A Vow of Glory

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Gwendolyn stood on the broad stone landing of the lower city of Silesia, surrounded by her generals, soldiers and Silesian citizens, all of them looking out in ominous silence into the vast expanse of the Canyon, watching the second sun drop in the sky. They had not heard a peep from the Empire’s men all this time, and after a long, agitated panic among the crowd, slowly, they had settled into a deep quiet. The tension hung thick in the air, each of them lost in their own world, looking out at the sky, facing their own mortality. It was the quiet of a thousand souls in the eye of a storm, of people who knew they had nowhere left to go but to their deaths.

The silence from the Empire scared Gwendolyn more than their attack. She knew that Andronicus was up there somewhere, plotting something, and she knew it was only a matter time until he executed it. He was as ruthless a soldier as she had ever seen. The worst part was that, even if he did nothing, there would still be no way out for them but death. How long could they survive down here, until their provisions ran out? They had nowhere to go but up. And up was not an option.

Andronicus knew that, of course. He had them all by the throat. He would make them wait it out. Allow their panic to set in. He was probably reveling in it right now. He had them exactly where he wanted.

Gwen supposed she should be pleased with herself for at least fending them off as well as she had in her first battle, for taking out so many of them, and for saving so many of her people in the evacuation. But she was not pleased with herself at all. She felt she had failed.

Nearby stood Srog, Brom, Kolk and Godfrey, along with the other soldiers, and beside her stood Steffen and Kendrick. They all looked out at the Canyon, faces grim. She wished she knew what to say to them to cheer them up, wished she knew where to go from here.

“Do you remember that one time with father,” Kendrick answered softly, nostalgically, looking out at the sky, “when he was trying to teach you to swing a sword? You refused. You said swords were for weak men.”

Gwendolyn smiled.

“Only vaguely,” she said. “I must have been very young.”

Kendrick smiled.

“Father got so mad,” he continued. “He ended all of our training sessions for the day. Back then, it seemed like you’d said the dumbest thing in the world.”

He sighed.

“But you know, now that I’m older, I realize there was great wisdom in what you said,” he added. “The simplest battles are won by swords. The most complex ones are won by other means. By strategy. By logistics. By willpower.”

“I’m sure I was not hinting at all that when I said that as a youth,” she smiled.

He smiled back.

“No, I am sure you weren’t. What you’d said was wise beyond your years. Even then.”

He turned and looked at her.

“I just want you to know that you fought this battle brilliantly,” he said. “We killed twenty times our ranks, and lost far fewer of our own than we should have. For any other leader, that would be a victory to be remember for all time. Don’t feel badly. Their numbers were too vast for any army to conquer.”

“He’s right, my lady,” said Steffen beside her.

“Truer words were never spoken,” added Srog.

“Thank you, my brother,” she said to Kendrick. “I want you to know that I’ve always thought of you as my brother. My true brother. We share the same father. And that is blood enough for me.”

Kendrick looked back to her and he could see in his eyes how much her words meant to him.

“And what now, my lady?” Srog asked. “I’m afraid we have no other contingency plans beyond this. Now, the people look to you. Now, the decision is yours.”

“It would do us little good to surrender as a people to Andronicus,” Gwendolyn said. “We all know his reputation: he does not keep his prisoners alive. We must wait it out.”

“And if hunger finds us first?” Brom asked.

Gwen sighed.

“Then we fight a different kind of death,” she answered. “Unless one of you has other ideas?”

They all stood in the glum silence, listening to the howling of the wind. No one had anything to add.

Kendrick finally cleared his throat.

“When we joined the Legion,” he said, “and then the Silver, we took a vow. It was a vow to fight, even when there was no chance left to win. It was a vow of honor. A vow of glory. That is what we have achieved here today. Not victory, but glory. And sometimes, long after the victor has left, it is the glory that remains, that is sung of, not the conquest. Sometimes, glory is greater.”

As they all sat there in the silence, watching the sun drop, swayed by a gust of howling wind, suddenly, a booming voice split the air.

“Gwendolyn, I call for you!” came the voice, echoing off the Canyon walls.

They all turned and looked at each other, baffled, then they all looked up, as one, and as they did, Gwendolyn could see where the voice was coming from. A chill went through her.

Andronicus.

There he was, surrounded by hundreds of his men, leaning out over the edge of the Canyon, looking down at her with a triumphant smile on his face.

“Gwendolyn, ruler of the Western Kingdom of the Ring, it is only you left now. King’s Court is no more. The McClouds are my prisoners. It is only you left who dares defy me.”

He paused.

“Despite what you have heard about me, I am not a savage. In fact, I am a most reasonable man. You fought bravely here today. Better than I had expected. And for that, I commend you. And for that, I wish to reward you. I can use valuable commanders like you in my armies, and I can use valuable soldiers like the Silesians.

“I never keep captives alive. But on this day, because of your bravery, I will make an exception. If you surrender to me, you personally, then I will spare your entire city from destruction. I will let everyone live, including your soldiers. I will even free each one of you. You will live in peace in my Empire, and I will leave Silesia alone.

“All I ask in return is that you swear allegiance to me. That you vow to serve me, to be a ruler under my command. I will treat you justly and fairly. You will be given any position you choose at my court. Surely it is a small price to pay—your personal sacrifice for the good of your nation.

“It is a kind and generous offer. Be wise, and accept it, on behalf of the thousands of souls around you. Look around you, see their faces. They are alive. If you defy me, they will face the wrath of the great Andronicus.

“Do not think too long. If I do not have your answer in the morning, I will rain fire on you unlike any you have ever seen. And by the time of the second sunset tomorrow, the legend of Silesia will be no more. Not even in the history books, which I will destroy.”

Finally, Andronicus’ voice stopped booming. It echoed briefly on the wind, then disappeared, retreating back to wherever it come from. As she looked up, he and his men retreated from the upper landing, disappearing from view.

Gwen turned and looked at the others, who all looked back at her, wide-eyed in surprise.

“Don’t do it,” Srog said gravely.

“You cannot trust him,” Kendrick said.

“It is a false offer,” Steffen said.

“I would never have you serve him to save my soul,” Kolk said.

“Now would I,” Kendrick said.

Gwendolyn stood there, thinking. She knew Andronicus was not be trusted. Yet his words seemed genuine. And what choice did they have, really? As he said, if they refused, they would all be dead. She knew that herself. If not by his hand, then by some other way.

“I would gladly go into his servitude to spare the lives of all of you,” she said. “I feel it is an offer that I should accept.”

“You cannot my lady!” Kendrick called out. “I will not hear of it!”

“I would never have you sacrifice on my behalf!” Srog said. “I would rather go down fighting.”

“Is life that precious to you?” Brom asked.

“Not my life,” she answered. “But yours. All of yours. It would be selfish for me to reject it and have you all die.”

“Your honor is at stake!” Srog said.

“We have fought honorably,” she said. “The only one that will be in servitude is myself.”

“Your servitude is one too many,” Kendrick said. “It is not fair for you to sacrifice for all of us.”

“I am with Kendrick,” Srog said.

“So am I,” echoed the others.

“We will not let you go, my lady,” Steffen said. “We are all for one and one for all.”

A cheer arose among the men. She was touched by their loyalty. Yet the weight of Andronicus’ offer sat heavily on her shoulders. Her life for everyone else’s. It was something she would gladly give.

Gwendolyn stood alone, on the edge of Canyon Point, watching the last light of day cast a pall over the Canyon. It was the most beautiful sunset of her life, sparkling in the swirling mist, a flaming red which seemed to set the world on fire. It was somber and fatalistic. It matched her mood.

As she watched it, a part of her felt she was watching the last sunset of her life. Especially since she had, finally, come to a decision.

Gwendolyn had walked through the camp, had looked closely at the faces of all the men and women and children, the young soldiers—had seen all the aspiration, all the hope, in their eyes; they looked at her as if she held some long lost answer, as if she were their savior. It struck her that she had been given a chance, a unique ability at a unique moment in time to save these people. Her life for theirs. It would be a great honor. Maybe she had been put here, in this time and place for just this reason, for just this one moment in time, for this decision. Maybe that was why she had been meant to rule—to make this one decision that would save thousands of lives.

Gwendolyn had made up her mind. She knew what she would do. Not what her advisors would do, not what her father would do, not what Kendrick would do. But what she would do. And that’s all that mattered now.

At first dawn, when it was still dark, when there was no one around to stop her, she would go up there. Alone. She would surrender herself to Andronicus. She would agree to his terms, serve him, and give herself up for the greater good.

As Gwendolyn stood there, looking out at her last sunset as a free woman, she thought of Thor. She reached down and felt her stomach, and thought of their child. She wanted this child to live. For this child, if for no one else, she wanted to spare more bloodshed. She might be a servant to Andronicus, but this child would be free.

Gwendolyn looked out and had to admit that a part of her hoped for Thor to appear, to swoop down with the Sword and rescue her from all this. She would give anything, and her heart pounded at the thought.

But deep down she knew it was just a dream. Thor was gone, far away from here. She was all alone. It was meant for her to stand alone, as her own woman. As the woman her father had expected her to be. This was what being a ruler meant, she finally understood. To be surrounded by people—and yet, to be utterly alone.

“Not all dreams are meant to be fulfilled,” came a voice.

Gwendolyn looked over to see Argon standing there, beside her, staring out at the sunset. She felt numb to the world, and a part of her was not even surprised to see him. Little mattered to her anymore now, since her mind had been made up. She faced the sunset with him.

“You come at a time when I no longer need your counsel,” she said to him.

“I have not come to give you counsel,” he said. “But to pay my respects. I had not seen your decision coming. So brave. Your father would be proud. You are the finest of the MacGils.”

“Is that why you have come?” she asked, sensing there was something more.

“No,” he answered. “I have also come to say goodbye.”

She turned and looked at him, but he continued to stare out at the Canyon.

“Are you leaving us?” she asked, struck with fear. But then she was struck with an ever great fear: “Or is it I who is leaving you?”

Argon stared, expressionless, and would not answer.

“I suppose once I am a subject to Andronicus, you shall have a new MacGil ruler to counsel soon enough,” she said.

He shook his head.

“Times are shifting,” he said.

Gwendolyn was suddenly burning with a desire to know.

“Just tell me one thing,” she pleaded. “Thor? Is he safe? Is he alive?”

She cared not for her safety anymore, but only for his.

“He is alive, yes.”

She stared at him.

“You do not answer if he safe,” she pressed.

Argon remained silent, not responding. Her heart was breaking.

“Can you save him?” she pleaded. “From whatever peril he is in? Please. I will give you anything. Can you keep him alive?”

Argon turned and stared at her, and his eyes burned right through her.

“I have already saved Thorgrin once. For you. And now your fate demands something in return.”

Argon took three steps forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, and it burned right through her, feeling as if she was touched by the sun.

“You have done the gods proud,” he said. “Always there will be a spot of honor reserved for you.”

Just as Gwendolyn was about to pull away from his burning grasp, suddenly he disappeared.

Gwen turned and looked everywhere, but saw no trace of him. She was alone again up there, on the edge of the rock, more alone than she had ever been in her life.

She looked up at the Canyon wall rising to the upper city, and knew what she needed to do.

It was time to take the first step.