Branching Paths

Same goal, different routes

I love fiction, so here’s a short tale that I would like to share.

“I don’t agree with this.”

The statement was resolute and brought the ongoing discussion to a halt. The room fell silent, with all eyes settling upon the blond young man who had dared to speak up.

As far as those gathered in the room were concerned, there was no room for objections. They had suffered enough under the tyranny of the current ruler; it was time to overthrow the King and take matters into their own hands. Emotions ran too high in this gathering for anyone to give a contrasting opinion without becoming the subject of scorn.

“..What do you mean, Neil..?” The brunette man who stood at the head of the group was bewildered. His question held a tinge of hesitation. He did not want to fear that his closest friend was likely to defect or, even worse, betray them.

To his horror, Neil elaborated without hesitation. “I understand everyone’s frustration, but a coup is not what this kingdom needs.”

The confirmation of his objection spurred the group to anger.

“Has the ale crippled yer brain, lad?”

“That’s the most foolish thing I’ve heard in years!”

“Wha’s that, now? Are ya chickenin’ out? Jus’ admit it if yer scared!”

The brunette smacked a hand on the large oval stone table the group had been gathered around. “Enough!” His voice was stern enough to silence the agitated voices, at least for a moment. He took advantage of their momentary shock to assert himself further. “Neil.” He nodded towards the exit to the meeting room. “With me. Now.”

Calmly and silently, the blonde strode after him to stand in the corridor outside of the room filled with rebels. Neil did not wait to speak. “I have followed you for years, Grant. I have always been inspired by your dedication to making positive changes. Without a doubt, you are a great leader-”

Grant interrupted his long-time comrade bitterly. “Enough ass-kissing. Explain yourself. What makes you think knocking that worthless pig from the throne is a bad idea? Is it a good idea to leave him to his devices, then? You grew up in the same shithole I did. You know what he’s done to so many innocent people, taxed them to sate his own greed, without a care for whether they starved to death. Shut himself in the castle when the plague struck, quarantining the sick to die off when he could minimize the number of victims. He is a pathetic king and an even more pathetic human being. You dare speak against justice?”

Neil had always been the more level-headed of the two, but not even he could hold his patience on such a topic.

“Your emotions are getting the better of you, Grant! I agree that there needs to be a shift in leadership, but laying siege to the castle and abruptly distorting the balance of power is not the way to go about this! Take a second to think about the consequences of what you are planning!”

The blonde closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He ran a hand through his hair. When he continued speaking, it was in a calmer yet strained tone.

“..The men in that room have pledged their loyalty to you. They are willing to follow you to their graves if you ask it of them. Laying siege to the most fortified structure in the kingdom will not be without casualties. You will lose a huge amount of men even with the best strategy. And if you do succeed with your rebellion, the kingdom will be left in worse tatters than before. There will be widespread unrest. Do you have any sense of politics, Grant..? Do you understand the precarious situation our kingdom will be in once our neighboring countries learn of our vulnerable state? How do you intend to ease the citizens of the kingdom while fending off our foreign enemies?”

There was a momentary silence. Though Grant’s combat abilities and charisma on the battlefield were second to none, Neil was his superior in matters of intellect and strategy. Grant spoke slowly, “Then what do you propose we do? Something must be done..”

Neil gave a curt nod. “I believe the system must be changed from the inside. We would be better off working from within to end the corruption. Government will remain functional, and we will have opportunities to topple the King without inducing a civil war that will leave the kingdom weakened against attack from the outside.” He reached into his pocket and produced a small silver emblem.

Grant’s eyes widened. It was a royal apprenticeship badge.

“I plan to join the Knights. I will work my way up the ranks and gain the power to change the rules myself.”

The brunette reached out and roughly grasped the collar of Neil’s shirt. “You are an even bigger fool than I thought..! You would join the ranks of those bastards..? Do you understand the orders they will give you?” Grant growled furiously at the other man. “Are you prepared to extort taxes from the suffering? Do you intend to tear away the last bit of coin from those who are but skin and bones? Will you, like them, turn a blind eye to the sobs and wails as starving families beg you to spare them? Are you prepared to kill innocents if ordered to?”

Neil’s brow twitched in anger. “I will not forget where I came from. As I said, corruption must be changed from within. The only way to reach the ears of those above us is to obtain a rank equivalent to them. As I rise in rank, my voice will reach more people.”

“Such naivete!” Grant spat while shoving Neil away. “You were not born a noble. No matter how you rise, you will never have a voice unless you force them to listen! And how long do you expect that to take, anyway? While you prance around with the very bastards oppressing our people, they continue to suffer. We need to knock those fools off of their high horses, and soon.” His fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

“...I will lead the rebellion to successfully overthrow that damned king and remain prepared to fend off our enemies if they foolishly attack us.” Grant’s eyes were alight with fury and resolve. “I will accomplish this, with or without you.”

“You are making a mistake,” Neil responded. “I cannot go along with this..”

“Have it your way.” Grant turned away and set his hand on the door leading back to the meeting room. “..You would be wise to hurry out before I am convinced it is best not to allow an apprentice knight to leave here alive. You know too much, after all.”

Neil grimaced. The threat from his longtime friend was icy. He had no doubt that the man would seriously turn his weapon on him if he felt he would compromise his intentions to do right for the kingdom. That Grant did not immediately do so was only due to the bond they had established from years of comradery.

“..We travel in different directions, but our goals are the same. We will aim to protect the kingdom in the ways we feel work best. I just hope that you rethink a frontal siege. Your group is outnumbered and underequipped compared to the knights. Work discreetly as you have been. Do not overestimate the forces you have built up so far, or you will lose them all.”

Grant merely grumbled, “I don’t need advice from you. Get out of here.” With that, he shoved open the door and slammed it shut behind himself to return to his meeting with the others of his growing rebellion.

Neil took a deep breath while gazing down at the apprenticeship badge in his hand. He had expected things would come to this. It could have been worse, but it hurt nevertheless. From this moment on, their paths would branch in opposite directions -- one man sought to overwrite the corrupt system through brute force; the other sought to gradually change it from within.

Neil took his leave with the sickening thought that the next time they met, it would likely be as reluctant enemies. He would have to steel himself to raise his weapon against Grant, as he knew the headstrong man would do whatever it took to accomplish his goals.

Even if it meant striking down an old friend.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it!