The Bride In Black

Part 84

When my vision cleared I felt strange. This feeling of weightlessness, like I was hollow. Like my feet didn't have weight or mass. Like my steps didn't make a sound. I stood in my dress just as I had been before but I was somewhere completely different, this vast empty green place mountains loomed over this green valley, the blue sky hung low. I knew I wasn't in pennyshire anymore.

"Please..." I heard behind me so I quickly turned on my heels I saw a silvery rock where a woman laid in grey rags, Her brown hair in a long braid she was bloody and bruised gasping for her every struggled breath as she held the hand of a small blonde boy no older than nine. "Be good" she begged with her last breath before her eyes closed and her head dropped onto the stone

"Mummy... please don't go mummy" He begged her, tears flooding down his cheeks. I struggled not to cry myself hearing his blood curdling cries for his mother. Slowly darkness fell and he begrudgingly left her walking through the tall grass stopping just in front of me picking up a stick from the grass starting to gather things to build himself a shelter. I watched as time rolled on by watching him slowly grow and the large green field grow from a small farmhouse, to a thriving village slowly but surely watching as this large silver stone castle rose high into the sky with a city surrounding it all with this boy as king. I could walk through the streets, though the castle chambers and knowone ever saw I was there. I was able to watch this whole place grow into the prosperous city. I saw the boy grow into a strong man, I never saw him smile in all the years I had seen him... Until one day. He was walking in the back fields of the castle and he found a young girl with a long golden braid of hair with her little basket of flowers

"Ohh Hello My king" she curtseyed

"Hello, Miss" He smiled happily talking with her for hours, it was sweet to watch him so happy. As she visited more often and they spent more time together eventually being married in the castle hall on a beautiful winter day.

"You and I, now and forever until the end of time" he smiled his forehead against hers

"Now and forever Samuel"

I felt so happy watching them get married they both seemed so happy together. She went though a much harsher version of the process and the two ruled over the still growing city as a very happy king and queen. Her stomach slowly grew and one day in early February she had her baby but the rest of it caused her to lose her own life once her baby gained his own. The child was so sweet giggling away but he couldn't even face his son. Going out to the balcony with a servant, a silent tear running down his face.

"My king, what are your demands?" she asked

"I want an arrangement?" he says

"An arrangement?"

"I want you and your staff to swear you will take care of my son"

"Of course my king"

"No. I need you to swear. Swear you will not stop defending him. And whatever extensions of my family come"

"Of course my king" she nodded

"Swear" he told her he cut his hand open and offered her the knife she cut her hand open and held his own "Swear that you and all others in your staff will defend my family. From this day until the end of days."

"I swear to do so my king" she nods and as she took her hand away her hand was healed

"Thank you." he nods "fetch me wine" he demand

"Yes sir" she nods, hurrying off, the moment she was gone he wiped his eyes and went out into the harsh sunlight, he took his true form, the smallest of all forms I had ever seen. And as soon as the sunlight touched his form it began to burn and smolder until his whole form went completely up in flames leaving nothing behind not even a pile of ash.

The servant held her word and even brought many more staff all of which now lived as long as the family was unable to be hurt until their work was done. As the little boy grew up in the castle, I knew who it was, it was Henry . I watched him grow up under the castle's protection all the while the city grew more and more but the larger it grew the more unhappy the people became. One day when he was meeting with the new staff members I recognized the look he had across his face it reminded me of what I saw with samuel and even with Thomas "Pleasure to meet you my king"

"Pleasure to meet you miss, what's your name?"

"Marceline" she blushed

"Marceline" he smiled "That's a beautiful name"

It was a pleasure to watch them grow closer soon enough being married on the hill. Her process not long after the much cleaner and more simplified Penelope before her, I understood why Edgar thought she and I would get along. I think honestly we would have. She was kind but had her limits, a grace that couldn't really be explained as if she glided across the world. She had her sons, the trio of boys all of which were sweet, Luke a strong minded boy who always had his head deep in a book, Markus was foolish but sweet hearted nonetheless almost always training to be as fast and strong as possible and Nathan was a kind soul who cared for his animals his horses, rabbits, cats and dogs most of which strays from the city that he cared for even in there I'll states. but I didn't know them for long as soon enough Luna arrived and then Wotton. And on the day Wotton arrived the city burned.

The people rose up and thought against them executing the boys but Wotton and Henry, they burnt the castle all the paintings, books, and other beautiful things I had watched be created over all these years went up in smoke enough to bring a year to your eye. Markus and Nathan were hung in the town square and Lucas beheaded a day after. Luckily Henry, Marcelline, Luna and Wotton escaped with help from the staff. And I was able to follow them though until they reached what would become Pennyshire and Natalie was born. It was amazing to watch as Henry built everything of the manor I had known all of it to protect his family but given I already knew the fate of those before me o was fearful of all the things thomas hadn't told me.