The cacophony of battle at once engulfs your consciousness and yet goes unnoticed, as you and your countrymen are beset on all sides by mortal enemies. Hacking, slashing. Battle-cries and cries of agony. Sword and spear on flesh and bone, you carve through your formidable enemy even as he hacks away at your army.
For years this enemy has taken ground from your realm, and yet you and your countrymen have fought valiantly, reclaiming what you could, and vowing that someday, your heirs would possess all that is rightfully theirs. Today, although you continue to take casualties, it appears that your efforts are being rewarded, as the battle turns in your favor.
Nearby, at a key moment, you notice your enemy's commanding general astride his armored steed, squaring off with your unhorsed comrade, Sir O'Keefe. Then in a moment of good fortune, this man who has for years inflicted countless crimes upon your people is suddenly thrown from his horse. In an instant, your comrade stands atop him with his spear at the throat. Even as you dispatch another enemy, and another, you notice the general pleading for mercy; in fact he begs and shrieks like a child. But before the second and third plea can fully escape his lips, the tip of O'Keefe's spear pierces the ground behind his head, the life sputtering out his throat as the spear is withdrawn to fight again. You take note of the standing order to take the general alive if possible, but there is a battle to be fought, and there is no time for second-guessing your comrade now.
At long last, the battle is over, casualties strewn about the field. For the moment your enemy has retreated, stitching wounds, amputating limbs, and cauterizing the stumps. His immediate ability to attack is crippled by the loss of many men. But the most severe blow was Sir O'Keefe's felling of their commanding general. The very viability of the brigade formerly under the general's command is now in question thanks to O'Keefe and his decisive blow. You think again of the standing order to capture the general alive, but given the circumstances and the great victory achieved by his death, you put those thoughts of propriety aside for now.
As your army clears the battlefield, murmurs turn to jovial talk of a great victorious battle in the war as news spreads that the enemy's mighty general was killed. Songs begin to spring up about O'Keefe and his mighty spear. You remember that pivotal moment, fortunate to have been so close at the moment of his glory. You also remember the general's pleas for mercy...
...upon return to your king, news of the victory has preceded you. Being a knight of the court, there is no escaping the barrage of questions about the battle at the victory feast. Talk among the king and his nobility turns toward the killing of the general, and the manner of his death. You remember the scene, and the standing order....
[blockquote]You:
A) Speak of the mighty heroism of your army and Sir O'Keefe, recounting how in the fever pitch of battle, your comrade repelled and killed a mighty foe that had plagued your kingdom for years.
B) Tell your king and everyone else that even though there was a standing order to capture the general who was pleading for his life, your comrade killed him when he may have been captured, putting Sir O'Keefe at risk, and weakening your army's morale.[/blockquote]
(Thanks for indulging me. Sometimes a thought just needs an outlet.)