chapter 37

Duke Williams's heart almost bulged, out of angered. "is that what Ephraim taught you, to insult a man old enough to be your grand father".

"When a child reminds an elder of the laws, it is termed an insult because he was supposed to teach the laws to the child".

The Duke kept stepping away from her. He signaled for a sword to be given to him. He was a brave warrior too.

"My father trusted you but you were deceiving him all along. With is wives and his throne. you traitors". She attacked again and he evade.

The sword was give to him by Donald. Eleanor slit his arm. The very hand he used to give a sword to the self made king.

The Duke held the sword in his right hand, letting his left stirred his balance as he kept moving round in her direction.

"Your father was an old man who only wanted to secure the throne for you. That was why he neglected his wives that made them run to me. It was a win win situation. They granted my request and I, theirs in turn".

Princess Eleanor turned to them. "You shameless queens betraying your own husband without remorse. Even for a second you could not mourned his death. If he treated you badly, you wouldn't be walking on the grounds of Golden Hill as queen's when he was still alive.

You would have been in the dungeons as slaves but he gave to you what he never dashed other women not his wives. You let your jealousy for my late mother cover the kindness of your late husband towards you. Both of you". She points her sword at them.

Queen Daniella was touched by her words. She looked down. She had an inched of remorse and a bunch of frustration crested on her face. Meanwhile queen Charlene was giving her killer stares.

"Your father deserved everything he got". Duke Williams said.

" You now addressed him as my father". Princess Eleanor laughed out.

"You know, I'm sure you have a hand in his demise. And you" she point the sword again at Queen Daniella. "You are a serpent in disguise. I really thought you were different. But now I know that you are worst".

"Enough !" Queen Charlene said . "You little pervert!". She stressed the pervert that if it were a life it would die. She descended the stairs to where Eleanor was.

"Your mother took away my happiness. She took away the love of my life the day he found her in that dungeon called a blacksmith's shop.

I was engaged to your father but she took my place as first. He married that thing before me. It didn't end there. He didn't regard me or my love for him. I have suffered in silence.

Then again she gave birth to you. When I heard she died I thought I would have my husband back but no he channeled all the love to you.

Queen Charlene smirked and gulped. Airing out her frustration to this little girl seem weird to her but they was none other than her who was fit to hear the details. She continues "He left me miserable. Making me feel like a fool for loving him".

"You didn't love him. You loved the crown you acquired through the marriage. The power you commanded". Eleanor interjected.

"I loved him". The queen screamed and clenched her teeth. "What do you know about love when you were bundled to a good man who turned into a monster because of you".

Eleanor wondered why she called her husband a good man. When all he has shown to her was nothing but wickedness. Even when she was in his kingdom, Mistletoe… she heard a lot of them praised his good deeds and they were ready to swear with their lives that Kate accused him wrongly when the story of Kate reporting prince Raymond to his father leaked.

"was that why you sent your father to killed the pregnant woman in the woods and framed king Ephraim up just to forced you on him?". Eleanor said. She had to let the queen know that she had some powerful information too.

Queen Charlene was shocked. Her lips were parted but she couldn't voiced out.

"you are surprised I know this" Eleanor was the first to let her know she knew what they did in secret.

Secret can not be hidden for ever. The truth must be revealed someday. No matter how long.

It was because of this agreement that the king entered with her father, sir Phillips that made her near royalty. If not, she would have been some wretched commoner's mistress.

Every body in the hall were listening. Since Eleanor swung her sword at the king. None has reclined. They were all seated at the edges of their chairs ready to sprint if need be.

Queen Charlene was not going to back down. "My father did what he did because he needed the best for me. And I did what I did because I wanted to be with him. But". She stiffen her self and forced her head to moved to her left shoulder. Very slowly

"He threw back my love to my face without consideration". She turned to looked at the duke.

" However Duke William came around".

The Duke make a face for the queen for calling him a Duke.

"forgive me my king.." she bowed. Eleanor smirk painfully for such nonsense.

" Yes king Williams is my uncle but he came with a plan". The Duke smile hearing the queen address him as King.

"I needed a way to make king Ephraim pay. Both you and your father for treating me as if I didn't exist" .

" So you poisoned him" . Eleanor said very calm. " You killed him to repay his kindness".

"Watch your tongue you little princess". Duke Williams warned.

"He refused to die. So we had to make it quick". Queen Charlene confessed, giving her a hard glare.

Princess Eleanor was fuming with anger. She swung her sword at the queen.

Duke Williams blocked with his sword. The queen tripped when she tried to evade. Embarrassment didn't allowed her to rise quick.

When the nobles saw the dread in her eyes. The whole scene didn't turned out as they expected. They ran out, only to meet with the general and Francis and some other loyal Knights at the corridor. They returned to where they came from.

Queen Daniella and duchess Elizabeth were up standing. Their hands had packed their skirt up and they were on their marks, getting set. But they were waiting for the whistle.

"I know you are the king's stone. We could worked together. You could be second in command. I need the stone. I don't want to harm you. Don't let anger take hold of you". Duke Williams said.

" You are a beast". Eleanor attacked him. Duke Williams was swift and skilled. The princess too was strong and wild. But it was as though Duke Williams was stronger.

Duke Williams laughed when he realized he has overpowered her. Eleanor was gnashing her teeth. Trying to gather her strength wherever it might be.

Duke Williams was not patient enough. He swung his sword again and it cut the side of her hair.

They kept moving as they fought until they reach the dais. The Duke strike again, she dodged and ended up sitting on the throne.

"That is what you what. To be a woman king". He swung the sword at her but it landed on the arms of the throne. He was more furious that she sat her sorry self on the most valued throne. Eleanor managed to evade but she tripped.

She was on the floor sitting on her knees. Panting and exhausted but her will to defend the throne, her people and avenged her father gave her more strength to contest.

Meanwhile Ken's sword was shinning in the air. Ready for backup. If he join the fight, the other knights of the king shall also fight. So he kept calm and watch.

The king gave her time. He was enjoying the show. Seeing her kneel before him, gave him unspeakable joy. Even though it lasted for a minute.

Eleanor stood up. Her anger knows no bounds. She roared like lord Zane roared on their way to Mistletoe. Then she attacked him again.

The Duke's sword got broken and the hilt fell off his hand. He ran down the dais to evade another of her strike.

When Ken saw the Duke leaned apologetically on the lectern. He was relax a bit. The princes was coming around.

The queens and duchess Elizabeth who was at the other end, found their way to the private passage and took off. They feared the princess might slit their throats at the slightest opportunity.

Duke Williams called on his knights to fight the princess but they refused. He collected another of their sword and killed one of them for refusing.

They were four of them when Eleanor got there. They rest attacked but Ken blocked.

Then the other nobles who were afraid of the princess's loyal persons entered back into the throne hall. General Frederick mounted on the door post with his sword drew, waiting for who shall near there.

Francis and the other knights ran to help Ken immediately they saw him fighting three of Duke Williams's knights.

The duke positioned himself and his sword, ready to fight with the princess again. He was facing the main entrance while the princess was backing the throne.

Their sword jarred and sparked. The ancient sword was no matched for any other sword. The Duke's sword was cut into two equal halves again and it leaped out of his hands.

He make a quick run towards the entrance but halted when he saw the general pointing his sword for him to shake.

He stepped back and diverted to mingled up with his other nobles who folded themselves at a corner.

Eleanor came in front of them like a spirit hunting a human. The nobles were sweating and panting. Begging for forgiveness.

Eleanor thrust, it pierced minster young ribs. The Duke had used them to shade himself from Eleanor's sword.

She strike again and it pierced minister Mammon in the stomach.

Before the princess could withdrew her sword. Duke William stabbed her on her back.

Francis pushed his grandfather to the floor. They took her and escaped from the throne hall because more knights came in to fight against them.

Duke Williams had bought the heart of almost all of the nobles and knights alike. So Eleanor was not safe.

The people in her support were just a handful. Even if they wanted to side with her their fear for the self made king wouldn't let them.

***

Princess Eleanor and her consociate left the palace. Dr. Marco was there to treat her wound but he alighted along the road.

In three carriages they went their way. The general asked her if she should be escorted to her husband's kingdom but she declined even though she had no where else in mind.

The general took them to his maternal home. It was a small clan on the hill were gold was first discovered. That was where Golden Hill got the name.

The gold mines wasn't so distant from where general Frederick maternal farmhouse was. He was never allowed there. They said his grandfather was crushed in the mines. A lot of grandfathers and great-grandfathers before the war.

"Make the farm your gold" I have lost a husband, about to loose a son. I won't loose a grandson too". His grandmother, Helena Benson caution. "This gold was a blessing, now it a cursed. It cursed our land and make enemies out of us. Everyone want to have it for themselves, all alone"

General Frederick sobs as his mind kept reviewing his past. He couldn't stop himself from recalling the good old days. When a man was a boy and a child.

"General are you well?" Francis asked.

He and Francis sat in the open carriage. Princess Eleanor was sleeping her sorrow away in the carriage in between.

Beatrice and Kate watched over her and in silence as she observed a peaceful slumber. Peradventure to prevent the breeze was sipping through the slit of the curtains to opened up her wounds or the churning of the wheels and horse's neighed from waking her. Once in a while they poke their head through the window to see Ken and Luke riding the horse.

Queen Margaret was behind with her two and two servants. Sea and Eric, Martha and Stella. Queen Margaret eyes was sharp and clear to see where she was leaving the palace for.

Her glory was shaken like the disturbance from the ups and downs thumping of the horse hooves. Martha and Stella were fast asleep living her to care for them.

Their carriages was rocking peacefully under the evening sky. In such a gloomy and tasty path.

Then, when General Frederick was still a child. He do watered some shrubs he considered stunted by lack of water he supposed. He wanted the path to be green and lively. His mother calls him crazy.

"You little crazy child, you are supposed to water my farm and not some lousy shrubs that keeps the path clogged".

The old general kept casting his eyes about. Trying to remember how it used to be then and now if it still the same. Of course there was much difference.

Much more than he could remember. He could ride the path in the night with his eyes closed like it was day. He recognized every steep and hole, every flat land and slopes. How swift he love to rode his horse and slow and gentle.

Francis eyes trailed his gaze as it meander. The chilled breeze was applauding their visitation. Dry leaves from high trees rain confetti on them. It was an unusual summer. Usually the sun shone it light still, until after that time of the evening but today, it was mourning the king. They could hear echoes of cricket and birds from among the woods.

"I remember riding up and down this hill when I was a boy. On my father's horse..." He turned to give Francis a hard smile. Some part of his front teeth were gone. "It created enough space for my whiff and puff" he used to say whenever he noticed a person forgot his eyes on his teeth when he smiles.

"It was the only thing I had of him" general Frederick continue.

" I have never seen him. The say he went to war. I have lived my life awaiting his return but he never did".

They rode in silence again. They were the only ones riding along the path. They owns the rocky path. They were almost at the house.

The farmhouse was tall and imposing. It let the passerby behold it grandeur. This very house was where the general childhood memories were tailored.

The haven that absorbed his cares, troubles of the world and gave him nothing to wished for. He already had all.

It made him believed he didn't have to toiled in the mines like his grandfather or die in the war like his father. The only tale they ever told him about his father.

They drove through the paths that was bothered by the wheat. To the front of the building. The farmers couldn't mind their business. "Who are these people that drove by them without a word". They reasoned. Very few amongst them walked up to the carriages. Mostly the men.

There was a mountain of vegetables at one end of the opened field. The red tomatoes were posing like defenders. Cabbages just relax to see to the end of this visit. pumpkins and melons and others kept quiet too.

The queen and her maids couldn't satisfied their glare. At another end was a ranch. Plump cattle and sheep and horses teased themselves.

Some women were harvesting barley. They left what they were doing to watched what was going on. when they saw them stepped out. They started moving towards the carriages in numbers. Another building was adjacent. It was a moderate and simple brown farmhouse.

"I'm home" General Frederick said. He threw his reins on Francis and jumped down.

"Mother... I'm home!".

Some workers ran inside. Queen Margaret had stepped out of her carriage, her servants too. Princess Eleanor never woke, her maids and guards stood by the side not wanting to wake her until they are certain they have a more convenient shelter for her.

Two women assisted an elderly woman out of the house. General Frederick ran to her. She used her hands to caressed his face. He crouched to her level and kissed her cheeks. She blushed. They had a passionate hugged.

"You came.. with these... People"

General Frederick nodded his head in agreement. She beckoned on them. Francis moved straight to the princess and forced her out of her dream world. All twelve of them were showed to rooms.

In that evening after their dinner and little talks, general met his mother in her room.

"I thought I was never going to see you again until my dying day. I'm happy I can see my only child again".

She held his face and planted a kiss on his forehead before swaddling her arms around him. There was a lot of resemblance between this two. The big bulky brown eyes, the blonde hair and skin. Their nose was as high as the hill the house was built upon. Their flappy tangible lips tell tales of war and peace. They were huge and intimidating. They finally let go.

"Who are... this people... with you?".

"Ms. Monica, there are the queen and princess of our kingdom".

"queen and princess?".

" Yes ma'am".