Everyone knew the prophecy. The eagle king would be defeated by the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son. And then there would be peace for a hundred years. And the neighbor down the street with the Seventh Son of the Seventh Son and his pregnant wife might have a son. But I am tired of waiting. I waited 2 years two whole years for those tulip bulbs I studied I got the the soil just right and the day that they bloomed just that splash of color coming out of the bud the soldiers came trampling through my garden. This, this shall not stand. I am not going to wait until that potential 7th Son is born. This ends now. I used an entire Summer's wage for those tulips. They didn't even have to go through my garden. It probably would have been faster than use the road.. but the young boys who are drafted up into the eagle Kings Army have never had to learn a lick of manners. I stood up from my porch my old bones creaking. I packed my bag with some food and my knitting needles and some yarn. And I got my little hand wagon that I bring to the market. And I set off. The castle was not technically that far. You can see it off in the distance. But for my old bones it was quite a walk. I was tired of it, I had seen the king rise into power, I was too scared then what was a little girl to do? And when I became older he just concentrated his powers more and more. But as an old lady I really had nothing to lose. All I wanted in my old age was those damn tulips. Even if I did nothing it was a very unlikely that I would see the potential seven son Wreck This Old Man and at this point I wanted the old evil King to suffer.
I walked down the well maintained roads. This was probably the only thing that that awful King maintained. The Farms the houses the markets all in shambles but the roads the roads were perfect. Mostly because it's hard to have your army storm down bad roads. And that's pretty much what the old Looney King did he sent out his army to mess with everyone. The young the old his people there are people any neighbors we had. We went from a prospering nation to this. Barely holding it together. My skin is thin, my hair is gray and my eyes are cloudy. I am the last of my blood line. I have nothing. I am nothing. I am a nobody. The eagle king has taken from me, my brother long gone fed to the war machine. They didn't even let me keep his shield. Let alone his sword you can't have civilians have swords. They might get ideas. And right now I had a very strong idea. I may not have a sword but I have some steel. My long metal knitting needles clicked in my pack. I had a plan it was a reckless stupid plan. But it was a plan it had parts. I hoped a Grandma Act was sufficient enough considering I've never been a grandma. The only man I've ever loved was killed because he asked too many questions. His leg had been mangled in childhood making him unfit for the War Machine, I still miss the bread he made in the cold days. I had never had children, we had tried but my body was never strong enough, none of my pregnancies had succeeded. And after Henry died there was no one else I was willing to go through that with. My aunts and uncles faded with time, parents and grandparents Longs dead not many people lived long in this country. I was a rarity. Very few people got old enough for gray hairs. When I was young it was a matter of great pride to have elders so old and gray... but that was one of the first things to go with the eagle King. He had not loved his elderly father and his decrepited grandfather. He had killed them both. I was brought out of my musing I had reached the gates when you get this old you have a lot of memories to go through you can really pass the time. Just thinking of the past. On the open drawbridge stood two young guards. Lucky for me they were not from my particular Village. They would not know that I was lying not to say I was guaranteed to be able to Bluff them. But my desire to die was slightly less than my desire to destroy the eagle King.
" halt old hag! What brings you here?!" The guard to the left screamed. I looked at him, he was even younger than I thought. He must be a new recruit he was 14 at the oldest. He had a combination of cockiness and insecurity that oozed off of his young bones. He had yet to grown into his full height, his hands and feet too big for his frame. It looks like he would have a growth spurt soon but right now his voice still cracked from the soft tones of Youth to the baritones of adulthood. The eagle King was really scraping the bottle of the barrel now. All the older soldiers have died. The whole war was a meat grinder and soon there won't be enough men to sire the Next Generation. The boy was desperate to do a good job. It's much better being a gate guard then being on the front lines. My voice had always been sweet, I have been quite the singer in my youth but now I put a little bit of confusion in my tone.
" oh dearie the Eagle King has summoned me. Something about taxes? Or was it about a tribute? He asked me to bring my craft.. or was it a surprise I was supposed to do? I'm supposed to talk to the Stuart I think? Wait, was it that head maid?" I tried to remember how my grandma has spoken the last few years before she died. She had gotten quite confused. I hope the young men would have the same patience I had for her.
The posture of the boy on the right, he was short. Only about a head taller then the boy on the left. But he had grown into his hands and feet and he had a sharper look on his eye more self assured. But I saw his posture soften, his fear not held quite at the harsh angle. He at the beginning of a smile on his face before he schooled it.
"Oh! a guest of the great Eagle King!"
"What!" The boy on the left cried but was quickly silenced by an elbow from the Elder boy on the right. The boy on the right was old enough to know what might get you killed.
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