Sitting in my private chambers, I stared at the stone wall. Light from the fire was casting frolicking shadows.

It had been an hour since the noise had stopped, the banging, the drums, the chanting. Apart from the cracking and hissing of burning wood, there was silence now. The calm before the storm.

But then, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted my contemplation. A knock on my door soon followed.

'Enter,' I replied, grabbing my goblet. I then downed the last swirl of wine.

A man dressed head to toe in chainmail shuffled in, gave a quaint bow and said, 'The enemy's trebuchets have been erected, your majesty.'

Briefly closing my eyes, displeased at the news, I nodded in response. 'I truly didn't think my cousin had it in him to take my castle by force. He was always the weasely one. Always taking the easy route.  A siege seemed more likely.'

'Your majesty, an attack is imminent,' my commander said in earnest.  'I've ordered everyone to retreat behind the inner wall. With the trebuchets it's too dangerous to man the outer curtain. Half the foot soldiers are ready to defend the gatehouse and the other half, the postern gate.'

'Good,' I said calmly, but then rage took hold and I slammed my desk. 'By the grace of God, my cousin will pay for his treachery. His treason. I am the legitimate king, not him.'

Suddenly a thundering roar echoed all around. It sounded as if the heavens were collapsing. My gaze snapped to the window. Night had changed to day. Fiery boulders, too many to count, dotted the sky.

'It has begun,' my commander said, a slight tremble in his voice.

The instant I got to my feet, a deafening crash sent me staggering. My keep, the floor below me, my desk shook with a power I had never felt before. But as quick as it came, it stopped.

'Let's go meet our attackers, shall we?' I said, my heart thumping with fear and anticipation.

'I think it would be wise if you stay here, your majesty. For your safety. Barricade the doors.'

I was not at all pleased with that response. And the look I gave my commander sent him taking back his words.

'I beg your forgiveness for the suggestion, your majesty.'

I absolved him with a nod before swiftly putting on my regal armor, a gold chest plate and helmet. And after grabbing Beast, my battle sword named after the late queen, we left my chambers.

Hastily leading my commander, I climbed the royal staircase and outside to the parapet, my perch overlooking my domain.

It was the smell that hit me first. Of pitch, dust and sweat. My eyes then settled on the theatre before me. I gasped. The entire outer curtain had been flattened. Something that had taken years to build now turned to rubble.

My gaze drifted to my archers atop the battlements, their bows ready for the onslaught, and to the gates below and to my foot soldiers.

All of a sudden, a blast of horns rang out, sending a shiver down my spine. It was mere seconds after when countless figures appeared through the darkness. My cousin's soldiers. They were coming from all sides. 

'ARCHERS!' my commander shouted. 'LET LOOSE!'

Arrows pierced the night air. Death cries and the sound of armor being hit followed.

From the parapet, my commander and I rushed down to the bailey, to the ground.

'I'll take the gatehouse,' I ordered. 'You take the postern gate.'

'Yes, your majesty.' My commander bowed before leaving.

With force, I pushed my way to the gatehouse and to the front. A king must lead in battle. Livened by my appearance, my soldiers grunted and yelled in approval.

'It is time, men,' I bellowed with enthusiasm, lifting Beast into the air as if it was a gift from God. 'Time to send my cousin and these rats of his back to the holes from whence they came.'

My soldiers cheered on, hitting their swords on their shields in rhythm.

'Battering rams approach,' an archer howled from above. And it wasn't long before the wooden gate of the gatehouse was taking a pummeling, sending splinters exploding in all directions.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG . . . 

'AT THE READY!' I yelled, getting into a fighting stance.

The gate crashed open, separated from its hinges, and slammed to the ground with a thundering boom. A rush of bodies, eyes full of rage, then stormed through.

'Say well met to my wee friend,' I screamed at the invaders, the rebels, before lunging and severing several heads with ease.

A glint suddenly flashed in my vision and I ducked down just in time. An axe zipped over my head, grazing my helmet, and found itself imbedded in the chest of one of my men. An archer quickly took down the perpetrator with an arrow straight between the eyes.

As wave after wave of my cousin's rats came, enemy bodies were soon piling high before us, the ground turning into a bloody bog. My thoughts then wondered to the postern gate. Was my commander doing as well? I looked over. The gate had been breached and my soldiers there had been pushed back to the walls of the keep.

'God's hooks,' I swore under my breath.

Then I saw him. The usurper. He was in battle with my commander. Blow after blow their swords met, sending sparks flying.

I should be the one fighting my cousin, I said to myself.

'Hold the line,' I yelled. 'Don't let them take the gatehouse.'

As I trudged my way to the other side of the bailey, the number of enemy soldiers grew and grew. More of them were funneling through the postern gate, quickly outmanning us. There were so many, I just hacked and hacked.  A lot more heads were lost.

Looking up from the carnage, I found my cousin again. He was entering my residence. But where was my commander?

I continued to slash at whomever came in range of Beast, somehow managing to get to the steps of the keep. And there he was, lying at its base. My commander, blood pooling below his lifeless body, a grotesque gash running across his face.

Sweat was dripping down my cheek and now too was a tear. 'I'll see you in heaven, friend,' I said before climbing the steps.

I trampled through the doors of the keep and entered the throne room. My throne room, where I saw the usurper resting. While several fights were raging round him, he was resting. Resting on my seat of power.

When our eyes met, a huge grin twisted on his ugly mug.

'It's nice of you to join the festivities, cousin,' he growled loudly at me, through the sound of crashing weapons.

'Get down from there, you dirty rascal. I'm the king of the castle.'