Broken Poetry

King's Game

I sat in the glass throne, my fingers digging into the smooth surface as I was forced to watch this poor man plead for his daughters life. The King, my father, watched with a smile spread across his face, his sick love for other people's pain clearly showing.

The man cried and begged for his young daughters life... She was born without the gift. My blood red hair fell in curtains over my face as my father opened his mouth to give the punishment. I just couldn't watch.

"Fifty Self-inflicted lashings across the wrists and legs, two days hanging from the chains of town central, and the death of your daughter by none other than you."

Everyone knew these things were never self-inflicted, only the King reaching into his mind and moving his body for him.

The man shattered and fell to his knees, begging and begging.

"Please spare my daughter, she did nothing wrong! She doesn't deserve this death! She's just a baby!"

Tears threatened to fall at the sound of soldiers bringing the crying toddler into the room.

A knife was handed to the man, now in the Kings control.

"Please. Please." He cried as he held the toddler by the head, their tears streaming down their faces like never ending rivers.

The man brought the knife up to his daughters throat, pleading some more, crying like it could help.

"Daddy please!" The girl cried, her white eyes wide with fear.

I shut my eyes, but my father reached into my head and made me open them.

The knife was yanked, a clean cut through the neck, her body fell to the floor, her head still in her fathers hand.

He screamed so loud, I was surprised his throat wasn't pushed out from the force.

The man was carried away, for his fifty self inflicted lashes then his hangings at the town center.

All these lives that my father had ruined, as if his Kingdom was a game of chess, the citizens his ponds and the Queen his defense. Soon I would be a game piece too.