Immortality's Edge

Part 1

"Like any kingdom at the end of an era, they tend to crumble and perish with no say in why. Lives, families all just perish without a proper reason. For some reason, not here. I don't know why. Every time someone "dies" they just come back over and over again. There will be scars all across our subject's bodies showing others that they've lived other lives before now. Even I, princess to our kingdom, has died and come back several if not thousands of times. So tell me this General...Why is that? Why do we come back? Why do we have to keep living our burdened lives over and over again? Don't you see we're facing the brink of overpopulation?" I pace back and forth across the floor. Questions like this tend to keep me up at night, wondering why our kingdom, our...empire has to live this way.

"Your Highness, I've scoured the kingdom and surrounding ones everywhere. There is no logical reason why we live this way." The general says back. He rubs his temples before quietly sighing.

"I've...had enough of this. I'm going to leave." I turn around to face the general, which by his facial expression, he does not seem pleased.

"You don't get it, do you? We are the only ones in the world able to live forever, and all you want to do is drink and mourn about your life?! You're immortal princess, consider yourself lucky." He says through his teeth.

"Yes. My general," I stand back and point at him. "You don't get it." Our blatant arguing is getting us nowhere and we both seemed annoyed. Just as it seems that our arguing is escalating, my parents barge into the room with just a small squad of knights behind them. The king and Queen, a very serious couple with a threatening demeanor.

"That's enough." The queen speaks, her voice loud but concerned.

"Honey, we will not let you throw away your life trying to end it. You need to listen to the general, take his advice for once." He rests a hand on my shoulder. I turn to look at him.

"Darling Sam, where is your dress? You promised your mom you'd wear it today." Mother says. I stand up straight and sigh. With no hesitation, I leave the room. My parents yelling something at me.

Walking out of the door, I find myself wandering the maze of what I call the castle. Guards stiffen as I walk along the echoey halls, coming out of their weary trance. On occasions that I feel rather rebellious, I steal my freedom from this godforsaken castle by sneaking out through unlocked doors or even sometimes, through windows. But I felt like leaving should be public for once. The knights are the only ones who know of my rebellious tendencies, so they tend to keep it a secret. It's been years since I have left the castle and gone through town, and seeing all the town folk gasp in awe of my presence, makes me yearn to drown my sorrows away. I always, if not always, take to the back streets to go to the pub.

I demand my way through the front castle gates. With a few attempts at bribing my way through, they let me have a taste of victory and let me pass. A few hefty guards follow me out and just like that I shoo them away. I can take care of myself pretty well without getting into too much trouble.

I remember this one time where my friend, Ramses, and I got pretty hammered at the bar and caused a huge fight that almost burned down the pub. I'll never forget how much trouble I was in. My parents shut the whole kingdom down on lockdown so I couldn't run away; they even kept Ramses in the dungeon for a week. I like to tease him about it, saying it was his 'time out'. Keeping me and Ramses in 'time out' didn't stop us from trying to escape though. I managed to chip my way through one of the floors that's right above the dungeon, a hidden trapdoor. We got caught though, which put us right back where we started but with another week added on to our time.

I trudge through the busy streets of "cei căzuți" or "the fallen ones" and map my way through the city. I always thought it was very ironic how the city is called "The Fallen Ones" when nobody in the history of ever has died. The streets are decorated like a festival and the aroma of exotic spices fill the streets. Smells of the past haunt me of all the lives I cherished before. Lives where I didn't have my scars. Lives where I enjoyed living. Now, I'm a hopeless drunk. After a series of stopping to meet subjects, I finally arrive at the pub.