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Sons Of The Flaming Throne – Ch. 13 | KT OLLA

WHEN the Third Prince schemed on usurping the throne that night, he thought hard on where to start fighting.

The real problem was how to win on Israel. Since he’d become unpopular from the day he killed the heir, and was first banished from homeland.

So, the prince had returned from exile to a cold reception from his countrymen. And already he doubted the fact that anyone would be willing to follow him now.

Even still, Absalom wasn’t giving up on becoming king. For he decided now to buy himself a small crowd of men to serve as his entourage. Along with a fleet of horses and chariots to go before him.

This was where the young clever chap decided to start his ploy. And those buys were to fetch him a commanding feel of royalty. So the scorned little one would reappear a promising hero to Israel.

It was a game of the mind. A game with a masterplan.

Yes, Absalom knew he wouldn’t get anyone to follow him like some six hundred men who had willingly followed his father from Gath, before David became king.

So, the prince knew no one would be ready to fight or lay down his life for him. And so he went on to buy fifty capable men who could swing the sword and fight his cause.

He got those men, alongside a fleet of horses and chariots.

He got that honour of a king at the price of silver and gold.

But ever since the day Joab’s field was razed by the Third Prince, the general’s mind had known little rest.

Yet now that the prince was out in the streets of the city with a regal company, he had trouble deciding what exactly this was.

The valiant captain had fought beside King David since when he was a youth. He’d fought to conquer the enemies of Israel and capture new grounds.

But still Joab had never got to protect the king from an internal adversary. At least, since David was made king over the entire kingdom.

Indeed, the fifty-year-old hadn’t ever fought the kind of battle where he’d need to first weigh the actions of a clear-cut enemy.

All he always needed to do was identify the foe, and then take him out with one crushing fight.

But this was a different battle. It was a friendly foe the man was sparring with.

So Joab decided that he’d stand and watch. He sent his spies to study Absalom like a book.

But the Third Prince was the cleverest chap anyone could find around. He simply went about his regular activities, with his entourage following him around.

It wasn’t a crime for a noble prince to do this. And there were no laws the young man was breaking by keeping a pack of bodyguards and escorts.

In any case, David’s administration had never preempted a situation where this could happen. Nor had his chief council labelled this act some treason.

So, Prince Absalom paraded himself freely through the streets of Jerusalem. And he said and did nothing against the incumbent ruler.

So, this way Joab could read nothing in Absalom’s act. He couldn’t grab the boy by the hand and shout out, ‘Traitor!’

But then, a shocking report came to Joab after a while. And it seemed to be the evidence he’d been looking for.

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