What Happens in Faerie… (flash fiction)

What Happens in Faerie…

“There’s a pair of knickers up on that tree.” Cindy said pointing upwards. So far all their missing clothes had been spotted hanging on the tops of trees, as they wandered around naked looking for them.

“Well you did say: “Let’s go hiking in Faerie, it could be interesting.” Well you were right there.” Jess stated. Cindy shrugged her shoulders.

“Well that’s the thing with Faerie, anything can happen.”

“Great.” Jess replied. “You have fae blood. Do you have any powers?”

“Of course I don’t. I’m not Melissa.” Cindy blurted out.

“Melissa? Melissa has powers?” Jess asked surprised. Cindy’s face went red.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Melissa has powers?” Jess repeated.

“Yes, she’s a sorceress.” Cindy admitted.

“A sorceress? How do you know?”

“One of the last times I was in Faerie. I sold that letter of hers for the silver bell at the Faerie Market. The seller took it as payment as it was “a letter of apology from a sorceress”. Thinking back on it now, I may have been ripped off. Later I got trapped on a spider’s web in-between the worlds, and Melissa helped me escape.”

“Huh! Were you ever going to tell me about any of this?” Jess asked.

“I didn’t want to tell you about it. I’m always scared I’m going to lose you to Melissa.” Cindy admitted. Jess sighed, put her hands on Cindy’s shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“I want you to listen to me Cindy. I like Melissa, but I don’t love her. I love you. That’s why I married you. I really wish we could get beyond this.” Cindy nodded at her words.

“So do I.” Cindy agreed.

“Well… we could climb the trees.” Jess said changing the subject.

“It would take a long time to retrieve all our clothing. Besides some are on pine trees and we would get covered in resin.”

“Do you have any ideas? I’m not doing the rest of the hike naked.” Jess stated.

“Maybe if we go find help from someone.” Cindy suggested.

“From whom? We haven’t seen anyone since we went through the portal.”

“If we go down the path, we might find a homestead or something.” Cindy said. Jess sighed again.

“Well it’s better than nothing I guess. Lead on.”

They walked down the path. They hadn’t gone very far when they saw a small figure walking towards them. It was a gnome with a long grey beard. He wore grey robes and had a little walking stick in his right hand.

“Hi.” Cindy said once he got nearer to them. The gnome stopped and looked up at them quizzically.

“Hello.” He said. “I don’t mean to pry, but do you always wander around Faerie naked? I think I should warn you there are certain places I wouldn’t advise you to go without clothing.”

“This isn’t a choice. We went swimming and now all our clothes are at the tops of trees. I suspect pixies are to blame.” Cindy told him.

“I see.” The gnome replied while scanning the treetops. “It does sound like pixie mischief.”

“Do you know anyone who can help us?” Cindy asked. The gnome nodded.

“One moment.” He replied. Dropping his walking stick, he fished out a small flute and then played a few notes. A few minutes later a fairy appeared fluttering it’s butterfly wings. The gnome spoke a few words to it in a language Cindy and Jess didn’t know. The fairy then fluttered off. They stood there waiting. A short while later fairies began appearing carrying Jess and Cindy’s clothes in their hands. The fairies began dropping the clothes at their feet. Within an hour, all of Jess and Cindy’s clothes lay in a pile before them, as far as they could tell.

“Thank you.” Jess said. The gnome looked over their clothes.

“Another word of advice: if you ever plan on meeting the Queen, wear something less mundane.”

“Well I don’t think our plans include meeting the Queen.” Jess replied.

“Thank you for your help.” Cindy said. The gnome bowed low.

“My name is Lemnas.”

“I’m Cindy, and this is Jess, who is my wife.” Cindy told him.

“You live in a farm next to a portal, don’t you?” Lemnas asked.

“Yes. How do you know?” Cindy asked.

“Let’s just say you are known.” Lemnas replied.

“Okay.” Cindy said confused.

“I’ll leave you ladies to get dressed.” Lemnas said. “You owe me a favour.”

“I guess we do.” Cindy replied.

“It will be getting dark soon. There is a good inn a few miles up the road. I have stayed there many a time, you might like it there.” Lemnas suggested.

“Thanks for the suggestion. We’ll check it out.” Cindy replied. Lemnas bowed low again, then turned and walked away.

“We’ve been here two days, and already we owe a favour.” Jess said as they got dressed.

“Can’t be helped.” Cindy answered.

“It’s strange he appeared just when we needed help.” Jess stated.

“Happenstance.” Cindy suggested.

Once they were ready, they continued their journey. They had been walking a few hours and it was getting dark once they came across the inn that Lemnas had told them about. It was a large wooden building with three storeys. There were lights in all the windows and it looked welcoming and inviting to both of them. They walked up the path to the main doors and opened them. Light spilled out along with the smell of ale and smoke, laughter and talk. They both looked at one another before going over the threshold.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

This story follows The Waterfall

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©️2023 Joanne Fisher

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The Waterfall (flash fiction)

Forest Waterfall by Sangued

The Waterfall

The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Jess and Cindy packed up their belongings and continued on the path they were following. The day grew warm and the scents of flowers like roses and honeysuckle filled the air. It was a peaceful walk, and neither of them saw anyone else. It was as though they had the whole forest to themselves.

Around midday, when they were thinking of stopping for lunch, they heard in the distance the sound of a waterfall. They followed the sound (but kept on the path), and eventually came to a large cascading waterfall with a pool of water.

“I would so love a swim!” Jess stated.

“Yes, me too.” Cindy agreed. As the waterfall was only just off the path, they both agreed it would be okay to have a swim there, and then have some lunch. They both stripped off and dived into the pool. The water was cool and refreshing. Any weariness they may have felt in their limbs quickly ebbed away in the water. They spent the entire afternoon happily swimming, and only reluctantly got out of the water once their hunger pangs could no longer be ignored.

“Hey where are my clothes?” Jess asked looking around.

“I don’t know. Mine are gone too!” Cindy replied. The spot where they had stripped off was now bereft of any clothing. They both went to their packs and found all the clothes packed away in them were gone too.

“Who’s done this?” Jess asked bewildered.

“Damn pixies!” Cindy angrily spat out.

They literally had nothing to wear.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

This story follows Rabbits

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2023 Joanne Fisher

The Rejects, part four (fiction)

The Rejects

4

“You want to reopen the portal? Why?” Cally asked.

“You must understand I only want it opened for a brief period.” Mr. Williams explained. “It’s to find someone.”

“Who?”

“Well the reason why the attack on our world was thwarted, was that one person stopped them. They sent the invading force back through the portal and then closed it. They must have been incredibly powerful, more powerful than anything seen before. However, I also believe this person closed it while on the other side of the portal and trapped themselves there. I want the portal reopened so we can find them.” Mr. Williams said.

“But if that was years ago, wouldn’t they be dead by now? Surely if they were as powerful as you claim, they would have been able to reopen the portal by themselves and return here?” Cally wondered.

“I think something happened to them on the other side. I believe they are trapped in some sort of stasis field and are unable to return. That’s what my investigations have suggested.” Mr. Williams informed her.

“Surely we should be using our powers to make this world better, I mean, is it really so important for us to use our resources to bring someone back from another dimension when we could be doing something more constructive with it?” Cally suggested. “It also sounds like this could be extremely dangerous.”

“There is nothing more constructive we can do. My entire plan hinges on this. I need their power. After they thwarted this attack, they disappeared and then only a few years later the apocalypse happened. If they had been here, they could have stopped it. I want to bring them back and send them back in time, this is something the scientists at The Foundation have been calculating for me. They assure me it can work. Using their own power we can send this person back in time and they can prevent the apocalypse from occurring, meaning none of us will have to live through this wretched timeline of a dying world anymore.” Mr. Williams told her. Cally felt dumbfounded. Did he really mean to do this? It sounded crazy. He sounded crazy. “Don’t you understand? This is the only way we can survive.”

“You mean all this talk about using The Foundation to begin again and rebuild civilisation and the world was all just bullshit?”

“Well, it is the spiel I give about The Foundation, but yes it’s not the actual purpose of the organisation. Our plan is to stop the apocalypse from ever happening and erase this timeline.” Mr. Williams conceded. They both stood there in silence for a while. “I think it’s time we go back.”

On the journey back to the lift, Cally was lost in her thoughts. It was as if she was in some crazy dream and any moment now she would wake up in the ruins again. She wished she was back there. The place had been her home for as long as she could remember. It was all so much simpler there, though she doubted Mr. Williams would ever let her return.

Once they were back in The Foundation Cally was shown to a small room that had a bed, a table, and a few other bits of furniture. This was her space now, she was told. She sat down on the bed and wondered what she had gotten herself involved in. There was a soft knocking on the door. Cally opened it to see Sofi was there, smiling.

“Hi, I see these are your new quarters. They’re right next to mine. I was wondering if you were hungry? The other Rejects are meeting in the canteen. You want to join us?” Sofi asked.

“Rejects?” Cally asked. Sofi laughed.

“It’s what we call ourselves, though Williams doesn’t like it.” Sofi explained.

“Okay.” Cally replied.

“Great, follow me.” Sofi told her. Cally followed her to the canteen.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

Previous chapters: One | Two | Three

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2023 Joanne Fisher

The Rejects, part three (fiction)

The Rejects

3

The door slid open to reveal a large room. In the centre of the room was a table with monitors and seats around it. Around the walls were electronic equipment of various kinds, Cally thought some of it looked to be for analysing, and in the centre of the wall to the left there were elevator doors. In the room there were six other people of around Cally’s age or older. Three were female and three were male. They all looked at her.

“May I introduce Cally.” Mr. Williams said to the others. “I think she’s the last one of you to be found.”

“Hi.” Cally said. The others said hi back to her. One of the women smiled and went directly towards her with her hand held out.

“Hi Cally, my name is Sofi. I’m the one who found you.” Sofi said. She looked to be Cally’s age and was of Indian heritage Cally guessed.

“You found me?” Cally asked confused.

“I was the one who became aware you were living in the ruins.” Sofi said.

“Though it did take a while for us to locate you.” Mr. Williams added.

“You became aware I was there?”

“Yes, one day I suddenly knew you were there.” Sofi told her.

“Sofi is able to locate people. She feels their presence.” Mr. Williams explained. “We need to get you connected to the computer.”

“Okay.” Cally said not knowing what that meant.

“Follow me.” Sofi said smiling. Cally followed her to the centre table. “Put your hand on the sensor pad.” Cally followed her instructions. The sensor pad started glowing.

“State your name.” said a female voice.

“Cally.” Cally replied.

“State your full name.” the voice immediately replied. Cally looked confused. She couldn’t remember her last name.

“Just make something up.” Sofi whispered to her.

“Cally Smith.” Cally said to the computer.

“Cally Smith, female, age range 18 to 105 years old.” the computer stated.

“What?” Cally asked. Mr. Williams looked perturbed.

“It must be another glitch.” He stated.

“I’ll check the lines of code.” One of the males volunteered.

“Okay Matt, you do that. I wish to take Cally down below. You can all introduce yourselves to her later.” Mr. Williams stated. He led Cally to the elevator doors.

“Where are we going?” Cally asked.

“There’s something I need to show you.” Mr. Williams told her. The doors opened and they both got in. Cally saw the others were now huddled around a computer monitor. Sofi looked up and waved to her. Then the doors closed and the lift went down. Not long later, the doors opened to reveal a cavern. In the cavern was a cart that was mounted on tracks. The tracks went off into the darkness.

“What is this place?” Cally asked.

“Just a cavern. Get on the cart.” Mr. Williams insisted. Cally sat on one of the seats and then Mr. Williams joined her. He started up a motor and the cart began moving forwards at a steady pace.

“Where are we headed?”

“A place you need to see.” Mr. Williams answered. The cart moved through a narrow tunnel with a single light in the front showing the way. After half an hour they came into a larger cavern. Mr. Williams brought the cart to a halt. Cally felt cold and put her arms around herself to help keep warm. Mr. Williams got off the cart and beckoned her to follow.

“I don’t like this place.’ Cally remarked. Mr. Williams looked at her.

“Interesting. Maybe you’re sensitive to energy levels.” He stated. He suddenly stopped and faced the far wall.

“So what happened here?” Cally asked.

“The reason why I’m gathering all your team together is that you’re all gifted, and when I say gifted I mean you all have powers. In the old days it would have been called magic, whatever that means. Magic, or what we called magic, is the ability to change matter at a subatomic level, or so I believe. And that is something you’re all capable of doing at some level, though of varying degrees of power.” Mr. Williams explained.

“So what happened in this cavern?” Cally asked.

“Well I was getting to that. Years ago another dimension opened a portal to our world here in this exact spot. The intentions of the denizens living there was to invade our world and take it over, but at the time they were thwarted and their portal was closed.”

“I see. So what are you wanting us to do?”

“I want to use your powers to reopen the portal.” Mr. Williams told her.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

Previous chapters: One | Two

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2023 Joanne Fisher

The Rejects, part two (fiction)

The Rejects

2

It was always the same dream: before her stood several figures with rubbery skin and tentacles looking down at her with cold intelligence and arrogance, and also hatred. The fact she was there, that she even existed, was an annoyance to them. They cruelly looked at her as she tried to repel them… “Cally?”

Cally opened her eyes. She was still in the white room with the sun’s light streaming through the windows. There stood Mr. Williams before her, smiling.

“Hi.” She said.

“Good morning Cally.” Mr. Williams said. “I thought today we could take a walk and you could see the facility and meet your fellow team members.”

“Team members?”

“Yes. You will be part of a team. I’ll explain more about it later. Now let’s see if you can still walk.” Mr. Williams informed her. Cally rose out of bed. She swiveled her legs over one side of the bed. Her feet touched the cold floor. Gently she tried standing up, but she suddenly began to shake and almost fell over. Mr. Williams quickly went to her side and took hold of her before she collapsed onto the floor. Cally hung onto his arm as she tried walking.

“How long have I been here?” Cally asked.

“Not too long.” Mr. Williams said enigmatically. They walked slowly towards the door with Cally clinging to the arm of his tweed jacket. They came into a white corridor. Mr. Williams led her to the right and they went past doors and windows. Occasionally Cally could see people in those rooms working on computers or writing equations on boards.

“What is this place?” Cally asked mystified.

“It’s the Foundation. I set all this up to create a new foundation for our world. To save what we can and begin a new way forward.” Mr. Williams told her. “To begin again.”

“I thought the world was dying.” Cally replied while brushing her brown hair out of her eyes with her free hand.

“It is, but I haven’t given up hope yet.” Mr. Williams answered. “So tell me how long were you living in the ruins?”

“I don’t know. All I know was that I was there scavenging food and supplies. I don’t remember what happened before that.”

“Were there others?”

“Occasionally. People would stay there, mostly from the north fleeing the famine, but they never stayed for long. Many disappeared overnight it seemed.” Cally replied.

“It’s not a good idea to live in the ruins. I’m not surprised many weren’t there for long.” Mr. Williams stated.

“I was happy there. There was still plenty of food that hadn’t gone rotten yet, if you knew where to look.”

“So you didn’t come from the north with your family then?” Mr. Williams asked. Cally frowned.

“If I did I don’t remember them. All I remember is the ruins.” Cally answered.

“Curious.” Mr. Williams replied. “You wanted to know how I know you’re gifted? You wouldn’t have survived so long in the ruins if you weren’t. The ruins were once cities full of people. These days they are places to be avoided as they are deadly for most people if they stay there too long, but you seem impervious to it.” Cally nodded at his words.

“I did know they were once cities. I don’t know why though.” Cally replied. They walked on for a little longer, and then Mr. Williams stopped at a particular door.

“Hopefully the Foundation can change all this.” Mr. Williams remarked. “Through this door are your other team members. Are you ready to meet them?”

“Sure.” Cally replied. As they stood there, the door slid open…

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

Previous chapter: Part One

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©️2022 Joanne Fisher

The Rejects, part one (fiction)

The Rejects

“Where am I?”

“You’re safe. We found you in the ruins. It looked like you had been living there for sometime.” Said a voice. Cally opened her eyes to see she was lying on a bed in a white room. She had never seen a room this white before. “So what’s your name?”

“I’m Cally. Who are you?” Cally asked.

“My name is Anita.” Said the woman standing by the bed. She was in white robes and had darker skin than Cally. Her hair was black and she looked in her mid 30s.

“Why am I here?”

“You’re in the Foundation. We were looking for you. You’ll be safe here.” Anita assured her. An older man walked into the room. “This is Mr. Williams. He was the founder of this facility and wishes to speak with you.” The man walked over to Cally and smiled. He looked as though he was in his fifties and had a greying beard and short brown hair.

“Thanks Miss Singh. How are you Cally? You’re looking well.” Mr. Williams asked with a warm smooth voice.

“I’m okay. What am I doing here?” Cally asked.

“We found you. You were covered in dirt and wearing rags. I’m not sure what you were living off, but it’s remarkable you survived.” Mr. Williams replied. “So we brought you here. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. In fact, we hope you agree to stay here permanently. There are others here like you.”

“Like me?”

“Gifted. The Foundation needs gifted people, like yourself.” Mr. Williams told her. Cally felt confused.

“I’m not gifted.”

“But you are, you just don’t know it. When you’re able, I will give you a tour of the place, so you can meet the others here. I’m sure you’ll like them. They are most eager to see you. It’s been a while since we found anyone like you still out there.” Mr. Williams said. “But right now I think you need some more rest.” He nodded at Anita, and before Cally could speak, Anita brought out a syringe and emptied it’s contents into a tube that was connected to one in Cally’s hand. Cally felt her eyelids suddenly get heavier and within a few seconds she was sound asleep.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2022 Joanne Fisher

Reckoning, part five (Day 5, 5 Word Weekly Challenge)

Art by Santeri Soininen

Reckoning

5

The Princess was in front leading the way, much to her Captain’s misgivings. When the defenders saw the size of the Princess’s army, most of the conscripted forces ran away or surrendered, while the King’s soldiers fought on, but were quickly overcome.

Once the Princess’s army took the capital there was a search for her uncle, but he seemed to have disappeared, along with all the money in the Royal Treasury. Later in the day the Princess’s knights that had been sent off the night before reappeared with her uncle as prisoner, as well as carts full of gold coins and other treasures.The Kingdom rejoiced as her uncle was deposed and the Princess was crowned Queen. The money was used to repair the roads and buildings as well as provide help for the more vulnerable members of the kingdom. A week long party celebrated the Queen’s return.

A few days later her uncle was brought before her in the throne room. He was in chains and fell down on his knees before her.

“I suppose you’re going to have me executed. It’s only fitting I guess.” He stated. The Queen coldly smiled at him.

“Though you killed my father and mother, and even tried to have me killed on multiple occasions, I am not you. I think a better place for you is in the dungeons where you can rot away thinking on what you’ve done.” She answered him. He was led away.

Not long afterwards, the new Royal Treasurer informed the Queen that by his reckoning only half the money her uncle took from the Kingdom’s populace over the years could be accounted for. The Queen sent for her uncle for an explanation, but when the dungeon doors were opened, he was no longer there. The Captain searched the room and found a hidden panel that led to a secret door. He had escaped.

“I think he was counting on you being merciful and sparing his life, he probably even worked out what dungeon room you’d put him in.” The Captain told her.

“Surely he couldn’t be that calculating.” The Queen replied.

“He knew he couldn’t win against your army and so he deliberately fled but then let himself be captured with only half the money. The only variable was what you would do, but maybe he had you figured out all along.” The Queen shook her head in disbelief and looked out the window.

“So where is he now? He must be somewhere.” She asked.

“I don’t know, but we’re looking for him.” The Captain informed her. He left her staring out the window. Her uncle was out there somewhere with a great deal of money planning his next move. She wondered what would he do next…

The End (for now)

This was written with the prompt front provided by Greg’s Five Word Weekly Challenge.

That was fun to write. Maybe at some point in the future I’ll write a sequel to this story. Thanks to Greg for all the prompts.

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2022 Joanne Fisher

Reckoning, part four (Day 4, 5 Word Weekly Challenge)

Reckoning

4

A company of knights mounted their horses and then rode off into the night, with both the Princess and the Captain watching them leave. Besides the knights, only those two knew of their secret mission. Once they became indistinguishable dots in the darkness, the Princess and the Captain went back into the tent.

Inside the tent was a table. On it was a model of the Capital with wooden figures representing armies. The Captain was trying to work out the best strategy for the battle tomorrow, as they were only a day away now from their target.

“The scouts have informed me they are patching up the fortifications and getting ready for a siege. They’re even conscripting the townsfolk.” The Captain informed the Princess.

“He doesn’t have a standing army?” the Princess asked surprised.

“Apparently the last few years your uncle has let things slide a bit. He’s still demanding high taxes, but none of it seems to have gone into the upkeep of the roads, or fortifications, or even his army. No one seems to be sure where the money has gone. There is an army, but it’s not that well equipped.” The Captain informed her. The Princess shook her head.

“If I realised he was that incompetent, I would have invaded sooner.”

“Don’t underestimate him. Your parents underestimated him and paid for it with their lives. He may yet have some trick up his sleeve we are unaware of.” The Captain warned. The Princess nodded. “May I suggest you get some sleep your highness? Tomorrow is big day after all.” The Princess nodded again.

“Goodnight my captain.” She said. The Captain bowed. She left the tent, but instead of going directly back to her own, she decided to take a walk in the dark. She breathed in the fragrant night air. How she had missed her home. She walked through the woods for a short time, but then stopped. She listened. Just on the edge of hearing she thought she heard some soft footprints that were getting closer. She peered off into dark for a long while until she thought she saw a figure edging nearer to her. Instinctively she threw herself down and hid in a narrow trench. She heard the figure getting closer. Just then the sound of wings began getting louder. Large leathery wings beating in the night air. They got louder still. Then there was a shrill cry, and the sound of the wings getting distant again. The Princess looked up into the night sky to see one of her dragons flying away with something large in their mouth. She stood up and walked directly back to the camp. Once she got back, she saw the Captain was outside looking worried. When he saw her return he looked relieved.

“What happened?” The Captain asked.

“I decided to take a walk before I went to sleep. I think there was an assassin following me. It appears one of the dragons got him.” The Princess told him.

“You were lucky. All it takes is one mistake and this whole enterprise is for nothing.” The Captain told her. The Princess knew this.

“I think I’ll go and get some sleep now.” The Princess stated.

“I’ll send some soldiers on patrol, to make sure there aren’t any more assassins lurking about. This time I hope you go straight to sleep.” The Captain suggested. The Princess left and walked to her tent, finding it was well guarded. She drifted off to sleep thinking about what the next day would bring.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

beachhead

trench

conscription

sacrifice

front

This was written with the prompt trench provided by Greg’s Five Word Weekly Challenge.

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2022 Joanne Fisher

Reckoning, part three (Day 3, 5 Word Weekly Challenge)

Reckoning

3

“We should arrive at the capital within two days.” The Princess stated as she beheld the landscape she hadn’t seen since she was a child. Her captain nodded his head in acknowledgement as he rode beside her.

“I am hoping our advance scouts are keeping their eyes fully open. My fear is your uncle may try to assassinate you before you get to the capital.” He stated.

“You think he would do that?” The Princess asked.

“He has never fought fair. Knowing him, he’s probably already sent out assassins.”

“I’m sure I’ll be safe in your company. After all, you did save my life when I was a child.” The Princess replied.

As they rode through the kingdom, the Princess noticed a number of people had begun following her army. The people still remembered her father, the much-loved king who was murdered by his cruel malevolent brother. Stories had been told over the years of the Princess’s escape and the foretelling that one day she would return to reclaim the throne and her kingdom. That day was finally here, and these people who worked the land would fight for her, some of them would even sacrifice their own lives if it meant it would end the reign of the hated tyrant who called himself their king.

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

beachhead

trench

conscription

sacrifice

front

This was written with the prompt sacrifice provided by Greg’s Five Word Weekly Challenge.

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2022 Joanne Fisher

Reckoning, part two (Day 2, 5 Word Weekly Challenge)

Reckoning

2

“Your niece’s army is marching on the capital. It should be here in three days.” The Chancellor told the King. The King sighed.

“If only my assassins had done their job all those years ago.” He stated.

“Yes I’m sorry they were unable to murder a young girl. The Captain of the Guard managed to smuggle her out of the palace in time.” The Chancellor replied.

“Well what are we going to do about this army? What about sending out my army to meet them?” The King asked.

“Her army is too large to defeat on the field of battle. Our forces are going to be hard pressed to stop them.” The Chancellor warned. What he didn’t say was that if the King hadn’t put all the taxes he raised straight into his own coffers, then the money could have been used to better equip his army, to repair the fortifications, even give food to the populace so they might have a shred of loyalty towards him. The truth was any soldier that was worth a damn had long since gone over to the Princess’s side. “If we had a few more days up our sleeves, we could have hired mercenaries to help defend us.”

“That would cost too much.” The King insisted. “What about conscription? I’m sure the peasants and townsfolk could help defend us.”

“To be honest, most of your subjects will be on her side. Your high taxes on the poor have never been popular and they never liked the way you took power.” The Chancellor admitted.

“Well then conscript as many of them as you can. And get the fortifications ready.” The King ordered. “Also have all the money from the treasury loaded onto a cart.”

“You mean to flee my lord?” The Chancellor asked surprised.

“It’s always good to have options. And send for my assassins. If the Princess is killed then all of this will no longer be a problem.”

to be continued…

Joanne Fisher

beachhead

trench

conscription

sacrifice

front

This was written with the prompt conscription provided by Greg’s Five Word Weekly Challenge.

Please support this blog – Ko-fi 🙂

©️2022 Joanne Fisher