For whom does the bell toll? For whom?

Write about a character who’s finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong dream.

The last city, the capital, is on the brink of ruin. The citiy's outskirts have been surrounded by the 4th and 6th army. The cannons still release hellish round after round upon the walls of the city. Unrelenting and sturdy, the walls give a good fight but they are no match for the cannons. Day after day they had been pounded and day after day the city of Wislik rebuilt the walls but their strength was leaving them. Trebuchets had fired diseased corpses into the inside of the city, well past the walls, and though the defenders diligently took care of the bodies, there was no hope. Too many had become infected despite their best attempts to disperse the wafting miasma that infested the roads, and eventually, the houses. 

The King of the Kingdom who was under siege, had lost all he had ever had and was facing ruin in the shape of hellish and quick spheres that pounded upon his meticulously taken care of walls. He despaired at the idea that he would soon have to let go of this city, of his crown, and most probably his life. Many times he attempted to barter a peace with the invader, but to no avail. Every time he sent out an emissary, they came back that there would be no mercy, no surrender. The Emperor had decided that this town would fall to him on his own terms.

King Ludolf looked out to the gates from one of the towers of his keeps and sighed. 

"My liege, do not despair. We can surely hold the city until reinforcements arrive. Count Viachslav has promised reinforcements and Duke Charl-"

"Damn Duke Charles!" The King spun around and screamed at his chancellor who had attempted to alleviate the pain the King no doubt felt. Baron Frul receded at the sudden outburst of rage and apologized.

"My King, forgive me, I meant no-" He stammered but Ludolf interrupted him yet again.

"No, forgive me, Frul. I am... I am just so hopeless..." Ludolf's head fell into his hands as he wiped them down as if to rid himself of the pressure, the stress, the sleeplessness and the fear within him. He took a deep breath and let his hands fall down to his sides with grace, and dignity, something he had done wit hall of his movements. Every step, every thought, every movement was calculated. Just so, was the next step he would take.

"Frul, ready Odin. I will speak to the Emperor myself and negotiate release of the city." Frul was in disbelief with an open mouth and wide eyes, but Ludolf would not repeat himself. Eventually, Frul left and Ludolf sighed as two servants entered to soon after to don his royal armor. 

The street soon filled with onlookers and many a knight proclaimed to protect him with their life on his way. He waved them all away and spoke loudly so that every commoner and citizen would hear it clearly.

"Nay, I need not any help from ye noble knights. I shall venture forth to propose release. For all of you. I must go alone." He spoke and bathed in the relief he could see on the people's eyes as he went down the shit covered and horrid smelling road. Famine had begun to grip the city and there were rumours of children and babies being slaughtered for eating. It disgusted Ludolf, so he sought to surrender the city so that these poor people could be free and survive, and that he too could perhaps escape with his own life through a clever negotiation. His white stallion was adorned with armor and impeccable in the sunlight that bathed the normally sullen and dreary street. Now in the bathing light of the sun which was due to set soon, the King seemed mystical, the thing that legends were written of.

The gates opened, though they were flanked by barely capable walls. Another cannon ball pelted into a wall nearby and flung stones onto the road and into houses, with people screaming and cursing. Immediately some soldiers ran that direction, but Ludolf did not even look. The gate opened and upon the horizon he could see, upon a slight hill, the army of the Emperor waiting and staring at the gate of the city below. Ludolf rode out, unaccompanied and unbothered, with his head held high, his breast proud. He knew that what he was doing was noble, and righteous, and he would be helping all those that served him with this act.

Soon there was shouting in the camp. The Emperor, convening with his Marshal and some knights in his tent ignored it. 

"How many more days do you reckon?" The Emperor asked his Marshal, King Gerundas.

"Emperor, I foresee this siege lasting no more than a month. The cannons should have vanquished their walls by then."

"You have a week." The Emperor replied and the King bowed, realizing at once that it was an order to do whatever necessary to take the castle within that timeframe, whatever the cost.

"Now, for the remaining campaign, this blasted rebellious peasant bastard will know the true power of the Empire least he secede this city, my city. You see, I-"

One of his most-trusted knights ran in at that moment, his nephew Borun. 

"Borun! You disturb the-"

"Uncle! Ludolf sallied forth from the castle! He is coming through the camp at this moment!"

"By the gods..." The Emperor left his tent and saw him, King Ludolf, gracefully riding through the main path of the camp towards the Emperor's tent. His fine satin cape waved in the wind, his armor glistened in the sun and his horse was large and strong. It trotted unperturbed by the various eyes of the soldiers that now lined the path to the Emperor's tent and admired the King. 

He rode up further, just before the tent, and dismounted with style and pride. He took his sword from it's scabbard and threw it to the ground with pomp and shouted out to the tent.

"Brother! I have come! End this folly at once! I surrender, not for you, not for your father, but for the Kingdom and the Empire!" Immediately thereafter Ludolf got on one knee and bowed his head. There was silence within the camp as the Emperor left his tent slowly.

The Emperor wore a simple leather armor, and his hair disheveled, unlike Ludolf's, which was golden and glistened as if there were another sun upon his head. It shone brightly, whereas the Emperor's hair was dark as the night. 

"Galindas, I beg of you, cease this foolishness at once." Ludolf spoke submitted under his breath, as the Emperor Galindas II left the tent.

Galindas laughed, and laughed, looked around at the others and they too all laughed. Everyone laughed at King Ludolf and laughed until they could laugh no more, and just when some stopped, a few others picked up, laughing from the laughter of the others.

"Ah, brother." Galindas finally replied, which Ludolf understood as a prompt to rise.

"No, do not rise, you fool." Galindas continued "You call me a brother? Do you? Do not answer that." Galindas began to walk around Ludolf as he continued.

"Did you call me a brother, when you attempted to have me murdered in the forest when I was merely ten years old?"

"Brother, I..." Ludolf stammered.

"Silence!" Galindas screamed at him, his face red. Galindas became louder.

"You foolish prick! Will you blame father? All because he preferred me to become Emperor over you? Merely for the reason that you are my elder? He designated me heir, Ludolf! Me! Do you see why he did that?"

"I do, brother, I do, please I-"

"Did I offer you to speak? You cretin? Listen to me brother! And listen well!" Galindas unsheathed his sword and waved it about, lightly thought it was not light, and quickly though it was cumbersome. Galindas felt invigorated unlike anything ever before.

Galindas laughed before he continued "Your mother poisoned you, step-brother. Though we share the same father, we were never brothers. You always shunned me. You never wanted to play with me. You never wanted anything to do with me. Do you think I forgot the attempt on my life when you tried to have me poisoned? Or when you told me to clean the tower gutters? Or the time that my carriage back to father's was ambushed by "bandits"? Bandits, Ludolf! I was already a young man at that time, and it was the first time I spilled blood you see. I cut off his fingers until he told me who sent you. Took me six fingers, Ludolf. Six! Can you imagine? The poor fool died for you. And look at the city, look at our father's city how you left it you dog!" Galindas pointed toward the city with his sword and waited until Ludolf moved. He did not inch, but tears fell from Ludolf's face.

"Galindas, please... I beg of you..." Ludolf spouted under tears and sobs.

"No, no, no, no. No... No Ludolf. I begged of you. I begged time and time again. It is too late, Ludolf. It is too late." Galindas walked to the side of Ludolf and began to cry as well.

"I begged you so often to forgive me, Ludolf. I pleaded to you, I had my mother plead to you, I had my sister plead to you, my wife pleaded to you. You did not relent, Ludolf. I am not the rebel, Ludolf. I am not the fool, now, Ludolf. It is too late. It is too late... It is too late..." Galindas raised his sword and screamed and even as Ludolf's head fell to the ground, eyes wide apart and mouth agape, as Ludolf's own body collapsed to the floor, Galindas did not stop screaming. All stood in silence, save for that scream, that echoed all throughout the camp and into the city, and would echo into history.

The siege was over.