Abditory

𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓹𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮

My bare feet hit the cool stone floor with a thump. 

Sounds of war and suffrage materialized before my ears as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.  

 I'm not safe anymore.

I live in a kingdom of stone. Guards are positioned around my room but I still could not feel more unsafe.

A year ago if I had looked out my window, there would've been a stunning garden looking back at me. There would've been a peaceful breeze and the smell of baked bread on a hot summer afternoon.

Now?

Now an ugly grey wasteland looked back at me. 

My father calls it his battlefield, he tells me that I should be honoured and proud that I get to look at a piece of history every day.

This place used to be my home. 

Before my mother died the kingdom was peaceful, beautiful even. Now it's cold, dark and empty.

No one wants to be here.

The community has rebelled against us.

What once was a unified kingdom, became a battlefield all too quickly.

My mother's death was the turning point for Hyrath. She ruled that place the way a true leader should. 

And when she died it all fell apart.

My father had been pushing her about his conflict with the people of Eldoran.

The Eldorians are solely responsible for half of the resources our kingdom was supplied with. What my father must have missed was that Eldorians made up the majority of our staff our kingdom and our community.

Eldoran was a colossal kingdom back before Hyrath was even a colony.

Years before me, my ancestors came to Eldoran and tried to claim the community on behalf of Hyrath. Because Hyrath had higher technologies and an army Eldorians couldn't compete against, a pact was made.

Hyrath could rule over the general land of Eldoran but the eldorian people didn't necessarily have to follow every rule of the Hyrath. 

It took time but until last year the Eldorian people were living peacefully among the Hyrath.

The Eldorians loved my mother, they called her the goddess of Eldoran. When she died there was a serious divide.

My father was no help, he was always jealous of the Eldorian people.

They built Eldoran on their own. 

They have always known how to use the resources around them which is why my father never had any true power over the Eldorians.

He is a ruler but the Eldorians arent technically his people, especially since he refuses to treat them as equals.

After my mother died my father went on a power trip, he thought he could conquer Eldoran and enslave its people.

He underestimated their good faith.

With a few more vicious shoves the Eldorians turned on Hyrath.

War has been among us for the past year.

It hurts my heart to see everything my mother had worked towards, torn to pieces because of one ignorant man.

I rubbed my face and found wetness.

I wasn't sure when the tears came but I wasn't surprised.

This place is empty but it is far from quiet. All day and all night I can hear screams in the dark distances of the battlefield.

I know one day they'll come for me.

My father has made this place a poster of hate and stationed me on the front page.

'Princess of Hyrath', 'Future queen and ruler of Eldoran'

His goal is to fill me with hatred and wrath.

He thinks I'm a dumb simple woman he can control.

He forgets I grew up my mother's daughter. I am the daughter of Eldoran whether he wants to believe it or not.

There is only one thing keeping me from fighting against my father with the Eldorians. If I were to leave, he would cause absolute bloodshed.

Over the years my father has grown the Hyrath army. I never understood why he needed such a force until now.

Hyrath actually poses a threat to Eldoran.

And I am truly terrified. I feel a sense of impending doom for my people and it physically hurts me to stand by and be able to do nothing.

A knock at my door pushed me from my thoughts.

"Calenthe open up" a gruff voice pleaded.

I tiptoed over to the large French doors and unlocked the bolt I had installed on them.

A tall man with long curly black hair stood before me. His tanned skin glistened with sweat under the light of the moon.

"Keir, are you ok?" I gasped.

Keir Sidero, a warrior in my father's army and my greatest ally.

 He took my hand in his. They felt smooth against my small dry hands.

"Your father had us training for hours" he grumbled while peeling the clothes off his body.

In the past year after my mother died, Keir had been the only person there for me. My own father didn't bat an eyelash in my direction.

In my time when I needed someone the most, Keir was there for me and he's still here. I love him.

"I missed you today," I said standing behind his naked form.

He turned to me and I fought to keep the blush off my cheeks.

"I'm here now love," he said approaching me.

He wrapped a strong arm around my waist and pulled me into his slender fit form. He bent his head so that his chin met my shoulder.

"Bathe with me" he grumbled against my throat.

I sighed softly as he kissed my neck and started to undress me.

I wasn't nervous in front of him anymore, he knew my body.

We cleaned each other and made love as best we could until we were too tired to go on.

Sometimes it feels like we only used each other as stress relief, but can't that be love too?

He is the temporary resolution to my endless problems. I need his love now more than ever. 

I know he needs me too.