Book Ii King Joseph's Tale: A City Under Siege

By Teresa Lynne Perry

Bernardo becomes king when King Joseph disappears in Book I.
King Bernardo feels overshadowed by Knight Oqueandos popularity
among his people and other authority fi gures.
In the meantime, the city of London is being terrorized by a big
brown bear that has shown his darks eyes and scary teeth. Knight
Oqueando and David devise a plan to capture the beast and return it
to the wild.
Bernardo has plans of his own for getting rid of the bear. He believes
that the plan will show the people of London that he is more powerful
than Knight Oqueando.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 2, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453564691

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

London Bridge

IN BOOK I of King Joseph’s Tale, King Joseph comes to power at a young age after his mother, who had been a village worker, marries into royalty. However, King Joseph longs for his happy life as a villager; he misses the people and his daily interaction with his friends, and often parks his horse behind a big tree and revisits his past. In England, King Joseph is known as a hero who defends his country against intruders, provides much-needed food and supplies to those in need, and loves to mingle with the village people.

One day King Joseph suffers an unfortunate accident that causes him to lose his memory. After months of wondering around the big forest, King Joseph is discovered by the village people. By then his appearance has changed; he has lost much weight and grown a thick mustache, beard, and his clothes have become dirty and wrinkled. Despite his appearance, the villagers admire this strange man’s strong spirit, and after accepting him as a member of the village, give him the name David. No one knows his true identity except Knight Oqueando, who is his best friend and had been his closest friend during the war. Knight Oqueando does not inform anyone of King Joseph’s true identity because he knows that King Joseph wants to continue living as a villager rather than a king.

Book II opens with Knight Oqueando crossing the Thames River on the old London Bridge, riding King Joseph’s stagecoach and accompanied by Antonio, the newest knight from old London. Knight Oqueando is a powerful and well-respected man; nothing happens in the castle or London without his knowledge, and the decision regarding what to do when King Joseph had suddenly disappeared without a trace had rested completely with him. The city and country had looked to him to find a new leader to carry the city through the most difficult time in their history, one in

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which many people were destitute, their beloved leader was missing, and their future was uncertain. Knight Oqueando had given his full support to Ambassador Bernardo and his wife Catherine, King Joseph’s cousin and his wife, in assuming the positions of King and Queen of England.

Antonio comes to London to begin training as a knight under Knight Oqueando. His position would require him to help protect the king and assist him with his daily routines. Antonio had been personally chosen by Knight Oqueando to fulfill a promise to Antonio’s father. Knight Oqueando and Antonio’s father had served under King Joseph in the French and English War. Their closeness had been evident in their vows to look after each other’s family if one should die on or off the battlefield. Antonio’s father had battled a heart condition that took his life in his mid-forties.

Antonio is a very vocal twenty-five-year lad eager to please his leaders. When he tells a story, the reader pictures a tall, husky man with less-than-perfect manners. Antonio loves to mingle with soldiers who have seen the face of a war. He often repeats stories told by his father, who had spent many long hours in deep trenches in bad conditions. Because he never had the courage to join the military, Antonio instead dreamed of becoming a knight most of his life.

Antonio arrives in London anguished and excited, and immediately begins quizzing Oqueando about his duties. He first asks, him, What is it like to work with the king? Before Oqueando can answer, Antonio abruptly cuts in and asks more questions: What is the king like? Does he wear a crown? Does he relish absolute power over England?

Knight Oqueando shoots a stern look of disbelief regarding how quickly Antonio is talking. Without a word, Oqueando tries to concentrate on the direction of the stagecoach. The rippling water of Thames River is barely evident over Antonio’s loud voice.

I am excited to serve this great king, he blurts out.

Great king, how do you know this? King Bernardo has served his country a mere three months! Knight Oqueando finally replies.

I know there was a great leader here once, and his name was King Joseph. His leadership is known throughout the city of London, and throughout the country of England.

Antonio shyly interrupts, I hear that he abandoned his country and never returned.

Without warning, Knight Oqueando pulls on the ropes to stop the motion of the horses. The missing king did not abandon his great country! he loudly proclaims. He just lost his way. Knight Oqueando lowers his voice and repeats, He just lost his way and commands the horses to trot on slowly. Antonio, stunned by Knight Oqueando’s outburst, is unusually silent.

Knight Oqueando and Antonio enjoy the rest of the ride to the castle simply gazing at the darkening sky and the newly reconstructed bridge. King Joseph had laid unique granite stone to secure the safety of the approximately three thousand people who would cross the bridge by foot or horse. London Bridge is admired by many because