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A golden door, decorated with the king's coat of arms, closed behind his majesty king Stefan. The man walks away, each step sending a new wave of sadness up from his chest and then down through his eyes. He was crying, not had he cried since he was but a small boy.
His hair, long and black as a raven's wings, lay on his shoulders like a vail. His back and shoulders ached with years not yet lived and his heart was heavy with grief. His beloved wife, queen Leah, had all of a sudden collapsed and was subsequently rushed to her chambers to rest.
They had spent the entire night awake and alert, hoping to hear any kind of news of their daughter or of her whereabouts. The royal couple waited till the suns first rays made an appearance through one of the many windows, shining down on them with unintentional cruelty. That's when, with a cry of unimaginable sorrow, the queen had fallen on her knees and cried herself into hysteria. A handmaiden had ushered Stefan out of her room and closed the door, muffling the sounds of pleading and begging. Begging for somebody to return her daughter.
Stefan wanders aimlessly around the empty hallways, accompanied only by the echoes of his shoes and the wind outside. His gaze is lazily set on the stone floor, only having enough energy to look at the carpets. There was the red and gold one in the west hall, a long blue one by the entrance, a green and yellow square next to the window overlooking the eastern lands. One of them was broken, a corner coming undone. Something would have to be done about that, but now he could only walk. At some point he lost count.
In a day Aurora first came to their lives and in a day, she was taken from their arms. The childbirth had lasted from sundown till sunrise and the entire time Stefan sat next to the royal priest, praying to God. He, on his knees, begged God to spare his beloved wife and their child when a miracle happened. A new morning lit up the corridor, light reflecting off of the golden chandeliers and precious stones decorating the nursery door. While Stefan was marvelling at the sudden glow around him, the doors opened, and an old nursemaid announced.
" Your majesty, it's a girl."
And just like that corridor, in that precious moment, Stefans's world brightened almost as if he was seeing colours for the very first time. When he held the child in his arms, he promised to give her the whole world. He sent the joyous word out immediately, wishing to host the grandest of celebrations.
He declared this to be a great holiday so that every person could pay homage to his child. The birth of a daughter instead of a son had finally allowed the kingdom of Prumor and the kingdom of Serin to unite so there was every reason to celebrate. Soon after the christening was held, Maleficent cursed his daughter and she, for her own safety, was ripped from their lives. That was seventeen years ago, but time had yet to cloud his memory of those times.
Hustling and bustling all around woke Stefan from his musings with a jolt. Two maids hurriedly passed him, hastily greeting him and then disappearing behind a small side door. Then two guards, a small bulky man and a much younger and taller man, saluted him and continued their journey. When the royal carpenter also came to stand before him and bow, the king took the opportunity to ask what was going on.
" Haven't you heard, your majesty? The queen has gone missing." And with that he too was left.
YOU ARE READING
Bring Me Joy: Aurora x The Horned King
FantasyHis cold hands balled into fists. He could not stray his eyes away from the beauty in front of him and he hated it. Something like this, something like her, could be seen as a weakness. And he had no weaknesses. She would have to die. Briar Rose...
