PART-I:
In the year 1863, King Samuel the ruler of Shinigami, destroyed the host of princes who had long divided Shinigami; and united the provinces under his own dominion. There was one man behind the King’s victory and it was Andrew Arthur the best warrior a King could ever have.
Andrew Arthur was a man of few words. He was tall, well built and his falling hair covered the scar he had on his forehead. He had a beautiful smile that he always carried with him. He fought wars for the King, wars with no cause. His love for war and lust for victory had inspired many young men of Shinigami. With every war they won Andrew wanted more of it.
The King admired Andrew’s love for war. When he was in the battlefield he was as fierce as a lion. Everything he did was a matter of clear planning and he stepped into the battle field only when the picture of victory was clear in his mind. Arthur had this weird habit, every time there was a war he would play a game of chess with the King, obviously Andrew won. Nothing on the earth seemed to interest Andrew. So the king was in a dilemma as to he did not know a way he could show his appreciation. Finally, after a lot of thought the king decided and gifted him women.
Women from all over the world festooned his nights and he enjoyed it, to say the least. No women was bought with force. With every passing year Andrew was gaining ground in the affairs of Kingdom. The King never decided anything without the consent of the Andrew and Andrew had no home of his own. All he had was a sword made of gold; he carried with him wherever he went. He lived in the King’s fort and spent most of his time in the King’s presence.
Tony Tendon, the King’s son, and Andrew were great friends. Tony was an unqualified prince and people did not recognize him as the prince.Tony fell in love with the princess of Tideland, Cinda Gendine. He tried everything he could but the princess turned a deaf ear to all his pleadings.
Finally, he called Andrew and said, “Andrew, I love Princess Cinda. I need her. Do whatever you have to, but, I want you to bring her to me!”
Andrew looked at the Prince with a surprise and asked him, “For a night?”
“No… I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I love her Andrew. She is the most beautiful lady people would have ever seen. She is my love. You have fought many wars for father, but this one would be for me and would remain etched in my heart forever. You will have to fight it for me and for my love. Will you?” asked Tony in a poignant tone.
“Love…” laughed Andrew. “There is nothing called love. You need her and I would get her for you,” said Andrew with a smile.
“You would not understand it until you fall in love,” said the prince with a sigh.
“Me and love…” he laughed loudly. “Women are like waves hitting the shore, each one is different, and each day it has to be different. Who said I don’t love women? I do love them. The problem with me is that I trip over love and wake up from it at dawn,” said Andrew with a grin.
Tony knew it was useless talking to Andrew when it came to women. He quietly walked up to the window and looked out. It was a pleasant evening.
Andrew’s only comrade was Tony and he could not see him depressed. So, he walked up to the prince and said, “She will be yours forever! Trust me!”
Tony smiled at Andrew and said, “I did send her my love but she has rejected my proposal. She sent me a message which read, "Tell your master that I will never consent to marry him." You know me well, it hurts Andrew…” after a long pause, “I need your help.”
Andrew was not discouraged by what he had heard, but regarded it as a summons to glory, “Tony, please take rest; I will get her with ease.”
“I cannot, until I meet her. I want to hold her hand, I want to kiss her, and I want her to be just mine, Andrew. I would do anything for her; I just long to see her. She is so pretty...,” suddenly Andrew interrupted and said, “Pretty women are all the same…”
“No… No don’t call her the same Andrew, Please don’t. If you are gonna see her as you see other women I don’t want you to see her,” the prince said in a firm voice.
Andrew giggled and asked in a mocking tone, “So… how else can I bring the Princess to your abode?”
After a moment of pause, “Blind-fold yourself, I want you to promise me that,” said Tony.
“You must be kidding…” said Andrew.
“No I am not,” said the Prince in a stern voice.
Andrew smiled and said, “Crazy are the men who love! Okay, I shall promise you that. Now, what would I get in return?”
“Anything you ask for… anything…” said the delighted Tony.
“Okay. When the Princess is in your domicile I shall ask you what I want,” said Andrew with a wink.
“Okay,” replied Tony.
Their conversation was interrupted when a sentinel walked in and read, “GOOD EVENING YOUR MAJESTY TONY AND GENERAL ANDREW ARTHUR, THE KING WANTS TO MEET THEE, ANDREW ARTHUR.”
“Yes am coming,” said Andrew and he left Tony in complete solace.
In the court room:
“Come, my boy…” said Samuel, “Come…!”
Andrew walked in with grandeur. Every step he put forth was thundered in the courtroom. Though, Andrew did not fall for any women, many woman in Shinigami loved him madly. They would wait outside the fort just to have a glimpse of him. He had received many proposals, none of which he rejected, but, accepted for a day. To Andrew, they were just women. It was pretty alright for Andrew to think about woman and to spend time with them, but, falling in love with them was out of question.
King Samuel looked at Andrew and thought, “This boy is my only source of success, without him I would never be here. But still it’s so simple to keep him happy.”
“Yes your Majesty!” bowed Andrew with his usual grandeur.
“Andrew, My boy!!! You have grown up into a man! Today, you turn 25. I would like to gift you with anything you ask for! Go ahead and ask,” said the King.
“You’re Majesty!!! I would like to bring the rest of the provinces under your dominion,” said Andrew with a pride that echoed in every corner of the courtroom.
Samuel was very pleased with Andrew’s love for war and lust for land, “Go ahead Andrew! Take as much men as you need. Return with victory my boy.”
“YOUR HIGHNESS I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR GENERAL ANDREW ARTHUR,” said a sentinel.
“Go ahead read it!” said the King.
“EMPRESS OF…”
“Just read the message…” said an impatient Andrew.
“MARIA FEDRINA SEEKS GENERAL ANDREW’S HAND IN MARRIAGE.”
The King was shocked; the courtroom was surprised with the message. Samuel looked at Andrew.
But, Andrew looked at the sentinel and said, “Tell your queen, I am not her man!”
Turning to the King, he bowed, and said, “Your Majesty! Can I leave?”
The King was comforted with Andrew’s reply. He smiled at Andrew and said, “Sure Andrew! Let victory be yours!”
When Andrew was out of sight; Samuel told his Minister,“Who is this Princess?”
“Your Majesty!!! Princess Maria Fedrina is the most sought out Princess in this region. It is told that she is the most beautiful Princess on earth, and is known to have saved many lives with her wit.” The Minister paused when he found the King in deep thought.
The King gestured him to continue and he continued, “In fact, she once saved a condemned man from exile in Tideland by changing a single comma in the warrant signed by her father. Instead of reading: "Pardon impossible, to be sent to Holland," she changed the document to read: "Pardon, impossible to be sent to Holland." The man was thus saved and released. This is just one such case. Princes and kings from all over the world had asked her out, only to be rejected. This is the first time I have heard the Princess asking someone out.”
The King looked at the Minister and said, “Let this be the last time such proposals are read in the courtroom, without Andrew we are nothing. We need Andrew, and for that we need him to be as he is now!”
“Yes Your Majesty!!!” replied the Minister.
Andrew started from the regions that surrounded Tideland and won every battle he fought; he kept Tideland to the end. Andrew sent a message to the King of Tideland. The King of Tideland, panicked when he heard it was Andrew who led the battle. The King’s daughter Cinda Gendine convinced her father that this wasn’t as difficult as he assumed it to be. She devised a plan and asked her father and brother, Robert to go about the way she had planned.
Andrew entered Tideland. He had taken his men on a forced march to Merinos, thinking this was where the King of Tideland was going. Andrew had left all of his sick and wounded men at Merinos. When King of Tideland got to Merinos, he killed all of Andrew's hospital cases. King of Tideland learned of Andrew's position, took his troops to the Zorros’, and took a defensive position on the northern bank, right along Andrew's line of communication.
Once Andrew learned of King of Tideland's position he put his cavalry, the Tortians, allies of the Rabidians, and his Nendians on the right, and other allies on the left. Gendine stationed 50,000 Wendians against the Nendians and on either side 60,000 Rabidians, who were allies of the Tortians, he also put 20,000 men on the ridge to face Andrew's right.
Robert, the prince of Tideland was in the center of his army behind the Royal bodyguard. He moved all of his best troops against Andrew's left, so Andrew moved the Tortians to the left as reinforcements. Both armies deployed their men..
The jockeying for position had taken place and Andrew was about to come out on top. Andrew's battalions went to help out in the center. The war became all the more gory. The King of Tideland lost most of his troop and as the sunset he removed his men for the night.
The next day the battle continued with both the sides losing most of his troops.
To be continued...
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