The Governor of Vitoria

[chairmanmeow]

This is my first attempt at a story on Apolyton. I hope you like it. I tried to attatch a map of the places mentioned in the story but it didn't work, so I'll just tell you that it's a map of Britain, with most of Spain in northern Wales with the exception of Vitoria, which is to the east, in central England. I was playing as England, but I thought it might be interesting to write a story in another civ's point-of-view. I'm posting the first three chapters now, and I'll probably post more later.

Chapter 1 - Vitoria, Spain - 30 AD

A cold wind pierced the town of Vitoria, as Juan walked slowly to the governor's mansion. The angry citzens of Vitoria had unanimously selected Juan to talk to the governor. They wanted him to try to reason with the governor, even though they knew that reasoning with a member of Isabella's despotic regime was impossible.

Why?, Juan thought. Why did they select me? They know I can't do anything.

The governor of Vitoria was known throughout Spain as the harshest governor in the entire country. Constant hard labor was the norm for the citizens of Vitoria, and luxuries were nonexistent. In some ways, this was understandable. Vitoria was situated far from the rest of Spain, and, in fact, was surrounded by English territory. However, the governor took extra effort to make life in Vitoria difficult. The governor maintained control over the city by assigning citizens to be entertainers, disregarding the fact that this caused the constant food shortages in Vitoria.

English culture was omnipresent in Vitoria. English was spoken by many commoners (even though it was illegal), and many Vitorians even thought of Queen Elizabeth, and not Queen Isabella, as their ruler.

When Juan arrived at the gate of the governor's mansion, the guard, a swordman who had been taken from the garrisons for guard duty, ordered Juan to halt. "Why do you, a commoner, approach the palace of the governor?," demanded the swordman.

Juan replied, "I am here on a matter of grave importance. I must speak with the governor immediately."

"You may not enter," the swordman said, "The governor will not see a laborer, no matter how important your matter is. Go complain to someone who cares."

"You do not understand! It is in the best interest of the governor to hear me, as what I have to say may save him from peasant revolt!" Juan pleaded.

"YOU do not understand!" the swordman angrily replied, pointing his sword toward Juan. "The governor does not wish to speak to you, and he does not fear the peasantry!"

"All right, I'll leave. But do not be surprised when Vitoria erupts into civil disorder and rebellion! That will be when the governor realizes his mistake!"

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Chapter 2 - Vitoria

"DOWN WITH ISABELLA," chanted the angry mob swarming in the street across from the Vitoria governor's mansion. Juan was far from the action, standing on Ferdinand Hill, the highest point in the area of Vitoria. From Ferdinand Hill, one could see the entire town of Vitoria, and could see on all sides, the English territories that surrounded Vitoria. Just visible in the distance was the city of New London. Juan watched the chaos from his perch on the hill, as the maddened swarm attacked all the institutions of Vitoria, setting fire to the library, attempting to break down the gate of the governor's mansion, and brutally beating the priest of the Vitoria temple.

Juan now wondered how he could have put such a curse on his home town. Previously normal people had become animals. Perhaps it was nature's way of balancing things out: the peasants had killed the animals when the riots first broke out, so it is just natural that they would become animals.

Juan heard someone approaching behind him, and turned around to see who it was. Just then, a Spanish warrior struck Juan with the handle of his ax, knocking Juan out.


When Juan woke up, he was once again alone on the hill, but the situation in Vitoria had suddenly changed. A unit of Spanish warriors had arrived to subdue the rioters, and were doing so severely. Anyone who had the misfortune of being in the way of the warriors was brutally attacked, and Juan could spot many people laying dead in the streets, struck down by the warriors.

Juan slowly walked down the road to Vitoria, but before he got very far, he was stopped by a swordsman. He immediately recognized the swordsman as the guard of the governor's mansion.

"The warriors told me that you could be found here. Come with me."

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Chapter 3 - Vitoria

Juan obeyed the guard's order, and followed the guard to the governor's palace. The riot outside the palace had ended; its members had either fled home, or died in the streets, and Juan could see that many had been dispersed in the latter manner.

The guard led Juan into the governor's mansion, and took Juan directly to the governor himself. The governor stared angrily at Juan.

"What are your demands?" the governor hissed.

Juan replied, "We want to be treated with respect, we want adequate food supplies, we want to receive adequate return on our work, and ---,"

"Hogwash!" the governor interrupted, "The peasants of Vitoria are swine and will be treated as such! There is nothing you can do to change that!"

"Oh, but there is something we can do," Juan replied, intentionally vague, "There is something that we could do that would remove the despots from Vitoria forever!"

"What exactly is that?"

"Rebellion! If we are not given what we demand, Vitoria will soon be an English city, in the realm of the great ruler of the Republic, Elizabeth!"

Hearing Juan's words, the governor lost his paitience. "I will not stand for such sedition in my own home! Guard, arrest this man!"

[Easthaven I]

Good good. Will be waiting to see how it develops.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

This is looking good Ill go and dig out my castanets for the next part Amigo.

[chairmanmeow]

Chapter 4 - Madrid - Isabella's Palace

The Domestic Minister walked into Isabella's throne room with a serious look on his face. Isabella, seeing the minister, instantly realized something was wrong.

"The riots in Vitoria have restarted, and are worse than ever," the minister told the queen. "The rioters have destroyed the temple and the library, and they are threatening to depose the governor. They demand that their leader be released from prison."

"Who cares! Vitoria is worthless regardless of whether its laborers are at work or not," the queen bitterly replied.

"Yes, but the problem is spreading. The laborers in other cities are also demanding change, and if we do not allow change, the situation could become far worse. I think we should consider allowing a revolution to change the form of our government. We have learned the secret of the Republic, and I believe that we can use this to help our situation."

"All right, I'll allow it," the queen said, "but if this fails, you'll lose your head!"

"It won't fail. Just don't let what you heard about the Englist Republican Revolution discourage you. Our people are very religious, and they have faith in you. The government will return to your control in a short period of time."



Meanwhile, in Vitoria, Juan was in prison, awaiting execution for his statement against Spain. The punishment for sedition was death, and Juan knew his days were numbered. He sat in the corner of his cell, which was too small even for a dog, staring at carvings in the wall. He counted 61 marks: he had been in the same cell for two months. Every day that he suffered in prison, he longed for the day when he would see sunshine again, the day he could breathe fresh air, and, most importantly, the day he would be free. He dreamed for the day that an English soldier would walk into the jail of the liberated Vitoria, and release Juan from his suffering. But that was not the case. Juan concentrated on the markings in the wall, as he had done since he was put into this cell.

Suddenly, Juan's concentration was broken by the sound of someone entering. Juan looked around, expecting to see the guard, and saw what he feared the most: the dark figure of the executioner.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

keep it coming.

[TheGuitarist]

Excellent! Keep it up, this is great.

[chairmanmeow]

I'm going to try again to attach the map of the places that are mentioned in the story.


Chapter 5 - Vitoria


The executioner took Juan from his cell and walked Juan silently along the dark corridors of the prison. Most of the executions that took place in Vitoria took place in the main town square, for all to see. However, this was not possible, as the riots would make it impossible for any public events to occur.

They arrived at the prison gates, where the governor was waiting. "Nice to see you again. Too bad you can't stay," the governor said as he laughed at the misfortune of his enemy. "The execution will take place at the prison gates, since we are unable to have it in the public square, as a result of the riots. Executioner, you may proceed."

Outside the prison, the people of Vitoria watched as the executioner prepared to end Juan's life. Then, someone shouted, "We must save him," and began to climb the prison wall. Instantly, the prison guards started firing arrows at the crowd outside the gates, igniting the fury of the townspeople. The mob pressed against the gate, and climbed the walls. Those who made it over the walls ran toward the executioner and Juan.

The executioner, unfazed by the chaos, aimed his ax at Juan's neck and slowly lifted the ax. Just as he began to drop the ax, three townspeople tackled the executioner, and two more took on the governor. Juan ran from the prison, going through the gate, which had been broken open by the mob.

As Juan ran through the gates, the governor, still pinned by two rioters, yelled, "You may run, but you cannot escape!"

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Chapter 6 - Vitoria


"Let him go free," said the messenger of the Prime Minister of the new republic.

"No," replied the governor, "We can not let him escape. He must pay for his crime."

"But I have an order from the prime minister. He is not to be touched. Besides, sedition is no longer punishable by death in the republic. It's in the new constitution. Anyway, it is in the best interest of Spain to keep order in Vitoria, and if letting one criminal go free can do that, than that is what we will do."

"But he's still going to cause problems."

"Let him do that," the messenger said, "let him cause problems. But as long as he is alive and out of prison, you and your corrupt officials are safe in Vitoria. Put him in prison again, and the populice may revolt."

"Has anything else happened in Madrid?" the governor inquired.

"Yes, much has happened. You already know about the new government. Would you believe they elected Isabella for Prime Minister? Also, England is angry for some odd reason. Apparently, they demanded that Isabella immediately hand over Vitoria to them? Obviously, Isabella told them they can go to h*ll! But they're saying England wants to declare war. Considering the time it took me to travel here, England and Spain may already be at war."

Just then, a second messenger rushed in, breathless. "Thank God, I've finally found you," he said to the first messenger. "The situation has become far worse. England declared war right after you left, and Madrid has been captured!"

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Nice map thanks for posting it and keep writing the story, I like what youre doing.

[TheGuitarist]

What he said.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Well Mr Chairmanmeow (I hope I spelled that correctly) when do we get a fresh delivery of the goods ?

Most looking forward to reading some more.

[chairmanmeow]

Sorry I'm taking so long. I have a term paper due soon, and I've been very busy with that. I should have more posted soon, though.

[chairmanmeow]

Chapter 7 - Vitoria

The rioters were still on the streets, this time yelling such things as, "Hell no, we won't go!" and "Give peace a chance!". The governor, still furious over the escape of Juan, was even more angered by the continued riots.

"Those people are never satisfied. I give them an inch, and they want a mile," the governor fumed.

"Yes, they can be troublesome," replied the messenger. "But they are the least of our problems. The English army is overrunning most of Spain, and will soon be here. The queen left Madrid before the English could capture it, and has established Valencia as the new capital. But the English army is approaching Valencia. But what we need to worry about right now is defending Vitoria. The English horsemen will arrive very soon, and we need as much defense as possible."

"What can I do? The people won't obey me, and if I can't keep them under control, Vitoria can't build any more units if we remain in civil disorder. I'm afraid the spearmen are all we have."

Just then, an alarm bell sounded, calling the spearmen to alert. Vitoria was under attack. The governor climbed to the roof of his mansion to see what was happening. A unit of English horsemen were crossing the Vitoria river, and were attacking the spearman unit in Vitoria. As the horsemen crossed the river, the spearmen ran to the river, attacking horsemen as they exited the river. The attack was poorly coordinated, but was effective at first, as the horsemen unit lost nearly half of its men. Then, the tide began to turn against the Spanish, as reinforcements were brought in. By the end of the day, the English had triumphed, and Vitoria was in their hands. Seeing the end of his reign, the governor fled his mansion, and ran to the woods outside Vitoria.

Back in Vitoria, Juan and the other peasants of Vitoria celebrated their liberation by the glorious English. Juan approached the English horsemen, and said to them, "Welcome, glorious liberators of Vitoria. I hope you will realize the great appreciation we have for you."

The commander of the unit stared at Juan for a moment, and then turned to his horsemen. "Get out the torches, men! We have orders to raze the city!"

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Chapter 8 - English countryside, near German border

As the chaos of burning Vitoria took effect, Juan ran from Vitoria, since he knew staying would mean certain death. He did not know where to run. He could go northeast, into Germany. But he could not be certain that the Germans would accept him. He could stay in England, and try to assimilate into the population, but his Spanish accent would give him away. He could try the perilous journey across England to Spain, but he could not be certain that there would be a Spain to go home to. He decided that he should leave England as quickly as possible, so he ran to the northeast, toward the German border.

To avoid being detected, Juan only travelled during the night, and he kept far from the main roads. However, he could not avoid the English completely. One night, he came along two English horsemen, who were sitting by a campfire. They were laughing loudly, as if one had told a very funny joke. Juan crept closer, trying to hear what they were saying without being caught.

The horseman continued telling his story. "And then the village idiot walked up to me, and said something like, 'We love you, our conquerors, and we appreciate everything you did for us.' So we burned the city, and killed the entire town!" Both soldiers erupted in laughter.

Juan, however, was angered. He lifted a heavy rock, and sneaked up behind the soldiers. He took cover behind a tree near the soldiers. Juan held the rock close to himself, and prepared to attack.

But then, a thought hit him. If he killed these soldiers, he would be just as horrible a person as they were. He dropped the rock, and leaned back against the tree. However, the soldiers heard the sound of the rock dropping.

"What's that? Is there someone there?" wondered the suspicious soldiers.

Realizing that he had been detected, Juan ran from the scene.

"There he is!" one of the soldiers said. "Probably just some kid from New London."

[SKILORD]

Not Bad at all.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Not bad at all keep it coming

[chairmanmeow]

Chapter 9 - German border at Stuttgart

Juan, tired from walking from Vitoria, leaned against a tree on a hilltop. From his viewpoint, he could see a city up ahead. It was a good sign; the city was Stuttgart, and Juan was approaching the German border. After resting for a while, Juan walked down the road to the German border. Upon arriving at the border, he was approached by a German border guard.

"Where are you from?" inquired the border guard.

"New London, England," Juan answered, lying to the guard.

"Don't try to fool me! I can recognise a Spanish accent anywhere. Now, we'll try this again. Where are you from?"

"Vitoria, Spain," Juan admitted.

"Another one of the escapees. You can't enter Germany."

Juan walked dejectedly away, until he spotted some of his fellow townspeople, who had also been denied entry into Germany. Then, on the far edge of the group, he noticed a very familiar face.

"Why aren't you living happily in England, Juan?" the governor said sarcastically. "Your blessed revolution has occurred! You should be kissing the feet of the English queen!"

"I was wrong. The English are evil," Juan admitted.

"What was that? Well, it's too late to change anything now!" the governor fumed.

"Perhaps we can," Juan said back to the governor. "We need to establish a resistance."

"They tried that in Madrid and it failed. It's over, Juan."

Back at the border checkpoint, a messenger was speaking in German with the border guard. The messenger pointed to the group from Vitoria, and the guard nodded. Then, the guard informed the refugees of Vitoria that a right of passage deal had been signed between Spain and Germany, and they (disguised as a worker unit) would be welcome to pass through Germany.