A Thousand Deaths

As cool winds blew through the vast and lush green meadows of Camelot in medieval England, a young knight sat at the base of a tree, quietly observed this picturesque scenery with a warm gaze. John Sterling was a young and charming knight who at the tender age of 25 was already made commander of a knight battalion. Few in England came close to Sterling when it came to valor and swordsmanship but none could ever seem to touch him. Sterling was knighted at 17, the news of which was almost considered a myth by anyone who heard it. Sterling got married to the daughter of a gravely respected and famously kind-hearted baron at the age of just 19 and although it was an entirely arranged marriage both he and his age-fellow wife fell head over heels in love after their courtship. Sterling’s long neck-length hazel-brown hair and his big dark blue eyes coupled with his striking and well groomed beard made him the standard of how a knight should look like. His lean, tall and muscular frame carried deceivingly great strength and his grave voice and unmatchable chivalry commanded respect wherever he went. Sterling was just someone who was as unforgettable as one could ever get and with sheer respect he also carried the mountainous envy of his fellow knights on his shoulders. Though these were relatively peaceful times in England, the threat of foreign invasions was always looming above the crown of Old England. And Sterling was no stranger to war or its devastation. He had seen his father get mercilessly killed in front of his very own eyes when the Scotts launched an all out assault on the Northern Province of Hamelshire. The assault on the Northern Province brewed into a full scale war and Sterling along with his mother was left without a home and without much hope and England was left in shambles. Sterling had sworn that he would never let anything similar happen to England for as long as he lived. That was the very reason why he joined the order of the knights and although he was denied membership at first due to his young age, the head of the order saw something unbelievable in little Sterling’s eyes, a fire like no other and a compassion like no other. Hence Sterling became the youngest knight’s apprentice in English history and went on to become the youngest knight in English history. Sterling had already seen action when King Arthur ordered the recapture of a small village from the Scottish on the outskirts of the Eastern Province. It was on this occasion that Sterling’s unforgettable display of valor and his unbelievable tactical genius won the knights an amazing come from behind victory. This became the very reason for his immediate promotion to commander. As the sun set down, the winds also began to disappear and Sterling went back to his home after a long and dutiful day. “Being a knight might seem fun and all, but don’t you think that a far better life awaits you outside of the knight’s order?” asked his wife Elizabeth. “What type of life my love?” inquired a calm Sterling. “A life far away from this city and its noise! A life far away from any threat of a barbaric invasion! A life far away from the never ending duties of being a knight! A life far away from the tiring routine that keeps us mostly apart!” answered Elizabeth. “Beth, why ask what you already know the answer to?” replied Sterling. “Don’t I have any right over you? Is it too selfish to want you all for myself John?” asked a gloomy Elizabeth. “My love, you will forever have my heart! But England has my soul!” smiled Sterling. “Sire! Sire! I beg the intrusion but this is urgent!” yelled the council messenger at the door. “What is it that warrants this disturbance?” Sterling asked while opening the door. “My Liege, the Scotts have launched a counter assault on the village that we re-captured! And this time their battalion is twice as big as before!”. “ Speak no more! Tell my knights to assemble, I am coming to lead the charge at once!” shouted Sterling. “Please John, I beg you! You barely made it out alive the last time. Let the cavalry deal with this one! You don’t need to get into this!” demanded Elizabeth. “I am the cavalry my love!” answered Sterling as her put on his armor and grabbed his sword. “I don’t want you to die! I just can’t lose you John!” pleaded Elizabeth. “A knight only dies once but a coward dies a thousand deaths!” exclaimed a fiery Sterling as he mounted his horse and rode off into the night.