Persephone

Prologue

Years ago....

You could hear the laughter coming from the children's bedroom. The pair of twins were playing with a flashlight while hiding under a blanket. Of course, they didn't know they were loud. They had been trying to be quiet.

But when Tommy decided to bonk himself in the face with the flashlight they had laughed loudly. "Shhh! You're gonna wake mommy and daddy up." Tommy shushed his sister. The dark haired girl was nearly falling off the bed with laughter.

"No you shhhh!" She said in between laughs. "You're gonna wake them up with your stupidity."

Tommy raised his small hand and hit her head. "I am not! Your stupid!"

"No you!" Veronica argued back.

"You're stupider!"

"No you ar-" Veronica stopped her words when she heard a loud bang from downstairs. "Shhhh!" Ronnie slapped her hand over Tommy's mouth. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

Then there was a scream.

"Mommy!" Veronica and Tommy ran out of the room and down the hallway leading to the stairs.

The twins peaked their heads over the railing to see their parents and 5 other men. They all had big weapons, ones that they had seen in the palace.

"Now, now, Christi, no need to scream." The man in front said as he petted their mothers hair. "Wouldn't want to disturb the children."

"Don't touch her Valentine!" Mark yelled.

Valentine nodded to his men, they immediately went to grab Mark and shut him up. "My dear Christi. How does it feel. Knowing that you'll never see your children again?"

"Your a monster." The mother spat.

"I'm not." Valentine argued. "I'm doing you a favor, dear sister."

Christi shook her head. "You're not doing me a favor. You killing me and leaving my children without their mother." Mark faught against them men holding him. Trying to get to his wife.

Tommy and Veronica looked at each other. Then whipped their head back around when they heard their father cry and their mother scream.

They saw the man they've learned is Valentine pierce a blade through their mother's stomach. Tommy let out a sob, Veronica quickly slapping her hand over his mouth.

Mark cried out for his wife. But she only smiled at him as she fell to the ground. "Now Mark." Valentine sneered. "You took my sister away from me. Away from our plans. Now I'm going to kill you. And then your children."

"Don't touch them." Mark snapped.

And then, just like he had done with Christi, Valentine pierced his blade right through Marks heart. Killing him instantly. Valentine smiled and looked up to his men. "Find the children and bring them."

Veronica grabbed her brothers hand and dragged him back to their room. She shut the door and locked it behind her. Tommy looked at her, they both had tears running down their face. "We have to go." Ronnie told him.

"But daddy, and mommy." Tommy whispered.

Ronnie hugged him. "I know, but we have to get to the palace and to the clave. They'll know what to do." There was a loud bang on the door.

When her brother nodded they made their way to the back wall of their bedroom. Their parents always had an escape plan. Ronnie reached behind the bedside table and pulled the latch. The wall in front of them opening a small section. Just big enough for the pair to get through.

Tommy closed it behind them just as Valentines men got the door open.

The twins walked through the walls and to the outside. The whole house had escape routes. Their parents made sure of it.

Hand in hand the twins ran as fast as they could until they reached the city of Idris. Their kingdom.

They ran and ran until they reached the palace. When they got their the guards escorted them inside.

🐝

"If the king and queen are really dead and Valentine is killing people we have to hide the children." A silent brother protested.

The clave had called a meeting to discuss what was happening while guards were sent to find Valentine and kill him for the murder of the king and queen.

"We can't just hide them, we need someone to rule." Another protested.

"We must hide them!" The clave representative spoke. "If they die there will be no one to rule and we will all be lost."

The silent brothers looked between the others, all coming to a decision. "Where shall we hide them? Valentine can find them anywhere."

"We'll hide them in the real world. Away from him and his followers."

The door burst open. "I can take them." Jocelyn Fairchild spoke as she walked in. "I'm leaving, running. I have to go and i can take them with me."

The silent brothers spoke amongst themselves. For a moment you could hear a pin drop. "Jocelyn Fairchild, you swear under oath that you will protect the heirs to the throne. And when they are old enough bring them back so they will rule our kingdom."

Jocelyn nodded. "I swear."

"Go." A brother told her. "Hide them away. The fate now rests in your hands."

And thats what Jocelyn did. She took the twins to the real world. She hid them away along with her own daughter. Raising them as siblings. Raising them as her own.

And the rest of the shadow world was waiting for the day, the Prince and Princess came home.