The Wishing Princess - Chapter 19

19. The Advance

"You want us to do what?" asked the Tall Prince incrediously.

"March to the enemy camp." replied the Princess.

"Suicide!"

"We don't have to attack them. They will attack us."

"Undoubtedly. So, then we run."

"No. We will form a line longer than they, and maintain it."

"Ah, I see. You are trying to encircle them and destroy them within the circle."

"No. Keep maintaining the line as we withdraw."

"But that's not how we win!"

"We don't have to. The prophesied child will bring us peace."

"I'm not doing this! I'm taking my soldiers out, and you can die alone!"

"Please! It's the only way!" begged the Princess. "Please!"

The Tall Prince, haughty as ever, was ready to pull his soldiers out. The Marsh Soldier looked at the Grass Soldier. "What should we do? Can we do anything?"

The Grass Soldier thought for a while, then he unexpectedly sang, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;" Everybody, including the Princess and the Tall Prince stopped and looked at the Grass Soldier's direction.

A few more soldiers joined him on the next line, "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;"

Yet more soldiers sang the next line, "He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:"

By this time, half the troops sang the next line, "His truth is marching on."

The Grass Soldiers drew his sword out of his sheath and raised it high in the air. Everybody did likewise. And everybody marched at once, singing the chorus:

(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

The whole troops marched with determination toward the Queen's Camp! The Queen's camp went into panic mode, and they hastily formed up to meet the attackers. The Queen was roughly roused and emerged a short time later. She shouted orders to gather weapons and form up.

Meanwhile, the resistance troops kept advancing briskly and sang:

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His day is marching on.

The Queen's soldiers barely grouped when the Queen gave the order to advance. The Old Sarge ran to the head of the group and gave order to go forward. The group was ragged, but they started moving forward.

In the meantime, the resistance troops became bolder, and bolder as they sang:

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal";
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Since God is marching on.

Panic was among the Queen's troop and they hung together closely, each tried to support each other. Sarge was shouting orders to stragglers in the back to try and keep up. The Queen calmly called her Honor Guards and reserve troops, led by the Old Warrior. Each Guard carried a musket. They are loading the muskets.

The resistance troops advanced boldly and had crossed half the distance. They sang:

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.

The two opposing groups are formed and bound to meet in a great clash. Suddenly, horse riders bearing signal flags rode in front of the resistance troops. The square slowly changed its shape to become a line.

The Queen noticed this. She frowned. She mounted upon her horse and led the Guards out to follow her main troops.

Still, the resistance troops sang:

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
While God is marching on.

Both sides got closer and closer. Finally, the two armies met together in the tract of sand. Weapons held. Nerves steeled. Fate fulfilled.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
Our God is marching on.(1)

At the end of the song. Both armies stopped moving. They are at a stone's throw distance from one another. For a while, it seemed that the time stood still. Neither armies moved.

Suddenly, without any warning, both armies exploded forward and clashed in a terrible battle. In an instant, the Grass Soldier cut down six enemies with his sword, before coming to his senses.

"Strike one down, and one step back." he said. He took a step back. Everybody else did the same. The Queen's army attacked again. They got cut down, and again, the resistance army took a step back. This event was repeated many, many times.