It was so that the Governor of York was Longshanks' own cousin and right then he was closeted in his council room, studying his maps and hastily writing appeals for help. At last he sighed and looked at his captain. "Every town in Northern England is begging for help! Where will Wallace and his sister strike first?"
The words had barely left his mouth when the door banged up and a solider ran in. "They advance! Wallace and Katie advance!"
"To what town?"
"They come here!"
Katie watched as the men slammed an enormous tree trunk into the gates of York over and over again. William was at the front of the ram and saw what was waiting for them first when the doors caved in.
"Katie!" William turned and looked around. "Katie!"
Katie picked up a fallen torch and came forward. She surveyed the pile of broken carts and wooden tangle for a long moment then she tossed the torch onto it and backed away. "Back! Back away and wait for it to burn!"
The governor's captain hurried into the council room. "They've breached the wall."
The governor's face was cold. "Then do as I ordered."
The Scots where waiting, biding their time as the barrier burned. Katie was talking to William and Stephen when something flew off the walltop and landed on her, knocking her to the ground. She rolled over and opened her eyes.
A scream ripped from the back of her throat and chilled the blood of everyone who heard it.
William gasped in horror and jumped back.
Stephen jumped forward and hauled Katie out from under the body of a dead Scot.
Katie was pale and shaking as she stared at it. She looked up.
Bodies of hanged Scots where flying over the wall. The Scots below stared in mute shock then they let out a roar of anger.
The sight of their men rushing forward jolted William and Katie out of their shock.
"Stop! Not yet!" shouted William. "They wish to frighten us or goad us into attacking too soon!"
"Behold the enemy we fight." Katie looked around. "We will be more merciful than they have been. We will spare women, children and priests. For all else, no mercy!"
In London, Prince Edward and Phillip, his lover, where watching the arrival of Longshanks.
Edward began to pace nervously.
The door banged open and Longshanks stalked in angrily. He glared at Phillip with unconcealed loathing, then turned his piercing stare on his son. "What news of the north?"
"None," Edward said quietly.
"While I am in France fighting to expand your future kingdom, I learn that our entire northern army was wiped out! By a simple commoner and his sister!"
A messenger entered and handed Edward a message. Edward snatched it and tore it open. He read it and nearly fell over from shock. "William Wallace and his damned sister have completely sacked York!"
"Impossible," said Longshanks.
The messenger set a basket on the table and uncovered it. Edward looked into it and then staggered back, stunned. Longshanks looked in. He pulled out the severed head of his nephew, the former Governor of York.
"Sire!" exclaimed Philip. "Thy own nephew!"
Longshanks dropped the head back into the basket. "If he can sack York, he can invade lower England." He sighed.
"We would stop him!" said Phillip, his face red.
"Edward, who is this shitpoker who speaks to me as if I need his advice?"
"I have declared Phillip my high counselor," said Edward.
"Get him out of my sight," hissed Longshanks.
Edward nodded at Phillip and the man left the room.
"We must sue for a truce, and buy him off. But who will go to him?" said Longshanks to no one imparticular. " Not I. If I came under the sword of this murderer, I would end up like my nephew. And not you, the sight of my faggot son would only encourage an enemy to take over this country. So whom do I send?"