Regal

Prelude

Regal

8 year old Evangeline Heath clung to her mother's hand as they hurried through the market square, trying her best to not fall on the rocky ground. All around her people moved - shouting, gossiping, laughing.

"Evie! Keep up!" Her mother scolded her. The little girl had barely noticed as her large eyes fell on a big man in a uniform and tall hat, sitting atop a large horse. His scalding eyes met hers and she gasped. The big man scowled at her as he smacked the behind of the horse with a whip and rode away.

"Mother, who was that man?" Evie asked, wide eyed. Her mother faltered, slowing down to a walk. She looked at her daughter, fear in her amber eyes.

"What man?"

"The man on the big hors-"

"Evie! We haven't got time for this! Come along - now!" With that her mother yanked the little girl up into her arms and hurried through the market square.
----

Evie winced as her mother flung through the door of a shoemaker shop frantically.

"Hudson! Hudson!" She cried into the seemingly empty cabin shop. A tall man with a beard came out from the back, wiping his hands with a towel.

"Anais? What are y-"

"We haven't got time! Take Evie. They've come - for Arlen." She stuck Evie out to Hudson and he grabbed her, eyes widening. Evie yelped at the rough grips and looked at her mother frantically.

"Arlen? Brother? Mother why are they coming for Arlen?" Evie asked, fighting to get the ground hastily. Anais looked at her daughter, than turned quickly out the door. "MOTHER! WHO IS COMING FOR ARLEN?! MOTHER?!" She ran to the doorway but was grabbed by her uncle. "Uncle?! What's happening?!" She cried, tears now pouring down her cheeks. "Where did mother go?" Hudson shook his head.

"Evangeline, I can't explain to you. Everything will be alright..right now you need to be as quiet as possible." He sat her down in the back at a log table. "Please, Evie. Trust me."

Another tear fell down her chubby cheek.

"Will Arlen be okay?"

Her uncle looked at his niece, than turned away.

"Just stay here, Evie."

She watched him leave, and the smart little girl couldn't help but wonder if the man on the big horse had anything to do with this.

----

Clip, clop
Clip, clop

The sound of horses trotting by jolted Evie out of her slumber. She sat up from the oak table and looked around. Her uncle was nowhere to be found. Curiously, she stepped down from the chair and walked into the store. Just outside the window she could see the villagers had parted, and horses trotted through with big men on top of them. It was mostly silent, except the excited chattering of the people.

Evie stepped outside, immediately knocked down by boy who jumping to see what was going on.

"Ow!" She looked down at her bony knees to find them scraped, her hand bloody and red.

"Isn't that one of those Heath boys?" A villager said to someone standing next to her. Evie became attentive, hearing her name. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw her big brother being led by two guards through the sea of people. Her heart stopped.

"Brother?!" She got on her hands and knees, crawling her way through the crowd, wincing every time her cut knee was sliced more by the sharp gravel. She could feel the blood dripping down her leg. Finally she reached the edge of the crowd and pushed herself up, only to be face to face with a blade. It belonged to one of the men carrying her brother. "Arlen!?" She whispered. The young boy turned his weak face to her, bruised and bloody. He was almost unrecognizable to Evie. Her eyes widened. "W-where are you going, brother?! What are they doing to you?" His eyes locked with hers, recognition flooding his unintelligible face. Before he turned, his cut lips made movements toward his little sister.

"I love you."

Hot tears burned her scraped, raw cheeks as he weakly turned his head away.

"ARLEN!" Her tiny voice screamed. She ran after them, tripping and falling over feet and stones. She reached out to grab the soldier's coat tail, and rough hand enclosed around her arm, yanking her back. Looking up, she saw one of Arlen's best friends, Fallon. He said nothing, but held her firmly in front of him. They watched the soldiers clear the way of a large structure, where they forced Arlen's head into, closing a wood block down on the back of his neck. Evie looked up at Fallon, beginning to say something, but the hard rock look on his face muted her.

The crowd was hushed, and the world seemed to stop. Evie watched with trepidation as one of the coated men held a string to the structure.

The last thing Evie remembered was the jarring sound of a giant blade sending her beloved brother's head rolling to the cold, rocky ground, and his best friend catching her wilting, trembling body.

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Hey guys!
I hope you enjoyed this Prelude! I'd say its essential to the story:))
I'm so excited and I plan to update daily.
Hope to see you soon!

Xoxo
Hazellenut;))