Chapter 146 The Men of the Queen
In the training field.
Esteban almost fell out of the saddle. The pain was like being hit with a hammer in every muscle of his body. The hunger, which had been constant after a few days of meager food, turned into a terrible hunger. But they had a mission for the queen.
Peador: I am ten years older than you. You seem like it is the other way around.
Pedro: I am half your age and all I want is to eat and sleep and nothing else.
Esteban: The soldier does not sleep, does not eat, but he does his duty. Let us go.
Azure Death led the others toward the great tower of the royal castle. The rear entrance consisted of two thick wooden doors secured with a sturdy plank. But the guards had not yet received the order to reinforce the entrances of the castle. The enormous unicorn ran almost twice as fast as a swift horse. He leaped into the air and lowered his head, so that his body weight was directly behind his horn. The doors shattered into pieces large and small. Some pieces flew through the air, and one killed a guard. He would not be the last guard the old unicorn would kill that day. Azure Death burst into the great hall of the tower. Every man who drew a weapon was wounded or killed by a horn or a hoof. The ancient warrior screamed in rage.
The knights dismounted and entered the tower. Their unicorns split into two groups and began galloping from east to west. Bloody Beryl leaped to a window, grabbed a soldier with a crossbow with her mouth, and threw him to the ground. She pounded his chest with her hooves until the man stopped screaming. Sapphire Shield followed three fleeing soldiers and stabbed them in the back. Indigo Strike attacked a group of knights near the quarters of the servants. One of them inflicted a small wound on the young unicorn. When a war unicorn smelled its own blood, it transformed into a beast of destruction and slaughter.
The war cries of the Unicorns echoed inside and outside the royal castle. Many guards hid in nearby rooms. Others tried to repel them. For years, the guards had repeatedly watched as the
Unicorns tore apart wooden soldiers as targets in training. They realized that they were the targets now. The bravest guard was terrified.
Colina Verde castle.
The army of the queen approached the castle from behind a wall of shields, firing crossbow bolts at every soldier and window of the building. They gained ground with every passing minute. The castle was old, and many things were never repaired to save a few coins. The guards and soldiers of the richest castle in the kingdom were paid less than most of the other noble houses.
The archers of Puerto Blanco fired flaming arrows at every wooden structure. Some knights armed small ballistae and began to hurl clay pots filled with the flammable liquid. After an hour of fighting fires in various parts of the castle, a captain extended a pole with a red flag and waved it until the arrows stopped. When a knight from Puerto Blanco unfurled his own peace banner, a high-ranking captain joined a group of knights dressed in black and gold.
The captain: The lady of the noble house asked me to request terms of our surrender.
Heinrich: All knights, soldiers, and guards will kneel before us and swear allegiance to Queen Olivia. If any one refuses, I will burn the castle down with everyone inside.
In the great tower.
Peador and nine knights blocked the entrances to the tower from the east wing and entry halls. Esteban and his nine knights followed Azure Death through the west wing in search of the rooms of Octavio. On the main staircase, Captain Pedro, swords drawn, led nine knights up the main staircase toward the royal quarters. A group of twenty guards blocked the main passage.
Pedro: Dante! You are wearing the tabard of the guards. Do you remember my promise?
Dante was thinking about the promise during the last fifteen seconds of his life.
In the Greenwood.
Juana and Alicia had cleaned the wounds of young Yegor and others who had received less serious injuries. The people were eating the cooked meat of two wolves, as Frieder had found and killed the injured wolf. Hunger proved stronger than reservations about unusual foods. The young man from the north smiled for the first time since learning of the death his mother. The women were confused until a servant from the Ridges explained. Juana whispered something to her sister when they were away from the boys. The young woman ran off to request a meeting with the queen.
After half an hour of negotiation with her keepers, the queen was with the wounded page, surrounded by her guards and a circle of young men protecting her. She held a piece of cloth covered in the blood of the wolf the twelve-year-old boy had killed. With her finger, she drew an X in blood on his forehead and chest. She looked at him and noticed his wide smile and proud expression.
Olivia: Yegor, son of Raisa of the North, son of Javier, knight of Costa Lunas. From this day forward, your name is Yegor the Wolf. Do you accept this name, son of my tribe?
Yegor: The wolf marked me in mortal combat. I killed him to defend my tribe. I accept the name, my queen.
The Queen: Yegor the Wolf!
Hundreds of voices: Yegor the Wolf!
In the cabin of the queen.
The queen and the chief page were sitting alone. She was looking at the meat with an uncomfortable expression.
Antonio: Please, eat, my queen. The taste is not very good, but you will feel better afterward.
Olivia: Did the guards send you to persuade me?
The young man: Yes, they think you trust me.
The girl: I feel better when you are near.
Antonio smiled: You are a good queen. Thousands of men fight for you because they believe in you. Unicorns and Pegasi follow you. It is wonderful.
Olivia: Yes. Many men are dying for me. Many have died for me. I feel guilty.
The fifteen-year-old boy put his arm around her and took her hand: I am sorry, my queen. I know it is inappropriate.
The girl of the same age: No... it is fine. I need to feel safe for a few minutes.
Antonio hugged her tighter and offered her his shoulder to rest her head on. She leaned toward him, feeling fear, guilt, and confusion. Olivia had not meant to kiss him the first time. But the second time, it was intentional.