Dark Kingdom

Sneaking out

As we walk, I feel the eyes of the silent guards on us. Two men, four sets of eyes. Blending in with the wall, they do not move. I know they are there only because they're always there. Set to guard this corridor and make sure no one gets to close to the royal corridor, that isn't supposed to.

   I am free to roam technically since there was never specific orders not to let me. Still they watch us all the same and a small shiver runs down my spine. 

      I know technically they are just men, with beards and the thirst for ale and courage, honor, and yes sometimes blood but they never take their helmets off. Nor do they ever move or reposition themselves, from a cramped leg or being un-comfortable. At least not that I have ever seen.

So they feel less like men and more like shadowy figures with no needs or feeling of their own.

     Perhaps that's just the darkness talking though, making me feel that way. After all even with the candles lit, we're only in a slightly soft glow of light and without them lit, we would not just be cast in shadows but complete darkness. So that, and the fact I was not often out of my rooms at night was playing tricks.

 To be fair to my overactive mind though, my father's kingdom has been less than cozy. It was actually seriously called the dark kingdom sometimes. Which is an over exaggeration. The only thing different about our kingdom and the others is ours had banned magic.

The rule had been applied when I was no more than four or five years old, and sometimes I didn't know what the fuss was about. They couldn't truly ban all the mystical creatures. They had minds of their own and weren't ruled by humans. Nor were there any killings happening to those who had magic.

So "A dark kingdom" seemed to be a very big exaggeration. Except for right now. 

      "Where are we going?" I ask to distract myself. 

       We're walking the opposite way of the party and the beautiful music that could be heard was getting fainter and fainter. So now all I could hear was the patter of our footsteps. For a split insane moment I wonder about what would happen if Ender were kidnapping me.

We were far from anyone else, and no one would notice me gone till the morning. The two guards knew that I had left though, and they knew who I had gone with. Ender would not have done it that way if she were planning on hurting me and I feel guilty for even thinking it. 

Being raised royal though makes you unlikely to trust even the closest of friends. In court, they were more likely to betray you then embrace you. My mother had taught me all about the scheming and lies others would bestow upon me, as well as herself just to gain favor from the king. My mother would whisper it to me as she tucked me in at night.

"Trust no one and no one can betray you." She would say, and I would always question it.

"What about father?"

"You remember what he said about you?" Mother said, and though I tried to forget it I did remember so I nodded.

"Men have the most power against us, they can steal our hearts and then discard us and break them in a single move."

"What about friends?" I'd asked.

"They're even worse because you don't expect it from them." 

It was because of one of my mother's friends in fact that my mother, the queen had been beheaded. Lady Grange who had secretly been trying to become my father's mistress had schemed to get my mother out of the way.

Testifying against the queen and spinning lies. My mother looked at no one as she walked to the chopping block. As she was walked up the steps and was forced to face the people though, she looked amongst the crowd until her eyes landed on mine and shook her head, trying to convey her thoughts to me. I didn't understand though. I understood the anguish and desperation on her face but little else.