Not Living up to Expectations

Chapter 1

Twelve years ago...
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Levi's POV
I woke up suddenly when I heard a ear piercing scream ring through my ears. I rush out of my room only to see guards running toward where I think the scream came from. One of the guards seen me and ran to me.

" Prince Levi, you must come with me to the panic room."

"What's happening?!"

"No time to explain. Your mother and sister are awaiting you there."

He took my hand and led me quickly down the halls. I seen some of the guards and staff bodies laying on ground with either stab wounds or arrows in them. I had no time to panic as  two men came rushing towards me and the guard. The guard took his sword out and just in time to clash it against the two men's swords.

"Prince run! I'll hold them off. Go find another guard to take you to the panic room!" The guard yelled as he fought the two men off.

I ran down the halls toward the throne room hoping to find my father or guards in there. I peeked through the door to see if anyone was in there. Big mistake...

... blood so much blood. Everywhere... I looked around seeing guards fighting men. In the corner of my eye I see my father fighting off another man. This man was different though. You could tell he was the leader of the other men by the way he fought and dressed in golden armor and medals.

Suddenly, the man hit my father's knee making him fall almost as if he was bowing down to him.

"I HAVE YOUR KING UNDER MY BLADE. STOP OR I WON'T TAKE PITY ON YOU WHEN I END YOU LIKE YOUR KING."

The guards and men stopped and watched what the he was going to do next.

"YOUR KING AS GOVERNED THIS EMPIRE WRONGLY. HE HAS BEEN TOO LENIENT AND HAS BEEN A PUSH-OVER FOR TOO LONG. I AM HERE TO MAKE BETTER USE OF THIS KINGDOM. I WILL BE COMBINING THIS KINGDOM WITH MY KINGDOM."

My father tried standing up after he said that, but the man kicked him down making him fall to the ground once again.

"You can not do this.... My family and I did nothing to deserve this. We have run this empire peacefully and never bothered yours."

"QUIET!" He screamed
"Bring the Queen and her children to me." He spoke to one of his men. He left and came back with my mother in his arms while another man had my twin sister hanging off his shoulder. They screamed and tried escaping their captors' arms, but to no prevail.

"VANESSA! VIVIAN!" My father yelled their names only to be kicked in the stomach by the man.

They cried when they seen my father in such a state, but couldn't do anything while being held back.

" As king of South Valcrey I shall take over North Valcrey and combine them to become one. By killing the king of the North I shall become full ruler of this land."

King of South Valcrey. I always heard that the king and queen of that land were true dictators. Rumors about people trying to climb the wall that separated the North and South, but none have ever succeeded. People being killed for petty stealing since the king wouldn't allow people to leave their towns if there wasn't enough jobs, the weak beaten since they believed the weak had no place in the world. It was truly hell on earth.

The men made my sister and mother kneel in front of the man while another did the same to my father. Before anyone could do anything the leader brought his sword down on my mother... it was so sudden nobody said a thing as my mother's head rolled down the steps of the throne. Once it stopped moving my father let out a loud agonizing scream. As if he was the one who felt the blade's wrath, but who could blame him. He tried lunging for the man, but it was like the man expected it. He brought his sword in from of him just as my father reaches him. My father lunges straight into the sword...

"NOOO!!! I screamed. Everyone looked towards me when I realized my mistake.

"Levi! Go!- *cough* *cough* - run as fast as you can before they catch you!" With that my father slumped down on the ground.

" I SAID BRING THE CHILDREN. YOU FORGOT HIM YOU USELESS SCOUNDRELS. GET HIM NOW!!!"

That's when all hell broke loose. The guards finally realized what was happening and started attacking the men as they started running towards me.

I looked straight into my sister's eyes not wanting to leave her.

"YOU HEARD FATHER GO, RUN!" She yelled.

With a small smile on her lips she mouths 'I love you' before she turned toward the King of the south and closed her eyes just as the King brought his sword down on her, ending her life....

I screamed once again, but ran once I noticed that our guards were slowly beginning to fall back knowing they lost this battle.

I ran out of the castle finding more bodies scattered about in the front of the kingdom. As I passed the castle walls I see people running and screaming. I continue running until a villager sees me and runs up to me.

"Your highness, come with me. We must hide before they find you."

I nodded quickly before we started running towards the stables. The villager mounts a horse before helping me get in front of him.

We ride for what feels like hours before I slowly fall asleep.
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When I wake up I'm on a small cot. I get up quickly realize that what had recently happened wasn't just a dream.

As I think about what I seen and went through I feel tears start running down my cheek before I was full on sobbing for the loss of my family, my people, and my kingdom.

After a short while I get up with a new found strength not wanting to waste another minute as I walk out of the small bedroom and walk to where I heard a lot of yelling coming from one of the rooms.

I walk in and see a lot of people arguing about what they were going to do know that they had no king. I climbed on top of one of the tables and stomp my foot against the top gaining everyone's attention.

"Yelling and screaming won't get you anywhere. I know I may still be a child, but I want what everyone wants. I want to avenge my family, your king, queen, and princess. I've heard the rumors and stories about what happens in South Valcrey and if we let them rule over the North as well. We might as say goodbye to freedom and peace."

The people all looked at me as they slowly started nodding their heads and started cheering with new found motivation.

"What should we do now though? How do we plan on defeating them?" Someone asked.

"We train, we find other survivors, we start building our own army!" With that another round of cheers rang through the room.

As everyone started settling down I talked with some of the remaining guards who survived. They planned on teaching us how to fight, while the women were going to teach others how to sew.

I'm gonna train for the day that we win back our land and our freedom. When that day comes... they better hope Someone else kills them before I do...

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Just started writing this I didn't edit or check for errors yet so if you spot any please let me know. Hope you enjoy this so far.

In the next chapter, you'll see where Adrian is in the present🤫 ( 12 years later from this event happening)

~MariB💙