To Freedom

"I made my way through Moraigth, stopping off at villages when I needed food and shelter." Malcolm continued his story.

"In your armour?" William asked. "But wouldn't the villagers have recognised you as a royal knight and shamed you for fleeing the battlefield?" In Islia, deserting soldiers were treated as the very worst of criminals.

Malcolm regarded him coldly. "You're assuming that every village supported their king and his cause, which wasn't true. There were a great many who opposed our uncle, especially when it became known he'd be forced to rely on the Islians of all people, to hold onto his throne. Why do you think Father-?" Malcolm stopped himself abruptly. "Never mind. All I'll say is that at some villages, I was welcomed when I told them I was a soldier deserting the king. At other villages, I'd tell the people I was loyal to the king and had managed to escape from the Moraigthian rebels."