Another YouTube Fairytale: Matt's Life In Hope Square; Book 1

Chapter 13 - Mark's Past

Matthew climbed above the wall and dropped to the other side. He was back in the town that his community so despised. He just had to get through to the garden, where the princess should be waiting. Matt had already convinced himself about the concept of being her faithful knight, brave, honorable, and honest. 

Meanwhile, back in Hope Square, Jack, Mark, and Virgil sat in the mayor's office, lit only by a few candles. After hearing Virgil's story, Mark had to sit down. 

"It's what he said. And who knows where he is right now?" Virgil said, looking at Jack on that last part. Jack was looking visibly worried. 

Mark exhaled loudly, trying to steady his nerves. "I was afraid that this would happen." He looked down at his folded hands. "I have no choice now, I have to banish him." 

Virgil suddenly stood up. "Wait, you wouldn't do that, right? He's just a kid! I mean, sure he's 18, but he's really just a kid!" He looked to Jack for help.

"Mark, you know I agree with you on these matters. And if it were anyone else, I would agree. But Matthew? He really doesn't intend to do anything wrong." Jack said.

"I know." Mark stood back up and stood behind his desk. "That's why it hurts to do this. And I've had to banish children younger than him. For the sake of everyone here." Virgil remembered that. How around the time Matt was born, several children had attempted to run away, and were banished soon after. 

"You were best friends with his parents, Mark. I remember the four of you, and you were just as curious as him." 

Virgil looked up at that. "Wait, four? That would be Mayor Mark, Matt's mom and dad... but who else?" 

Jack shifted uncomfortably, but Mark held his hand out to stop him from making an excuse. "It's okay, Jack. Virgil, the fourth person who I spent time with in those days was my brother." 

"You had a brother?"

"Yes, we were twins. His name was Dark. And apparently, when we were born, Dark was born with his eyes wide open." Jack came forward. 

"Just like Matthew... you never told me that, Mark." 

"I didn't want to worry you on how it could have applied to Matthew. But apparently, being born with open eyes is a bad omen." Mark said. He saw Virgil's confused, and fairly nervous face. 

"Mayor Mark?" Virgil started. "Tell me what happened to your brother." 

Mark was slightly taken aback by Virgil's sudden curiosity, something that everyone in Hope Square had worked hard to shun, but he knew that Virgil, with how anxious he was, could not act upon it. So he indulged him. "Long before Hope Square was built, my brother and I lived in the village, right next to Matthew's parents. The four of us had a dream to build a place where hope could be fostered and protected from any outside forces. So together, we built Hope Square." Mark smiled, looking out the window. "We allowed some good-natured people, like Jack, into the square, as well as a few orphans that came running to our doors..." He turned around. "Like you," Virgil bit his lip and shrunk back. "But corruption had already made it's way inside. My brother and I were both in love with a woman. But he wanted her all to himself. When she turned him down in favor of me, he murdered her. The only witness was Matthew's mother." 

"I'm so sorry." Virgil said. 

"That woman is in the past. I miss her every day, but I have learned to go on without her." Mark said. "Anyway, Dark went into hiding. We tried so hard to track him down, but we could never find him. We assumed he had just left. Until Matthew's mother told us that she was pregnant. He suddenly came back, and he poisoned her. We caught him right away, and I had him banished into the dungeons. Meanwhile, Matthew's father was desperate to cure his wife, and went outside of Hope Square to find some answers. He died soon after. Matthew's mother died in childbirth." 

Virgil had finally gone silent. Mark turned around. "I have no choice. I have to banish him. But I want to make it as quiet as possible, for his parent's sake. Virgil? He trusts you. I need you to bring him back right away, okay?" 

"I... I have to... lead him to his death? Why can't we just let him stay out there forever?" 

"He'll lead more people, more corruption as dark as my brother's into Hope square. We have to preserve the hope. Virgil, I know it's hard; I wasn't happy about loosing my brother, but I did what I had to in order to keep this place safe." Mark placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Please. You've always been a great example for everyone here. Don't let us down." 

Mark secretly hated his own word choice. He knew it was manipulative, but he truly thought he was doing what he had to. He could not risk someone like Dark coming into Hope Square, and the only option he could see was to banish Matt.

Virgil slowly nodded, but he didn't say yes. The message came across clearly though; Virgil was going to deliver his friend to his death.