Light And Shadow

Edge of Dream and Reality

Eli waited until Edna, huddled next to him, had drifted off to sleep. Seeing her breathing even out, he grabbed his dried shirt and covered her body. His attention was divided, with half of it trained on the sound of wild animals roaming outside.

Sitting up, Eli reached over and picked up his longsword. Nearly 1.5 meters long, it had a bloodstained blade and was his favorite sword that had accompanied him into many battles. Unbothered by his nakedness, he hunched over and began caring for his favorite sword, wiping it down with the cloth used to tie it to its sheath. Listening to the crackling of the fire which filled the cave with warmth, he listened to the distant pattering of rain. Pursing his lips, he tightened his grip on the hilt and resumed watch.

It was too dark. Fleeing barefoot, Edna felt the inky darkness constantly threatening to rush up from behind and swallow her whole. She ran frantically, ignoring how the tears clouded her eyes. Even when she heard the crack of a branch breaking under foot, she could only grit her teeth and ignore the stabbing pain from her tom and bleeding skin stepping on thorns. She couldn't afford to stop and wrap her feet. With a desperate will to escape, she picked herself up each time she stumbled and rolled in the cold snow. She continued to frantically run endlessly ahead.

The late king Ducaine III was a merciless tyrant. Proclaiming himself to be the sun in the sky, all power was surrendered to him when he rose to the throne. Abandoning his duty as king, he indulged in his vices and held blatant disregard for the plight of his people.

Ignoring the realities of the country, he ruthlessly imposed heavy taxes, forcing the feudal lords to squeeze their citizens dry. For his amusement, he instigated disputes and pitted lords against one another. The reckless battles that ensued severely impacted the people, bringing about a terrible famine. Countless people held their breath in fear each day, as they nervously hung on his every word.

Unlike his father who reigned before him, Ducaine III spared no expense on that which he desired. He also had a nasty habit of laying claim on any woman he fancied, regardless of whether they were already wed. To Ducaine III, the world existed for his merriment.

Amid this turmoil, Cecil, princess of Beowald and the king's third queen, was blessed with child. By then, Ducaine III had already lost interest and his roving eye had moved on to other women. The king had already abandoned the two queens that preceded her, and Cecil was nervous that she would share their fate should he welcome a fourth.

Anxious to survive, she desperately prayed that her unborn child would be a boy. If she birthed an heir, at least she'd be able to protect her position. The king did not have any successors, as the children of the previous queens had all succumbed to measles before reaching one year of age.

Alas, the child that was born was named Edna. After consulting her closest advisors, Cecil made the daring decision to raise Edna as a 'Eden' in attempt to preserve her status and succession to the throne. This farce was only possible because Ducaine III had lost all interest in his queen, and never bothered to see his child after the birth.

The queen had all those present at the time of childbirth poisoned and silenced. No: one was spared, so that Edna's secret would be protected. The sole person to know the truth of her gender began and ended with Cecil. Declaring she would personally care for the beloved successor, Cecil blocked everyone's access to the prince, and Edua was raised under Cecil's tutelage.

It wasn't until she turned six that she met her father for the first time. Ducaine III, who could barely remain alert, seemingly discovered he had a son for the first time in his life. By then alcohol and disease had robbed him of most of his faculties. His brilliance and intelligence had dulled, robbed by alcohol. Loyalists had long abandoned the king, leaving him surrounded by those of a more treacherous nature.