The news had spread like wildfire. How could it not have? Anyone working out in the fields, no matter the job, had seen the riders coming and going at breakneck speeds. Not that any had been close enough to see what crest any had borne. Even if they had, would they recognize the crest of any but their own lord? It had come as these things always did. The word had been sent out to the rulers of the lands below them, the Dukes and Duchesses, the Counts and Countesses, the Lords and Ladies, even the Abbots and Abbesses whose monasteries had tracts of land large enough to employ others. The news was far worse than they had feared. This was no mere gathering of the nobles of the land. This was not news of the death of a monarch. It was far worse than that. 

The King had declared war on someone or something that they knew not of. And that meant that the levies had been called upon to stand for their lords on up to the King. Would they be well fed and equipped as part of this service? They did not know, but they had hope. To call the people working the fields away for war meant they must have enough food and they would likely win enough on the rough road to make it all worthwhile. 

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They had been marching for days with little rest. Every day began in the dark and they marched until it was almost dark out. The food had been worse than even the poorest villager could have expected. It was the hardest baked bricks the pursers could have purchased as far as they could tell. Their complaints fell on deaf ears. Despite being farmers and millers, they were not allowed to help with that work. As far as their Lord’s cared, they were levy soldiers. Water, at least, was plentiful to come by as they marched alongside the river that had marked the boundary between neighbouring lord’s lands. Many of the levied soldiers had grown up around this river, so they still felt very much at home. 

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It had taken the better part of a week spent marching to get to their destination. It was worth it to everyone in the army when they could finally see the city. At least, it was a city to all of them. In reality, this was merely a large town, but it was so much larger and more crowded than anything they had seen in their villages. They had heard stories from their parents of the last time everyone had marched off to war and seen the places of the world. The stories had not done the world justice. 

The army was camped outside of the town with their Lord’s banners flying above their tents. They felt almost as a conquering army might feel. The feeling had only lasted for the night. The dawn broke as all dawns do with the rising of the sun and the clattering of noise filling the camp. It brought banners on the horizon and growing masses of new levies. By the evening, there were six Lords present at the court. Days later, there were dozens of various minor nobles and the levies under them had grown bored. As if they had sensed this boredom was fomenting issues, they began the march onwards.

-----

It would take weeks to get anywhere near the frontline of the conflict. In the time spent marching, the levies could see the changes in the season from the end of summer into the autumn. The leaves deepened into red just as the excited and overconfident armed force arrived at the northern city. Their jaws collectively dropped. This city was overflowing with people and animals. Of course, they were on the very outskirts and the likelihood of this many animals actually within the city limits was low, but they had no point of reference for that. They could see the rising towers of the city and the walls of defences raised against any invader. This, they were certain, was a place that Kings’ held sway. 

This place of opulence and indulgence was so far beyond their shared comprehension, kept behind and hidden away as many of the farmers and labourers were from the world of nobility and mercantilism. This was where all that they produced seemed to come and no one had to toil in fields. Could they make it here when their service was done? Some idly wondered. If they could merely desert the levy now, they may not be noticed. The orders came soon, they began to make camp just outside of the city limits. Some, rather than building a camp, had been posted to the watch. This was new to many of them, but the yelling of the professional soldiers quieted them rapidly. By nightfall, they almost looked capable. But those few words were the keys. Almost and looked. 

The drilling during the march to the first town and now the city had whipped many of them into shape. They were physically capable of carrying shields and spears, but were they capable of performing the maneuvers? It was not good enough for the professionals and many within the levy suspected that no matter how well they did, it would never be good enough until they themselves were bloodied in battle and professionals too. The waiting had seemed to drag on and on. It was as though they were always told to hurry up and wait for anything to happen. They had been outfitted as levy soldiers properly only after arriving outside this city. 

They now wore plain attire with a basic rendition of their Lord’s identifier upon their chest and carried a shield and helmet as part of their defensive attire. For weapons, they were issued a simple spear in rough, but good condition and a simple knife. When they first received their equipment, they were confused. Was this all they could expect? Was their Lord simply too poor to outfit them as proper soldiers? As they had gazed upon the other levies, however, it had become clear that their Lord had, in truth, been exceptionally generous in providing them all with armour and weapons. There were almost sixty levy soldiers raised under the Baron’s banner and to pay for so much equipment must have cost a small fortune. They quickly learned to keep their commentary to themselves. 

The other levies were making do with less, either lacking the knife or sometimes worse, lacking a shield or helmet. Their levy too was larger than most others who had arrived with between twenty and forty. In time, those numbers swelled as more Lords gathered with their superiors and so forth. Being a soldier still seemed glorious to most of them as it had truly not been a difficult road yet. The weeks turned to months and the winter was now firmly upon them. Their Lord had issued newer, warmer clothing and wool blankets to them all. He was generous towards them. On the coldest nights he too joined them on their patrols and watches. 

Though he was a noble, he seemed to fit in with them and in little time he had them laughing and at ease. None could have known that this man had not been born to nobility, but had earned it as a levy, then soldier, then knight. As the dawn broke, six months to the day that they had all been levied, the morning felt fresh in a way it hadn’t before. The air was crisp and filled with smells of baking and tilled dirt. To many, it felt like a breath of air from home. It was the sign of spring and the noises of the camp buzzed with excitement. They were marching forth and they finally knew why. 

A rebel had grown too bold and had stolen, burned, and taken too much that was not his. The King had ordered the levies to be gathered and an end put to this rebellion. Excitement to be a part of this ran rampant through the camps. The march into the far north had been cool but refreshing. The first night when they felt something was off and finally  knew something was different happened two weeks into the march. That night they had been ordered to set up camp slowly, something they had never been told before. As soon as the sun had finished setting, new orders were given to pack up and continue the march. No other Lord had made the same order, but it had not seemed wise to question theirs. 

They had split from the main force in the dead of night and by morning had already created some distance between their force of sixty and the other lord’s force. They marched on with little sleep through the day and well into the night before stopping and hastily crafting their camp. Hasty it was, they had barely crafted their tents when they collapsed on to their bedrolls, not bothering to take off most of their equipment. They had hoped for a later start in the day given the pace of the march but were woken before the sun had even crested the horizon. With much complaining, groaning, and protesting they continued the march. 

This was a hard slog with a brutal pace they had not been accustomed to. Why were they pushing so fast and where were they going? One of the levied soldiers had dared to ask the question aloud and was met with an angry yell and a snack in the back of the head from one of the professionals. Although the levies outnumbered the professionals almost five to one, no one wanted to start a fight over this. Wiser to just wait and find out what was happening than be beaten for asking. As the slog continued, they finally found themselves marching up a hill. The dirt and mud of the hill mixed with ice and water was horrible, causing them all to shiver and tremble in cold and hatred of the difficult terrain.

As they reached the summit, they could see before them lay the rebel’s forces. They were ordered to halt and were glad for the order. This was not an army any of them wanted to face, it must have numbered in the thousands. As they stood there and waited, their Lord trotted to the front, being the only one on horseback. He seemed to be taking his time to gather himself before making a speech, which they all eagerly awaited, hoping for answers to their unasked questions.

“I know what you all have heard. That this is a rebellion by some upstart who seeks the crown for himself. That could not be further from the truth. You saw this yourselves when it took so many weeks to even arrive at the city only to witness the fruits of your labours being brought into that same city by a merchant who had paid pennies for it and will reap the profits in gold for themselves. I have tried my best to be fair and bargain the best I could for you all. But in this I am hamstrung by a King whose bailiffs and sheriffs hold the power, not me. We stood, for years, upon the brink of open conflict. 

Those Lords that would have the people be successful and those Lords that would subjugate the people into oblivion for their own selfish gains stand starkly apart. No longer can I abide by this division. No longer could others abide by this division. But I was alone as a Lord among those selfish. The Duke to whom I swore fealty betrayed that fealty when he sided with the King to quash legitimate critique and grievances. Thus, I was left with no choice. I swore to serve another. Look below the hill and see the army of the people. The army of those who would fight for freedom and fairness, not for the King to stand triumphant upon your necks. There is one person below who would lead the challenge towards the King. But not some Duke or Count. Rather, the Marchioness stands as a shining example of true nobility,” he cried to all he had gathered. There were shouts of protests at this. How could their Lord have betrayed the King? How could he have sold them out to another noble? If this is truly about freedom, then how could they continue to serve someone born into this system? 

“Yes, she is a noble! I hear you all! But she is also honourable and fair. I have sworn my allegiance to her. I would ask that you all follow me in this, but I shall not compel you as the King compelled me. If you will serve me in this fight, we may all yet be free from a tyrant. What say you?” He demanded with a yell. 

They stood there, in shock. Their shouts had stopped and were replaced instead by whispers and murmurs. A few looked around at the faces of others. Some may even have noticed that only a few were unsurprised at this revelation. What could they do? A noble in open rebellion and defiance of the King? Their Lord believed in her, but the question hung in the air. Could they follow her? What if instead they should stand against their Lord, who had always been fair to them and risk detention or death at his hand? Could they stand with him and risk the King suppressing this rebellion and killing them all? What could they do? 

A cheer rose in the bellies and throats of some, being quickly taken up by them all. No. They would not stand for the King, but for the Lord they knew. The Lord that purported to be on their side. Through him, they would swear fealty to the Marchioness. No matter the cost of it, they had to fight for their freedom. They looked down the hill at the army awaiting them. Some smiled, some were grim, but all could feel it. A new world was opening up and a new day was upon them.