Version 2.0
"You see, Brandon, you were a bit too slow on the uptake. Granted, I might not have planned to lose the hill, but either way, the battle will be won. Victory is what I want, and victory is what I shall get," Gareth said as he continued to battle the two kings.
"So, you called the coward Royce here. He is more likely to stab you in the back than help you," Brandon said, as he gritted his teeth.
"Only if you don't understand him. He is striving for power just like everyone else, but as long as you understand him, he will always lose. And I understand him well," Gareth gloated as he continued to pressure them, pressing his advantage.
"My king," Theon shouted out, "We must retreat; the Red King will be on us at any moment."
"You're both going nowhere," Gareth said as he finally moved to finish this fight.
"Always in a bind," Lyanna commented as she pushed her skills and dexterity to the max, weaving through the masses of men and moving to help Brandon. Not far behind her, Edric showed his prowess, finally defeating Gareth's second in command in combat and moving with his men to help Brandon.
With battle and tensions rising, the conflict reached its peak as they fought Gareth's men to escape back to their lines. With Edric's and Lyanna's help, they fend off Gareth's men and the King himself and finally pull back.
They fight fiercely charging back through the lines, battling whilst chanced by an incensed king. Bater, bruised and exhausted they make it.
As the sun that was cast its fading rays over the battlefield starts to be blotted out, the air become thick with the metallic scent of blood and the sounds of swords meeting shields, cries of pain, and jeerers from the charging army of the Red King. Dark storm clouds gathered overhead, threatening rain, and the wind carried a chill that cut through the intensity of the battle.
Brandon, his armour battered and with heavy breath, surveyed the scene. The Red King's forces had arrived, flanking the Slate King's army, and the combined might of their opponents was overwhelming. Realizing a miracle would be the only thing saving this battle, one that no one could provide Brandon knew that they had lost.
He raised his sword high, the glint of bronze catching the dying sunlight, and shouted the order to retreat. The command echoed across the battlefield, mingling with the clash of weapons and the roars of combat. Men, their faces etched with weariness, tried to disengage from the melee, a mad scramble back toward the hill.
Relentlessly the Red King's men pursued, they clashed with the combined force as they made their way across the open fields back towards the high ground of the hill camp. The sun now fading into the clouds, sapped the strength from them as they scrambled to safety.
Brandon's eyes scanned the chaotic battlefield for signs of the Slate King as Brandon and his men quickly reached the base of the hill and scarpered up it. In all of the chaos, Brandon lost sight of him and now seemed to have disappeared though he hoped that he would manage to retreat to the hill to regroup.
Despite reaching the relative safety of the hill, the Red King, undeterred, continued to push his men forward. His relentless pursuit left no room for respite. They charged up the incline, attacking straight for Brandon, who led his men in halting their advance. The men who were left in the camp to defend it moved down the hill either helping the men stand back up or forming a new defensive line with their king.
Amid the chaos, Brandon quickly noticed men adorned in gleaming bronze armour. Their coordinated movements and disciplined formation made them stand out among the Red King's more rabble-like levies and army. The Red King's flag, a symbol of authority and power, waved defiantly at the forefront of the charge.
With the Red King at the forefront, they were relentless in their charge as they bulldozed their way up the hill moving straight for Brandon and his household guards. Still with plenty of the army not back Brandon leads his men in confrontation, charging down the hill despite his and, his men's exhaustion straight into the Red King.
"Finally, Brandon. Oh, how my victory will be sweet." Royce said as he finally engaged Brandon in battle.
"Coward," Brandon exclaimed as he was converted.
Royce just raised an eyebrow. "Still but hurt about my attack on your return from the Night's Watch. Come now Brandon, you are an obvious threat to my power. You had to be eliminated for the betterment of my Kingship."
"And you sent your men to do it, rather than doing it yourself. That is why you are a coward."
"Everyone has a part to play, they played theirs, and I play mine. Though I am still unsure what happened to them in the end. They were not as skilled as I thought if they failed to kill you. I can only hope that you enjoyed them as much as I do."
"Why would I enjoy killing men? There is no enjoyment in that."
"How odd, I thought everyone did. It matters not anyway; you shall die and I will enjoy it immensely." Royce smiled the first smile Brandon had seen that met up with his eyes.
Swords clashed, echoing through the air as the Royce and Brandon clashed in a relentless duel. Each strike reverberated with the echoes matching the men who fought around them. Despite Brandon's exhaustion, his determination to relent against a coward drove him forward.
The Red King grew larger and fiercer the longer Brandon struggled. "That is Brandon, keep fighting, make it taste sweeter," Royce said getting close to Brandon's ear when their swords clashed against one another. "How beautiful you are." He said causing a shudder to run down Brandon's back.
Brandon kicked him away as they continued fighting until it reached its zenith as both kings strained against each other. Brandon forced his muscles to move. His swordsmanship became slopy but his willpower matched the Red King blow for blow.
As the remaining soldiers managed to retreat to the top of the hill, they quickly formed up and created a defensive line, Brandon seized the opportunity to disengage from the duel.
"Do not run from me, Brandon. You will be mine." Royce commanded.
"Fuck off, you sick fuck." Brandon exclaimed as he pushed his body to the max kicking the Red King away and retreated up the hill.
"BRANDON," Royce screamed.
Royce in his obsession pushed on trying to push further up the hill, it was only as it started to become darker that he curbed his desire and left smouldering at his failure to get what he wanted.