[untitled]

 

Chapter One

 

I waited outside the door to my father’s bed chamber. Waiting and twiddling my thumbs together nervously. He had been gone for weeks due to the war going on and had been injured during battle with Dakin Wraith and his army of traitors. He had been in his bed chamber unseen by everyone ever since. I hadn’t even seen him for the weeks that he had returned. I sat remembering some of the servants that took care of his wounds whispering yesterday that things weren’t looking good for my father. I severely hoped that they would be wrong.

The giant wooden doors opened and a servant girl came out and signaled me in to see my father. As I walked through the familiar doors I felt my mouth go dry. My stomach did a flip as my eyes fell upon where I my father lay in his bed. His normally round smiling face was thin and smile- less. It seemed as if he had grown years older in the weeks he had been gone. He had bruises of every size and shade and half healed cuts and scrapes. The servants had been right. I put on my best smile and walked towards his bed trying to seem like everything was normal even though we both knew that during war normalcy was always a thing of the past.

“Come on in son” my dad’s voice was rusty and weak. I quickly walked over to his side to keep him from straining himself any more than necessary.

“Vincent” he mumbled. “I need you to do something for me. Something very important”

“Yes father anything.”

“I’m not going to be around much longer son. I need you to take my place. I need you to fight for our kingdom.”

I looked at him shocked the pleasant smile wiped away from my face for a moment. “What are you trying to say father? What do you mean you’re not going to be here much longer? The kingdom needs you, we need you, I need you.” I mumbled the last part quietly embarrassed and angry at myself for showing any weakness in the presence of my father.

“Son I’m dying. I’m asking you to protect our family and our kingdom.”

“But father I… I can’t do this I need your help… I” I looked down ashamed for showing weakness again building on to my self anger.

“No. I can not help you. Please son fined the strength and courage to take my place. You are almost a man now being 15 years of age. I wouldn’t leave such an important job to anyone else.”

“I understand father. I will do everything in my power to save the kingdom.” I stood up and turned to leave trying to hold back tears that were threatening to spill and roll down my cheeks and trying to walk confidently out of the room with my challenge in mind. How could he be so casual about it? He must have known his time was up for a while but I was still in shock. All of these thoughts were swirling through my mind when my father stopped me in my tracks.

“You didn’t think I was going to let you go on this mission alone did you?” I let out an internal sigh of relive thinking that it would be a strong elder knight willing to help me on my quest, but my father got rid of that thought when he called my aid to his side and out of the dark shadows.

“Annabel. You can come in now.” I stood staring at a girl about an inch shorter than me with brown long hair come from out of the corner. I felt embarrassed and angry that my dad thought that I needed a girls help.

“Hello. My name is Annabel Mavis. I am going to help you on your journey.”

I looked at the girl who was supposed to fight by my side and couldn’t help scoffing.

“Hello.” I said back with out any emotion at all. I knew it wasn’t polite but my father had just told me he was going to die and my only help was a silly girl!?! All I wanted to do was turn around and cry but I couldn’t I was a man and to cry in front of a girl would shame me more than anything in the world. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep the tears back to much longer so I turned away from the girl  bidding my father one final good bye and briskly walked out of the room before any one could see the hot tears rolling down my red cheeks. I stayed hidden in my favorite secret passage. Hidden away from my troubles and the war. It was something that had made it through all wars and troubles of the past kings and queens and it gave me hope that like these walls and ancestors I would survive this too.

 By dinner my father was dead. I had found out that a few moments after I left he had passed. When I found out the news a guilty wave hit me. I wished I could have stayed and told him everything and that he would be ok and that I was sorry and scared, but I had left rudely, which I was now regretting, for I had been insulted that he had asked a girl, a girl to help me. But as if the guilt wasn’t bad enough the pain of losing a father and king and the feeling of knowing that I was our kingdoms last hope made me feel sick to my stomach. I swallowed deeply forcing myself to keep my breakfast down. I decided that from that moment on I would kill Dakin Wraith myself with my sword. I would slay him and kill him. I would avenge my father if it took my entire life. Even if it took help from a girl. I was going to be one of the greatest kings of my time and nothing was going to stop me. My hunger caught up to me so I got up to go to the kitchen. Maybe I could find something left over from supper to eat. To make up for skipping lunch while I was hidden away. I had some stew and decided to go to sleep or at least as close to slumber as I could get. I closed my eyes slowly my promise to kill Dakin wraith on my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

The next day I woke up with a stale taste in my mouth. I sat upright in my bed. The events from the following day came flooding back to me in a rush making my head fall softly back down onto my pillow. The promise I had made with myself caught up with me and I sat up ready for…anything. I knew all of the kingdom would be mourning and that the servants would most likely be at the funeral setting up flowers and other things to make such a sad event beautiful in its own twisted way. I never knew why they decorated when no one would pay attention to it. But know I was happy for it. I understood why. Who would want to look at dying plants and dead leaves at a funeral? It would just be too much.

I hardly remember breakfast. It went by in a blur. My mind was to busy to think about much. It seemed like the castle itself was depressed and at a stand still like me trying to muster through every minute without crumbling down to pieces. I was in a state of waiting. In the afternoon was when my father’s funeral would take place. I didn’t feel anything. I wasn’t angry, upset, or sad I was numb. I was on auto pilot.  I only wish it could have lasted for the rest of my life.

Watching my father burn to ashes hurt more than any words could ever describe. The cold wind stung my cheeks and sliced through my clothing chilling me to the bone. An orchestra played sad songs that made the mood even more horrid. But out of all of it I think that the worst part of it was watching and not being able to go and pull him out of the fiery clutches of death. To sit there knowing I wouldn’t get a long wanted final hug from him or hear his jolly booming laugh one more time. This is the second thing I have realized today. Watching is the hardest part.

            After the ceremony at lunch no one was very hungry. My mother was locked away in her room away from the world. I wish I could do the same thing but I had to start packing and get ready to leave on my journey. No one really knew how long it would take me to get back. They all feared that if I would die…if I would die. The thought had never really been in my mind until just then. Who would take the throne if my fate was to follow my father? No. I wouldn’t let a thought like that find its way into my head. I would come home and see my mother again. I would become king. And most importantly I would end this disastrous war.

            I was carrying everything out to the smelly cold stables where my favorite horse was being prepared everything was just about ready. My heart was racing ready and slightly anxious about what the next chapter of my life could bring. It felt like my stomach was as skittish as I felt for it was jumping around all over the place bouncing of the walls. There is no way to avoid the early signs of a cold harsh winter with the winds slicing through even the smallest bit of protection you might have on. During all of this however I couldn’t help but wonder where my aid was I hadn’t seen her anywhere and was slightly annoyed with her for not showing up and with me for even caring. After a few minutes she came walking out to the stables where I stood. Her hair was down underneath the hood of a royal blue cape. Wisps of her long brown hair were caught up in the wind wiping them around her face ever so slightly. She walked gracefully with a pleasant but serious smile on her face. Her cheeks were already a rosy pinkish color from the cold. I turned from her for a moment to finishing strapping my things to the horse.

            “Good morning prince Vincent.” Annabel said to me as she brought her horse around alongside mine.

“Hello. Do you have everything?” I asked not truly caring if she did or not.

“Yes I do. Cook gave me some food so we won’t go hungry on our trip.” she mounted her horse with more elegance then I could ever master. I got on to my horse nonchalantly and turned to face the castle. I let my eyes devour the site. Let them see the family crest mounted on the stone wall. Let them see my mother’s room and her ruby red curtains. I let my senses devour everything up taking it all in and not giving any of it back.

“Are you ready to leave?” Annabel asked me gently after a moment. I knew we were to get going so I forced my eyes to tear away from my home and look forward blindly not sure what there would be waiting for us ahead.

            I was looking at a map that one of my map charters had drawn of the lands trying to figure which way was the right way to go. After about an hour or so Annabel’s voice rang clear through out the silence and chilly air snapping me from my confusion for the moment.

“Your highness, I think we might be lost. I am very sure that I have seen that tree before.” She lifted her hand and pointed toward the tree at our left.

“We are not lost.” I said indignantly. “We just got turned around for a second that’s all.” I said to her focusing back on the map.

“Your highness, I think that maybe we should pull over and ask someone to help us or to at least tell us where we might actually be at the moment.”

“We don’t need to ask for directions because we have a map. And there is no way to tell for sure that you have seen that tree two times. All trees look the same.” I said to her smugly. “Besides do you see anyone that could possibly give us directions?” I said with a sly grin on my face.

“Well no but…”

“Well then let’s keep going.” I said to her cutting her off ending the longest conversation between the two of us since we first met. We continued on in silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence but a peaceful and relaxed. We ate bread and cheese for lunch. And continued through the thick forest which seemed to continue on into forever.

             As it got darker the forest became harder to see in the bright colors of the trees started to fade away to utter blackness.

“I think that’s an Inn over there your highness.” Annabel said to me pointing ahead of us at a small glow in the distance. We put our horses into the stables and walked into the cozy room where a fire was burning in the fireplace and the smell of something delicious cooking filled my nose.

“You two can have the room up stairs if that is alright.” An old woman said to us as she walked in to the room she looked like a sweet kind woman who had led a good life.

“Thank you… um…” Annabel waited for the old woman to tell us her name

“You can just call me Fran.” She said with her heart warming eyes looking up at us. Once we ate dinner with Fran who was nice enough to give us something to eat we went up stairs to our rooms exhausted.

“Good night Vincent.” Annabel said to me as she turned to leave for her room.

Reviews

[StoryTailor]

Ooh. You must finish, I have to know what happens. You did leave off at a very unfair point you know. Well, I enjoyed it, there are of course a few things that could be fixed to make it better. Typos a few grammatical errors. I think. Haha, well, I enjoyed it. It's a good piece, and I'm glad I decided to read it.