The Lost Heir

Chapter 3

Evelyne skipped happily as she headed home. When she arrived, Maximus was there, waiting.

"Where have you been?!" he exclaimed.

Evelyne flinched. "I'm sorry. I lost track of time"

He shook his head. "You know how dangerous it is. And I specifically told you to be home before the sun starts going down!"

"Yes...but I–"

"No! No excuses. I give you rules to keep you safe! So that you won't get captured, arrested, or...even killed!"

Evelyne flinched again at the last part. She still didn't completely understand why Maximus was so overprotective of her. Yes, she was allowed to go about and explore, but even then there were restrictions. No going to the cliffside, no going near the palace, no talking to guards or strangers, and other rules like that.

Maximus sighed. "I was tasked with keeping you safe. And I have been doing that for the past fourteen years." He sighed again. "Well, at least none of that bad stuff happened and you're home safe. So now, I believe it's time for supper."

Evelyne nodded - she was starving. "Yes please!"

~*~

Now, Maximus not only had to keep Evelyne safe from the king, but he also had to work for him. As his advisor. Maximus couldn't do anything to stop the king's tyranny; the only thing he could do was help with political decisions and keep his treason a secret. It wasn't easy, however. Rebellions popped up across the realm in the past 14 years, and he of course was a part of one of them.

Maximus had served Levaria for a long time; possibly his whole life. He did have a family, but all he was focused on was protecting Evelyne until she was old enough. In the back of his mind, he worried. For himself, his family... for Evelyne.

~*~

A few weeks later...

Evelyne trudged home. Her feet felt like lead. Zach was surprisingly competitive!

"I am never challenging that boy to a race ever again," she groaned. "Why did I let him get a head start?"

She just wished to get home to a warm bowl of beef stew. Her mouth watered just thinking about it, and her legs ached even more. She had to get home.

Now that she thought about it, how was she going to explain why she was all sore? She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Her main goal was to get home. She would worry about that later.

But when she arrived at the house, something was off. The door was left open, creaking as it swung back and forth on its hinges. No lights were on in the house, and she heard no sounds coming out. She crept closer.

Stepping into the house she called out for Maximus.

"Maximus!"

No response. With the dim evening sun shining through the windows, she could see that the house had been trashed. Vases had been smashed, curtains hung torn, and other debris littered the floor. She frowned at the mess.

As she continued through the house, she found that every room had been ransacked. Many rooms had been turned upside-down.

"Maximus!" she called out again.

She came to her room and tried to open the door. It barely budged. She pushed against it some more and it finally opened.

But then she gasped. On the floor, a pool of blood had collected. Lying a little ways away was a man. A Levarian soldier.