The army marched on...

Days turned to weeks and weeks to still more but the Armies of the Rey moved ever onward, seeking that last moment. Word had reached them from scouts that the Irish hand landed on the mainland, and that the English had crossed through French lands on their way to reinforce the last besieged outpost of Ireland's Imperialist holdings.

How surprised they would be to learn that the Spanish army had already slipped the noose.

Charles smiled and rode onward a quiet chuckle uttered beneath his breath.

"Something amusing Sire?" Paul inquired as he leaned in his saddle. The Priest was not used to riding so long or so fast and had developed saddle sores that still pained him even these weeks later. But he was a tough man, not used to a simple life despite his calling... he had spent it out among the people and as a caretaker of the sick before finding his way into the service of the King of Spain.

"That," Charles replied softly, "is between me and God, Father."

"But I'm your Confessor!" He protested, blinking with a mildly shocked expression.

"Hmmm.. you raise a good point." He tilted his head over to one side, "I am just pondering the expression on their faces when they realize they have traveled all this way... only to have to turn back to defend their own lands..."

Paul offered his Lord a look of mild rebuke. "Sire, smug is not seemly for a Lord of your standing."

Charles conceded the point with a brief nod as the two continued plodding along with their horses, all around them the Spanish army wound and twisted, followed by it's baggage train and the usual assortment of camp followers and other axillary that no army could ever truly do without. How they had made it this far and accomplished what they had to this point was something he was very proud of, but there were greater battles ahead and they would all be tested. He had no doubt that they would prevail with God's help and blessing.

"Sire... I am curious about something, if I might be so bold?" Paul arched an eyebrow at the end of the question, his voice lilting upwards just a hair.

"By all means..."

"That story you told the children back in that village..."

"Yes..."

"Might you continue it?"

Charles eyed the priest for a moment and then looked around.

"I see no children to amuse Father... but I suppose we must speak on something to pass the hours hmm?" In the heroic ballads of men and deed they never mentioned the great yawning stretches of total boredom that pressed in on all sides around moments of pure excitement and blind terror.

"When we last left our story, the petitioner of Trisa had been freed by the brave actions of Eric the jailer in defiance of Queen Dolly. But Paul knew he could not return home, for if he did... all his people might be held accountable for his brave act. So together, Paul and his new traveling companion set out from the capital and out into the homeland of the Kingdom... a great island where the people of Kingdom were from. But Paul was in danger here. You see the people of Trisa were not like those from here. Their skin was darker, their hair less fair, and many of them spoke different languages... This did not matter to the Queen however, to her they belonged to her by right, and so she would keep them whatever the desires of the people might be for the greater glory of herself."

------

Paul fell into a coughing fit for a moment and pounded his own chest appologetically, "Sorry sire.. twas the dust.."

"I'm sure... " Charles said dryly, "now where was I... ah yes.."

--------

"So Paul was forced into the guise of a leaper. His face and hands wrapped, hiding his skin and hair from sight for here the sight of both could be his undoing. The people of Trisa and beyond were not seen as equals to those of the Kingdom, but tools and underlings to be used and then tossed aside as needed. It was a wound to Paul's pride to have to do this, for it suggested he might be ashamed for who he was for all that it was the perfect disguise. But Eric, with the wisdom and simple goodness of a man who was less that bright said, 'Did you not tell me that Pride was a great sin? One that has led us all to this state? Surely you too must cast yours aside to be a servant of God' And Paul knew shame, for here this simple man had seen a truth that he himself had not. So dress as a leaper he did."

------

"Have you ever considered becoming a priest?" Paul said again.

Charles snorted a bit and eyed Paul, "No but once a Monk... now do you want to hear the story or not?"

"My apologies..."

------

"Their first stop was one of the oldest Villages in the Kingdom. Legend had it that the first people to ever think of themselves as being from Kingdom had originated here. As such it was a place attached to great worth by all, and it's people fiercely loyal to the Queen to a fault. The danger to them both would never be greater, for both knew that the Queen would want to punish Eric too for helping Paul escape... and they could never know if their trick with the replacement would work... until they saw the guards coming to seize them."

"In this village they were having a celebration. Dozens of villages had come to celebrate to the greater glory of the Queen. Large statues had been erected of her fashioned out of wood, stone, and any other material that could be worked. At their feet were strewn all that the villages could afford, food left to rot, jewels, family heirlooms. All destined to be picked up by the Army and brought to the capital where they would sit admired among thousands of such gifts until the food rotted and was tossed aside. Paul was disgusted with the sight and boldly marched among them so that they might see him. A wide birth was given the leaper as he moved to the center of the celebration where the tribute was being collected."

" 'What is the meaning of this?' he asked in a voice, stronger than at any time since he was a young man with the gravity of his outrage. 'We honor our Queen, leaper, do you not wish to give thanks for all she has provided for us?' Paul snorted, 'Nay! I give thanks for all that GOD has provided to us. Look now at you, worshiping as you do these idols of a mortal woman, while your church as the rest of your village lays in such a state. Nay.. nay I say! Turn your hearts back to God people, for only he can save us all.'"

"The villagers did not quite know how to respond to this, they had never encountered one who thought as Paul did, and while a few did look over to their empty church most muttered stayed from saying or speaking more against him only because it was acknowledged a sin to abuse one who has been thus afflicted with Leprosy. 'Look you, Leper,' said one, 'Our Queen is good and honest and true, look that all that we have.' Paul shook his head holding his hands apart and gesturing broadly, 'And look at what you do not. Who among you eldest here can remember a time when things are better, who among you can remember a time when things were worse? Our people grow more poor by the year, our lands more barren and all the while we send more and more of what we grow to her. Why should we give thanks to a mortal? Why should our devotion be bound by a mere mortal when God cries out for us to return the Love that sent us his only Son? Nay good people! Nay! I say that Queen Dolly has betrayed her noble trust as our guardian and lord!' A gasp ran through the crowd shock and fear forcing all the back away from Paul. Eric, at his side began to tug on him trying to get him to leave, but Paul shook free of him."

" 'For look at me good people, I have been condemned to die! I will be cast out of my own home, never to return for fear of what might happen if I do all for the Pride of one woman. The Lord is my Shepperd and the Church His arm on earth, I will worship no false idols, pay no tribute to a heretic!' Paul moved forward again, and before Eric could stop him Paul had struck the side of one of the statues with his wooden cane and a shock went through the crowd. For when he had struck low a bolt of lightning pierced the cloudless sky above and struck the statue of Dolly splitting it down the middle, sending everyone running for safety. Yet Paul was untouched, though singed and deafened by such a thing.'"

"The villages were terrified, and watched the sky fearful it might be some new magic. But no the sky was clear and Paul was unharmed. God had chosen his messenger, the man who would free these people from the Heresy that gripped the land, and of the foul teachings of the Dark One, the denier of Church authority... For many whispered he was whom had led Queen Dolly astray, his teachings taken her from the path of God and blinded her to the cries of her people. None of them wanted to be seen with Paul, for they knew someone would send word that a true believer, the Leper of God, as he came to be called... walked the land."

"Queen Dolly and the Dark One... knew fear."

---------

"The Dark one is it?" Paul said sitting forward in his saddle once more, "I find this more and more interesting by the day, Sire." A bit of a smile crossed the priest's face.

"Good. For I think the story is really just beginning..."

"This is good. Perhaps I shall use some of them... you seem to have blended themes from stories of our Lord in with these tales... Idolatry, heresy... false witness... it is most compelling, Sire."

Charles smiled a bit and nodded, "One must put such things in such a tale so that they cannot be ignored. People like to be entertained."

"Just so, Sire, just so."

The Spanish army marched on.