Refraction, a Rondo of Swords fanfiction

Chapter 2: Sacrifices...

The castle was not as deserted as he had thought. The double could hear the ordered footfalls of marching soldiers - there were more groups still combing the castle. He wasn't too worried though. No one knew the hidden passages of Luruze better than he did.

He reached a cupboard in the middle of the hallway. It was there more for decorative purposes than anything, as the insides were completely bare. Or at least, that was what the king wanted others to think. He reached to the back of cupboard, finger hooking into a natural-looking notch in the wood. Then, he slid the false back of the cupboard, and entered the hidden passageway. Inside the passageway, he stepped on a switch, causing the sliding panel to snap shut, and the cupboard door to close. With the entrance to the passageway once again hidden, he felt slightly safer.

He kept a quick yet steady pace through the narrow passageway, lowering his posture whenever the ceiling came low. He felt a part of his robe brush against his leg and grimaced. The blue garb was wet, probably with blood. The bleeding had to stop if the prince was to live. Already, the prince's complexion was turning pale.

It was a great relief when he finally reached his destination. The passageway had opened up into a small room, one of the many hideaways that he frequented. The room was sparse, the only things of interest was a mattress in a corner and a small storage cupboard. The double carefully set down the prince upon the mattress, and grimaced at his first good look at the prince's injury.

The lamp light revealed the deep stab wound that the prince had suffered. It had entered his side, and likely pierced through his rib cage. It was likely that a couple of ribs were broken. The worst though, was the outpouring of blood.

He thanked himself for his habit of keeping a stock of medicine in every hideaway. The double worked to apply some recovery salves upon the prince wounds, and then carefully dripped a bit of Akasha Juice down the prince's throat. The magically enhanced restoratives did their job, the deep wound soon closed up, leaving only dry blood stain as the only evidence of the grievous injury.

The prince was not fully recovered, however. The restoratives may have helped closed his wounds, but they did not help restore the lost blood. The prince would probably need the attention of a healer and some time to recuperate. Neither of which were available in the sieged capital.

Which meant... that he would have to find some way to escape the siege, bringing along an unconscious prince. He couldn't go to any nearby towns, with the Grand Meir army so close by. With the royal army nearly in tatters, it was only a matter of time before they too would fall to Grand Meir. To find safety and shelter for the prince, it was likely that he had to escape the country. Would it even be possible, with the prince as the Empire's biggest mark?

I knew it wouldn't be easy... It is always troublesome with you, my prince. He thought. Still, he had meant every word he had said to the prince. He had made his vow, and he would uphold it.

First, he needed more information. All he knew was that Grand Meir was attacking, and their forces had been enough to overwhelm Bretwalde's army. How bad was the situation? With the prince once more upon his back, he navigated the hidden passageways once more. It was a longer journey this time, his route brought him to the edge of the castle. Soon, he reached his destination, one of the four watch towers of the castle. Scaling the steps, he soon found availed himself to a panorama of the city.

His heart sank when he saw the swathes of orange-armoured knights upon the city's main streets. He had guessed right, the enemy far outnumbered their army. Theorange knights were clearly divided into five different divisions, three divisions guarding the stationed outside the city's walls, two within. He counted five different kinds of banners were being flown. Four banners were emblazoned with lions, one black, one green, one red and one gold, each with its maw open in a roar. They represented the four of the main division of Grand Meir's army.

The final banner was different. The image of a proud griffon with its wings outspread made the double's heart stop. That banner represented the First Division of Grand Meir's army, the Griffons, led by King Gauss himself. Grand Meir had pulled out all stops for this blitzkrieg strategy.

How was he going to escape?

A spate of fighting near the castle drew his attention. Two knights were fighting off the Imperial soldiers upon their trail, making their way to the castle. As the two drew closer, the double recognised them as Margus and Kay, knights Prince Serdic had known personally. They were here for his prince, he realised.

With their help, he would stand a better chance of escaping this siege. This thought in mind, the double darted down the steps of the watchtower, heading in the direction of the allied knights.

It grated on Kay's pride as a knight to not cut down the enemies that had invaded Bretwalde. He hated that he was basically fleeing down the main street of Evgard, with Grand Meir soldiers right on his trail. The paved streets of the capital were wide enough; if he turned Gawain, his trusted steed around, he could probably flank the slower armoured knights. He was sure he could run down a couple of the them. However, he held back the urge.

His role was that of a lure. His bright red armour and red hair made him ideal for it. The imperial soldiers stationed near the castle gate had been on him like flies to honey when he had wildly charged past the castle gate. Now, he was almost at the south entrance of the Evgard. That was not his destination, however. He knew that outside those gates was the main force of the imperial army. Charging out there would be suicide.

At the opportune moment, he entered an alleyway. What seemed like an innocuous path between houses suddenly branched into a mini-labyrinth. Kay chose the path with the most twists and turns, intent on causing as much trouble possible to the imperial soldiers. The curses from his pursuers were a small victory. Although his pursuers were persistent, persistence alone was not enough for them to catch the mobile cavalier. His shortcuts over stacks of crates were not easily replicated and the imperial soldiers soon lost their target. When Kay was sure he had lost his pursuers, he returned to the main street. The way to the castle was now soldier-free.

Or well, almost. Unlike what he had previously thought, not all the imperial soldiers had been drawn away. Three soldiers still guarded the gate. This was far less than the original platoon of thirty, but there were still three of them and one of him. Unafraid, Kay urged Gawain into a gallop, ignoring the disparity in numbers. There might be three of them, but they did not know that he was not alone.

At the sight of him, the three imperial soldiers had lifted their bludgeons. The oversized hammers were meant to crush the armour of other heavy infantry, but would work just as well upon the lightly armoured cavalier. One swing might not be enough to stop the bulk of a knight upon his horse, but they were confident that three would stop the charge of the seemingly suicidal cavalier. Their attention were firmly upon the approaching red knight.

Thus, they were practically blind to the other attacker. They did not notice, not till a spear pierced the left soldier, knocking the unlucky man onto his knees. The momentary distraction was enough for Kay to cross the distance, and Einherjar pierced their bodies.

The lives of three soldiers meant nothing to the Empire, but Kay drew a slight satisfaction at dealing some damage to the imperial invaders. Pulling his crimson spear from their prone forms, he turned to face his comrade, Margus. It heartened him to see that his senior had made it to the gate unharmed. The grey paintwork of his tower shield was marred with deep scars, but the similarly coloured armour merely had a few nicks on it. It was clear that the proper use of his shield had prevented any injuries.

"Good to see you made it alive." Margus said with an easy smile. Though he seemed relaxed, his eyes showed that he had been concerned.

"I would never let the Empire take me so easily." Kay declared with a huff. "We have our duties, and we cannot die before we complete them. We have to save the prince."

Save the prince. That was his captain's last order to him, before he had led the cavalier division against the imperial soldiers. It pained him that he was the only one away from the battlefield, but he knew the importance of this task. The royal bloodline of Bretwalde had to be kept alive. Crown Prince Serdic was the last heir to the throne. So long as he lived, there was a chance for Bretwalde to continue.

Margus, too, had understood this, separating from his platoon in this dangerous mission to protect the prince. The two had worked together to make it all the way to the castle gate. Now, the castle loomed before them. Before the attack, it had been Evgard's stronghold. Now, it was infested with enemies.

Somewhere within it was the prince.

"Let us hope that we are not too late." Kay murmured as a measure of doubt set in. Enough time had passed for the imperial soldiers to make a thorough sweep of the castle. Had the prince been able to escape detection? If he was caught, would he be killed outright?

Margus, his senior and mentor, seemed to be able to read his mind. With a steady voice, he reassured, "Prince Serdic should still be alive. The castle guards would do their utmost to protect him, and buy him time to escape. If the rumours of secret passageways in Luruze Castle are true, the prince could use them to hide, or maybe even escape."

"However, if we are wrong..." Margus paused, as if not wanting to consider the thought. Yet, he still continued, knowing the situation was dire enough for the worst to be a possibility. "If the worst truly has occurred, we would have to at least retrieve Spanta and bring it to Princess Marie. That would be the only way to preserve the Holy Bretwaldean lineage."

Kay clenched the reins of his horse, not liking the necessity of a plan for the worst case scenario. The fact that such a contingency was considered was already a failure in the eyes of the knight. If anything had happened to the prince...

"Kay! Margus!" A familiar voice broke his train of thought. The gloom in his heart was swept away when he turned to see the speaker.

The crown prince stood upon the steps to the castle door. He was alive and well! The two loyal vassals rushed to the prince's side, overjoyed that their prince was here.

"It's a true relief for us to see you safe and sound, Prince Serdic." Margus said as he dropped to his knees in a deep bow. Kay hurriedly dismounted and mimicked him, remembering his manners around royalty.

Prince Serdic let out an exasperated groan. "Up, both of you! We have little time for such pleasantries!" he cried. As Kay scrambled to his feet, he noted the smile upon the prince's lips. The prince continued in a softer voice. "Still, I appreciate your concern."

"It is our honour, Your Highn-?" Kay's words were lost when he saw the figure upon Prince Serdic's back. He thought he was seeing double, for this person had the exact same face as the prince. The facial features and the hair were identical, the biggest difference was that one was in blue robes and armour, while the other was in a simple black garb.

The prince was not surprised by his reaction. "I see you've noticed him. This man is my double. He suffered a grievous injury in the fight in the castle." Prince Serdic explained, non-plussed.

Margus was the first to recover from the sudden revelation. His words were well-meaning advice to the prince."Your Highness, while you may be worried for him, it would be best for you to leave him behind. An injured and unconscious man would only slow our escape."

The prince's eyes had turned steely at Margus' words. At this change, Margus added. "He would be fine. The Grand Meir soldiers have some honour. They would not attack an unarmed man."

The prince's reply was to shake his head. "An ordinary man, they would not harm. But, a man with the face of a prince? They would kill him." He said in retort. There was a fierceness in his look now, a clear sign that this double was important.

"Furthermore, this double has a role he must play. Thus, he'll come with us." The tone of the prince brook no argument. Margus dipped his head in acquiescence, though his eyes showed some reluctance.

"What are your plans, Prince Serdic?" Kay asked, eager to take the heat off his comrade. "We will do whatever necessary to aid you in escaping."

"I have not thought beyond getting horses." Prince Serdic confessed, moving in the direction of the stables. "I would welcome any input on the next course of action."

Though the prince did not turn back, his words were clearly directed at Margus. Kay gave Margus a relieved glance, before falling in line behind the prince. It was good that the prince did not begrudge the senior knight for his earlier suggestion.

"Your Highness, I would suggest we try sneak out from the south western gate. Although the south is where the empire's main force is encamped, currently, our royal army are still battling them. Their divisions will be distracted by the main force, and they would not notice us sneaking out by that gate." Margus proposed as he walked.

"Wouldn't the north entrance be a better choice? Going south would mean escaping the notice of three divisions, one being the Griffons, but the north only has a single division guarding it." Prince Serdic asked.

"That is true. However, this is the same division that served as the empire's strike force. I believe that the Grand given this job, Alberich of the Black Lions, would be on much higher alert for you, Prince Serdic." Margus explained. "There is also the Green Lions, the mage division, in the west. They are in good position to support the Black Lions should we try to escape north."

"We also have to consider where we will be heading to. It would be best for us to escape in the direction of the country we are to seek refuge in, to make it more difficult for the Empire's army to cut us off. If we go north, we would be closer to Verona or Almeria. South would put us closer to the Shalem Federation." Margus stated. The depth of the analysis showed the gap of experience between Kay and his senior. Kay himself had not thought beyond merely escaping the capital.

Kay noticed that Margus had left out a possible option. "Are the feudal states of Bretwalde are not an option?" Kay asked, thinking about his homeland. Surely, they could seek aid there?

"They would be the Empire's first target, after Evgard falls. It would do us no good to regroup so close to the Empire's main forces." Margus rationalised with a shake of his head. Margus, of course, knew what he was thinking about, but his words were clear about his duty. They were knights of Bretwalde, their priority was the survival of the prince.

The prince paused, weighing his options. "Between the three, Shalem is the closest. Almeria is out as we lack the supplies needed to cross the Ismael Desert. Verona is possible... but it is further away and may be too obvious. We'll go Shalem."

"The Shalem Federation should welcome you. Emir Darsin, the current leader, is a good friend of King Elliott." Margus assured as they reached the stables.

He was back at the stables. Just a few days ago, Kay had been here with his friends, getting ready for yet another of their commander's gruesome training exercises. With the situation as it is, the now nearly empty stables... would likely remain this for a long time.

The only horses that remained were the ones reserved for royal use. There were only two within the stables now. The first was an auburn stallion, with a white star upon its forehead. Spirit, the late King Elliott's steed. The second was the prince's own steed, Maximus. The white stallion lifted its head, gazing at the prince as he approached.

The prince suddenly came to a stop. His gaze wandered between both horses, before finally shaking his head.

"Margus... Take my horse. I'll take Spirit instead." the prince said as he grabbed the saddle and reins of his father's steed.

"Your Highness?" Margus spluttered, confused and slightly shaken at the prospect of using royal property. Kay too, was startled by the prince's words.

"Maximus was bred for steadiness and strength. He'll bear the weight of your armour better than Spirit." Prince Serdic said as he quickly outfitted his chosen horse.

It was a little bit strange. From Kay's perspective, both horses were of the best lineages, and the difference between the two was not much. Maximus might be the larger of the two, while Spirit was more sleek and fast. But surely that alone was not a reason for the prince to choose his father's horse over his own?

A sort of answer came in the prince's next words. "Maximus will also be carrying two, instead of one."

For the first time, Prince Serdic moved the double off his back. With care, he passed the unconscious man into Margus' arms.

"I'll entrust him to you, Margus. Please take care of him." The prince said. Margus accepted the extra weight with a wordless bow. Kay noted that the Prince had used the double's cloak to cover the double's face.

Was this...all for the double's sake? Who was he?

He had no time to think about it, not with the Prince ready to leave. There was a quick last check through the stables, to grab any sundries that could be useful, before they left.

They did not get far. They were stymied at the castle gates when they saw imperial soldiers reorganised at Luruze Castle's front gate. If it was merely just the armoured infantry, they would have been willing to breakthrough, using the mobility of their horses to get away. However, a single man adorned in black armour gave them pause.

"Black armour upon a black horse... That is Alberich of the Black Lions, the Commander of the Fifth Division. One of the Four Grands that serve Emperor Gauss." Margus said grimly. "He finally joined the hunt."

It was but a single man, but the fame of any of the Grands had spread far and wide. Each of the division commanders of Grand Mier had earned their titles with blood, and were said to be beasts upon the battlefields. They were the ones who had helped transform a once tiny feudal state into the Grand Meir Empire. Having one of them blocking their path... it felt like a colossus has chosen to stand in their way.

The silence stretched for minutes. There was no easy solution to their situation. They were only three knights and an unconscious man, hardly a force that could take on the Fifth Division of Grand Meir. Sneaking out was no longer an option, not with the castle gates effectively blockaded by the enemy.

The silence was broken by Margus. His suggestion came in a grim tone. "Kay, take Prince Serdic and head south. If you can make it to the road, you should be able to escape. I'll stay here and hold them off."

"Margus, wait! If it is being decoy, I can do it as well. I'm the one trained on horseback, I'll do better." Kay yelled in disagreement. Both knights knew that their top priority was the prince's escape, and neither had hesitated to offer their lives.

"A decoy plan..." The prince's musings cut off Margus' retort. "It would not work. It would be too obvious. The Grand Meir soldiers have already killed all the castle guards. Any lone Bretwaldean knight would clearly be a decoy of some sort. If they saw either of you, they would definitely search in the direction you came from. It would not be hard for them to imagine that the lone knight was acting decoy for the still living prince."

"That may be true, you Highness, but I don't see any other plan." Kay said, with a frown. "At the very least, the decoy would lure some portion of their forces out, and make it easier for you to break through."

Prince Serdic had fallen silent. Conflicted blue eyes were soon hidden beneath his eyelids. When he finally opened them again, the look in his eyes had changed. A steely determination had replaced the originally lost look.

"As there are no other possible plans, we'll have to go with the decoy one." He said grimly. "The armoured infantry is not the problem, with horses, we will easily outpace them. The real trouble is the Grand, Alberich. Whoever who is decoy must be able to draw him away."

Both of the knights lowered their heads, ready to receive the prince's order. One of them would have to take the role of the decoy... It would be the most difficult job they would have assigned to them. It might even be their last job.

"Margus... you will not be decoy." Prince Serdic's words were like a mandate from heavens, deciding who would live and die. Kay did not protest. As a knight of Bretwalde, he was ready to give his life in service of the prince.

"Kay..." The prince paused, as if not wanting to continue. Then, finally, three words spilled from his lips.

"Neither will you."

"P-Prince Serdic?!" Kay was flabbergasted. Even Margus was shocked by the prince's proclamation.

Unlike the two, the prince in front of them was perfectly calm. "I did say that whoever who was decoy had to lead the Grand away. Can either of you guarantee that he would follow you instead of coming in search of the one protecting the prince?"

"Then, what would you suggest?" Margus asked.

"Earlier on, I said that this double had a role to play. I suppose the time is now." The prince said.

Both knights cast a glance at the still unconscious man upon Maximus. Then, Margus' eyes narrowed.

"You..."

Margus words were cut off when the prince did something he would never do. The crown prince of Bretwalde, the successor to the throne... bowed to his two vassals.

"Kay. Margus. Please, take care of my prince."

With these words, the man who Kay had thought to be the prince kicked his horse. The auburn stallion followed its orders faithfully, charging in the direction of the imperial soldiers, away from the two stunned knights.

Chapter 2: Sacrifices... sometimes are necessary

-End-

Author's note:

Welcome to the beginning of unreliable narrators. This story may be written in third person point-of-view, but the narrators are still each of the point-of-view characters. Their narrations are limited to the knowledge they know, thus they can and will make mistakes. If you have played the game before, you may be in a better position than the characters to tell what is going on. Or maybe you won't, as this story is meant to deviate from the game. Well, what I am willing to tell is to use a bit of discretion while reading this story, as this will not be the only time that the characters will get things wrong.

On to the next point. Those who have played the game would have realised that the end of this chapter is the beginning of the first chapter in the game. This is partly due to some reshuffling of plot points, but mostly because I am trying to fill certain gaps in the story. I personally did not expect this, but the chapter was getting too long. I'm hoping this won't occur again, but looking at my story map... It's unlikely. I'll do my best not to have too many abrupt ends to chapters. Just remember, cliffhangers don't count. :P