Krippled Kingdom

Chapter 17

Charles

Everyday that comes and goes I'm hoping and praying that the day I die would be very soon. It's like each new day brings new news. Bad news. Today I received the news that my father just passed. Now sitting here feeling hopeless makes me want to slit my own throat. Which makes me wonder if I had the ability to, would I? That's something I'm hoping to never have to answer.

Maya sits in front of me with the usual look of sympathy. I hate that. I hate that people feel sorry for me. I wish they didn't.

She cuts through my thoughts with a very sad voice. "I'm sorry about your father's death... I seriously don't know what to say right now..."
I tried so hard to just give even a little smile, but nothing. With a weak voice I silently reply, "thank you."

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After Maya leaves Eve comes out with the same exact expression Maya had. The look of sympathy. For the first time since I heard the horrible news I wanted to cry. But I didn't. Not that I didn't want to but I couldn't. The tears were drained. I used them all up and to be honest I'm glad I had no more to shed. I was tired of crying. It made me feel weak and pathetic. I hated that feeling.

I could tell by looking at Eve that I wasn't the only one tired of crying. She was too. It was obvious. But it made sense. Her life was far from a sweet dream.

She was about to speak when the gates banged open and a swaying man comes barging through them. He was holding a glass bottle in one hand and it was obvious the man was almost wasted.

With a floppy pointed finger at Eve he started speaking, actually shouting. "So, this is why you quit volunteering? I followed you here to see if you were actually going to the hospital. Turns out you weren't!" His voice was slurred and as he got closer I could smell the stench of alcohol coming from him.
"Dad?!" Eve says in shock
Wow so that's her father. I'm now beginning to understand one of the many reasons why her mother left. He looked as if he could of been in his early fifties. He was quite a hefty man and his tall hieght made him look almost like a giant. He looked like he hadn't seen a shaver in his life. The only thing good about this man were his eyes. They resembled Eve's eyes. Mesmerizing. My train of thought was soon brought to an end.

"What are you really doing here Eve?!" He says standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here?!" She yells back obviously shocked by all this.

This whole situation gave me a bad feeling, as if something bad was going to happen. I mean nothing ever goes right when fighting with a drunk person. Again I felt pathetic for not being able to stop it. I was being forced to watch.

"You're asking me? Are you stupid?!" He goes to slap her but she steps back and trips over her own feet. Please god just grant me, just for now even, the ability to help her. Who am I kidding, why do I still have hope in a 'God.'

"Leave her alone!" I yelled. But he just ignored me and stands over her. I look down at her and she's in tears. She's terrified.

"You leave home everyday, only to come here and... And get dressed as a maid for this... This" he now looks at me with disgust in eyes. "For this wasted being?!"

Eve scrambles to her feet and shouts out, "don't you dare speak to him that way, you're the only wasted being here!"

It happened so fast I barely saw it happen. He striked her with the back of his hand and as she falls to the ground he hovers over her. "You shut up when I speak!"

I was outraged with anger. I could feel my blood boiling and I just couldn't do anything. I was useless. She had no defense and I had to watch it all go down. It was torture for me.

He pulls her up of the ground and starts pulling her away. "You're coming home with me right now!!"
She was pulling and kicking and yelling out for help. Sadly no one was here. It was just us three. The crippled prince who couldn't do a thing. The psycho father and the defenseless girl.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Leave me alone!"
He stops abrublty when she punches him on the head. He throws the glass bottle into the wall right above my head. Shards of glass fall all over me.

With a growl in his voice he says, "get out of here now or I'll cause much more damage to that boy than being crippled."

"Go Eve. Just leave! Please!"
She starts to wipe away her tears and takes a step towards me but she's pulled back by her deadly father.

"Leave. Now!" He shouts
She starts sobbing and does as he says. He had the power and she was vulnerable. And as for me, I think I made that pretty clear multiple times. I was useless.

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Palace

Robert, one of the many people George had bribed stands up ready to speak.
"Greetings to you all. As on everyone's mind, we must now discuss the obvious here." He points at the throne. "This throne has been vacant for quite some time now. And I want to ask us, how long will this throne be like this for?"

He looks at George with a nod and continues. "I am for the opinion that George who is the only male surviving in the kingship lienage, take over this throne immediately!" He takes a seat as one of the eldest kingsmen, Peter, gets prepared to speak.

"If you don't have anything good to say then I advice you don't speak at all. How can you bring up such an idea especially when the king just died!"

Marcus, another supporter of goerge stands up in defense. "I don't see anything Wrong with what Robert has said. "
"Sit down you. Just sit down!" John says.

Peter pipes up again. "I suggest that we wait for at least six months, or at least a year..."
George at this moment is getting angered by each word that peter and john speak.
Peter continues, "before we appoint another king, we all know that the death of his first son, Samuel, has not been confirmed, same with Charles. We can't just rush into this decision making."

Robert stands up to speak. " I'm sorry to say this, but I can tell that you have a very empty head..."
"Excuse me?!" Peter is taken aback by his choice of words.
"Yes! Because you and I both know that the prince you talk of was as good as dead before he was officially prounced dead!"
George starts nodding furiously in agreement with Robert.

"Robert, may I remind you that you have just insulted me?! And now I not only ask you, but demand you take it back!"
"You know that is not possible so why waste your breath."

John retorts back, "you must apologize to him, you lost your position once, don't let it happen again..."
"Me? Apologize! For what, stating the truth?!"
"Yes, you must..."

"Okay, okay... Everybody calm down!" George gets up on his feet and yells over the argueing men.
"Look, the future of this country lies in our very hands and we must!... We must make a decision on this subject today. We all know that it is my birth right to take over after the death of my dear brother and this must not..."

He is soon cut off by peter. "Your brother just died and you're making such statements... I am not in support of this," he says tapping his cane repeatedly on the floor.

"Then leave! Go..." Robert says looking at Peter and John.
Peter clears his throat. "OK, we shall... But know this," he glares at George and says, "you will never win this battle. Just know that it's not over yet!" With that the two men march out of the room.