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117 pages

English

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Peace had arrived once more to the port and village of Hippolyta. The rogue Vandal army had been destroyed, and Vinzenz the evil commander in the Vandal army had been burned at the stake the previous night. Queen Echephyle and Queen Hippolyte had started their punishment for defying Hippolyta, Queen of all Amazons. They almost got Danilo the barbarian and Queen Andromache killed by not affording them an escort when returning from the imminent battle in the east.

As it was every morning the first meal of the day was eaten in the council room before the daily tasks were talked about. What they did not know was Adalric was about to be crowned King of the Astro Goths and while it was taking place a Goth General was going to use the confusion to his advantage. A Goth messenger arrived during the meeting warning of an impending conflict after the Goth armies had been attacked in the south of their realm.

By the laws of the treaty between Hippolyta, Queen of all Amazons and the Goth realm, she was committed to help them.

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Historical

Fiction

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Publié par	eBookIt.com
Date de parution	08 janvier 2018
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781456629960
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0250€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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ANDROMACHE
(A Queen is Crowned - Book 1)

by
Ian Johnstone
Copyright 2018 Ian Johnstone
Cover Art by Ida at Amygdala Design

Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2996-0

All rights reserved. No portion of this story may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, except for the cover and a short text for review purposes. There will be no other reproduction of any chapters, paragraphs, or quotes, unless there is written consent from and signed by the author.
This story is historic fiction with only the time line and events in Europe being reasonably true. The kings and queens except for the queens of the Amazons and the barbarian queen are true to the time.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE

PREFACE
Andromache, the Queen of all barbarians is a fictional person, however, the barbarians were not. These stories are a follow on from the seven stories in my Hippolyta series. The stories about the barbarians are fictional although the European and Asia time line is as close as I can get to reality of the time. At the moment there are seventeen stories in this series, each one follows the last in order and each one is a different story.
Some of the characters that are in the stories of Andromache are also in the Hippolyta series. Andromache was the cousin of Hippolyte daughter of Hippolyta. Everything will become clear during this first story, because from beginning to end Queen Andromache is still a minor queen in the Amazon tribe.
Alexius is the Roman Dux [General] and he is part of the Eastern Roman Empire helping Hippolyta protect her village on the east coast of the Black Sea.
The old queen Andromache is the cousin of Hippolyte, that was the old Queen of all Amazons, and she is also the mother of Queen Echephyle. Queen Echephyle is the mother of the young queen Andromache. Danilo, Vlad, and Omeed are the barbarian hunters, protectors of the queens and Danilo is the father of the young Andromache.
The present Queen of all Amazons is Hippolyta, and she is cousin to Queen Echephyle. She is also the mother of the young queen Hippolyte. The father of the young queen Hippolyte was also a barbarian called Tarres. He died in a selfless act of loyalty while protecting Hippolyta in the first story of Hippolyta series. He was killed by an arrow from an assassin in the Hun army while chasing a Hun commander called Bataar to his capture and eventual death.
Thraso is a female barbarian and second in command of the entire army of Amazons. The four main senior commanders are Scyleia, Molpadia, Eurybe, and Phoebe. At the beginning of this story, Queens Hippolyte and Echephyle are being punished for going against the word of Hippolyta. Between them they were the cause of Danilo and Young Queen Andromache almost being killed by a patrol of Vandals heading east.
Sangiban was king of the Alani, and his palace and kingdom was the other side of the Big River in the east. He was a thief that was forever taxing the trade route too high his side of the Big River and robbing the traders as soon as they were on the western side. Adalric was king of the Ostra Goths but uncrowned. Ernakh the youngest son of Attila was now king of the last bit of the Hun Empire since Attila had died.
Hippolyta had the largest army and by making treaties with all three kept the peace between the western banks of the Big River to the delta at the bottom of the Danube. The Hun, Alani and the Goth armies were depleted because of the continued wars with Attila. Although there was unrest between the Hun and Astro Goth realms there was still a kind of peace.
Athanagild was king of the Visi Goths and had his palace in Gaul. Genseric was king of the Vandals and lived on the Balearic Islands, although neither had a treaty with Hippolyta it was because of their location they traded with each other by sea.
CHAPTER ONE
It was the morning after Vinzenz the rogue Vandal had been burnt at the stake outside the north wall. Hippolyta and the three other queens and senior commanders were in the council room. Hippolyta had told both Queens Hippolyte and Echephyle they could speak, but as their punishment would start that day they could only talk about their tasks in the near future. The council had just finished eating when the lookout shouted down from her high tower in the centre of the village, “There is a Goth warrior advancing towards the village at speed from the north-west.”
Inside the council room shouting could be heard on the north wall, before the Roman gate commander shouted, “Open the gate for the Goth messenger to speak with Queen Hippolyta.”The north gates were heard being opened before the noise of a horse galloping up the hill. At the door of the council room an Amazon warrior showed the messenger inside before stopping short of Hippolyta and standing at his side with her sword withdrawn. There was no words spoken by the council as each queen and commander looked towards Hippolyta for her to start the proceedings. Hippolyta looked bemused as she turned to the young queen Andromache sitting on the left of the council and said, “What are you looking at me for, Andromache? I informed you yesterday that I have allowed you to be in charge of the village and the running of my realm while I am away in the east.”
The entire council room was stunned into silence as they looked towards the young queen. Andromache found her voice and asked, “What seems to be the problem that the Goth generals send a commander as a messenger to queen Hippolyta's realm at such speed? I am Queen Andromache, and as you have just heard I am in charge of the daily running of the realm while Queen Hippolyta carries out a more important role.”
“My Lady, the Goth armies have been attacked to the north-west of the burned out port by a large rogue army amounting to at least ten thousand strong. They have destroyed five thousand of the Goth army in a morning attack twenty thousand paces north-east of the island in the lake.”
“Ten thousand is not a lot compared with the Goth army that must outnumber this army five to one. Why have you come running to the Amazon tribe for help?”
“There is a meeting of all the top generals in the north to crown another Ostrogoths King. None of the generals trust the others so they have taken three thousand warriors each for protection. We have only seven thousand at most to send this large army to their God if they have one.”
“Do you know if they are Vandal’s, Commander?”
“They were not a Vandal army, my Lady. We the Goths have fought with and against the Vandal’s and these warriors are not them. They seem to be a mixed army of Hun, Vandal’s, and what look like a few Alani. It is only my guess, my Lady but I would say they are no more that a giant band of deserters with knowledge of how to fight battles.”
Andromache turned to the Amazon warrior that was at his side Goth warrior’s side, “Take the commander to get food and refreshed while the council work out a plan.”
Once he had left the council room and the door was once again closed, Andromache began to speak. “Before we debate this problem, are they an army or band of rogue warriors here to cause chaos, I would like to speak of what I know to be true. Last week while standing with Alexius in the port market, a Goth trader was informing Alexius of this meeting of generals that is taking place. He also told us that like the Hun and the Alani the generals do not trust each other. It is more than likely the generals have taken some of their army for personal protection.”
“Now this is only what I think is taking place and not fact. The word has been spread around about this meeting that has allowed a large band of misfits from the armies we have defeated to believe they can gain some kind of power here west of the Black Sea. They might just be trying to steal their way through the Goth villages, and that means if they succeed they will get stronger and we will be next. They have to be destroyed before they get a foot hold into the Goth realm. The general that was left in charge of the remaining armies has been clever knowing that under the treaty we have with the Goths we must help.”
“There is also the possibility that there is no such army, and it is rogue Goth general trying to take the Goth realm for his own gain. Either way the three-thousand warriors that Hippolyte was going to take with her on patrol in the west are not going to be enough. She will need at least fifteen-thousand with her split into two armies of seventy-five hundred each. You have heard my thoughts and also my advice and it is down to the council to debate or decide on an alternative plan.”
The council was looking toward Hippolyta and not answering, but it was Queen Echephyle who said, “Andromache has put the problem to the council, so it might be best if we start debating for and against.”
“You are correct, Echephyle. Andromache has outlined the problem, and given her opinion and it does not differ from mine.” Hippolyta said. “She has also pointed out that until the Amazon army know for sure we cannot trust these Goths. I don’t think there is a lot of point debating the strength of Hippolyte’s army, because that is the minimum amount she would need. Have you anything further to say, Andromache?”
“Hippolyte, you are not far from the village and at no time must you get out of your depth. We still have thirty-thousand warriors from the south with Eurybe ready to lead them as an army anywhere. I have also decided that because the three senior queens are on patrol, that army will remain here with Toxis as another commander of a large army if two are needed.” Andromache looked at Hippolyta who said nothing.
“Then it is settled, but there is one thing before you go, Hippoly