Otherwise, it may just be the death of you.”
Helenia drank the tea slowly, rubbing her head with her other hand.
Bang…
Another loud rumble almost sent the tea flying out of her grasp.
“What is that? Are we safe here?” asked Helenia, her voice breaking in panic.
Andrielle clenched her fists and spoke through hardened lips. “Unfortunately, none of us are safe here anymore, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to just sit still in here and wait for any of us to be killed by that foul excuse of a woman, Kassina.'
She marched toward her door and yelled, “General Faowind!”
The door almost immediately burst open, and for the first time Helenia laid her eyes on the awaiting elven and human joint army in formation outside of their door.
“Oh my goodness, we are actually ready for war!” exclaimed Helenia.
Faowind bowed. “Your orders, my Queen?”
“General Faowind, are our forces prepared to move out?”
Faowind beamed with pride. “Of course they are, my Queen. Archers are ready with plenty of arrows, our soldiers with the burst shooters are ready, and our knights will accompany us in battle on horseback.'
Bang…
A rather large rumble sent dust flying through the room. Helenia returned to her feet and snatched her sword from beside her bed, readying it by her side.
“We have very little time now, Faowind,” said Andrielle, “and I want you to help me with my armour. Are our horses readied?”
Faowind responded as he entered the room dragging a heavy cart covered in a royal silk blanket. “The horses are armoured and waiting outside, and Your Highness’s royal battle armour and cleaned sword are already here.” Faowind started to pull out Andrielle’s armour and quickly dressed his queen, taking care with each piece.
Trisa approached Andrielle with soft steps. She bowed and asked softly, “Great Queen, I may be a healer by trade, but I would serve you well on the battlefield and am handy with any weapon. Please allow me the great honour to ride with you into battle, and I will tend to you and your party in the event that you are wounded.'
Andrielle only blinked before answering, “Your request is granted, Trisa. We need all the help we can get. Faowind will bring you one of our few reserve horses and a spare sword. However, we are well and truly out of armour, so I would suggest avoiding battle as much as possible.'
Bang…
Another rumble knocked over the cart of royal armour. Helenia helped Faowind lift the cart off the ground and growled, 'I can't wait to put a blade through that bitch.'
Faowind smiled. “You may just get that chance. They are getting closer.'
He gently slid Andrielle’s helm over her head, covering and protecting most of her face, save her eyes. She turned her attention to Helenia and was quite a sight to behold, even for her daughter. The royal battle armour was the prized possession of any elven royal who was privileged enough to wear it. Helenia would inherit her mother’s armour upon her ascension to the throne, but had specially made armour of her own to tide her over. The queen’s armour shone gloriously, and was set with jewels imbued with magical power that she could tap into during battle. Her helm connected to golden scales that draped over her shoulders, and the face of a dragon was carved into the shiny metal of her face plate.
“Faowind, if you would please fit my reserve helm onto Helenia?” she asked with a knowing smile.
Helenia suddenly realised that she would finally have her wish granted. Faowind stood close behind her and slid the heavy helm over her head. Andrielle’s reserve helm was identical to her first, but bore the carved face of a hawk.
Helenia stuttered as her face paled. “Thank you, mother. I–I will not let you down.'
“I know you wouldn't. But you will stay close to either myself or Faowind. Nothing is for certain when we reach the battlefield. You have to be prepared for anything. Is that clear?” said Andrielle, raising her sword.
“Of course, as clear as crystal waters,” replied Helenia.
Faowind pulled a slightly beaten sword from the cart and handed it to Trisa. They all joined their queen in raising their swords together.
Bang…
Another rumble sent plates crashing to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. They all swayed with the force of the impact.
Andrielle spoke again. “In the touching of our swords, we become as one. This is our first and last stand. We have nowhere else to run and we will no longer hide. Our forces will combine our strengths and we will win this day on the battlefield, or die trying. Let us touch swords now.”
In a circle, they touched their swords at the tips, the ceiling of the house lighting up with reflections of forged metal.
Andrielle's voice was firm as she continued. “Victory will be had, or death shall be embraced. For all that is pure!”
“For all that is pure!” they chanted.
They sheathed their swords in unison and took a moment to look each other in the eyes. Fear was overtaken by necessity, and necessity finally turned into determination.
“We all know what we have to do, so let’s go and get it done,” said Andrielle with a nod.
They walked out the door together and made their way to their waiting horses. Andrielle’s army was quite a sight to behold, and covered the majority of the city’s grounds. Mounted on horseback, Andrielle, Helenia and Faowind approached the front ranks of their awaiting men and women. The Knights of the Elves made their way behind their queen.
Some of the army’s soldiers were barely in their teens, yet they held swords and other weapons in their growing hands with the same confidence as their elders. Andrielle lifted her face guard to greet her people face to face.
“The great and honourable Elven Queen, Andrielle!” cried Faowind.
The army responded as one, moving to an attentive stance and speaking with an almost deafening unified voice.
“For the queen!” they screamed, stomping their feet into the ground and banging their swords against their shields.
Bang…
A burning tree tore through the canopy, crashing into a now-empty barracks and setting it alight as if it were a wick for a candle. Unaffected by the interruption, Andrielle addressed her waiting army.
“I welcome all of you, brave souls. Some of you have come from faraway lands to join our fight here today, to join the most important fight of our lifetime. We stand here together, unified against the darkness that shadows over us. We stand here to say that we will live in fear no longer! Today, you will not bow to me as your queen, and I ask for no favouritism. On this day, we will shed blood together, standing shoulder to shoulder. And on this day, we shall be triumphant as equals!” said Andrielle.
The mass of soldiers smashed their shields into the ground, while still holding their disciplined stance. Andrielle spun her horse around and faced the direction from which the burning trees were thrown — Kassina’s direction. She turned her face back to her army and continued.
“Kassina and the Dark Army would love for us all to cower in fear until they can pick us off and destroy us all. Our allies, the dragons, have already begun the battle, and we will help them to win the war! We will not bow to her dark wishes. We will take the fight right to that heartless wench’s lips and tell her, as her armies fall to the ground around her, that we are unafraid!'
Andrielle’s army began a rhythmic beat with their weapons and shields, their hearts racing with adrenaline. Andrielle drew her sword, and slammed her face guard into place with its hilt. She pointed forward through the trees that began to part and open a path for the army to enter.
“Onward to victory!” she screamed.
“To victory!” they all began to chant.
The ground trembled with the movement of Andrielle’s army as they began their march towards Kassina’s waiting Forces of Darkness.
