range. It was unknown what type of defenses the city would use. However, the trebuchet was an effective weapon of terror and could be constructed on the spot. Hence, after a few days Lakeland had a few of these weapons hurling items into the city. They tossed rocks and bales of dry grass which had been set ablaze.

No one would know if these items did any damage until after the Lakeland army entered the city. However, the generals assured the Princess that these weapons would frighten the city's inhabitants. Further, if the siege drug on, these weapons could be used to toss gunpowder bombs. Thus, these trebuchets would be a very effective long range weapon no matter the circumstance.

The Princess ordered the scouts to bring back reports of items that could be thrown. Thus, the collection of projectiles began in earnest. Rocks, logs, grass, and other items could be tossed into the town square. If the siege worked as planned, the city would surrender with little bloodshed. The citizens would give up when they realized there was little their army could do against these types of attacks. Further, as the food dwindled, the townspeople would get restless.

The Princess believed that Lakeland had plenty of time to press the siege. From every indication, the entire Nunu army was in the city. Thus, the supplies of the city would be stretched even further. Hence, it should not be too long for unrest to build in the city. However, the Lakeland soldiers were kept busy collecting items. There were also drills and scouting to be done. The watch on the road was also important. Thus, the Lakeland army settled into a routine of sorts.

This all came to an end when one of the scouts returned with a report of a large army marching from the north. It appeared that the Maritime Kingdom was going to come to the aid of the besieged Nunu people. Time which was in such abundance a few days before, suddenly grew short.