"BEFORE THE WAR START"

Five weeks before the war is going to start. In my life, I’d had my share of fights, sometimes with fists, sometimes with blood on my hands, occasionally with a sword. I’d faced opponents twice in my size, twice as mean, and, as a general rule, uglier than I ever hoped to be. But nothing had ever topped the ferocity of the argument now going on in the center of my greatest hall.

“Bringing you to this castle was the greatest mistake of my life!” I yelled.

My fists were curled so tightly into balls that it felt as if my nails might pierce my skin.

“And I would order your hanging right now, except that your neck isn’t worth the price of the rope!”

The target of my threat was none other than Rudy. In the short months we had known each other, he and I had been through a lot together, including him trying to kill me twice; five times if we counted the broken leg — and me risking my life to convince him to come back to Anneleon as the captain of my guard. Obviously, we’d had our share of disagreements. But none were half so loud as this current argument.

"I would gladly die!!," Rudy yelled back, "if the order came from less of a fool-less for a king!"

Gasps echoed around the hall at the insult from me called me fool king but, Words like that easily justified my ordering Rudy’s arrest, but I didn’t. There were too many things that still needed to be said, or yelled, if necessary.

“Do you think your position as captain makes us equals?” I asked.

“You may command our armies but you do not command me! And I will lead them my own way and lead to victory!!!”

Rudy pointed down at my right hands, which the surgeon had ordered to remain tightly wrapped for at least another few weeks.

"You can’t lead anything on a broken right hands you should run."

“The you shouldn’t have broken my right hand and I completely lead the army!!!”  I said.

"I should’ve broken your mouth instead," Rudy countered.

"Then I wouldn’t have to listen to your ridiculous orders!"

There were more gasps from the regents in the room and the passing servants, and he appealed to them to continue the argument. [Our soldiers are scattered throughout this country. If Havania invades from the east, they will crush us.]

My high servant, Lord Kevin, hurried toward us and in hushed tones said, [My king, could we continue this conversation in the privacy of the throne hall room? Everyone is listening.]

...Yes, they were. Not only those who had been in the room when it started, but many others who had heard the yelling and come to see the commotion for themselves.

Kevin may have felt embarrassed for me, but I had no intention of making this private.

I stepped back from Kevin and said, There’s nothing to continue, Lord Kevin. The captain of my guard thinks I should have no say in the way my armies are trained.”

Kevin looked at Rudy, clearly appalled by his disrespect, but Rudy only tightened the muscles on his face and he didn't not embarrassed his face and eyes like a bear.

[We all bow to the Highness’s will, Captain. So must you.] Kevin’s scolding tone was so sharp, Rudy actually flinched.

But before Rudy could speak, I said, “No, Kevin. I won’t have him bow to me and secretly insist he’s in the right.” Then to Rudy, I said, “If you think you can train our men better, then I dare you to do so. Take whomever you wish, train them as you wish and in whatever way you want. Then we’ll compare our three groups. You’ll see if I’m right.”

"Not once!!" Rudy yelled. "I’ll begin training in the quadrangle at once."

“Not in my quadrangle, or even in my city!” I reply. [If you do this, you will leave Ordmond. Leave with all your arrogance and high pride in this Royal house, and come back when you finally understand your place.]

Kevin put his hand on my arm. [Richard, I beg you to think of what you’re saying. You two must make peace. You are still injured your right hands is still fresh, and if war is truly coming, then we need your captain here.]

I only brushed off his hand and leaned in to Rudy, then sibilate,

“Out now in this royal!!!.”

Rudy stared back with an anger so fierce, it worried me. Then he announced that within the hour, he would leave, taking Sixty of the armed men who had been assigned to him. Despite the things we had said to each other, I hoped he would go with only the best of luck.

I watched him leave, and then stared around at all those who had gathered to watch our exhibition. They were trusted members of the court, servants, and citizens of my country. And quite possibly, at least two of them was here as a spy for our enemies, who would now report that the armies of Anneleon were broken and divided.

Ever since the day I returned from the freebooter, Anneleon had begun making preparations such as had not been seen in a generation. We were storing up food, evacuating the people and forging weapons, and building our defenses, but for all that, the thing I needed most would be the hardest to get a 'time'.

As it turned out, we had even less time than I’d expected. Only five  weeks later, the war would begin.