The Dark King (Editing)

Prologue

Prologue

           

In the kingdom of Ursania, there was a couple that lived in the outback of the capital city. They owned a small farm, where they grew fruits and vegetables.

When the man and wife moved in, they got to work. The man, Peter, started building them a home. Although not very big, the house was practical. Peter started to go into town and sell his food in markets. The wife, Alice, was soon pregnant with their first child.

In the years following that, Alice was pregnant again, and again.

Peter and Alice kept having children, until they stopped at their ninth child.

Admitting a little chaotic, having a lot of children was very helpful. The eldest son occasionally went into town for Peter. Some of the other older children helped Alice with the young ones. Others grew their own food and maintained them.

Take one of their daughters, Elise, for example. Even though she is the fifth child, she begged her father to let her grow something of her own. Eventually, her constant begging got a tad aggravating, so Peter gave her grape seeds.

Since Elise was young, Alice and Peter didn't believe that Elise could take care of it. They wanted her older siblings to keep an eye on her and the plants.

She did take care of it, and by the time she was ten, they grew into immense grape vines.

Elise was standing by her grape vines, picking them and placing them into her straw basket.  She did that for a while until she saw something in the corner of her eye. Turning her head slowly, she looked up to see a dark figure walking towards her fast.

Being eight, she wasn't used to seeing people who weren't her family, especially on her family's property.

"H-hello?"

The figure froze. Elise squinted her baby blue eyes at the stranger. The person was short, skinny. It looked like a child around Elise's age, not threat, she thought. The person was wear a black cloak that covered their face.

Elise continued to stare, and noticed that the figure had a dagger. Child or not, definitely a threat now. She backed up, her grip on her basket tightening as she eyed the intruder.

"Don't come any closer! Don't touch me!" she screeched. The stranger started walking slowly towards her. "I'll get my father to cut your head off," Elise said desperately, her voice wavering a bit. Dear God, she prayed, I don't want to die.

The person, ignoring her pleas, reached and grabbed Elise's arm. This made Elise cry. Her ten-year-old face turned red and were dampened with tears.

"I won't kill you," a young male voice said. The voice definitely belonged to a young boy. Elise looked up at the by through tear filled eyes. His voice didn't sound mean, it sounded smug. "Although, I could and your father wouldn't be able to do anything." He announced to her. Then he let go of her arm.

She wiped her cheeks of the tears and sniffled. "Why are you on my land? You can't take anything." She said in a soft voice. He was trespassing, but he was the first boy that she's met that wasn't in her family. She wanted to know more about him.

"I was just curious to see what was over here."

The boy took a single green grape out from my basket. Elise's eyes widened in surprise as he threw it in his mouth.

"Hey—"

"So your family owns this?"

For the first time since she saw this mysterious boy, she smiled. Putting a strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear, she started, "Yes, we grow our own food and then we take extras to the capital center to sell." Elise explained proudly.

"I see."

"So, what is your name?"

Through his covered face, she heard him exhale loudly. "It's none of your business," he huffed. He may have seen the disappointment in her eyes, because the boy sighed. "I shouldn't tell you, but you can call me BD."

Elise's face automatically brightened once learning BD's name. She extended her hand for him to shake. BD reluctantly took it, and firmly shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, BD. My name is Elise."

"Elise, like Ellie?" he asked. Now Elise has never been called Ellie, but she thought it was a good nickname. "May I call you that?" he asked, with amusement filling his voice.

She smiled brightly and shrugged. "If you want," she giggled. "Do you want to help me pick the grapes?" she asked him.

BD simply nodded and kneeled down.

During the time of them picking grapes, they talked. Mostly Elise, but gradually BD became more talkative. Elise talked about her family and some of her young siblings, complaining. BD related, as he was the eldest son in his family. When talking, BD never went into great detail, but was still specific. Elise rambled a lot, telling him unnecessary stories and drama. BD would just sit and listen, not caring how silly it was. By the time the sun started to set, Elise and BD were as close as best friends.

Soon it was dark, and BD unfortunately had to go. Elise hated this, wondered how much fun it would be if BD stayed forever. She asked him to stay, and he would a bit longer, but as the time past, the more BD insisted he had to leave.

Though throughout the day, Elise would see tiny parts of BD's face, but she wanted to see it fully. To memorize his face and know his face. However, when she asked, he immediately refused.

"I'm sorry, Ellie, but I can't."

Heartbroken, tears formed in her eyes.

"Ellie, don't cry. I promise, tomorrow I'll come back and show you." He said quietly. Today, slowly, he and Elise had bonded. He was Elise's first friend, a friend she'll never forget. From his words, Elise cheered up a bit and nodded.

"You promise?"

BD nodded. "I swear on my mother's and father's lives." He announced. Before leaving he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Elise's small body. She hugged him back, desperately, though she did not know why.

Don't worry, she thought, you will see him tomorrow.

However, the next day BD didn't show up. Elise waited for him the entire day's length. In front of her house, in the field, and their favourite place; the grape vines. He broke the promise, he lied. She'd wish that his parents did die, that would teach him a lesson.

Naturally, Elise was upset. At the end of the day, she curled up to her older brother and cried. He tried comforting her, but nothing seemed to work. When he—and other siblings—asked what happened, she explained in full detail.

"Why were you talking to a stranger, anyways?" her siblings asked her. "You could have been killed, kidnapped, or—"

Elise would never listen to them after that. For the next month, she was gloomy. What used to be always sunny, now had a dark cloud concealing it. Her family had to walk on emotional eggshells around her, make sure she was doing okay.

After that month she was fine, sure, but she never forgot about BD. No one forgets a first friend, a first love, that easily.

It was nice to have a friend, she thought. Elisereally thought that BD moved on and that she would never see him again.

Oh, how wrong she had been.

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Xx Cam