A Coronation of Kings

by Samuel Stokes

  The large eastern gates swung open and a lone rider cantered towards the assembled party. As the rider reined in several paces away, he challenged loudly. ‘What is the meaning of this, Gerwold? You trespass on the sacred lands of King’s Court. The King’s Council advises you to withdraw at once, or your presence will be considered treason and dealt with as such.’

  Gerwold responded coldly to the implied threat. ‘Dariyen, still breathing I see. Mores the pity I was hoping to find some young pup appointed by the mindless bureaucracy that is your King’s Council.’ Pausing momentarily before continuing more boldly, ‘You speak of treason... against what or whom I would ask? The throne of King’s Court has been empty a hundred years. I have come to fill it.’

  ‘By what right?’ spat Dariyen angrily.

  ‘By the voice of the people, obviously.’ Smirked an amused Gerwold.

  ‘How do you figure that?’ Dariyen queried.

  ‘Simple, I’m sure your scouts have informed you that Fordham and Mizumura stand with me. That makes three baronies in favor of my rule. Tanamere and Sisaron abstain, leaving only King’s Court to oppose. The people will it, Dariyen, step aside and let us enter. No one needs to die today.’

  ‘The people will it? Don’t make me laugh, Gerwold. I have it on good authority that even now Tanamere and Sisaron muster to oppose your delusions of grandeur.

  Your reckoning also fails to account for the Listarii. Before you protest, I am sure you are as aware as I am that their heir lives. The truth is your forces here represent a minority of Valaarans, now withdraw at once or reap the whirlwind.’

  Gerwold gazed lingeringly over his forces arrayed rank upon rank as far as the eye could see. ‘They certainly don’t seem like a minority today, Dariyen. Grant us entry and no one will suffer. Refuse us and you will all perish.’

  ‘You have my answer, Gerwold.’ Dariyen declared ‘As long as a single King’s guard draws breath you will not rest your pompous rear on the Golden Throne.’

  Gerwold’s rage bubbled over as he shouted ‘Then I will make you extinct. Every last one of you!’

  ‘So be it,’ Dariyen replied resigned to his fate. Seeing little purpose in further banter the captain turned his horse towards the gate and eased it into a steady trot to quickly regain the safety of the walls.

  As he passed through the gates a lieutenant took the reins of the horse so the captain could return to the walls. ‘Captain, are you sure it was wise to anger him so?’

  Swinging down, the captain responded. ‘Gerwold was born angry, and he’ll die angry. At least now his rage and recklessness may play into our hands.’

  Dariyen made his way back up to the wall to inspect his guards at duty. As he made his way up the stairs to the top of the wall he looked out over the walls to the East. The sight that greeted him bought him to a standstill. Row upon row of catapults being wheeled out from their concealed places at the forests edge. Behind the catapults engineers worked feverishly to erect even larger trebuchet’s.

  King’s Court with a modest garrison could stand almost indefinitely against a frontal assault on its walls, but the vast array of siege machines before him shook even his faith in the sturdy Walls of beneath him.

  Could anything stand against such punishment? he wondered to himself. Relief was at least three days away, with the right crews he estimated the walls would be breached in less than half that time. The inner walls and castle itself would fall soon after. Could a hundred years of peace truly end in such a manner? The King’s Guard would faithfully discharge its duty, of that he had no doubt. The question that remained was. Would it be enough?

  Chapter 30

  At the same time to the southwest on the swelling waters of the Boundless Sea.

  ‘Milord, you are needed on the decks at once!’ The steward’s voice echoed through the ship. Lord Alford of the Tanamere rose from his desk. The chair legs ground noisily along the wooden deck planks as he did so. Striding across his cabin he threw open the cabin doors. ‘What is it, Lester? We must still be a day’s sail from King’s Court.’

  ‘Milord, you must see it for yourself, ‘the steward exclaimed insistently.

  Alford strode out onto the decks his sandy hair blowing in the morning breeze. The smell of the sea was a welcome scent for the Lord of Tanamere. A seafaring people, the Tanamere had been the first Valaaran’s to chart the Boundless Sea. Trade with foreign lands had bought prosperity and exotic goods to the shores of Valaar. These riches had been in turn invested into an impressive armada with which to protect their shipping interests and drive away any threats to the small island kingdom.

  It was that armada which was now bearing down on King’s Court eager to relieve the besieged capital. Thirty ships at sail led by Tanamere’s Pride or ‘The Pride’ for short it was the largest ship in the fleet possibly the world, and the personal flagship of Alford, Lord of the Tanamere.

  The fleet was comprised largely of man-of-war’s, large multi-decked monstrosities bristling with the new black powdered cannons. Still a little temperamental the weapons yielded awe inspiring results on the ocean, able to punch through even the thickest wooden hulls.

  Behind the Tanamere Armada were rank upon rank of troop transports. Almost five thousand man at arms ready to relieve the capital. Historically Tanamere had not boasted a large army instead preferring to swell the ranks of its burgeoning navy. The sight of the armada made even the Lord of the Tanamere draw breath.

  Alford looked to where Lester was waving frantically. On the horizon sails were visible. Alford drew his looking glass from his pouch and strained at the glass lens. Counting quietly as he went. ‘I make at least forty vessels, no telling how many are behind them. They are flying the black which means one thing...’

  ‘Pirates?’ Lester concluded fearfully.

  ‘Indeed. It seems all of Pestalar has been emptied, this must have cost Gerwold half his Barony.’

  ‘You think Gerwold would ally himself with Pirates?’

  ‘Certainly, he’s lusted after the Throne for years and has been levying heavy taxes for as long as I can remember. To him this is little more than a cost of doing business.’

  ‘What are your orders, milord?’

  The Lord of the Tanamere’s eyes lingered over the vast enemy fleet before he responded, ‘Signal battle stations. Have the transports form up on the portside, ready to make a run to land if need be. The men at arms are no use to us in this conflict, but their numbers mean everything for King’s Court. We must not allow this pirate scum amongst them, our men will be sitting ducks. Have our ships form a barrier to their starboard side. We’ll punch through these pirates and make them rue the day they were born.’

  ‘You intend to fight them, milord?’

  ‘Absolutely, Lester, all our lives these Pirates have plagued our waters. Now on the Baron’s coin they threaten our lives and our liberty. If we are victorious here today, our navies and merchants will sail these seas in peace. It may be years before the pirates can recover their strength, if they ever do.’

  ‘As you wish, milord, I will signal the ships. ‘Lester hurried to the signal mast leaving his Lord to his thoughts as he gazed upon the fleet on the horizon, the danger growing nearer by the minute.

  As the pirate flotilla drew closer it became apparent that what was lacking in organization was made up for in numbers. The Pirate Lords had gathered their resources and assembled the largest war fleet Valaar had ever seen. It was a bold attempt to back Gerwold’s manic bid for the throne.

  Alford took note of the approaching vessels, some of them were larger man-of-wars, captured from various seafaring nations. Amongst them Alford thought he recognized a few of his own. Interspersed between the large vessels dozens of smaller ships swarmed back and forth. There appeared to be little apparent strategy as the swarm of vessels sailed onwards.

  The Tanameran fleet had since ordered itself into a protective line between the pirates and the troop transports in order to ensure the safety of those abo
ard. The transports were simple constructions with few comforts. Designed to quickly ferry the armies of Tanamere around the island kingdom should there be such a need as they faced today. The ship-bound soldiers had little in the way of cannons to defend themselves, relying on the fleet itself for their safety.

  The two navies sailed onwards, the disorderly pirate flotilla a stark contrast to the disciplined Tanameran vessels. ‘Run out the guns!’ Lord Alford called from the quarterdeck.

  Throughout the ship the sound of gun ports opening could be heard, followed by the gratifying thud as the ships one hundred and forty guns were rolled into firing positions. Slow and ponderous the Pride was akin to a floating fortress. It’s top speed under sail peaked at about six knots. The slow speed was largely due to its latest addition, the engineers and shipwrights of Tanamere had affixed a number of steel plates to the vessels side to further strengthen its sturdy hull, greatly increasing her durability but considerably reducing her speed.

  ‘Helmsman, take her forty five-degrees to starboard, Lester, have the fleet follow course.’

  ‘Aye-aye, forty-five degrees to starboard.’ The burly helmsman responded, hands moving quickly to bring the vessel to its desired bearing.

  The large vessel responded and bore down on the hostile fleet. It’s starboard guns almost in range of the lead pirate vessels. ‘Alright, Helmsman, steady as she goes, let’s put the cat amongst the pigeons and see how they deal with the Pride at close quarters.’

  The pirates were first to open fire one of their lead vessels a large man of war, delivering a deafening broadside. The shrill whistle of the cannon balls could be heard as they hurtled towards The Pride. Many of them falling short, but a few found their mark, the sound the heavy iron balls made as they struck the new steel plating was akin to that of a church bell tolling. The Pride sailed on unharmed.

  ‘Master gunner, if you would be so kind, fire the starboard guns, full charge. Let’s show these rats the teeth of Tanamere.’ The Tanamere lurched violently to Port as the sixty-two gun salvo fired. The experience of the Pride’s gunners showing quickly as cannonballs smashing through the opposing ship’s hull and wreaked chaos on its lower decks, other cannon balls smashed through the upper deck sending timber and splinters flying everywhere. One shot struck the vessels rear mast and shattered it. A shout went up from the gunners below as the mast splintered and lurched over into the water, dragging rigging, sails and a few unfortunate pirates with it. The pirate vessel was crippled and its crew could be seen leaping from the shattered deck into the water.

  ‘Excellent volley, master gunner. Fire as you will!’

  ‘Aye-Aye, sir.’ The seasoned gunner shouted in response. Moving down the deck he could be heard shouting, ‘You heard the admiral, fire when ready, there’ll be a double ration of brandy tonight if you can do that again!’

  With that the battle was joined. The disciplined Tanameran vessels wreaking havoc all around. The pirates seemed to care little for their losses, content to swarm over and around the forces of the Tanamere by sheer weight of numbers. The seas became littered with burning hulls and shipwrecked souls as vessel after vessel was torn asunder.

  Suddenly the man-of-war behind the Pride exploded spectacularly. A stray shot had struck its magazine. Timber, canvas and shrapnel blasted outwards from the force of the explosion. The smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air and shouts could be heard from the nearby pirate vessels as they reveled in their victory.

  The pirate vessels continued to bear down on the Tanameran forces in their midst. Cannon fire was exchanged at point blank range wreaking enormous casualties on both men and ships. Those that survived readied themselves for boarding as the pirates closed the final few yards. With a jubilant roar the pirates threw themselves at The Pride.

  Marines stormed to their positions on deck as a second pirate schooner pulled alongside the Pride. Pirates swarmed up the sides of the vessel as arrows rained down from its decks. The cannon crew were merciless unleashing grapeshot across the enemy decks at point blank range, men died in droves as the shrapnel tore through their ranks. Those fortunate enough to survive leapt at the Pride with renewed frenzy in an effort to escape its guns.

  Pirates swung down from the rigging only to be swarmed with marines. Others still attempted to clamber into the open gun ports only to be bludgeoned with whatever the frantic gun crews could find to beat them back. Alford commanded his forces with practiced ease repelling any attempt the pirates made to gain a foothold on his ship. Glancing down at the floundering schooner beneath, Lord Alford saw a sight that chilled him to the very core.

  A pirate had appeared on deck. Tucked under his arm was a small keg. Alford would have recognized it anywhere. The pirate had realized the futility of firing on the Pride and had emerged from below decks carrying a keg of black powder. Protruding from the top of the keg was a burning fuse hastily making its way towards the volatile payload.

  ‘Kill him now,’ Alford shouted pointing at the pirate. Hearing the shouts, the pirate quickened his pace to a mad charge. Arrows thudded into the deck, but the mad pirate was blessed by the gods and managed to make it to the deck’s edge unscathed. The suicidal pirate hurled the barrel with all his might towards Lord Alford and the others assembled on deck.

  ‘Hit the deck!’ A voice shouted from nearby. The nearby Marines grabbed their Lord and hurled him unceremoniously to the deck before piling atop him eager to preserve his life even at the expense of their own.

  The barrel soared through the air towards the quarterdeck; fuse burning brightly as it disappeared into the barrel. The crew huddled on the deck waiting for the blast to tear them apart...

  Only to have the barrel fall well short of the deck and sail through its intended target an open gun port two decks below. Men shouted as the barrel bounced around the deck and lodged itself against a nearby cannon, the gunners bolted for cover but it was already too late. The barrel detonated and in the confined space all hell broke loose.

  Timber and splinters flew everywhere as the blast tore apart the gun deck. The force of the explosion tore outwards through the hull of the ship. The blast sent a section of splintered timbers flying into the sea. The cannon closest to the charge blew free of its mounts and careened across the deck crushing men and destroying several other gun mounts as it rolled across the width of the ship. Loose cannonballs rolled across the deck which only served to heighten the confusion.

  Hearing the explosion Alford began to shout and shove at the soldiers pinning him down. ‘Get off me, can’t you hear the infernal din below, it exploded in the gun decks. ‘Clambering to his feet the Lord of the Tanamere glanced overboard. The berserk pirate was dead on the deck, his luck expired and an arrow had taken him through the neck.

  The Marines had finished the job at least. Glancing downwards at his ship, Alford surveyed the damage. Two decks below an entire section of the hull had been torn open. Smoke was pouring out of the breach meaning something had probably caught fire in the blast. The hole wouldn’t sink them as it was well above the waterline but a storm tossed sea would pose a significant threat.

  ‘Master Gunner, get below and get those men sorted. We’ll be sitting ducks without our guns. Take the ships surgeon with you, I imagine his services will be needed. Lester, get the carpenters and get below. See what can be done to seal that breach.’

  The men snapped a quick salute and disappeared beneath decks to attend to their respective duties. Alford surveyed the sea. Burning shipwrecks littered the surface. Sailors and pirates paddled around the burning hulks searching for safety. From his vantage point, he could see his fleet engaged on all fronts, pirate vessels surrounded them but it was apparent the superior discipline and firepower of the Tanamere was steadily gaining the upper hand.

  A crash on the portside echoed across the water. Alford turned to see a Pirate vessel embedded in the side of the Tanameran man-of-war it had just rammed. Its crew could be seen leaping off the stern into the water. Moments later it expl
oded its own powder stores having been set alight by the abandoning crew.

  The tremendous explosion tore through the two entangled vessels before detonating the man-of-war’s own powder supplies. The force of the explosion sent burning debris flying in every direction. Alford sent up a brief prayer to the Allfather on the crew’s behalf, doubting more than a handful could have survived such a blast.

  Other similar fire ships were sailing headlong into the Tanameran fleet. Ordinarily such tactics were employed against ships confined in harbors as they had no place to go. Seldom could such tactics be employed on the open sea, unfortunately the Tanameran’s were bogged down in the midst of the pirate fleet with little avenue of escape. In such a setting the fire ships were being used to deadly effect.

  Realizing the threat, the Tanameran’s acted with haste to sink the oncoming vessels. Several of the ships fired chain shot at the fire ships masts and sails, hoping to cripple or slow their approach. Chain shot consisted of two cannonballs joined with a chain, as the shot is fired the cannonballs spin wildly destroying rigging and masts with terrifying efficiency.

  A cheer went up as a volley completely tore the mast out of one of the ships leaving it bobbing helplessly on the sea where it soon exploded, taking another with it. Others yet were sunk, but some of the ships struck home and more Tanameran vessels were caught, forcing their crews to abandon ship before their own ships exploded in the blast.

  Alford surveyed the choppy seas from the quarterdeck of The Pride. Everywhere he looked ships were burning, driftwood and debris were driven hither and thither by the tide. The Tanamere had suffered heavy losses. At least six of their larger vessels had perished, sunk by fire ships or cannon fire. Boarding actions were underway on several others as Pirates attempted to subdue by force the heavy guns of the Tanameran fleet.

  The casualties to the Lords of Pestalar would be immense. At a glance Alford estimated that at least thirty vessels had been sunk, boarded or floundered uselessly as what was left of their crew struggled to affect repairs.