Beyond the Darkness

Prologue

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Prologue

A father and son were shoved on their knees before the King. Their hands were tied behind their back with coarse rope and the father's nose was broken. Blood dripped slowly from it, splattering on the pristine marble floor.

The cold gaze of King Roland raked over them. The King lounged in his throne, looking down at them, assessing the pair. He had brown hair speckled with gray and his eyes were emotionless, devoid of any warmth. His fingers were encrusted with rings and his jeweled sword rested against his engraved gold throne.

Two muscled men stood on either side of him, swords glistening at their sides. They looked to be brothers, with the same facial features and build. The only thing that was different between the two of them were their eyes. One had eyes the color of blood and the other's was a light, murky, orange color.

The son's heart beat frantically in his chest. His mouth was devoid of saliva and felt scratchy as he swallowed. Any hope he had at surviving was now washed away. King's Roland's eyes showed no mercy. They were hard and calculating. Every story the son had ever heard about the King raced through his head. They say this was the man who had someone killed because he thought their eyes had been too defiant. This was the man who hanged someone because he had spilt a glass of wine on his shoes. This was the man who had a child beaten to the brink of death because they accidently ran out in front of him. The list of horrific tales could go on for days. Many of them the son thought had been exaggerated, but looking at this man, seeing those soulless gray eyes, he believed, without hesitation, every single tale he had heard. The Serpent King, they called him merciless, ruthless, conniving. The son knew that he was going to die today. This man would kill him and his father.

"We found these two men hunting in your forest, Your Majesty," the head guard said, his eyes lowered obediently. The father and son looked at the ground as well. Even if he was allowed to the son knew he would not be able to meet that cold gaze. It seemed inhuman.

"Did you now?" The Serpent King called. His voice was strong, gruff, and emotionless. It echoed across the large room sending chills down the son's back. "And why were you hunting in my forest? You should very well know that's against the law." The King said, directing the last part to son's father. His voice was without infliction. He didn't sound cross, just slightly bored. Their lives were in his hands and he couldn't even build up enough interest to at least feel annoyed.

"My family is starving, Your Majesty. We're desperate. We needed food. This famine has hit us hard." The father replied, his voice strong and deep, not displaying the fear that he surely felt.

"What is your craft?" The King asked looking down at the father and son with half-lidded eyes.

"I'm a cobbler," the father replied.

The King barked out a harsh, grinding laugh. "A shoemaker! Well that is interesting. No wonder you have no money, that is a bad business to be in at the moment."

"Yes it is Your Majesty. Please have mercy. I have a family. They need us. Punish me as you see fit but at least let my son go. He was only listening to me. Please, I beg you, spare my son." You could hear the desperation in the father's voice. The son knew his father was regretting allowing him to come along. The father knew that their desperation would ultimately result in their deaths.

"I am very sympathetic to your plight," the King announced, not sounding sympathetic at all. "But you did break a law. If I let you and your son free and word got out every peasant would think it would be fine to go waltzing into my personal forest. No, I cannot let that happen."