I would like to point out that according to google translator culotte means “panties”. So perhaps the king was going on a panty raid.

Very dramatic and exciting, so I didn’t even realize it was an entry into this rather silly challenge. And yes, culotte is panties, or shorts maybe depending on where you are and with whom you’re speaking. Nice way to get to the silly name.
You use fragments a bit. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it winds up distracting. I think the fragment at the end of the first paragraph would have worked if it were set off in a seperate paragraph, otherwise it sorts of begs the question, “Why not just use a comma?” The one in the last paragraph, “Made ready to slow the pursuers,” could just have well just been a clause.
Nitpicking, I know, but you’ve got some awesome stuff here, and the grammar stuff only distracts from that awesomeness.

HAHAHAHA! I thought culottes were billowy shorts with a skirt front, like skorts..
So, the enemy COULD be barbarian women.. panty raided and angry.. hee hee

Hey duck glad to see you are still alive,(don’t take it wrong ficly, duck is like 176 years old and I have been teasing him about it since i found out he worked for the Luftwaffe, but he has an awesome sense of humor) Your story was excellent but i would expect no less from ficlies oldest old schooler.