A Shadow and Blood

Prologue

It was a day like any other, the warriors were making their rounds around the palace. It was a routine like clockwork the changes were smooth and tactile. It just seemed as though it would be like every other day but I couldn't have been more wrong.

My name is Ezetli and as a warrior I am supposed to be one of the last defenses for the palace, I am supposed to put my life on the line for the kingdom and its people, follow all the direct orders that are given to me. But I chose today of all days to pretend as a normal citizen. I wanted to experience life away from the palace if even for just the day...I thought it was safe.

As soon as I crossed the threshold of the palace gates, I could feel just how different I have been living so far. The village nearest to the palace looked close to rubble it didn't seem to be taken care of as we were told. The farther I continued to walk the more I could see the poverty the citizens were going through.

The poverty that was supposed to be dealt with by the king as we were told while the advisors, we would see walk out the palace gates went to collect the citizens taxes. We were told they would be used to further help the citizens with their homes, jobs, schools but I could see none of the sort. All I could see was the hunger in the people's eyes, their bones noticeable through their tattered clothes, their shivering bodies due to the winter air, their shivering hands holding cups for some spare money someone could give them, but the saddest thing above all were the children barely able to contain their tears in fear of their parents dying.

I couldn't help but turn away from everything that I was witnessing, quickly scurrying off back to the palace. I pretended I hadn't seen anything, pretended that everything was alright, but I knew one person that I could hardly keep a secret from the one person I truly only cared for in the entirety of the palace, my dear best friend Gennevive.

It seemed that going to the village was the worst mistake I could have made. As the night arrived and the moon started to rise an attack was planned by those who were no longer willing to suffer any longer. All I could think was how wrong it was of me to fight these people, people who were attacking through pain and hatred.

I couldn't give myself away, couldn't let any of my fellow warriors what I had just discovered in fear of being harmed. I had to form a plan by myself to help those who are rebelling from getting killed but also to not get caught. There was so little that I could do but at the moment I could feel the adrenaline and courage coursing through my veins.

As the night continued the fire was raging and seemed endless I couldn't see anything through the smoke. The only thought I had was that I needed to survive. If there was one thing I could do right was survive.