Bran offered to allow the would-be king in through the gate, provided he brought no more than two or three soldiers.
The two would-be kings were swept apart repeatedly in the heat of battle.
As it happened, there was no lack of would-be kings eager to help him rule.
He bounded on, toward the same goal that had lured many would-be kings before him to their deaths.
Both would-be kings were killed in the failed assault, probably on 21 March 867.
The road every would-be king of the Swedes had to travel, to expose himself to challenge.
According to legend, the stone would scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-be king.
He had to deal not only with this threat, but with the would-be kings who thought they could run his organization better.
An air of panic seemed to paralyze the eleven would-be kings.
"I was told that Barinthus had moved from kingmaker to would-be king."