Never Enough

Try to fix you (Eddited)

 "Our strength grows out of our weaknesses." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Long time ago, when men wore metal armor and their honor was worth more than gold, lived a war lord that was feared by all throughout the land. He soon killed the king and toke the throne for himself. After claiming the throne he killed anyone directly connected to the former king except the king’s oldest daughter, whom he lust after and forced to marry him.

25 years later…

The kingdom of Evelot was a peaceful place. The knight were one of the best ever seen and most feared in all the kingdoms around. The war lord and his wife had nine sons. The eldest Cassius was just shy of 23 and, the age when men would find wives and settle down. After Cassius, came the 19 year olds Septuplets who toke after their father in cruelty and ruthlessness. Unlike his seven younger brothers Cassius was kind, gentle and his biggest wish was to become a knight and be able to fight alongside the brave and powerful knight. But since he was the eldest and the heir to the throne he was forbidden such luxury and was forbidden to even associate with the knights for fear of harm coming to him. But Cassius and his youngest brother were in love with the battle field and in love with the idea of immortal glory through war and conquer.

The youngest Evan was 17 and the lease favored by the king. It wasn’t because Evan was the last to be born or the fact that Evan loved to fight and duel with the Knights. It was because after having eight boys Evan was born a female and thus a shame to her father. So upon her birth her father decided that she should be disguised as a male and become the ninth son to a proud king. After she was born the midwife who had helped during the delivery was sentence to death and all her helper banished from the land. The king swore the queen to secrecy and told her that if she ever told anyone their daughters true identity he would personally hang both the queen and the young princess. So from then on the little princess became a prince and her nurses sworn to secrecy and threatens with the same punishment as the queen. So the young princess was dressed in boy cloth and given the name Evanger, a very powerful and manly name, so that her manhood would never be in question. No one in the kingdom knew Evan’s secret; that is beside the king, queen, Evan’s personal nurses and Cassius. Cassius learned about his sister by accident. It was Evan’s fifth birthday and the kingdom was in celebrating mood. The king would always allow one week of celebration for each of his son’s birthday. The princes were all gathered in the main hall to be measure and fitted for the huge celebration that kicked off the week of celebrating. The Septuplets were picking on Evan telling her that her birthday cake was going to be made out of dog poop and that her birthday present was going to a week in the dungeon with the murderers and thieves. Through it all the king watched his sons bicker and push poor Evan around in circles till she finally fell to the ground and burst out crying. When the king saw Evan’s tear, he banished her from the hall and told her not to return till she grew a pair and stopped crying. Evan hearing her dad’s cruel words ran from the hall and toke shelter in the garden. That’s were Cassius found her crying under a weeping willow.

“You know Evan, real men don’t cry. You are about to become a man so you should wipe your tears, march back inside and be a big boy and apologize to father. Boys don’t cry you know. Crying is only for the weak hearted females.” Cassius smiled and patted his brother on shoulder.

Evan looked up at him and anger filled her eyes. How dare he smile at her and make fun of her pain? What did he know about weak hearted females?

“I don’t want to go back inside and play dress up and pretend to be a boy. I am not even a boy.” She rushed and spit out her words without thinking about what she had just said.  As soon as the words had left her mouth she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands and buried her head in her hands.

“Evan? What did you mean you are not a boy? Evan? Evanger! Answer me now!” Cassius screamed when Evan refused to answer him. When he saw Evans small frame shack from crying he sat beside his brother and pulled him into a hug.

“Evan you can trust me. No matter what happens I will always be on your side. You can tell me. Please?” Cassius pleaded and raised his brother’s face to look into his eyes.

“Cassius, would you love me even if I wasn’t a boy?” Evan whispered so low that Cassius had to lean all the way to hear her.

“I would love you even if you had horns and tail.” Cassius joked but when he saw the seriousness on his five year old brother, his smile disappeared and fears over toke him.

“I was born a girl Cassius. I am not a boy but is forced to dress like one. Father said if I ever told anyone he would kill both mother and I and then kill all my nurses. I cannot be a girl because like you said, girls are useless and weak hearted. A girl cannot be a part of this court and if I want to be a part of my father’s court I have to pretend to be boy and wear boy clothe.” Evan said and with each work her tears flowed faster. And yet surprisingly her heart felt lighter.

Cassius stared at his five year old brother. Wait sister? Was he really a she? Could it be possible? That would explain why he… damn… she was forced to shower separately. It would also explain why their father hated Evan so much. But even 12 year old Cassius could not understand why a   five year old should be burden with such hardship. His heart broke for his younger sister and at that moment he hated his father and finally understood why everyone referred to his father, behind his back, as Jonathan the cruel.  He looked at his sister and at that very moment he promised himself that someday, somehow he would help Evan escape this cruel fate. He gently pulled Evan to his side and hugged her tight.

“I will love you for father, mother, and the evil seven. Because they are not capable of love and someone as special as you needs all the love she possibly could get.” Cassius swore and kissed the top of his sister head and made a promise also to himself, to always protect her no matter what.