The Shadows

10| The Ominous Truth

He holds onto my upper arm for a moment, giving it a small squeeze and dropping his arms to his sides, all the while looking deep into my curious eyes.

"As you already know..." He begins. "My Brother Cain and I are of royal blood. Our father, King Rylan. He was such a cold man. Everything he did was in the best interest of himself. My mother, Queen Kiara, she was so beautiful, kind and compassionate. She adored my father. Unfortunately he never gave her the time of day. The only time he showed the least amount of affection was when they conceived my brothers and I, and that was only to carry on his name. She was, after all, my fathers second wife. His first wife passed away in a tragic fall before she was able to give him an heir. It became an obsession for my mother, to live up to his first wife."

My brain goes into overdrive and I begin picturing everything he's saying.

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<-Flashback->

My father took in petitions from locals once a week and one day, thats exactly what he was doing. He had been sitting on his throne, the locals would enter, one by one and ask him there question.

An older man entered the room. Dark brown hair and dark brown tattered clothing.

"Your grace. It is a pleasure to be in your presence." He says this as he bows towards the king. Yet the king says nothing, looking down at him in disgust. He waves his hand in the air, signalling him to hurry up. "Get on with it." He spits out.

"My daughter, she is very sick my lord. She is in need of lord leaf for her medication. Could we please bring a larger quantity into the market stalls, as it sells out so quickly."

The king scoffs at him. "If your daughter needs it so badly, maybe you should be at the stall at dawn when it opens, or travel to pick it up yourself." He rolls his eyes and waves him off. The mans eyes drop to the ground in sadness and nodding lightly. "Get out."

.Thank you for your suggestions, your grace." He says this as he bows once more. Turning around and exiting the throne room.

"Alright. That is enough today. Tell the rest to get out. A soldier nods at him seriously and turns around to walk towards the door. A hooded man bursts through the double doors and charges towards the king, giving the solider one glare. The soldier freezes, not moving. His presence grim, a heavy energy following him.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The king puts his arms up as a defense mechanism. "No more petitions today, get out."

The hooded man stands in front of the king, ten feet away, giving him a small bow. Darkness covers his face. "You will want to hear what I have to say my lord."

The king thinks for a moment, crossing his arms. "You should hurry up then, I should call the guards for this intrusion." He scoffs. "Since my guard here is useless."

The hooded man tells him stories of immortality and that he had this very ability to do so. Offering the king this gift. He listened to what this stranger had to say and became intrigued. Of course this caught my fathers attention, to be immortal. The greatest gift in his eyes. Although my father was bitter to his inner core, he was a smart man. He knew this man wanted something in return.

"What would you want in return for this gift." The king raises his eyebrow.

"Oh, my king." He tilts his head up, revealing his devious smirk. "For this gift, I will ask for a great cost. I would need a soul, a specific soul. The soul of the mother of your children."

The king lets out a hearty laugh, echoing throughout the room. "How do I know you are honest." He tilts his head, hiding his face one again. "You do not my king, you will have to trust me." My father thought for some time. Not sure if he should believe this strange presence.