Fiction LNE
Fiction Friday

Castles, The Princes That Fought (Chapter 4)

by: Chefelf

So it was that Prince Green and his men strode like a triumphant gaggle of geese behind their nymph-elf escort, Tracy. Tracy led them past a rock, through a stream, over a hill, under a tree, then over another hill. When they were over the hill they saw a giant rock. Behind the rock--when they passed the rock--was the magnificent nymph-elvish kingdom of Sta'k'l'kkiia.

"Behold!" Tracy shouted, startlingly. "My home!"

"Great," Prince Green sighed.

There were magnificent spires of gold, silver and brass protruding from the skyline as if it had been stabbed with them from underneath. "Many men labored for many years to create this marvel of architecture that you see before you," Tracy recited. She then suddenly looked away. "And many died lifting the heavy blocks and such to make sure it was built properly."

Prince Green put a hand on Tracy's petite shoulder. "I know," he said, comfortingly. "I know."

Tracy lifted her chin bravely. "We must continue onward, down the snowy banks of Mount Haaj Paaj."

Prince Green spun around. "Men!" he commanded. "We stand here today, an army defeated! Has not Prince Brown shown us the error of our own ways? Shall we hang our chins low in self-loathing? Will we think ourselves fools and cowards for the battles we have lost?" Prince Green's men (the "Mean Green Fighting Machines" as they liked to be called) shuffled their feet uncomfortably, while looking down at the ground. "Nay! I stand before you as a general in arms! Did King Salmonar win every battle in the War of Kyrath? Did Montidus strike the evil Kirkigaardian Hydra with every blow? No! But they were still victorious! And! We! Will! Be! Victorious!"

The men cheered. Some of them pumped their fists, others stuck their swords high up in the air. Some of them threw their shields up in the air triumphantly but then had to leap backwards as the shields came tumbling down from the sky so that they could avoid injury.

Tracy turned to Prince Green. "You are a magnificent speaker. A natural born leader. Look at those men!" The men were goofily bantering and smiling with each other.

"My mother always told me that when the gods toss you lemons, you should make lemonade."

"You were wonderful with the men! They would fight and die for you now!"

"I know," the Prince declared. "I am a people person."

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