Prince Farley [BL]

Chapter 3

Kade was a year old when his sister was born.

He was seven years old when his brother was born.

He was nine years old when they heard of the raid that was to come on Weben.

All these things seemed insignificant when Kade turned ten. There weren't just rumors of the raid, it became a living tragedy. Kade remembers the flames, the screams, the pounding of feet running, swords clashing with swords.

He remembers it all.

Kade could never scrub the image of watching his father swing his sword as he yelled for them to run. Kade remembers him falling to his death and his mother's sob that followed. He remembers her picking up his sword with shaking hands as she told Kade to take his siblings and run, to never look back.

So, they ran. A final act of childish disobedience, the three children ran with their heads turned back to watch a man stab their mother through the chest with Father's very sword. They ran with their eyes wide in terror.

Kade was only ten, his siblings even younger.

They ran and ran until they could run no more. It cost them dearly.

Kade could hear people screaming for them, for him. "Please help us! Please don't abandon us!" Their desperate pleas went ignored.

I was ten years old. What could I possibly do?

Kade wasn't given the luxury to care about others in those daunting moments. He grabbed his siblings hands and dragged them as they sobbed. His own cheeks were wet with tears.

They should've ran some more.

Kade lost his brother that day, along with his father and mother. They should've ran more, then maybe they wouldn't have caught up with the siblings.

At ten years old, Kade killed a man. It was pointless, his brother was already dead, but Kade stabbed the man who killed him over and over until his sister was afraid of him. But because they had nobody else, she clung to Kade.

At ten years old, Kade lost everything he had and ran.

They ran for days with no food and hardly any water. He carried his sister, Julia, when she could not keep up.

Eventually, Kade collapsed. He could run no more. He believed he should've died that day, part of him wishes he had. It would be heartbreaking, wouldn't it? All of the Sandoval line wiped out together.

Kade didn't die.

Collapsed on the side of a trail, a man trotting by on his horse stopped and stared at him. Kade was covered in blood that wasn't his and barely recognizable through all the dirt.

He mustered the last of his energy and stared back at the unfamiliar man. Perhaps he'll be the one to kill me, Kade thought. His sister was sleeping. At least, he hoped she was. She hadn't moved in hours.