Splintered Regime

Prologue

The sound of heavy breaths can be heard as the figure moves throughout the dimly lit castle corridors. They move with such controlled movements even a mouse would not awaken.

The figure moves around the castle as though it belongs to them, and finds the royal suite with no issues. Without making a sound the figure glides into the room mapping out the furniture. A giant four-poster bed with pine green pillows and black comforters can be found adjacent to the door, two glass doors that lead to a balcony behind the bed. But the two most important things are to the far left of the room. A small mahogany crib and a tall dark oak door that leads to the washroom. Quiet noises can be heard from behind the closed doors. The figure assumes they are coming from the queen as she prepares herself to sleep. 

The figure starts walking cautious steps toward the crib pulling out a knife with an ocean blue sapphire jeweled hilt and illuminating purple blade. Raising the knife high over the bassinet, a slight breeze starts to blow and the gentile words of an incantation can be heard;

Discerpens libros ,
Praevaricationem vinculum,
Sumptis vitae
Ad mundum ultra
Acribus anima
Vastantes corda
Reversus thronum
Ad ignotum

Feeling the temperature drop drastically in the room, the queen runs from the washroom shoving the door open to see the chestnut-haired baby boy about to be assassinated.

She sprints to the intruder trying to tear the violet blade away from the bassinet before her only child is ripped away from her. But in one swift movement, the dagger is no longer facing the baby, and in a quick change of direction, it inserted itself into her beating heart.

A blood curling wail cuts through the air as she hits the ground. 
It felt like slow motion, but In a matter of seconds, the king along with two guards burst into the room after hearing the queen's final cry. They stop in their tracks finding the baby crying for his mother and the queen's body resting peacefully right in front of the child’s bassinet.

The only reason they knew she was not asleep was the still glowing knife buried deep where her heart should be beating. But there was no sign of anybody that could have possibly done this to the beloved queen save the odd glow of the dagger.

Crying in agony the baby is picked up by his father as they both reach for the now-deceased queen and mother. Now a fresh corpse, too beautiful to be just a body. 

Out of respect for his lover, his confidant, and queen, the king, with tears blurring his sight, gently removes the blade from her still heart examining it with mixed anger, sorrow, and regret.

Regret that he wasn't there for her final moments.

Sorrow that it was his queen to fall before him.

Anger for the being who placed the dagger in her pure heart. 

He notices right away the illuminating purple that admits from the blade. Uneligable runes cover the dagger. This was the work of an archmage. 
 
He grips the dagger tighter as though to strangle it, cursing his queen's name to the gods for taking her from the mortal plane. The echo of her name can be heard throughout the castle even to the deepest parts of the dungeon. 

Now filled with nothing but anger, the king takes the blade and storms off into the war room halfway across the castle. His hammering steps echo the castle's walls. As he does so he bellows the loss of his wife, calling and gathering all of his knights and advisors. All with tired, exhausted faces.

He raises his arm and the weapon that killed his beloved and stabs it into the table in a fit of rage and grief. He orders the execution of all spell work and magicians starting with those in the castle and working their way through the whole kingdom of Lyrant.

“They shall feel the pain of loss. And the power of a raging tempest. They killed her, they killed your Queen. Magic killed your Queen," his voice barrels throughout the war room.

"They almost killed your Prince, now he is alone. A motherless, defenseless, child!" his voice full of grief, but as angry as the blowing winds. Now, full of a silent room the king demands everyone to start working on the task at hand.

He promises himself that will make sure that no other magician will ever get anywhere near him nor his son ever again. Even if it goes as far as being the thing that kills him. 

Because they could never put his queen back together again.