The Fallen Prince

Introduction

Welcome to my next novel!

It is a stand-alone medieval style story, and I'm really hoping you all enjoy it! It will be a bit darker and more intense than my other stories (at least in my eyes) so I'll put the warnings down below:

•rape (very early on in the story)
•death, murder, gore
•sad themes
•assault
•sexual content between two men (idk why this is a warning cuz you whores love this shit)
•overall dark themes

•••

Ciaran's POV:

Screams pull my from my deep sleep, making shivers run up my spine. I get out of bed and pull on my robe, running toward the sound. It may be foolish to run toward screams, but I know my guards will protect me.

That mental statement is disproven in seconds.

As I'm on my way to find where the screams are coming from, I pass several guards with knives sticking out of their throats. My guards are some of the best, so seeing them dead on the floor terrifies me.

I am the prince of Vayl, what other kingdoms and subjects know to be "The Dark Kingdom." We don't quarrel with other kingdoms, we don't have any enemies... why would anyone attack us?!

When I reach the room where the screams are pouring from, my heart pounds. It is my mother and father, the king and queen's, room.

I shove the door open and find a man and woman standing over my mother, laughing as the man is clutching...

Oh, gods.

I vomit, unable to control my horror and disgust.

That murderer is holding my father's severed head, almost as if it is some toy.

"Who is this?" the evil woman asks, turning and seeing me. She has an unfamiliar accent, one that does not match a surrounding village or the nearest neighboring kingdom.

The man turns, cackling when he sees me, still holding my father's head. He drops the body part to the ground, stalking toward me like an animal approaching its prey.

"I hear rumor that Vayl has prince," the man says in my language, though it is broken wording and it is clear he has not lived here long. "You are prince?"

I back away from him, wishing one of my soldiers would show up and help me, but no one comes to protect me.

"Yes," I whisper, backing away even further, thinking of where I can run.

I don't want to abandon my kingdom, but I cannot stay here and be their next victim. However, as I try to back up, I feel myself running into a massive body, and it is not one of my guards. The man behind me grabs the back of my neck and I can tell it is a warning not to move or he will squeeze the life out of me.

"Can't have prince running away," the man who was holding my father's head says, walking over to me and running his fingers through my hair. "Though, we can offer him chance to work with us."

The woman hums, walking over to her, well, I am assuming it is her husband, and hands him a knife. "If he proves himself..." she trails off and says something in her native language making her husband's eyes light up.

He takes the knife, still slick with my father's blood, and places it in my hand. "You kill queen, and we let you stay prince."

My mother is still in bed, and I can tell she is in shock. She does seem to be processing, most likely the after effects of seeing my father, the love of her life, murdered in front of her.