Dedicated to: ceara_kyara

"Now is the winter of our discontent."
-William Shakespeare

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A travel weary messenger pleads with the guards standing at the gates of King Eren's castle.
Prince Vernon, second-eldest of the nine - well, formerly nine, now 8 heirs of the Lornaldi royal family noticed the commotion and made his way over.

A hush fell over the men as the prince approached. Though already well into his late thirties, Vernon still managed to cut a striking figure in the traditional white and gold colours worn by the islands royalty.

"Lieutenant, what seems to be the problem here?"
He asked in a deep, rich voice.

"Your Highness," said the men in unison, fumbling to bow before him as was custom when near a member of the royal family, or any other person of nobility.
"This man is speaking nonsense. He claims he is a courier from Aelford and that he brings with him an urgent message from Queen Adelaide. Sir, Aelford is ruled by the young king Xander, there is no Queen Adelaide," the stout guard explained, keeping a straight posture.

The messenger leaned in.
"Your Highness, if you'll allow me to explain."

The prince nodded curtly.
"Go on," he said, gesturing for the messenger to speak. The messenger continued, a sheen of sweat appearing on his young, acne covered face.

"I require an audience with your king. It is an urgent matter, as King Xander has been pronounced dead, his younger sister Adelaide has since been coronated as the new queen of Aelford."

Prince Vernon felt the colour leaving his face. Whilst he had not recognised the name of the kingdom, he certainly remembered the names of the two siblings his scheming younger brother had attempted to destroy.

"Guards," began the prince, worry flooding his heart.
"Let this man in at once."

King Eren soon sat upon his throne, listening intently to the harrowing tale the young man weaved before him. He stroked his salt and pepper beard as he heard of the neighbouring Aelford falling under siege to the ruthless and merciless Vikings, men who many considered the scum of the earth, who preferred to rape, pillage and conquer instead of adopt diplomacy and forge peaceful relationships between countries. The messenger explained how the good King Xander had fought valiantly against the scourge until he succumbed, leaving Adelaide with no choice but to become ruler.

The news washed a wave of woe over the aging monarch as he realised that if the Vikings succeeded in their occupation of Aelford they would surely be coming to his own next. Deep down, he knew that with his highly trained army and large fleet of the fastest warships in the world, Lornaldi would be more than a match for the Vikings.

What weighed the heaviest on his already busy mind was that if he were to send one of his sons to Aelford to give assistance, he would leave his own country weaker, more vulnerable to the barbarians, should they attack. Despite this, he realized he owed a great debt of gratitude to the late king for not executing his youngest and most wayward son for his grievous crimes. Sending troops to repay this debt would surely be enough, but sending any of his offspring to lead the troops would undoubtedly be a suicide mission, as the commander is always the first to be killed in the event of capture.

Most of his children were either married, or engaged to be married, and leaving any of his grandchildren without a father was almost too much for the old king to bear. All of a sudden, a brilliant idea sprung into the king's mind.

"Thank you young man. Your loyalty to your kingdom is admirable. Aelford will receive aid from us. Now please, rest, eat. You appear so thin that I'm almost afraid you'll break in two."
With these words, the young messenger breathed a sigh of relief before bowing deeply to the king.

Once a servant had escorted the young lad out of the throne room, and towards the kitchen, the king turned towards his son Vernon.
"Fetch your brother from the dungeon," he ordered.

Prince Vernon's face lit up with surprise, and possibly a hint of fear, yet he knew better than to argue with his father, lest he incur his wrath.
"As you wish, father."
Vernon nodded respectfully and left the king's presence.

Along with two guards, Vernon made his way down towards the cold, damp, stone dungeon, deep within the bowels of the castle.
Taking the key from the warden, Vernon rapped harshly on the bars of his little brother's cell. The disgraced prince lay on his cot, his eyes tightly closed and his arms crossed over his chest.

Six months trapped in the dingy prison had not been kind to the former prince. His once spotless white suit was tattered and filthy, and his once trimmed and maintained crimson hair was longer, dirty, wild and knotted,

"Ah, Vernon. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise? Or are you simply here to poke fun at your caged sibling like the others?"
Iolas hardly opened his eyes while addressing his elder brother.

Vernon glared down at his brother, unlocking the door.
"Get up. Father wants to see you."

The guards entered the cell, roughly grabbing Iolas and forcing him to his Vernon lead the guards as they dragged Iolas to his father's feet, throwing him down onto the ground on his knees.

"Father," said Iolas through gritted teeth. He didn't make eye contact with the man but instead looked towards the windows to the left of the king.

"Do you wish to redeem yourself, my son?" Asked the king carefully.
Down on the floor, the former prince, now stripped of his title, raised an eyebrow and suppressed the urge to spit at the king's feet.

"Not particularly. I've become rather fond of my new home in the dungeon," smirked the ever arrogant, former prince.

The king let out a long groan, weary of his son's constant sarcasm, it was as if his time in prison had done nothing at all to humble him.
"Do you wish for your title to be reinstated?"

At this, Iolas's expression grew serious. Whilst redemption had never been something he desired, his title, and all the power that came with it, now that was ever enticing.
"I'm listening."

And listen he did. The king retold the tale spun for him by the messenger, and proceeded to give his youngest son an ultimatum. Lead a battalion into Aelford, protect the queen, and aid in banishing or elimination of the Viking scourge. Do so sucsesufully and he would earn back all that was his before.

"I'll do it," the prince agreed. The thought of regaining his power was too enticing.
"There is more to the deal," The king continued. "This is a do or die trying mission. If you return, unsuccessful in flushing out the Vikings from Aelford, you will be put to death as a traitor." The king stood up to his full height before continuing.
"And if a single hair is harmed on Queen Adelaide's head, I will sail over to Aelford and execute you myself." The king would not leave his son with any loopholes, being aware of his dastardly nature.

Do or die trying.

"Be strong," Adelaide told her reflection, those same words she told herself every morning as she placed her brother's jewel encrusted crown on her head.

The sounds of firing cannons echoed through the halls of the palace. The walls of the stronghold wouldn't last much longer, and once they fell, the palace was doomed. The winter's chill was freezing her armies to death, despite her best efforts to provide warmer uniforms.
Gargantuan Viking ships littered the waters around the port of the city, floating just at the edge of the now frozen bay.

Adelaide pulled on her warmest cloak before wandering down to the stables to feed Chester. With the stable master gone, and all of the servants fighting, cooking for the armies or tending to the wounded, there was no one but her left to feed the soft brown donkey. She filled his trough with water, which was kept from freezing by the lit torches nearby. Next, she filled his bucket with carrots. She stroked his soft fur as he ate the carrots slowly.

"You're the only one I have left,"
she said softly. She could hardly fight back the tears. Xander, gone. Simon, gone. Both of them dead.
Adelaide thought back to that fateful day, mere weeks ago:

"Xander, don't go!" Adelaide cried out over the alarm bells, ringing a cacophony through the walls of the palace. She stood in the garden, frantically trying to block her brother from leaving.

"Adelaide," Said Xander, sorrow in his eyes. "I have no choice. We must meet the enemy at the port, and try and stop this before they can overpower us, or worse, put us into a siege. Hopefully we can negotiate."
He gestured at the bay, covered in a thick blanket of milky fog. The red and black sails of the enemy ships permeated the white wall.
King Xander planted a kiss onto his sister's forehead before riding off to meet the enemy.

"He'll be alright," reassured Mildred, Adelaide's middle-aged handmaiden. Simon readied the troops, some of whom were mere boys, younger than Adelaide herself. Aelford was depressingly unprepared for the attack, given they were a country of peace and diplomacy, not that of war and conquest.

All of a sudden, a loud crack echoed across the bay, filling Adelaide with fear. Somehow, she knew it was to do with her brother.
"Xander," she whispered under her breath, Off she ran, through the palace, to the highest point of the tallest tower, the King's chambers. She leaned out the window as far as she could without falling only to see a sight so horrifying it would haunt her forever. Lying at the docks, dead, was the entirety of the king's private guard. All eight men were gone. They were too late.

The Vikings weren't interested in peace or negotiation. This was war. Adelaide could only barely make out the form of the good King Xander, her last remaining family member. He was fleeing towards the barracks as quickly as he could. Adelaide could sense the fear radiating from her brother. She leaned further out the window.

"Simon! The Vikings are chasing our king! He's headed to the barracks alone!" The princess had unknowingly given her last order as just that, a princess. She shouted down to Simon as a hoard of Viking menace ran after her brother.

Simon's eyes widened as he learned the Vikings had landed sooner than anticipated. He sprung to action.
"I need the mounted guard, now!"

Simon brought his fingers to his mouth, whistling loudly.
Chester came bounding seemingly out of nowhere, clearly having jumped the stablr gates, unable to keep himself away from the fray.

They galloped away together in the direction of the commotion, through the castle gates and across the bridge to the city.
The barracks were distant, yet from her high perch Adelaide could see the Vikings smash the hard oak door to the barracks into splinters, destroying the only thing left between Adelaide's brother and certain doom.

By this point, Simon had reached the barracks, managing to dodge spears and arrows with what seemed like a god-given gift. Adelaide could feel tears splash down her cheeks as a cannon blast ripped through the air, causing an avalanche. Before she could even react, Adelaide watched as the building with her beloved brother inside was reduced to icy rubble by the cannonball, and then buried irretrievably by the sheet of ice blasted off the mountain. The Vikings chasing Xander had been trapped under the avalanche in a sort of bittersweet irony.

Horrified, Adelaide saw Simon turn and flee on Chester's back, trying his best to avoid the snow, trailing along a cliff side, but alas, it was too fast and soon enough, he too vanished beneath the wall of white powder.

Chester returned, frazzled but alive, along with a few of the horsemen. Adelaide struggled to hold her composure when she confirmed that Simon wasn't among them. She ran to her donkey, holding him and stroking his soft fur as she wept. Eventually, the citadel fell under siege and the townspeople were evacuated to Isenbrok, the little-known summer palace of the royal family, as soon as was practical.

"Your Highness, we must get you to safety in case the Vikings overrun us," Commander Frerik, the head of the guard told Adelaide. Despite her armies best efforts, The Vikings had succeeded in breeching the walls of the citadel, and now they were threatening to ram down the doors of the palace and take control of the entire kingdom.

Adelaide had sent messengers to all neighbouring countries, and all but one had returned. Unfortunately, none of the kingdoms that had responded had offered aid, and Adelaide was left frantically searching for a way to prevent her home from being destroyed. The other kingdoms were either too afraid of the Vikings unleashing their wrath on their own citadels in retaliation, or kept their own interests in mind whilst keeping their own armies close at hand in case of attack.

A crack in the distance alerted Adelaide of the Viking's breakthrough into the palace. She was helped onto Chester's back. She took a breath as she tried to adust herself in the saddle Simon had made for her to ride his beloved pet, as Adelaide wasn't as well-balanced as Simon and was unable to ride the oddly gaited creature without a saddle.

Simon again crossed Adelaide's mind, almost bringing her to tears. He had been taken from her too soon, as had Xander. They were both sorely missed.

"Onwards!" Cried Adelaide, leading what was left of the guard. Hopefully they'd have time to gain some distance before the Vikings realized the palace was empty. This would give the group the time to find and fortify Isenbrok. Adelaide prayed to every god she could think of that the castle would hold, for it hadn't been lived in in many years.

Adelaide knew the enemy would find them, and when they did find them, they wouldn't stop until they had either Adelaide's head on a stake, or her hand in marriage. Either would award the Vikings undisputed control of the kingdom. Adelaide and the remaining soldiers had held out at the castle for as long as they could in order to allow the peasants time to escape.

The group rode as far as the horses were able to carry them before setting up camp.

Her tent was quickly pitched, and once inside the warm cocoon, she found herself wanting nothing more than to bury herself deeper into it.

The siege had prevented the farmers from being able to till outside the city walls, and as such there was a low ration of food. Adelaide had lost a significant amount of weight in the short time since the siege had started. After all, the purpose of a siege was to starve the people out. Soon enough, the commander asked permission to enter Adelaide's tent. He opened an oiled cloth to offer a wedge of cheese to his queen. She found her stomach practically screaming at the mere sight of food, but she refused.

"Give it to the men," she ordered.
"But Your Highness..." began the commander.

Adelaide simply waved him away.
"The men need the rations more than I. Give it to them."

"The men have already had their rations. These are yours. You need to eat too, my lady." Adelaide frowned at her commander, straightening her shoulders to appear more commanding.
"Is this not thrice what the men have had?" She asked. "Have my men not laid down their lives to protect me? Then why, I ask, are they getting a third of what I am allotted?"

The commander nodded his head and bowed out of the tent. It was several minutes before Adelaide saw the oiled cloth just inside the tent, cheese sitting pristinely in the middle. She was unable to help herself, and silently thanked the commander for being the bigger man.

Adelaide laid back in her nest of blankets, revelling in the peace of being away from the Vikings as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Adelaide awoke to ear-piercing, blood-curdling screams. She shot up, immediately knowing what had happened. The Vikings had found them. They were under attack.

"Stay inside, my queen!" Yelled the commander. Adelaide cowered inside her tent as she heard the sound of her men dying only feet away.
They were no match for the Viking forces. With a loud and terrifying rip, the tent fell apart around Adelaide, revealing a burly man with a look of pure evil in his eyes.

The cold winter air was like needles against her skin, and the battles raged around her as her men fell, succumbing to the more battle-hardened warriors. Adelaide was too terrified to even scream, but as soon as the initial shock wore off, she scrambled away from the burly Viking. He lashed out, grabbing her by the throat and forcing her to the ground. His calloused hand slid slowly up her dress, a horrifying picture of lust painted on his face. Adelaide closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. If she was going to go through this, she didn't want to see the look in his eyes as he stole one the few things she had left.

Suddenly, she heard a soft thump and a warm liquid splattered across her face. The unmistakable feeling of blood.
Adelaide opened her eyes, the wedge of cheese threatening to make a reappearance, to see a face she had hoped she'd never be so unfortunate as to see again.

"Iolas?!" She shrieked.

What are you doing here?"
Adelaide wondered what he was there for. Did he join the Vikings? Was he too there to kill her? She wiped the tears off her face before they froze to her skin.

"Get up!" He screamed, jerking her behind him. Somehow, most of her men were still alive. Looking around she saw men in the famous red and gold colors of the uniforms of Westergaurd.

Iolas' men had motivated her own to gather up the last dregs of their energy and launch themselves at the enemy. Iolas, with a blood-stained sword in one hand and Adelaide's slender wrist in the other, seemed to be protecting her. He had an expression of carnal anger on his face, and Adelaide didn't know whether to be terrified of the man who had once tried to murder her brother, or hold onto him as tightly as possible.

"Stay behind me!" Iolas commanded.

"Iolas..." began Adelaide, interrupted.
"Stay behind me if you want to survive the night, Princess!"
He shouted again.

Adelaide felt something hit her, and everything began to go black. She twisted around just in time to see the culprit, a Viking with a slingshot in hand. Adelaide heard Iolas shouting at her as the world turned dark.

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A/N: Happy Tuesday everyone!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Please don't forget to VOTE and comment, remember, I dedicate chapters to loyal readers.
I cannot wait to hear what you think!

P.s. Bedding Camp will be taken off of Wattpad by the end of the week due to publishing requirements.
But the full and complete story is available on Amazon in both digital download and hard copy.

See you next Tuesday.
All my love.
-QueenOfGeeks