Nature and Blight

by Matt Rogers

  Chapter 23: A War Of Roses

  The Siege (Castle Nirvana)

  She was where she wished to be, with those she cherished and adored.

  “Hello, My Queen” he said in a whisper.

  “Please, do not rise.”

  The infirmary was full. Even though the men in her employ were without equal on the battlefield they were still susceptible to the same things all were in a world which, at times, seemed intent on removing them from its surface.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Much better. I believe I can take my post again if the nurse would only allow it.”

  She smiled at the youth for that’s what he was; a young man barely out of his teenage years fighting on her behalf against a foe of unlimited numbers.

  “There will be time for that. The walls are adequately staffed so it would be better if you were completely healed before you rise again.”

  The walls were actually understaffed but she lied for she had to. The youth was anything but better. He was pale as the waxen moon, parched of throat and weak as a lamb. He’d come down with the fever. It had run its course through her army and only the quick thinking of Clearview saved the entire force from the ailment.

  “We have a number of men complaining of chills and a cough, My Queen.”

  “How many?”

  “Twenty as of now but I fear it will grow if we do nothing.”

  They had placed those who were sick in isolation. The cough appeared to be the cause. Transmission through the air was a dangerous epidemic if the population was confined to one area. They’d been lucky.

  “Nurse Comfort?”

  “Yes, My Queen?”

  “How many have we lost?”

  Nurse Comfort had been with her from the start. She was incredibly kind, efficient in the ways of medicine and still held compassion for others in her heart. Mother Nature felt if she were to die, Comfort would be a fine replacement.

  “I am sorry, My Queen, we have lost half of them.”

  Gaia’s eyes watered at the thought. They were her subjects. She had inherited them from another but it didn’t matter; they were the good of the realm and she their provider. She wiped her eyes for the time to weep was later.

  “Will the others survive?”

  Comfort looked her in the eye and spoke the wisest words Nature had heard in days.

  “They will if they do not lose hope, My Queen. Blight fights them with depression. Please do not let him win.”

  Gaia scanned the room and could feel the despair, the sadness, the fear. It was an evil tool the Prince employed for it wrought havoc upon the mind and doomed the mortal soul. She was witness to its full might during the early days of the siege.

  “What is that sound, Councilor?”

  “It is Blight, My Queen. He locates those with sorrow and furthers their grief.”

  The sound was on the wind. A whispering of dread, a howling of madness.

  “One of you has abandoned another. One who was dependent upon you, trusted you, needed you.”

  His voice was like an echo without reverberation, a coldness in the already bitter air.

  “She waited for you. She believed in you. She was crying your name but you did not heed her call.”

  The men on the walls were silent for all could feel the power in the Prince’s words. They might not ring full of fact but they held hollow truths which were sometimes more painful to hear.

  “She died alone, scared and frightened. You left when you said you wouldn’t. You never returned. You promised you would.”

  The effect was gloom among the ranks. They were aware of their own shortcomings, their own failures, their many faults. For most it was something to dwell over, make right and try to improve. For one it was not.

  He stood with tears in his eyes as others took notice and rushed to intervene.

  “Nightwind! No! Get down!”

  He stood on the wall, overlooking the creatures of nightmares, the ones his love had worried about, the ones he swore to protect her from.

  “What is he doing, Councilor?”

  “He is the one Blight was looking for, the one his voice truly speaks to.”

  His friends almost made it, were within inches when the one named Nightwind made a decision, spoke a prayer and leapt to his death.

  The memory was always with her. She had failed one who counted on her, one who believed in her, one willing to die for her. She vowed it would not happen again. She made a decision. It was time to act.

  She moved to the center of the room, an aura surrounding her, all eyes following. They were deathly sick, could not hold food down and were aware they might die. They didn’t care. She was the reason they fought. She was life itself and they would give theirs in exchange for hers.

  The ground was packed dirt, tread upon by so many it felt solid as stone. She stood still and her aura intensified. She spoke from the heart.

  “I love you all.”

  Tears began to form.

  “You are the lifeblood of the realm, the protectors of good, the righteous few.”

  They lay in silence mesmerized. She was speaking to them alone, they knew she spoke to all. As if in prayer, she bowed her head in submission to their cause.

  “Do not give in. His power is one of decline, one of lessening, one of death. He holds nothing over those who fight his ways for his is a lesser source, an evil one which holds no sway here.”

  There was something in the room, Comfort could feel its presence and she looked upon the Mother with a tingling sensation as her eyes watered not from sadness but a feeling of wonder, a feeling of joy, a feeling of power from one who wielded a true gift.

  “I am Gaia Nature. I will never give in, never surrender, for I hold what he cannot.”

  A single tear fell from her eye.

  “I am the deliverer of life, the power of growth, the gift of birth.”

  As she spoke the tear entered the stone-hard dirt and a plant began to grow.

  “You will not lose. It is impossible for wrong to defeat right. You are the line; that which he must breach to achieve victory.”

  The plant grew to the height of her hip and a bloom appeared. She held out her hand and a flower blossomed.

  “The walls of Nirvana are strong, high and deep. They are solid and true, unyielding, unbroken. They are not made of stone, however, they are made of flesh.”

  She looked them all in the eye and they sat up as one for they finally understood.

  “You are the stone. You are the wall.”

  Their hearts quickened as adrenaline began to flow.

  “And I know this to be true as I know the sun will rise again; your wall can never be breached.”

  They stood for they could not do otherwise. The power of Nature was a force without equal. The defenders of the realm would lose no more that day and the walls would be reinforced by those who were witness to Gaia’s gift.

  “Mother Nature.”

  “Yes, Councilor?”

  “We have a problem.”

  They moved through the castle at a speed which indicated worry. They didn’t care. They were definitely in a frightened mood.

  “When did this happen?”

  “We noticed it this morning, My Queen.”

  General Shield was in attendance along with Councilor Clearview. They had been her inner circle for so long she sometimes was shocked when they were not in the room. One other had been asked to attend.

  “Hawkeye?”

  “Yes, My Queen?”

  “Were you wrong? Is Savage capable of this?”

  The question came because the water supply had been poisoned. The castle itself contained a well which was fed by an underground spring. The spring was the weak link.

  “No, My Queen, he is not capable of this.”

  The spring ran deep underground and it would take a concerted effort to poison the water.

  “But it is contaminated?”

  “Yes, My Queen.”

&nb
sp; “Then how can that be?”

  The answer was both a relief and worry to the leaders in the room because the man they were talking about was rather difficult to pin down. He was a mercenary, a hired killer, who held no loyalty to any single monarch. He was wanted by more authorities than not, involved in more overthrows than an Ogre at an egg-toss competition and could count on one hand minus a thumb the number of friends he had. Surprisingly, one of them was in the room.

  “I believe he is no longer in charge, My Queen” Hawkeye replied.

  “Why do you believe that?”

  The answer came from the alternate side of the mercenary. Savage was brilliant with military tactics, saw the end game before others saw the initial salvo and held another quality which set him apart; he was ethical in a fight even if the side he chose was not.

  Hawkeye had been present. He’d signed on with a queen who was attempting to divorce a king. It was a very strange little war.

  “Princess Bridgette Heart, may I present Duke Andrew Omen.”

  He arrived with a rose.

  “How beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you.”

  It did the job, won her affections and they were married the same year. As a present he gave her another rose. Strangely, she returned the gesture.

  “This is for you.”

  “And this is for you.”

  It became something of a ritual for the two. Every event, from birthdays to strange pagan holidays were celebrated with the same gifts.

  “This is for you.”

  “And this is for you.”

  The Princess’ parents died and they became the King and Queen of Hearts. Things were going swimmingly until a scullery maid, a silly little household servant, caught the King’s fancy.

  “How dare you cheat on me!”

  “I am so sorry, My Wife, it will never happen again. Please forgive me and accept these as my personal apology.”

  They were, of course, roses. Hundreds of roses in every color imaginable.

  She accepted because not doing so was unpleasant. They were the King and Queen. She was technically the Monarch but since he was male it was his rule. She could seek a divorce but he could also deny the charges. She decided to return his favor.

  “Here you are, My Husband.”

  “What are these for?”

  “My apologies. I cheated on you.”

  By then the two were openly opposed to the other. It arrived at the point where they were planting gardens for apologetic purposes. After time the inevitable arose and both hired small armies to gain control. Their reasoning was sound. If one died the other would be free to rule alone. Savage, Brutus and Deadaim signed on with the Queen. So did Hawkeye. Since Deadaim and Hawkeye knew each other introductions were given.

  “You were that guy?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And you shot Deadaim to a draw?”

  “Yep.”

  “Remind me not to tick you off, okay?”

  “You got it.”

  They had the King surrounded, which wasn’t so hard, since the man decided to sneak away from his bodyguards to visit the current woman of his dreams in her cottage by the river. Savage, knowing the ways of adulterers, learned the identity of the King’s newest mistress and placed her under surveillance. When the sentry reported seeing a shadowy figure entering the cottage Savage quickly encircled and awaited the arrival of the Queen. It should’ve been over. The King had no escape. He would be forced to abdicate and the Queen would become sole Monarch until she remarried. It didn’t turn out that way.

  “Burn that place down!”

  Savage was not of the mind to do so.

  “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on there, Your Highness. We are not burning a cottage with an innocent woman inside.”

  The look she gave him was not pleasant.

  “She is not innocent, she is an usurper! You will do as I say or lose your head!”

  The Queen had every reason to believe her orders would be followed because ever since she hired Savage to take arms against the King they had routed his forces with ease. The fact the Queen’s side won so easily with Savage in command somehow escaped her knowledge.

  “Your Highness, you hired us to compel the King to abdicate the throne. If you will allow me I will walk down there and receive notification of his willingness to do so. You will win and rule sovereign.”

  It seemed, to him, a logical and simple solution. She would get what she wanted without putting the lives of others at risk. Strangely, she seemed hesitant. When she finally spoke it was Savage who hesitated.

  “Fine, go and receive his abdication. But bring the woman to me.”

  He then knew. Everyone knew. She would seek revenge on one who could not offer resistance. Savage made a decision and nodded his head.

  The walk toward the cottage was unsettling. Although they were on his side there were thirty arrows pointed directly at the structure he was moving toward. He reached the door, knocked, waited, it opened and he entered.

  “What’s taking so long?”

  “The King probably still holds hope he can somehow prevail. Savage will explain the truth, My Queen.”

  The door opened and Savage returned.

  “What was his response?” the Queen all but sneered.

  Savage ignored her completely.

  “All right, listen up!”

  The mercenaries did.

  “The King has accepted all our demands!”

  A murmuring in the ranks began as a lone voiced spoke higher.

  “He has agreed to abdicate?” the Queen asked in disbelief.

  Savage finally acknowledged her existence.

  “No.”

  The Queen appeared confused so he clarified.

  “As of this moment all mercenaries who remain under my command are now in the employ of the King! All who choose to side with the Queen are now the opposition!”

  The Queen’s eyes opened wide.

  “How dare you!”

  Her tempered flared high.

  “I will have your head for this!”

  She had with her a squad of ten personal bodyguards who’d been in her employ since she took the throne.

  “Guards, arrest him!”

  Campaigns, wars and battles can hinge on a single moment, a sliver of time where a choice was made and the outcome decided.

  Ten raised their swords and moved to arrest one.

  “Bad idea.”

  Twenty different weapons were raised by men who made wiser choices.

  “The next step is your last.”

  And ten who made a vow to serve one found themselves in a very, very dangerous situation.

  “My Queen?” a guard asked.

  She almost couldn’t answer. Things were happening which she believed impossible.

  “Yes?” she replied.

  The Guard at the front, the leader of the squad, a man of many battles and the wounds proving it was true, stared down arrowheads pointing directly at his face while he answered.

  “Maybe you should reconsider.”

  So one of the weirdest wars ever fought continued. The agreement with the King allowed the man to remain in power so long as he paid Savage’s mercenaries what the Queen had promised. The King readily agreed with a wicked grin till Savage explained the kicker.

  “You will also pay your men and send them home. If you hire others and set them upon the Queen, I will return with my mercenaries and take your throne. If she hires others and sets them against you, I will also return and take her crown.”

  So neither the King nor Queen could act for they realized Savage’s plan. If either killed the other with hired hands Savage would return and take their rule. Therefore their war took on new dimensions.

  “This is for you, My Wife, sorry about the knife. I don’t know how it slipped from my hand.”

  “And this is for you, My Husband. I, too, am sorry for I had no idea arsenic was a poison.”

  And so the War of Roses
went on with both royals subsidizing local nurseries to the point where they were able to charge exorbitant prices for flowers grown in manure which cost almost nothing to produce.

  “So, Sergeant Savage would not poison a water source?”

  “No, My Queen, he is incapable of harming the innocent.”

  “Then who is in charge of the enemy’s army?”

  “That, My Queen, is something I intend to find out.”