Long Live the King

Chapter 1

Chapter I

Heat blazed down on the mighty castle heading the kingdom of Incantria. Most summer days here were no different, always unbearably hot, but a soft breeze would occasionally come to the rescue of the people working in the cities. The abundance of factories in these cities cast large deposits of smoke and sooty grime into the air and clung to the lungs of its citizens. These conditions were, needless to say, hard on the people of the cities and many philosophers were working on solutions to these issues, but the king cared not. Never had he once left the castle grounds to view the death and poverty which he had ultimately fueled and created. This king, however, was growing old and the citizens looked eagerly to the day when his level headed oldest son, Patrick, would take the thrown. Patrick had been to the grunge filled cities many times and had spent much of his time helping the lowest of the low get back on their feet. But on this particular day, he had decided to come home to the castle grounds. He and one of his younger sisters, Cassandra, sat in the garden talking as the summer heat accompanied them.

"The family that I had just recently stayed with," explained Patrick to Cassandra, "was very poor. They had a daughter who was only ten, about two years younger than you, who had become a prostitute just so her family could have enough money to eat."

Cassandra shook her head in disbelief. "I just don't understand how people can become so desperate for money."

Patrick opened his mouth to talk, but just then, his younger brother, Gerard climbed down out of a nearby tree, "I'll tell you how," Gerard said to his younger sister, "Our father rules this kingdom in such a way that those people have no choice but to be homeless and poor and even die."

Patrick glared at him for he had known that he and Gerard had already discussed this previously. "Gerard." He warned.

Cassandra was confused. She knew nothing of what her father had done, unlike her older brothers. "What do you mean? What could dad have possibly done that would make all these people this way?"

"Our father is a monster with no regard for anybody but himself. He-" Gerard was interrupted.

"You better stop this childishness right now." Patrick remarked.

"And why should I?" Gerard challenged, a smirk spreading slyly across his face.

"Because it's only right to respect our father and our king."

"That means nothing to me." Gerard stated.

"Obviously."

"You know, you just always have to be the perfect child, don't you? Isn't that right Saint Patrick? You're disgusting."

Cassandra hated it when people took shots at Patrick. She found him to be a very admirable person. "He's a better person then you'll ever be."

Gerard was very short tempered and hated being compared to his brother like that. He swung a fist at his younger sister's right eye. Cassandra began to cry and Patrick stood to face his brother. "Go back inside now!" He yelled at Gerard.

"You can't make me do anything!"

Patrick grabbed Gerard's arms and twisted them behind his back. Gerard cried out in pain as his brother pulled tighter on his arms. "GET OFF!"

Patrick released him just as several guards rushed over to see what was going on. Gerard was picked up off the ground by one of the guards. He tried desperately to pull away from their grip and get a good swing at Patrick who was trying to get Cassandra to stop crying. The guards knew that Gerard was a trouble maker and often times tried to cause eruptions between his siblings, so they began to drag him back inside to his mother. Gerard realized that he wasn't going to be getting away so he screamed the words that he had wanted to express all along to Patrick. "I HATE YOU!"