Ro'meave's Lament [MCD AU]

Prologue- Introducing the Ro'meave's

Every story has a villain, and every villain has a story. Sometimes, it's genetics, others it's generational. So often, it is us who create villains. The world encourages them to be created, parents can only teach their children what their parents taught them. They can only pass on genes which they carry and traits taught by the society they were raised in.

Within Minecraft Diaries, the true villain can be hard to spot. So often, we see just one man at the center of it, Zane. Easy would it be to simply blame him for it all, and fail to miss the bigger picture. The fact it's not just Zane aat the heart of this story, but the entire Ro'meave bloodline.

We watch Garroth destroy himself over love.

We wonder about mysterious Vylad, and cry over his abandonment.

We learn to fear the name Zane Ro'meave.

We witness Garte's descent into true madness, and hear of Zianna's pleas for him to stop.

Always, it's them at the center of conflict, acting as villain, hero, or both. But why?
Why is it that this family seems so connected to the evil within Ru'uan?

Like with real life, it began nearly 30 years ago, with their father, King Garte Ro'meave. Zane's hatred, Garroth's entitlement, and Vylad's isolation all stem from his treatment of them growing up.

It's no surprise King Garte isn't a great husband, and an even worse father. But until today, no one knew just how truly evil he was. His slaughtering and kidnapping of Lords is nothing compared to the secrets kept within his castle walls.

King Garte is often regarded as a tyrant ruler, but one who does what's best for his people. Holding lavish parties within the castle, and an incredibly active member of Irene's church, most willingly look past his cruel fist.
Civilians and Lords alike willingly ignore the dark cloud looming over the castle; choosing only to focus on the great food, expensive music, and a chance to make a name for your village.

No one saw the constant fear plastered on the Queen's face, or the bruises which riddled her small frame.

Not even her eldest son, who only ever remembers his father being a kind and loving man.

People can be strange in that way, only seeing what they want to see. If it doesn't affect us, why should we care? Humanity can be blinding at times. Perhaps 'blinding' isn't the right word. It isn't blindness, but willful ignorance. Humanity chooses to selfishly focus on itself, even when others are suffering.

Queen Zianna and King Garte have three children together, each raised with such different styles. Honestly, it'd have been better if they'd had no kids, or just one; but this is the era where your child making it to 18 is rare. They needed to have enough kids to ensure the bloodline continued, to have an heir for the throne!

Garroth, the eldest child, had it the easiest. Being the heir to the throne, and nearly identical to his father, it's no surprise King Garte favored him. The child was perfect in his eyes, Garroth could do utterly no wrong.
Sadly, however, Garroth went missing at the age of 18, just days before an arranged marriage with Nicole Ronsenburg of Scaleswind.

Zane, the second eldest, was rejected by both his parents due to a harsh temper. He looks nearly identical to his mother, which his father resents. Sadly, Zane takes the brunt of Garte's anger, and due to Garroth being so close to their father, he often had to fight against him as well. Objectively, he had it the worst, but grew the most from it; becoming the youngest High Priest in Ru'uan.

Vylad, the youngest Ro'meave, was born of an affair between Queen Zianna and a commoner. To the outside world, Vylad doesn't exist, while within the castle walls, he is his mother's world. Only she dare utter his name and acknowledge his status as royalty.
Garte chooses to simply pretend he doesn't exist, allowing him to remain only to keep his wife quiet. He'd have preferred the boy have been disposed of, rather than being a constant thorn in his side. Vylad passed away at the age of 17, destroying Queen Zianna.

Each boy experienced such vastly different childhoods, forced to watch the other. Do you blame them for their jealousy and hatred? I don't think they stood a chance. From the moment Zane was born and placed in his brother's arms, they were destined to be pit against eachother. The three brothers could only ever fight eachother for the affection their parents seemed so hesitant to give.

Likewise, each child has vastly different memories of their father. Prince Garroth remembers him as a kind, loving man who could do no harm. His fall to madness was the result of his sickness, Garroth simply can't believe the 'lies' told by others. Zane, the most 'loyal' to Garte, remembers the man as a monster. A figure to fear wholeheartedly. Yet, all he's ever wanted is for his father to love him. Zane would forget so much, if only King Garte would say 'I love you.'

Vylad is rather strange with his opinions. Both hating, and Loving Garte, he agrees with both his brother. Garte was a kind man, who took in Vylad despite being illegitimate, but also deeply cruel and unloving. Especially after sickness nearly claimed his life.

In the end though, Garte ensured his children would never be able to come together to overthrow him and tarnished their souls so Evil might grow within them. He turned Garroth against Zane and ensured both boys never saw Vylad as more than a threat to the Ro'meave's reputation. They were brothers only by name and blood; the bond which meant to bring them together having been weaponized to tear them apart.

'Lovingly', Garte and Zianna left their children with the same trauma bestowed upon them by their own parents.

It's something which is seen everyday, but ignored by most. It's easier to ignore painful reminders that evil exists, choosing to live by the survivor bias which plagues every man, woman and child within the world. It's far easier to blame the child for not being strong enough.'If we turned out alright, why didn't they?' However, we didn't turn out alright. Every person can only repeat the past, so long as we ignore the entire story, nothing changes. Garroth repeats the toxic cycles taught by Garte, Zane only knows hatred and pain, and Vylad never even got the chance to grow old.

Trauma is only destined to breed more trauma, pain only leads to fear. Hatred can only ever create hatred, and no matter how hard the Ro'Meave brothers fight to break the cycle, they'll only ever repeat it. They survived their father, only to repeat it over and over again. Garroth's desperation for Aphmau's love, Zane's cruel reign over the church, both reflect the way they were raised.

The downfall witnessed within the kingdom of Ru'uan was meticulously created. The evil shaped by rough and uncaring hands, allowed to seep into every corner of the kingdom. From the death of Phoenix Drop's Lord, to Aaron's death, the Ro'meaves are at the heart of it all.

The beginning and end of Ru'uan rests soley on the sorrow and hatred built by the Ro'meave's.

This is 'Ro'meave's Lament.'
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Author's note: Wow, I can't believe it's been 7 years since I first started Aphmau's MCD. I started watching when I was 14, and now I'm 21 and still just as into minecraft as I was back then. Minecraft diaries got me into roleplay, and truly helped me begin my journey as a writer and artist!

I started this fanfiction 2 years ago, but only just now got around to editing it because of some major writers block... Honestly, I'm still fighting writers block. I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!