The Coup of Castle Tirav
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An event fresh in the minds of many. The coup that occurred at Castle Tirav a mere ten years ago has sparked conversation across the world. Rumours are abundant as to the motivations behind the coup - most say King Ronan simply faced the ire of his scorned son - and what happened to the rest of the royal family in the aftermath.
For those that live in the kingdom of Yondar, such a violent coup was met with fear. What would change under new leadership? What would the aftermath of the event bring down upon the people? For some, that fear festered into outrage, but for others, they have moved on and accepted their new king with open arms.
Though the history of Yondar’s royal family has been stained with countless acts of violence over the years, not once had that violence ever come from familial conflict. Until 10 years ago on the Summer Solstice, that is.
No one saw it coming. Not even the former King Ronan himself. Perhaps we were all blind to the truth, or perhaps we should have been able to spot the bitterness lingering in young Percival’s gaze when his father renounced Percival’s claim to the throne, in favour of naming Alexandra the heir apparent. Who wouldn’t be angry, after all, when that which you were promised all your life is taken from you without any proper reasoning.
Or, was there something else - besides that anger at having been overlooked? King Ronan was no saint no matter how much the people used to wax poetic about his heroic actions. Perhaps having Percival as king was the change Yondar needed to bring us all into a brighter future. Especially considering what he has achieved - an alliance with our greatest enemies, the Valissans, that will surely shape the future of the new generation.
Lead up to the Coup
No one is sure just how long Percival had been planning the coup. Only the man himself could answer that question, not that he would ever admit it out loud to a stranger, or even a friend.
In reality, the young prince had been planning the coup for at least a year before he enacted his plan. Preparation was key, as was finding enough supporters to make taking the castle easy. A difficult feat to achieve considering his father had almost every knight on his side and a dedicated defensive force in the form of the majority of the Shields of Yondar.
Still, Percival was not deterred. He wrote, rather desperately, to his enemies in the northern kingdom of Valissa. Multiple letters were sent with no reply. Until one day, 7 months before the Summer Solstice, he was invited to a secret meeting along the border. There, he met with Reyna Adonius, daughter of the Empress of Valissa, who expressed curiosity and a desire to help. Though trust was hard to come by, they both agreed to an uneasy truce. Reyna could empathise with Percival’s frustration and anger, which was why she was willing to see such a massive opportunity through to the end.
Months of planning culminated in sneaking Valissan soldiers across the border, equipped with the armour of Yondar’s knights (which was so kindly provided by Percival). Then it was only a matter of lying in wait until the moment to strike was upon them.
The Day of Reckoning
At around midday on the Summer Solstice, Percival excused himself from a council meeting with King Ronan and the royal advisors, sneaking out into the city that was already into the full swing of the Sunfire Festival. There, he met with Pierre Gallows - a member of the Valissan Royal Hall of Knights - and his fellow usurpers.
Percival granted each group a key to Castle Tirav so that they could access it without him present. Meanwhile, he would lead Pierre, a small group of Valissan soldiers, and his Shields of Yondar, directly to the council hall to confront his father.
“Are you sure you’re ready, little prince?” the man asks. His accent is thick, full of rolling ‘r’s and harsh ‘s’s, an issue should anyone hear their conversation.
Not that Percival thinks anyone is paying attention to their group right now. It is not uncommon to see the Prince, accompanied by an entourage of knights, wandering the streets of Tiraven during the Sunfire Festival. Especially not in the Silverstone Quarter where only lords and ladies of higher status roam freely.
“I have been preparing for this moment for months. Of course I’m ready,” he bites back.
It earns a chuckle from the other man, light and soft as a whisper, quickly followed by a stoic resolution. “To the castle then, little prince. Time to make your father see how wrong he was when he denied you your birthright.”
Though the battle inside Castle Tirav was fought valiantly, King Ronan soon realised that his men were outnumbered and that he was on the losing side. Guilt would follow him as he, Queen Elise, and their daughter Alexandra fled the castle, leaving behind a sizable number of loyal Shields of Yondar to defend their escape.
Had he listened to his Shield Captain, he may have been able to prevent the coup from ever occurring. Alas, he did not. Percival now sits on the throne of Yondar, and King Ronan is left with a thousand regrets and little in the way of loyal forces.
Spoiler Warning
Hey guys! This article has some spoilers for the first book in The Wayfarer series. After the awards ceremony, I'll be tagging this appropriately with spoiler warnings, but until then all info in the article will be completely visible - so do bear that in mind when you're reading!
18 Heart Fire Moon, 1467 AL
18 Heart Fire Moon, 1467 AL
Percival Greymount took the throne from his father and declared himself King of Yondar
Belligerents
Strength
The Shields of Yondar (those sworn to King Ronan and Princess Alexandra), majority of the castle knight forces, divided forces of the city knights
The Shields of Yondar (minority, only those sworn to Prince Percival), minority of the castle knight forces, divided forces of the city knights, two legions of of the Valissan Empire
Casualties
24 Shields of Yondar dead, over 150 knights dead
Over 100 soldiers of the Valissan Empire dead, 3 Shields of Yondar dead, 32 knights dead
Objectives
Protect King Ronan, protect Princess Alexandra, protect Queen Elise, escort the royal family to safety in the event that Castle Tirav was overrun
Infiltrate the castle, kill King Ronan, claim the throne in the name of Percival Greymount
Comments
Author's Notes
Hey guys! Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I created this as part of Summer Camp 2021 - if you fancy reading through some of my other prompt articles, you can view them all here:
Summer Camp 2021 Full Prompt List
And if you want to leave a comment, feel free to do so! I can’t guarantee that I’ll respond in a, uhh, timely manner, but I’ll certainly try!