R E D AND B L A C K

Prologue, Part 1

It was a most unusual night. In the kingdom of Aka, bad weather was quite rare, and most nights were quiet, calm, and clear. But that night, rain was pouring down, and thunder was rumbling overhead. The storm seemed to be calming down, but although the dark, ominous clouds that had once brought lightning were far away now, the rain was still pelting the tiles on the roof of the castle. Three people were inside a spacious room that was one of the highest up in the castle. Their faces were creased with anxiety, one more than the others, another less. The other person seemed worried all the same. There was the maid, standing by the door. Trained to be docile and not to question anything, she stood there quietly, her face expressionless. But worry could be seen dancing in her eyes. She knew what was going on, and although she was simply a housecleaner and nothing more, she was sympathetic. She had developed almost a friendship with the queen, and was very worried for her health at this moment. So she continued to stand in the doorway, looking on at the woman lying in the bed and the man beside the bed, holding her hand. The man was the king, and he looked on in worry and perhaps fear, at his wife. His wife, the queen, let out a scream. The king squeezed her hand tight and coaxed her. "It's almost over," he said. "Just hold on a little longer... you can do it..." Finally, a small wail cut through the air and the queen's newborn son lay on the bed. The queen looked pale, but still turned her head to smile weakly at her husband. The king smiled sadly in relief. This child was going to be a great king. Just as the king was going to say something to his wife, she let out another scream. The king instantly squeezed her hand tight, though shock showed on his face. Two children? The royal doctor hadn't told him about this. He looked outside... the storm seemed to be over.

       Six minutes later, despite the storm being gone, a bright flash of lightning filled the room. Then, the queen's second son lay on the bed alongside his brother, and the already weak queen lay motionless, not breathing. She had passed. The king looked at this in disbelief, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized what had happened. Letting out a scream of sadness and rage, he unsheathed the knife at his side and thrust his arm out towards the second newborn child... it was all that child's fault. His wife had been okay after the first child. She had been alive. But the extra, uncalled for effort of giving birth to a second child... that was what killed her! This child needed to be killed! He was going to avenge his wife and-

       The knife did not collide with the screaming, crying child. Instead, it sliced through the arm of a fully-grown adult and then hit bone. His eyes widened even further, and he felt like they were open so wide that he couldn't hold them open at all. The maid stood between him and the poor child, her arm thrust out to take the attack. The blade had sliced halfway through her arm, stopped at the bone, but just barely. There was pain in her eyes, but she did not scream. "That was... your wife's... child. Are... you just going to kill it?" She kept her piercing gaze locked on the king. The king kept his mouth shut, then backed away, releasing the maid. He quietly sheathed the knife, then matched the maid's fierce gaze with one of his own. "Fine. Have it your way. But remember that only the first child will be king. I will never accept the second as king, let alone my son." And with that, he left the room.

       The maid kept her mouth shut and went to tend to her wound.

       The storm had passed. For real this time.

       END OF PROLOUGE PART ONE