Varre watched the chaos of the battle unfolding on the left flank with a concerned expression. This was his third pitched battle, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the carnage. Technically he also faced half of Clement’s rebels while the count was getting away, which would have made this one his fourth, but that enemy surrendered without fighting.

  This challenge was different from his previous victories.

  At both Elstercross and the hilltop outside of Banbury, he used clever tactics to outsmart his opponent. Both clashes were bloody and difficult, especially due to the strategy employed, but ultimately he always had some plan working in the background.

  His first battle was painful, as he had to watch his men get slaughtered crossing the bridge, just to distract the rebels and buy Gregory enough time to deliver a decisive strike from the side. His second, utilized half of his army as sacrificial pawns, locking the enemy in place, while he concentrated the bulk of his forces in one place, broke through the enemy encirclement, and then surgically followed up, smashing the remains of the enemy army with a combined force.

  This battle was a simple, unsophisticated brawl. There was no genius strategy, no clever trick to be employed. It was barbaric, brutal fighting. The exact scenario that each knight of Logres spent their lives training for.

  Though the king felt uncomfortable, his soldiers felt right at home. They employed familiar tactics and could finally get to stretch their muscles in a familiar environment. And if that wasn’t enough, even the numbers of troops were similar, making the battle more of an honorable duel.

  Of course, Varre’s soldiers were more experienced. They’ve fought in multiple battles by now and many of them had spent weeks on combat training beforehand. That helped the infantry, but didn’t matter much to knights. They’ve spent their entire lives training anyway. A couple more months didn’t make any difference.

  Varre saw the lines of cavalry clash against each other. Though he couldn’t see details at this distance, he did see that a few people remained on their spots after the horses passed. He watched the scene devolve into a chaotic mess as horses panicked, running around, fallen men got up, returning to friendly lines, and others took the opportunity for some extra duels against their foes.

  Shortly afterwards, the lines of infantry met. Anyone still left inside of no man’s land got picked up like a rock and swept up with the tide. Getting pushed along, straight towards the fiercest fighting.

  And yet despite the ongoing battle, some of the knights kept circling around outside of the formation. They raced back to a line of friendly servants and assistants who stayed a safe distance away from combat. Some took this opportunity to rest, while others picked up fresh equipment and threw themselves back into the harshest combat.

  And soon, the exact same thing would be happening here.

  “Cheer up Varre,” Jan interrupted his train of thought, “we’ll get to have some fun soon,” he leaned over to check the straps in his saddle.

  “Right. I suppose it’s time to get ready,” Varre started checking his own equipment.

  Captain Hakon stood just within earshot, watching over his liege. He took this opportunity to ride closer. “Your majesty, it would be safer for you to remain here during the fighting.”

  “Yeah. Save your precious soft hide and leave the fighting to the rest of us,” the count teased.

  “I saw Gregory. Or his banner at least. He was there, leading the charge with his men,” the king protested.

  “He’s just a baron though,” Jan shrugged, “and you’re a bigshot.”

  Varre turned to look at the approaching enemy. The glacial pace bought him some time, but it was running out quickly.

  “Do you think Charles will lead from the front?” the monarch asked.

  “He typically did, back during the war with Langogne,” the count explained, “now, mind you, as the king’s relative, he was always important. But he wasn’t the biggest dog around back then. Mikkel was. And everyone’s favorite Hero often preferred leading from a distance.”

  “He did, huh?” Varre paused to think about his choices. If I stay here, people might call me a coward afterwards. Even though my uncle may have stayed out of combat, he was already well known. No one’s going to think I’m emulating Mikkel when I make the same choice. Especially at a time like this.

  The king looked towards the enemy again, but for now, Charles’ banner remained safely hidden behind the infantry. Of course, the rebel knights haven’t gotten in formation yet. This could easily change.

  He sighed and looked Jan in the eyes. “I’ve got eighty honor guard with me, don’t I?”

  “That you do,” Jan grinned, “mighty strong ones in fact.”

  “Then I’ll take them with me. I think they’ll do some good at the front lines.”

  “They certainly will,” the count nodded.

  “Your majesty,” Hakon interrupted, “if I may suggest an alternative, you could just send the bulk of the Royal Guard ahead to join the charge. I don’t mind leading them, while you remain in safety.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Varre raised a hand to stop him. “If I’m sending my personal retinue to deliver a decisive blow, then I better be there personally to witness it. That will help morale too and we need every advantage we can get at this point.”

  “Your majesty, I insist,” the captain began, “it’s not safe!”

  The king picked up a lance from one of the guards standing behind him. “Then you’ll just have to fight harder.”

  The infantry marched in a somewhat loose formation, so the knights could easily pass through their ranks. They lined up ahead of the common soldiery and watched as the rebels did the same.

  Varre positioned himself in the center. Another noble behind him held the royal banner. Apparently it was a very respectable position. Jan made sure to recommend some knight for this honor. The noble proved himself at the battle against Langogne and impressed everyone with his prowess and bravery. From the monarch’s perspective, the best warriors should focus on fighting, not holding up flags, but if others fought harder believing that they too might earn this honor someday, then he was willing to go with it.

  Though the king did agree to lead from the front, he wasn’t going to actually head straight for the thick of battle. The line of knights was technically two men deep, but the royal entourage and the flag carrier required additional security, creating a thicker bulge around that spot. Varre rode in the middle of it.

  He was surrounded by his Royal Guard on all sides. The most elite warriors in the kingdom. If anyone could keep him safe in the chaos of battle, it was them.

  Of course, this wouldn’t be his first charge. Back when he fought against Langogne, he too had joined the front lines. He was the main tactician then. The one who came up with the entire plan and understood that every single able bodied man was necessary to punch through the encirclement as quickly as possible. And even then, during the actual charge, his side had an overwhelming advantage over the enemy. Now, the odds were more even. And that carried more risk.

  He looked off to the side and saw Charles’ banner also heading to the front. It looked like even in his old age, the duke was willing to stick to his old habits and join the fray personally. Even then, he wasn’t willing to go up against the Royal Guard directly. His banner moved a bit to the side, avoiding the powerful formation like the plague.

  Though it would have been nice if his personal retinue managed to wipe out Charles in a single, initial blow, there wasn’t enough time to reposition and face them. It would cause too much chaos in these last remaining seconds before the battle. He would have to satisfy himself with watching as the guards cut through the enemy knights like butter, opening a safe passage for him to ride through as part of this charge.

  Charles’ entourage was likely made of the best men his army had to offer, but there was no way that they would have the same effect. They didn’t have access to the massive quantities of elixir provided to the Royal Guards. Or their excellent training. They were knights. Above average knights, perhaps, but these were the kind of men who would serve as good recruits for the Guards. Not veteran members.

  Varre heard the sounds of battle to his right and turned to look at the noise. The knights hidden inside the Miroti hedgehog sallied out. They were heading over here quickly, planning to assault the loyalists before they could line up properly, but they had been intercepted by Khoman’s cavalry. The two formations faced off in the middle of no man’s land, as the infantry trailed far behind them, trying to keep up. That was yet another obstacle dealt with. Now, the king just needed to focus on the threat ahead.

  It was Charles who gave the first order. His heralds blew into their horns, signaling the start of the charge. Varre reacted immediately afterwards and the lines of men raced forward, covering these last couple hundreds of feet of distance at breakneck pace.

  Eventually they met and chaos reigned again.

  Varre made sure to enhance himself in time, but his honor guard was diligent in keeping him safe. He grit his teeth as he heard the first clang of metal against metal, but the charge was devastating. Empty horses passed through the gaps around him, their riders thrown off and tumbling on the ground.

  One made it through two multiple lines of armored warriors, but he had lost his lance. This was an opportunity for Varre to show off. He raised his own weapon and braced. But it was much harder to aim with than he had anticipated.

  He missed.

  So far, his training had focused on either raising his stats, or teaching him melee combat on foot. It was meant to help him survive against assassins, not fight efficiently at the front lines. That was a more advanced lesson, reserved for the future.

  Regardless, Hakon who rode to his liege’s left, finished the job. He hit the last remaining enemy straight in the chest and men fell off with a yelp.

  The formation started to slow down and gently turn, just as he watched Gregory do before. As they did so, Varre could see the aftermath of that initial clash. A couple Royal Guards were left on the field, scrambling to their feet. But it seemed like Charles’ side lost more in this exchange.

  The situation wasn’t as clear further down the line. Each noble was decorated in his own personal colors, making recognizing them difficult at a glance, but from the direction everybody was retreating to it seemed like the results were about even.

  Charles’ banner had survived as well. Presumably, their leader did too, though it was hard to tell. Most likely, if he had fallen off, his entourage would have circled back to save him instead of returning.

  Varre instinctively followed the horsemen around him. Jan rode to his right and shouted out some orders about their destination, as the guards in front tried to listen over the noise of thundering hooves. Fortunately, he had already seen what Gregory had done , so he knew what to expect.

  This time, the horses grouped closer together. There was no need to let the enemy pass through anymore. Now, it was more important to encourage any returning rebels to avoid this core and find another path back.

  Just in case, he turned to his left, checking on Khoman’s situation. It looked like the rebel’s side attack was repelled and the cavalry was now retreating back to the safety of their hedgehog. The loyalists too were coming back to resupply. There was no point in chasing them further. Good. It looks like we won’t have to worry about another distraction for now, he thought to himself.

  Within about a minute, the king was safe again. He rode into the heart of the infantry formation and turned around to focus back on the battle.

  “Whoo! Having fun yet?” Jan asked his liege, as he raised his visor.

  “Think we came out ahead?” Varre changed the subject.

  “Eh, maybe a little bit. Your guards did some serious work on these guys.”

  In the corner of his eye, the king saw Hakon slightly smile at that compliment, but he quickly returned to a familiar stern expression. Keeping an eye out for any potential threat to his liege’s life.

  Then, the sound of screams tore Varre’s attention away. The infantry was seconds away from crashing into their enemies and unleashed a resounding roar to scare them off. Or to wind themselves up.

  The lines finally met and the deadly combat began in earnest.

  The situation on Gregory's flank remains stable, while Khoman's is free to advance forward to their leisure.

  Find out next week!