The Heart's Content

Chapter 2

It was not long after the royal wedding, when the king revealed his true colors to the queen and the prince. He was cruel and merciless tyrant who treated his wife and stepson as slaves rather than family. He would work them to the bone and beat them whenever they displeased him. The queen wanted to leave him but he was a powerful man and he frequently warned his wife that if she tried to escape then he would destroy her most precious treasure. Her son. So she was trapped. Trapped by fear for her own life and her child's. Her fairy tale world of seemingly endless color and joy had now crumbled into an abyss of gloom and misery.

But even in the depth of her grief, not all was darkness. A new light found it's way to her in the form of a princess she had birthed. The king could have cared less for his daughter but the queen and the prince absolutely adored her. She was the only good thing that came out that dreadful second marriage and her mother and brother were determined to protect her from her father's abuse. They sheltered her well but they knew that they couldn't keep her safe from him forever. At least not while they lived within his kingdom.

The queen finally gained the courage to take her children and run but the king caught her in the act. He flew into a rage, the queen hid her children while she dealt with her husband. The brother and sister waited in agony for the terror to end and when it finally did, their mother was no more. Yet the prince wouldn't let the king destroy the princess the same way.

He fled from the dark kingdom and took his sister with him, choosing to raise her himself. He found work and a new home for the two of them. They were safe from the evil king but his wrath had left a scar on the prince. One that made his heart frozen to all save for the little princess.

However while the prince's faith in dreams and love faded, the princess's blossomed as she grew. Her mother's stories and her memory were what gave her hope in even the darkest times. But she not only developed a hopeful spirit, there was also a curious mind, a devoted heart, and much to her brother's frustration, a short temper and a stubborn streak.

The princess tried not to make life harder for her brother than it needed to be but she was a quirky child and a lonely one as well. Her peers didn't take to her much because of her behavior and her appearance. To some she was an ugly duckling. But to her brother she was always a swan.

...

"That ladies and gentlemen was Fire on the Bayou by the Neville Brothers." Alastor spoke into the microphone. "We'll begin taking requests after these messages."

When he turned fifteen, Alastor began looking for work and he started out simply cleaning the area of the Red Radio, the nearest radio station in Louisiana, which didn't pay much but it was better than nothing. One evening when the radio host was on break, he decided to play around with the equipment, unaware that he was on the air and to his surprise the listeners liked him. Liked him so much that he was promoted from janitor to equipment manager and eventually to radio announcer.

He was very passionate about his work. Choosing the most exciting songs to play while keeping the listener's attention with his witty and charismatic voice. He would tell the most intriguing news and  stories but always made sure that the information was valid. But what the audience liked most was his vocals. He was a phenomenal singer, sounding like someone who came straight from of the Cotton Club of 1923. All types of listeners liked him but the ones who were old souls adored him.

"Okay listeners, here's our first caller." Alastor pressed the call button. "Good afternoon sir or ma'am, you're on the air with Red Radio, what song would you like to be played?"

It was a woman who had called.

"Yes, do you know my classroom is a bayou?"

"Hmm...I don't believe I'm familiar with that one ma'am. Could you name the artist?"