As I retreated back into my room, I sensed an approaching presence before I heard his footsteps. Slowly turning around and quickly composing a regal expression, I smiled calmly at King Lark. Well, King regent, but those who address him normally seem to forget that.
He was a mysterious man, though I couldn't quite understand what made him so distinct.
"King Lark, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I nodded towards his direction, questioning why he was out so late.
Lark's expression seem distant, weak, and distracted, emotions I didn't expect from the powerful king. "Your highness, Prince Evert," he tipped his head downwards in a mock bow.
"What are you doing here so late?" I asked, carefully choosing my words. While my ranking was technically higher than his, I never dared to question the cunning and strangely skilled ruler.
"I could ask you the same question," he snapped, the anger and force in his voice surprising me. Then, turning on his heel, Lark practically marched away, the nearby guards clearly shocked despite there stolic expression as they rushed to follow him.
Shaking my head to clear these thoughts, I continued my walk around the castle's hallways. Despite being in these walls million of times before, every walk seem to reveal something new about the kingdom's mysterious past.
However, I've only made it a few steps forward before I heard the sound of a pistol being fired. Shortly afterwards, strangled screams were heard and a few more bullets were shot, shaking the entire castle. Closely following was the metallic sound of glass shattering.
Recoiling, I was stuck between running away and going to see what would happen. Logic against curiosity.
There's that phrase-Curiosity kills the cat.
Well, in this case, I'm a cat. Okay, that sounded wrong. But, in a way, I was like that cat, because my footsteps carried me down the hallway, towards the crime scene, despite my brain's protest.
And what I saw there made me freeze in my tracks.
Laying on the palace's marble floor was King Lark and his two guards. Already, I could hear footsteps coming, but my mind couldn't pay close attention to them. Meanwhile, my eyes were firmly glued on the the dead king in front of me.
Then I collapsed onto my knees and stared at the brutal sight. Blood stains were splatted everywhere. A pained look was painted on the guard's dead corpse's expression. Lark's pale stomach was sliced in half to reveal a gory mess of blood and raw tissues. Laying next to it was what looked like an intestine.
Gagging, I found myself retching, though my eyes couldn't leave the murder wounds on their bodies.
Blood. So much blood. Trembling and slowly backing up, I was hit with the last time a murder occurred at the castle-my parent's death.
------------------------------------
Long after midnight, eight-years-old Evert was staring at the palace's beautifully decorated ceiling, moonlight seeping in from his window. Heart pounding and hands sweating, he wondered what happened to his sister. Princess Lillian.
Hearing near-silent footsteps pass his door, Evert shut his eyes, pretending that he was asleep. The footsteps hesitated for a moment before continuing it's ever-smooth stride.
Evert wondered which guard that was. Only, now, he knew that it was no guard.
Silence. The silence dragged on, making Evert slightly uncomfortable. Twisting and turning in his warm bed, Evert stared out at the moon. Again, he pondered where his sister was. More than that, he wondered what his parents would think of him for letting her leave.
Then, interrupting his though, was a loud scream of agony. A scream so pained and pronounced that it scared him. Jolting awake, Evert rushed to his door. It had come from his parent's room, a few doors down.
Already, guards were rushing in, closely followed by medics and doctors.
Why all this commotion? Evert had momentarily wondered before rushing in.
What he saw was something that would change his life forever.
His parent's royal nightwear were ripped, and blood was slowly seeping out of their slit necks and chest. It's wasn't messy, but, instead, too clean for comfort. The window's glass had been shattered, where Evert guessed the assassin escaped into the night.
YOU ARE READING
The World's My Prize (On Hold)
Adventure"That's where your wrong. I'm not fighting to save the world because I care, I'm fighting so that I can save my pride and save the world before you do." They were the words she spoke now, and they would be the words she carried along with her as s...
