Draconia Chronicles: Knights of the Westfold
Chapter 9- The Golden-Mane (Rise of a Queen)
When you gaze upon the records of a royal bloodline, not all the Queens that make up the family tree are good. Some have shed blood, rivers of blood, to take their place on the throne of the Westfold. A queen must be strong in the face of adversity. I come now to the rebel camp seeking the counsel of Lady Noemi of Blaireau. I have been told that she has left for the Dragon Kingdom on a rescue mission. But in these coming months, I will prove myself worthy in battle. For I am Queen Joanna.
"So I hear Lady Claramond has decided to go her own way, foolish girl, she knows not of what is coming," I said in a calm annoyance,
"Yes, Your Highness, but you are here now, you can give these soldiers confidence," Lady Glenda replied with a light sigh. I understand how she feels.
"You did what you could, Lady Glenda, what becomes of her we'll let the fates decide," I replied, knowing these soldiers are young, and must learn about acceptable losses.
Yet now in these troubling times my story begins, I am an outlaw. You see, there are many contenders to the throne of the Westfold, four to be exact, who gathered at the Sweetwater Abbey. I had arrived early to give my prayers while the others were arriving. One of them was Aerona of Bowen whom had ties to the Dragons. Yet it was my actions that put into play where I am now. I was not going to stand idle while the next Queen of the Westfold becomes nothing but a puppet on Oscura's strings.
We were told give up our weapons at the entrance to the abbey. I gave the priestess my sword, but I had a dagger hidden under my garments. It was then as I was confronted by Lady Aerona that I stabbed her as she tried to attack me while I was praying. I had killed a baroness on sacred ground. I left the abbey with my hands covered in her blood and her body laying on the cold granite floors. Like every lady and baroness, I had the desire to rule the Westfold. I didn't think it would begin like this.
I was then excommunicated by my own clan, and those knights and soldiers still loyal to me were exiled with me to an island in the northwest of the country. For my crimes, Queen Oscura has put a price on my head. My loyalists have informed me those baronesses and ladies loyal to Queen Oscura are to hunt me like dogs. The Dragons took everything from us to make sure that there can be no queen sitting in the throne of the Westfold but her. I refuse to see that happen. My time has come.
Although the Dragons had taken away the Stone of Righ, the sacred stone to which all the Queens of the Westfold are blessed upon, there was another way to take my place as queen of these lands. A priestess, Annabeth of Sacred Heart, loyal to my cause, gave me her blessing of my crown and the forgiveness of the Lord for my crimes against his grace. With her blessing, I knew if I was going to rule these lands as their queen, I was going to have to take the Westfold piece by piece, and castle by castle.
Through many months of planning, those loyal to me agreed that we would take back the lands by force of arms. Many badgers may not agree with my tactics, and the Dragons may say I am an outlaw, but the only way the Dragon Queen can make me kneel is if she breaks my legs. Every stronghold and castle in the land that I set my eyes on fell to my sword until there was only one left, the Castle of Whitestone. If that castle fell by force of arms, then I will have secured all the lands in the country.
With every siege my numbers dwindled. I started out with 4,000 strong, now my forces have been cut in half. My army needed reinforcements. I relied on my sister, Lady Annabelle, to lay siege to Whitestone. She had been laying siege to the castle for almost a month, and still the defenses held. At the helm of the defenses was a knight, Lady Bethany, a loyalist to the Dragons. Thus my sister had a blunder that would send the wrath of the Dragon Queen upon the Westfold, and set in motion the final battle.
I was none too pleased with my sister making a chivalric pact with the head of the defenses at Whitestone, "Do you realize what you have done?" I said to my sister in my tent, "because of this, Lady Bethany is going to report back to the Dragon Kingdom that Whitestone fell, Lord knows what kind of force Blackwing is going to bring to these lands," I said heatedly to Lady Annabelle. I could see the shame in her eyes for her actions. I calmed down and got up from my throne to put a hand on her shoulder.
"Your highness, maybe it is best this way," Lady Annabelle replied, "this will be your chance to face the Queen herself in open combat,"
Lady Annabelle is a good knight, strong, brave and also beautiful. She is my twin sister as we both have blond hair and blue eyes. Clad in white with our coat-of-arms, two badgers holding up the sun, I knew my sister was right, "Yet we do not possess the power necessary to face the Queen in open combat, our soldiers and knights are in need of rest," I said to my sister. Lady Annabelle smiled at my distresses. I could tell she had a plan of action despite the fact we have only 2,000 strong to face the Queen.
"There's always Princess Kiriad," she suggested,
"Bah! That little tart can barely hold her own people let alone hold a sword," I huffed back
"Then we can always join forces with the rebel houses, I'm sure they would see fit to fight be your side," Annabelle replied, it is said that the third time is a charm. With that, it seemed she was right. I ordered my forces to move out at the light of the next day. It is a day's journey from our camp to the camp of the rebel armies of Gwynedd and Blaireau. I have so much about the brave knights Lady Noemi and Lady Glenda. It makes me proud to know there are some that have to gall to stand up to Oscura.
Riding at the head of my army, we ventured onto the trail that would lead to the rebel forces camp. My army is a forest of swords, spears, halberds, battle-axes and other weapons. Every one of them a capable soldier. My knights will soon have their names carved into history as mine has been. It was only a matter of time when the news of the fall of Whitestone Castle reaches the Queen. I know Oscura will send her armies, and with Lady Glenda and Lady Noemi joining the battle, I know I will be ready.