Dekadia Kingdom

Chapter 1

I was reading a report on one of the slaves when one of the Elite Guard barged into my room without knocking, how rude of him. "Sorry, my lord to barge in like this but the king wants you now, he does not seem to be in a good mood today." That was not good, I wonder who would suffer his wrath today, with an excel of my breath i stood up from my chair, the report would have to wait. I strolled to my door on the right, it joined to the king's bedchambers which was why i was confused of why I couldn't hear him. "My lord, he is in the throne room," ah so whichever elf had made him mad would be humiliated in front of the guards. 

"Lead the way," I commanded he bowed slightly before he marched out of the room with me behind him. We walked down the hall with twists and turns and if I hadn't been here for a year I would have been lost already, we halted at the wooden double doors with vines and leaves design carved into them. The man in front of me pushed it with a grunt, it was a marvellous room with golden walls, fire lamps in the four corners of the room, a big fire behind the throne and a smooth red carpet. The only thing odd about this scene were four elves on their knees shivering and the older male had slash marks on his back, I could already tell it had gone too far. "My king, what is going on?" I slightly shouted so he could hear me, he stared at me blankly before recognition flashed in his eyes. 

"Thedryn, the man I wanted to see. This man has been conspiring against me and was about to escape to the rebellion campsite, wherever that is." His hands balled up into fists and his face grew red, "I thought ten lashes for the male and let his children watch but I am still not satisfied." This wasn't good especially for the elves and i was right but I tried to speak reason to him. 

"Wardric surely there is another way, maybe you could send them to the dungeons with no food or water for three days. That would make them regret ever going against you," I was hopeful and desperate. The thing was I was half elf and half human and I want both sides to be peaceful, but Wardric doesn't want peace with the elves especially the way they had treated us all our lives. They were the ones treated us like slaves before we took over a year ago, it was bloody and great loss on both sides. "My king, surely there is another way to punish the elves?" 

I was looking at them and saw how dirty they were, dirt in their blonde hair, on their faces and clothes, their eyes drooping and I realised three of them were children. One looked about my age nineteen, one looked a couple of years younger than me and the other just a baby. Then the older man began to speak, "Please spare my children, do anything to me but please spare my children." Wardric seemed to think about it but I knew whatever he had planned it wouldn't be good on any of them, my muscles clenched and I grasped the handle of my dagger as I had a bad feeling about this. 

"No, I do not think so. Your people need to be afraid of me so they would not cross me, and for that to happen I need to make an example out of you four." He paused sweat starting at the palms of my hands, waiting in anticipation, "Kill them." The family gasped and huddled closer together but I wouldn't let anyone try and kill them, at the corner of my eye I saw one of the guards marched to the older male with a dagger also. He got right behind him before I ran over behind the guard and slit his throat, blood spurted out and I let go of him, I watched him as he flailed around and trying to gasp for air until he was no more. "Thedryn what is the meaning of this?" Wardric shouted as he stood up from the throne and I couldn't help but hate him a little.

"I'm sorry my friend, but I cannot stand by and watch innocent children die by your hands and the hands you command." I stated, his eyes widened probably couldn't believe what I said, "I am sorry my friend." I started pushing the family out the door while I kept an eye on everyone else, "Let us go and no one else has to die." Fury flashed in his eyes but he doesn't say anything just kept staring at me, I could tell he wouldn't let this betrayal go I knew him to well, not this easy anyway.