Medals of Dishonor

For thirteen years, the Red King looked for the perfect night to help him dominate his kingdom by the jungle and the sea: one who would combine enough military power and obedience to serve and obey him unconditionally. This knight, who commanded the royal army, was awarded the title of Red Knight.

Unfortunately, knights, even in that remote kingdom by the jungle and the sea were moved by a sacred oath to protect the kingdom’s subjects. So much so, that they would rather rot in the dungeons before turning their swords against innocent civilians.

The Red King died without seeing his dream come true. Before dying, the king made sure his last Red Knight would die in prison for refusing to subject his subjects completely.

The king could have bequeathed his kingdom to any of his sons; instead, he made sure his dumbest courtier would ascend to the throne. The late king knew this courtier was ambitious, unscrupulous and reckless enough to do whatever it took to earn the respect he lacked by merit or hereditary law.

The new Red King appointed the perfect knight to become Red Night. Under the new Red Night’s command the kingdom descended to the most nefarious condition.

The king’s orders were obeyed without delay. Whoever resisted was either killed or forced to exile. Soon, the new ruler enjoyed absolute popularity among his acolytes and absolute contempt from the rest of the kingdom.

To punish the resistance, the king ordered his Red Knight to control every single aspect of his subjects’ lives. Soon, there was a new army of red knights watching and following every subject’s move. No one was safe and anyone, even children and the elders, were considered potential enemies if their behavior did not show total abjection.

The red knights controlled what people did, wore, ate, talked about, and thought. Soon, the kingdom was decimated. The victors feasted on the ruins of the kingdom by the jungle and the sea and the whole Red Knight Army was awarded shiny medals forged with the blood and tears of the rebels. The shiny medals covered the back of the knights, the same backs they turned on the people they were meant to protect.