The King's Remorse

Wolf Spiders

Undead

WOLF

It was supposed to just be another night sleeping in the White Tent Sea, but then again, I guess fate just didn't have that in store for me when my brother, Dove, woke me up at midnight.

I was sleeping soundly in our tent and was fast asleep when Dove shook my shoulder. "Wolf! Wake up!" he whispers in my ear.

"Five more minutes," I grumble, lazily pushing away his arm.

"No, seriously, get up," he says.

"Five more minutes?" I slowly kick away the blankets and get to my feet.

"Now listen carefully to me, ok?"

"Is there a reason why you woke me up at midnight? 'Cuz if not, I'm going back to sleep," I ask as I pull back the flaps to our tent and peer into the night. The sky is an inky black, and stars shine brightly. I can make out a few constellations; Draco and Cygnus are my personal favorites, but there are others too like Corona Borealis.

"Yeah, there is. And keep your voice down; we don't need the Guard and Soldiers coming after us."

"I know, I know." The Guard and Soldiers are the army of King Garonda XIV, the King of our island, Ragdon.

"I need you to retrieve something for me. Can you please do this?" Dove's grey eyes hold a bit of tightness.

"If I do, can I go back to sleep after?"

"Yeah. It's a pewter pendant, and it's beneath the Earth Tree. Please get it for me, alright?"

"Why can't you get it?" I frown.

"Could you please get it, Wolf?" Dove ignores my question. I sigh.

"Fine. I'm going back to sleep after this, though."

"Of course. Go quickly. I'll be right here when you return." Dove watches me go, and I can just make out a faint hint of sadness in his eyes.

I adjust my scratchy, dirty clothes as I run across the dusty paths of the White Tent Sea. My shirt used to be white; everyone's clothes used to be white, but it has gone brown from years of wear and a lack of washing. The night is silent, and the full moon casts a silvery glow across the trees. 

"So you were really there when they put those worms in his drink?" That's the voice of one of the Guard! Hide!

I dart behind a tree and try to remain as still as possible. The two Guard stroll by, hopefully oblivious to my existence behind the tree, and continue chatting.

"Yeah! It was absolutely hilarious! So did you ever figure out what My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV was going to do about that collapse on the castle expansion?" The Guard stop in the middle of the path, and I hold my breath, acutely aware of my racing heart.

"No, but I heard My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV was going to have a few executions because it was deemed to be that a few of the workers were at fault."

"Do you know when they're scheduled? I don't want to miss it."

"I'm fairly certain it's for tomorrow, but don't quote me on that."

"Wait. I think I hear something over there." The Guard draw their short swords from their sheaths. The only sound they make as they move on comes from the metal buckles holding together their leather armor.

I allow myself to take a breather for a few seconds. That was a bit too close for comfort. People were talking about the collapse yesterday. Gossip goes around when your King forces everyone older than eight to work from dawn until dusk. It's the only thing that makes work a tad bit more fun.