Love and War

Checkmate

A boy runs through the extravagant halls of his home, the bamboo walls blur past as he speeds up around a corner and laughs while looking behind him, his long curly green hair falling into his face and blocking his purple eyes from seeing.

He begins to slow down after noticing there isn't anything following him anymore. His tiny child feet slap against the floor very un stealthily. He sees an open door as he backtracks. On the floor he sees a large red splatter. He thinks nothing of it as he walks up to it, placing his white hand on the door, sliding it open as his slit-pupils widen inquisitively.

"Rook I thought we were going to play today? Do you not wanna play anymore?"

He speaks to the lump on the bed, walking up to it and climbing onto the bed. He shakes the figure. Before ripping the blanket off and immediately traumatizing himself.

"Rook?.."

His older brother lays there, lifeless, holding his head in his arms, as it was detached from his body. In his curled hands was a bloody knife and a rook chess piece. The boy sits there. Shocked.

A scream resonates throughout the room and the estate. A maid has discovered the scene.

The boy looks up at her, tears streaming down his face as he is utterly distraught. The maid runs up to him and hugs him to her chest. "Boy! What happened?" She questions him, wiping his tears.

"I.. I don't... we were playing! I swear I didn't do anything miss!"

She looks at him sadly, hugging him tighter as she picks him up to carry him out of the room. He grips onto the corpses hand tightly, refusing to let go.

She pulls him away at last and carries him to his parents as their guards rush to the scene and take position in case anything else happens.

A pregnant woman made of flowers along with a large man with stag horns who holds her protectively against him. The maid speaks to them briefly, which the boy has stopped processing his surroundings since he left the bedroom.

His parents look at him sadly. He suddenly starts convulsing as his appearance starts changing and shifting to that of his deceased brother.

His mother cries out in anguish and surprise.

It was his blessing to be a joker, a mere play act.

As he got older. His parents neglected him, focusing more on his younger, more successful siblings. He couldn't call them mom or dad. Because they weren't that to him. All they used him for was to see Rook again.

One day, they sent him off to the enemy country. As they are currently in an active war and have been for several years. He realizes they don't expect him to return, so he doesn't try to. He's tired of being used by them. He intends to seek out the sultan of the enemy country, in order to exchange sensitive information for his comfort and hopefully a better life, one filled with love from others.

Unfortunately... and fortunately for some.

Nothing really ever goes according to plan.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

According to some fancy dead guy.

I think he was onto something there.