Grieve Him

Chapter 2

My father, king of Kalaz, was a man of action. This meant his words weighed heavy and compliments were scarce. He never neglected my mother nor I, even until her very end and unto today, he had never stopped cherishing me.

This didn't stop him from being the ruler he had to be. Gunnur was giving a stern talking to. "In the real world there is no hesitancy!" He would scream and Gunnur's arguing that this isn't the real world didn't help. He was preparing me for such and I still was not ready. He knew it, Gunnur did and so did I.

After Gunnur was spoken to, my father called me in and reminded me to be ready for tomorrow's festivities. It was the annual celebration of the day war was ended in all of Azla. The day my father had fought so hard for.

I excitedly agreed that I could not wait and composed myself until I was in my own room again. It was filled with books and paintings of memories my father had painted. It was a skill he picked up after the war. They truly are beautiful.

As I curled up on my bed with a book of bedtime stories, I felt my bodys sore and tense muscles begin to ease. Soon I could barely feel the pain and my eyes shut as I dreamt of tomorrow.

The next morning, I woke up and prepared myself for the day. I put on my dress and readied myself, managing to equip a small dagger hidden in my outfit. As I made my way to the castles entrance.

I picked up an apple on the way. I know if father knew I had skipped breakfast again, I wouldn't hear the end of it but his always so busy in the mornings on this day that I manage to get out of breakfast.

I patiently read my book before Gunnur had called me to go. We were to be apart of the parade. I loved being apart of it every year. Less and less as time went on but it's tradition,especially since my mother fell ill. After all, if it weren't for the people of Kalaz, we wouldn't be where we are today.

The physicians, alchemists and even chefs or gardeners. Everyone had tried to contribute a remedy to help. Whilst it prolonged the time we had with it, nothing was definite.

And so we rise to the occasion every year, as a thank You. They cheer us on as one too.

I had no reason to believe this year would be any different. The streets seemed as busy as ever. As our caridge went down the cobble stone pathed roads, they cheered as we smiled and waved. It was a delight.

There were caridges for everything that made our city of great. Carpenters ones, forgers, bakeries and even a knights guard caridge. We held pride in our work. Pride in our kingdom. Pride in our king.

The city was exploding with a sense of happiness and excitement. Kids running around all over the place and their parents chasing after them. It was truly wonderful.

The joy didn't last long though... soon everyones faces went from a blissful glee to that of horror. Cheers became cries of anguish. I turned around and saw a horrible side. My father laying beneath my feet, a dagger in his heart.

His blood spilled down to the edges of my dress, running them red.

I kneeled down beside his body as time felt like it had become slower. My brain processing what had happened. I looked up from my fathers body, scanning the crowd for a sign of something.

That's when I noticed something strange. Out of every now horror, filled face; there was one wrenched and drowned in anger. Smugness. A sense of joy.

He wore a little dark blue hood. Too small to belong to anyone but a child. Before I could stop myself, I had leaped off the caridge, pulling the dresses wavy bottom off from me.

My pants were flexible and sagged. It gave me the room to move freely and I am for one glad I had worn it underneath my dress.

I heard Gunnurs voice trailing off behind me, "STOP THE PRINCESS. GET HER BACK TO THE CASTLE IMMEDIATELY!"

But my body was moving faster than his words could reach my brain. Even if they had, I did not care. I knew what I had seen and I wasn't going to waste any time and allow him to slip away.

He was fast, but so was I. It was the one thing Gunnur had always worked into me and today it would pay off. I would catch this man and bring him to his knees.

It hadn't been much of a chase. He seemed to be moving fast yet carelessly through the city, making his way to the outta walls. It wasn't long before we were out the city and heading through the woods.

I had never really been here before. Only in a caridge from kingdom to kingdom with my father and an envoy of royal guards but that were on the paths, not through the moss, animal and shrudery-fested woods.

If it werent for me having to get this man, I would've loved this sight...but all I could see was red.

He jumped over a log and not long after so did I. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. My breath had become heavy. I stood up and looked around franticly. My breathing speeding up.

As my eyes opened after blinked, everything began to faded to black.