Game of the Destiny

The hall was kept warm in the chilly weather. The soldier rolled drums making everyone aware of the arrival of King. Wymond straightened up. The golden silk cloak was waving with pride behind the beast figure of the King.

The queen's mother Ornell sits beside him. “As you know, my king. Your safety is of utmost priority to us. Keeping that in mind we had hired the best swordsman in the whole kingdom for you.” The hand of the king informed him.

“I don’t need anyone to protect me. I will kill anyone with my bare hands,” the king said showing his beast hand.

The queen mother Ornell sighs and composes herself before uttering “My sweet son, we all know about your bravery and the things you can do with your enemy, who threatens the kingdom in any way. But, we should be prepared for the things that are yet to come.”

The king's face twisted in disgust. “We also had good news, my king.” The hand of the king said sensing the riffle between them.

“At least you did something good today. All these things bored the hell out of me. What is the news?” The king said.

“The Lord in the South has sent the marriage proposal to you for his daughter.” The hand of the king announced.

“That is lovely. The most beautiful woman in the whole world for my son. Isn’t the match lovely?” The queen's mother Ornell said.

“Yes it is my queen,” the hand of the king said, agreeing with her. “The beauty of the princess has been a word around the world. Men. Brave Men. Wise Men, dying in front of her castle just to take a glimpse of her. And they also hold a good kingdom in the south. And that all will belong to you, my king.” The hand of the king said.

“We shall fix the marriage as early as possible then,” the queen mother Ornell said as the king nods in agreement.

“Now enough of this. All this talk had made me thirsty as hell,” the king said before walking out from there. The new guard followed behind the king.

Wymond guards the door as the king quenches his thirst with another round of sweet grape wine. “Another one,” the king roared, throwing the copper glass down. A woman was sitting in his bed. One of the finest ladies in the profession. All the thoughts about marriage had aroused the beast inside him. Wymond comes with another cup of grape wine.

The king chugged everything down in one sip. The lady was looking straight into the eyes of the king. Eye connection is necessary for a powerful mating, his owner had told her. She split her legs wide inviting him.

Wymond stood outside the door as the king was busy with girls. That’s what he had been doing all month. Wine and girls, another glass of wine with another girl. A servant stands in front of the door with a sealed rolled-up paper.

“There is a message for the King,” he announced in front of Wymond.

Wymond took the paper and studied the seal in it. It was a bright red color eagle. The sigil of house Hastings. Wymond knocks on the door. “What is it ?” The muffled voice of the king comes.

“A message from Lord Hastings, my king,” Wymond said.

The door opened up within a minute as King snatched the letter from his hand. He was still naked as he ripped the seal from it.

“O my love of life, my sweet king, I beg your pardon if I disturb you by this message. But this is an important issue. As you know I want to marry you. The bravest of the brave, the wisest of the wise I am yours.

 As my father declared the marriage proposals he had been receiving threats from the neighbor kingdoms. The king in the east had sent us a message or rather I say threatened us to marry him or else, we all would be burned down to death. He even told us he had many supporters from other kingdoms as well. 

As you had known my love we don’t have sufficient army to tackle them. But we surely can hold them till the message receives you in good health. I am waiting for you. Your Queen waiting for you. Take me with you. I am always yours.”

************

“You are my son, my sweet son.”

“He is made for war. There is his destiny. The war. There you will find all your answers.”

“I will never allow my child to go there. Do you want him to die?”

Wymond woke up with the blankets tangled between his legs. He was soaked in sweat, the same dream. He had been having the same dream for the past 10 years.

Now is the time to unleash the truth. He is going for a war. He will find all his answers there. He dressed up in his king's guard uniform. He made sure the metal breastplate was attached properly as if it was his body part. He couldn’t take risks. What if it is true? What if I would be ..?? He couldn’t bring himself to mutter the word death.

****************************

“Have you gone mad? How could you do this?” The queen's mother Ornell shouts.

“There is no need for you to go there, my sweet son. We could send the armies. She wrote that she wanted the army we will provide them and make sure they will be protected from them.” She continued as her eyes were growing wet by each passing word.

“I am the king. His husband. She told me to take her from there. What would people think of me if I didn’t go there? A coward. And you know very well I am not a coward.” The king said as the boy tied the gold metal breastplate.

“You very well know the reason for it. I strongly believe you should not go there. You are a king. You have to order and everything will be served at your foot.” The queen's mother Ornell convinced him.

“Some gypsy told you stupid things and you believe it. She might be had an enormous amount of wine from the feast And that king of the east had dare to threaten my wife. She is going to be my wife goddamit. The world must know about the repercussion of talking things about my wife.” The king said.

*****************

King Edmund chugs half a cup of wine to energize himself. He was dressed in golden armor as his kingdom is known for gold mines. Today is the day he will take the most beautiful lady in the world as his wife. He will crush the King of the east with his bare hand. He will take out his beating heart straight from his chest and feed it to his dogs.

He walked out of his tent. The guards followed behind him. He rides his horse Wind. “Today we will prove to our enemy. Today is the day world will know, never mess with us. I want you all to fight till the last breath. Your Queen and my soon to be Wife is threatened by them. Let’s kill those bastards.” The armies roar raising the arms high up in the sky.

Wymond and the other two guards were right behind the King as he looked at the armies in front of them. It was not a small army. “Not today,” Wymond muttered to himself as they bolt toward the armies.

The swords clash, the bow stroke, the blood started to shed out. Wymond struck his sword right into the chest of the enemies' commander. He let out a loud screech as the liquid comes out from his mouth.

With each killing, Wymond gained some inner strength. As if the killing is giving him power. God is with him today. They were wrong Wymond thought before a blow comes right into the left side of his shoulder.

Wymond turned around only to be found a lord with a sword. His blood was still there on the sword. He struck his sword right into his throat.

They had won the war finally. I had destroyed my enemy. The world will remember this war. There will be songs written on behalf of me in the history of the glory and how the king had won his Queen. The most beautiful women in the whole world.

There was a huge loss from the war. With few soldiers left, that too they were covered in blood. The King walked around if someone needs to be helped. The two Kingsguard were lying lifeless with the other soldiers. Their silver armor helps him to identify them. “They couldn’t protect themselves. How can they protect me?” the King said to himself. “A king doesn’t need protection.”

The day was about to end, as something shiny blocked the king's vision. He puts his hand in front of his eyes. A pendant. Deep blue as the depth of the ocean. Sparkling as the setting sun rays landed on it. The king tried to focus on the face of the man only to be startled. It was the Kingsguard.

He walked straight at him clutching the pendant. It burned his palms. He hissed and lose his grip on the pendant. “Where did you find it?” He asked the king's guard.

“It is with me from birth,” Wymond said as he was tightly clutching his shoulder from where blood is coming out.

“Birth. So, now my hand of the king is hiring thieves and liars into the king's guard.” The king said with a distasteful face.

“I didn’t steal it, my King. It is in my neck since birth,” he said but the king doesn’t trust his word.

“You liars. Do you even know what this pendant is? The pendant's significance. And who can wear such pendants.” The King said.

“Give it to me.” The king commanded.

“No, my king. This is the only thing left of my mother. It is mine.” Wymond said clutching the pendant as if it is his mother.

“You disobedient, creature. I shall cut your head.” The king said as he raised his sword high up in the air.

“He will die in the war. Don’t you know what the fortune teller has told us.” his aunt cried clutching him close to her.

“Good. Let him die. At least we had one less. And we all have to die one day.” his husband said as his three other children were playing around his feet.

Wymond remembered his aunt's word. It is true. He can see his death right in front of him. This is it then. My end. It is true then what the fortune teller had told her.

He opened his eyes waiting for a blow, only to find a sword right through the stomach of King. “You are not a King,” a soldier said as he twisted his sword into his belly.

The King looked behind, his sword too heavy to hold. “You are a rapist. You had killed my sweet wife,” the soldier cried removing the sword and inserting it back.

The King had never thought in his life that he would die by his own soldier. He couldn’t even remember his wife. Is she a blonde one he had fun one night? Or the black hair one?

Before he could blow another time. Wymond rose up and inserted his sword right through his stomach. He collapsed as he took the name of his wife one last time.

He returned back pressing his hand into the stomach from where the blood is oozing out. The King pushed his hand back.

He roared laughing and hissed. “Did you see who killed this mighty beast?” he said to him.

“I don’t need your hand,” The king pushed his hand away.

“This is my end. I am going to die,” he said.

“My last war,” he said. “Tell the fortune teller he was right,” he said before his soul left his body as the suns set in the west.

******************

“You are a traitor. It is your duty to protect the King. You failed your duty. You deserve to die.” The Queen's mother Ornell told as anger radiated through his eyes. His only son is no more.

“Guards removed his armor and hanged him in public. Let the people know what will happen if they don’t obey their duty?” she said, the guards started removing his armor.

As the armor was removed everyone shut their eyes. The pendant radiated light too bright for the eyes to handle it.

“My king, My king,” the master said as he lowered himself to the ground.

“Master, let’s not be fooled by him. He is a liar. Your King is dead. He is just a cunning man.” Ornell said with gritted teeth.

“I am sorry, queen mother. The pendant. The pendant is missing and he had it. It has the same shine as it was before.” the master said.

“Where did you get the pendant?” the master asked.

“It was given to me from my mother when I was a child,” he answered and everyone gasped in the hall. 

“It can’t be true. He is a traitor. Take the pendant off from him.”Ornell ordered the guard. As the guard trying to snatch it, his hand gets burned.

“Stop it. It is not an ordinary pendant, you fool. Touching it will burn your hand.” the master said. “It is a royal pendant. The pendant is guarded by magical spells. Only the true heir of the throne can wear it and if anyone dares to touch them. Their hands will be burned.” the master said.

Wymond couldn’t believe his ears. Is it true? Or were they mocking him? Or is it some kind of loyalty test he thought to himself?

“Everything is written, my queen. You can’t deny the pendant. You can’t question it. He is the one. He is our King.” the master said and everyone in the halls cheered up with the finding of a new king.

*************

Wymond couldn’t believe it. What about the fortune teller? Was it true? I didn’t die in the war. Doesn’t he tell them I will die in a war? Here it is different. I am the King. How could I be a King? I had always dreamt of the Kingdom. But not a King.

How the things around him changed within a few days. There he is now with the Kingsguard. How the coin has flipped. He was right there in the uniforms a few months before and right now. He is the king.  

“A woman wanted to meet you,” the guard informed him. He was startled.

“Let her in,” he commanded. The words come out with ease.

“How is my child?” the familiar voice of the aunt makes his heart melts.

“Aunt.” The king said as he engulfed her in a brief hug.

“Look at you, my boy. You are a King now. I remember how you always dream of the Kingdom.” his aunt said.

The king let out a laugh. “What about the fortune teller? Was he lying, then?” he asked as the questions kept him away from his sleep.

His aunt's lips curved up as her eyes glowed. “No, he was right always. It was us who misinterpreted it.”

“I didn’t understand,” Wymond said.

“The fortune-teller told us that if you would go to war you will die. And you die in that war.” his aunt said.

“I am standing right in front of you aunt,” he said as he poured the wine into the shiny copper glass.

“Yes, you are standing right in front of me. But not as my child, but as a King. My child has died in the war. You are a King now. A different person. It is our mind who always thinks negatively,” his aunt said and everything makes clear to him now.

The evening of the first day as a King had gone smoothly. He looked after the account and get to know about his neighbor relations. Wymond walked toward the Queen's mother Ornell's room. She hadn’t come out for the past few weeks. She is not eating anything.

Wymond knocked on the door before entering into it. A foul smell snuggles up, the clothes were litter on the floor. It was the children's cloth.

“I don’t want anyone in my room,” Ornell barked without looking up.

“It’s me.” his voice made her snap up. She distastes his face, his presence made her cringe.

“I want you to get out of my room. Right now.” she barked.

“I just want to..” she raised her hand to stop him midsentence.

“I should have killed you. What a stupid mistake I made?” she said under her breath. “How could I be so stupid? My child is no more because of me.” she started blabbering out. Wymond couldn’t make any sense. She had lost her son. It is not easy for her.

“Have some food,” he said as the maid behind him puts the platter in front of her.

“I said to get out. I don’t want your fucking food,” she said throwing the plate high up in the air.

“You killed my child. I should have killed you when you were born. Right before your mother.” she said. 

“How stupid of me to send my maid to kill you. Here you are standing right in front of me as a King,” she said.

“You are not well. I heard you haven’t eaten anything. I know it must be hard for you. To lose your only son.” Wymond said.

“I told him to not go there. I shouldn’t have gone to the fortune teller. He had told me, my son would never be a King. And he will die in a war before his reign will begin. He knew everything. Yet he didn’t believe it. He was always rebellious.”

“I always wanted to see my child as a King. I bore him a son first but your mother. Your whore mother also bore him a son and he gave you the fucking magical pendant. That’s why I decided to kill your mother and you. And I would have killed everyone who will come in my child's way.” She said as tears started flowing out from her eyes. All those anger she had stored had burst out like a volcano today.

“I will never forgive you. It is all because of you. Now get out of my room, right now.” Ornell said clutching the tiny clothes closed to her heart.