Not too far from the scene was the Duke staring at the carriage as it took his children to safety.
"Are you sure about your decision, Your Grace?" Knight Commander Lancelot questioned.
Duke Arvendon let out a deep sigh and turned his back at the sight of his children's carriage move farther away from where he was standing, "It is all for their safety. Now, Commander Lancelot, there is no time to waste. We must make our way back to the capital."
Though their horses are galloping at their fullest, the capital was too far from their location earlier that it took them a long time. Too long that the sun has begun to set.
Somewhere in the Lune Plains...
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots echoed through the plains as the company of the Duke approached the capital.
"My Liege!" Exclaimed one of his knights from his side. Although the Duke heard the calling of the knight he ignored it. "My liege! It's too dangerous! Sire!" The knight exclaimed once more.
The Duke's forehead creased, he let out a deep sighed.
"My Liege! There are gunshots that we do not know of where it's coming from. I shall look for another route Sire!" The knight volunteered as he attempted to block the path of His Grace the Duke of Arvendon.
"There will be not enough time for you to find an alternative route." Declared Duke Arvendon firmly, "March forward."
As they closed the gap from the Lune plains to the Capital, a deafening barrage of guns alarmed the Duke's company.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BOOM!
In the middle of their advancement, His Grace the Duke pulled the reign of his horse and shouted, "Haaaalt!" Sensing the danger that awaits him and his men, he ordered his troops to halt. His eye wandered around the capital, as sweat dripped down from his temples. "Three men to the left! Three men to the right! Only return when you have evaluated the grounds. Now go!
"The remaining knights, dismount your horses and set us a camp. Not farther away to the edge of the Lune plains, inside the forest. Understood?" Duke elaborated his orders while riding his horse that kept on walking back and forth.
"You, Commander Lancelot. Follow me."
Instructed Duke Arvendon as he pulled the rein of his horse to his desire direction.
"Yes, Your Grace." Replied the Commander of the Royal Order of De'Loughrey.
As they both dismounted their horses, the Duke immediately grabbed the Commander by its gorget. Commander Lancelot choked with the sudden action of the Duke. Once again.
"What foolishness do you have in mind when you left your Queen, Commander Lancelot? Tell me! What foolishness was it?" Gritting his teeth as he hissed, the Duke grabbed the Commander by its gorget tighter than before. The Duke got even more pissed of when he stared at the Commander's face. A face that shows pride in his decision when he left his Queen. The mother of their lands.
Duke Conan Bray Arvendon fumed, as a result of this, he dragged the Commander and said;
"Come with me."
They walked a few phases from where they were.
"Stand still here." He snarled. This caught the attention of his knights, whomst by this time were gathering twigs and chopping branches for the campfire.
"Your Grace, you needn't have to be so rude." The unamused Commander voiced out his thoughts, with an expressionless face. He stared right through the eyes of the Duke. It was as if they were having a staring contest. The first one to take their eyes off of the other loses.
Sighs...
Duke Conan Bray Arvendon let out a sigh with mixed exasperation and dismay. Dismayed with his harsh action.
'This is not me. Losing my composure in the amidst of a crisis.' He thought to himself, before looking away.
"Your Grace." Called out Commander Lancelot. The Duke looked back at him from his shoulder. His brows meeting each other. "I understand your distress, Your Grace—"
"Do not continue what you are about to say. I do not want to hear a thing about it." Duke Conan fretted before rubbing the bridge of his nose on his second sentence.
After that, Commander Lancelot and the knights that were present at the commotion remained silent as the knights continued their works. They got anxious. The Duke's knights know very well that their Liege is a very well composed man. An intelligent man whom his skill is equivalent to a pair of seasoned strategists.
Few more moments, the Duke looked up to the skies. The insubstantial golden and pink clouds refreshened the Duke. "Haaaah..." He exhaled.
"Your Grace." Commander Lancelot started once again. "What was it that you wanted to show me, Your Grace?"
Without completely turning around to look at the Commander of the Royal Order of De'Loughrey, he opened his mouth and pointed;
"Do you see from here the situation of the Kingdom? The Capital?"
Commander Lancelot looked at the ground before answering. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Why did you left the Capital?" Duke once again pressed the question.
"I will answer you Your Grace with the same answer. Again, it is because Her Majesty the Queen of De'Loughrey Kingdom gave me an order to relay this—"
"Nonsense. Her Majesty should have known better if she is to be harmed in our lands. What more is to perish." Biting his lower lips, a frown formed from the Duke's forehead once again.
With the sudden remark of the Duke, Commander Lancelot's face turned grim, he then gripped at his sword threateningly before saying;
"One more negative remark regarding our Queen, and I shall take it as slander towards Her Majesty."
Duke Conan irked him drawing his brows closer than it already was from earlier. "I dare not slander the Queen of De'Loughrey. After all, Her Majesty is a sister of Didianne." He took a long pause after that.
Duke Conan Arvendon looked straight ahead of him. Gray smoke came from within the Capital, faint sounds of the continuous barrage, and along these were the screaming of the innocent civilians, made that particular place looking all chaotic.
"Once the six men that I deployed to evaluate the grounds comes back, we will start with planning on how to—"
TAKATAK! TAKATAK! TAKATAK!
"Sire! Sire!"
A voice that was coming from quite a distance caught the attention of Duke Conan and Commander Lancelot. It was one of the six knights that the Duke deployed to evaluate the situation inside the Capital. His face was screaming horror. This made the Duke confused.
'Why is he the only one who's returning?' Was the question that kept on repeating in his mind.
"My Liege! Run! Run! They have expected us My Liege!" He shouted still afar from them.
"Faster, My Liege!" A second voice shouted. This time, the voice was even fainter for he was trailing behind the first knight whom alerted the company. "Faster! Into the forest My Liege—"
SSSSHHHKKK...
In a blink of an eye, as swift as the blow of the wind, the second knight coughed out blood. His eyes started wavering. He took his hand off of the reign as he tried to reach the thing that was piercing him. It was a spear. It entered from his back and penetrated his stomach. The knight looked up and searched the figure of his Liege.
"M-my... Liege..." Were his last words before falling off from his frantic horse.
Not wasting a time, the knights quickly geared themselves up as they all rushed to get their horses.
"Protect His Grace!" Shouted one of his knights. And slowly, four knights on their horses formed a line in front of the Duke as they held mightily their spears. Those four knights that defended him were his top lancers in his knighthood.
The Duke squinted his eyes focusing on the men riding horses. He observed them as they approached his company. Just as then something caught his eyes.
'No.' Was the only word that came to his mind. A withering look slowly appeared on his face
"They have muskets! Run! Displace!" Yelled Duke Conan Arvendon as he started striving towards his horse. "Into the forest! Quick!" Duke Conan added.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The raucous ammunition of the muskets mutilated the ears of the Duke's company, but not only them. This sound was overwhelmingly splitting the ears of the horses, making them difficult to control. They ran wild.
NEIGH! NEEEEIIIGH!! NEEEIIGH!
Stomp... Gallop... Stomp...
Loud and distracting. That is how the knights described the sound of the horse who's out of control. The men who were running away stared at each other, searching for who's the unlucky owner of the uncontrollable horse.
"Get a hold of yourself!"
One of the knight's eyes widened, "My-My Liege!"
Duke Conan Arvendon glanced at him in a hurry as they were trying to flee away. His horse running wild.
BANG!
"Arghh!" Duke Conan Arvendon grunted as he fell on his horse. The Duke grasped his right arm because of the overwhelming sensation he felt from it, and just when he did, "Arrghh!! Shhh sighs, Shit!" He cussed. The bullet left him with an open wound. Blood continued to pour out from his wound, and as a solution to that, Duke Conan Arvendor tightened his grasp on his right arm.
"My Liege!" Shouted the knight who's the closest to the Duke. "My liege, your arms!" He exclaimed."Do not mind me!" Duke Conan immediately dodged the worried knight. "How's the platoon?" Asked the Duke instead.
"As soon as we were ambushed in the capital My Liege, we already have up to five casualties, My Liege!" Upon ending his sentence, the knight bowed a little and hesitated whether to speak again. He took a deep breath and decided and says "We also have ten... no, eleven injured men, My liege. Despite it, they are all on standby waiting for your orders, My Liege." Answered the knight straight out.
"I see. Now that leaves us, eight knights." He murmured to himself and hummed right after as he rubbed his chin. However, the knight was still able to hear it.
"My Liege?" Called out the knight, for he was confused.
Duke Conan Arvendon nodded as a response, "Henry, see if those injured can still fight alongside us..." He paused for a second as he held himself up. "If not, send them along with the refugees that we will be able to rescue to safety. Somewhere away from here."
"What about His Grace?" Asked the knight by his right side while holding a cloth, "May I, Your Grace?" He inquired before putting the clothing that is supposed to be a bandage to his wound. The duke nodded approval.
"Go ahead." He said. "I will stay here. I can handle myself." The Duke looked around for quite a while before continuing. "Where is Lancelot?"
"I am here, Your Grace," Lancelot announced in his presence. He then bowed his head with respect.
"The situation here surpassed my thoughts. Tell me the situation, I order you."