The Keys: A Tale of a Beginning and End

Chapter ten

I slowly crept across the hall, making sue not to make any noise I didn't want to wake Rosalind, I looked around his room to see if he left any trace of what he was up to. All of Zander's belongings were still there, that meant he was coming back, maybe he just opened the window to get fresh air, and then went down to get a late night snack. I started walking to the stairs, still walking stiffly as to not wake anyone, and say lights on, and I could smell food.

Zander was at the stove, preparing what seemed to be beef stew, "That smells amazing!" He jumped slightly and then turned, he looked kind of embarrassed. "You can cook, the only thing I know how to is cereal and that's cause you can't burn it." He began to smirk a bit, seeming like himself again, well at least I thought as his usual self, he turned back to the stove. "My Mom taught me how to make this when I was younger." "Did she teach you how to fight too?" I was just joking but he got kind of sad and said, "No my Dad taught me, after she died, this... cooking, helps me feel close to her..." Zander paused for a bit and then continued "She was everything to me and I couldn't protect her..." I walked over to him and noticed that he was holding back tears. "I know you don't really know me very well, we just met after all but, doyou want to talk about it? It may help you move on." Bringing his arm up to his face, he wiped away the tears that had crept through. "No I'm good, but uh, thanks. Can I offer you some beef stew, Mom's special recipe." I smiled and said "Of course, I would love some.

We sat there eating in silence, but that silence spoke volumes to me. It told me that the main reason he started learning how to defend himself, was because he felt like it was his fault. Zander blamed himself for his Mom's death, but in reality I don't think he had anything to do with it. "So..." The silence broke with that single spoken word. "My Mom, she died around the same time you escaped the kingdom." I couldn't believe he was opening up to me, what didn't surprise me was the fact that his Mom died abut the same time the kingdom was over thrown.

It was someone power hungry, they some how managed to get into the castle and kill my father, he then went after me I fought him off and ran, ran so far and fast that I didn't bring any thing. No money and no clothes, that's how I ended up being a bounty hunter, the guards, before they served that despicable man, taught me how to fight Until I was better than them. Back to his Mom though, the 'new' king raised the taxes and if you refused an order from him you were killed. Still do not know his name, no one does, the only thing I know is that he is harsher than my Father ever was, and he will never get true respect. A real monarch would be respected by the subjects choice, not by fear of death and agony!