To Rule A Kingdom (discontinued)

Chapter 4

His head was spinning. Spinning. Everything ached. A dull ache running through his body. Everything was black. Black. No light. Devoid of anything. Just a musty smell. Metal seemed to be swimming in his mouth, or was that blood? He wasn't sure. Sure of anything. Everything hurt. He was sure of that. His head hung to the side. His shoulder supporting his head. He squeezed his eyes shut. Just more darkness. Darkness. The darkness was so thick he could feel it squeeze his body. He was trapped. Trapped within the darkness. Trapped within the shallow, bitter darkness. The darkness. The darkness. It swallowed him whole.

He finally awoke again. This time, fully. The tightness around his body had increased substantially. Was the darkness back? No. That wasn't plausible. It can't have been. But could it? No. The coarse texture... Not darkness. Rope. Though, Miles thought, rope was equally as concerning as darkness being able to grab him.

He cracked his neck. He wasn't sure where he was. Whatever was on that rag had really done a number on him. His brain had been sent for a turn, he couldn't think straight. The panic was beginning to engulf him, but he couldn't let it. If he did let his head slip under the enraging sea of anxiety, he'd drown. And he couldn't let that happen. He took a deep breath and looked around. His eyes had adjusted to the dark finally. His eyes scanned around the room, trying to at least figure out where he was. His eyes landed on a single strip fo light. A door. There was a way out. He tried to wiggle out his bindings, to no avail. His hands were bound so tightly he could barely feel them, and his body felt broken. The bounds around him were so tight he could barely breathe, his ribs ached and he felt as though he were about to vomit.

''Don't bother,'' He heard a deep male voice say from behind him, ''I got my rope tying badge in boy scouts.'' Miles' eyes shot open. Someone else was here? 

''Who are you?'' He asked, trying to stop his voice from cracking. His efforts were fruitless however and all the voice did was laugh.

''As if I'd tell you that. I ask the question here. Just remember who's tied to a chair and who isn't here.'' The voice paused for a moment, as if considering something, ''How about this. You answer my question and I'll answer your question, as long as it won't help you escape. Now tell me. Who are you and what are you doing all the way down here?'' Miles stayed silent for a moment, before deciding it would be better to co-operate.

''I'm Miles Edgeworth. I'm here to speak to the leader of the rebellion against my brother,'' He said bravely, trying again to suppress all the fear boiling within him, ''What about you? Who are you?'' He could hear the voice grin.

''So you're the boy who was supposed to be king huh? What a sad story. You could make millions if you sold it, but I suppose you don't need millions, you're practically rolling in it already. Funny you should say that though. I know him very well.''

''You do? Could you please let me talk to him. Please.''

'' Lucky for you, I'm feeling nice.'' Miles' eyes lit up, his hopes finally beginning to return. The voice walked around him, making sure to stay out of his eye line. Once he was in front of him, the voice became a man. He was tall and lean, however, there was more emphasis on the thinner aspects of his body. His jaw was sharp and square, almost perfect and his eyes were both different hues, one stormy blue-grey and the other a deep chocolate brown. A scar ran across the centre of his face, cutting over his nose, even then it didn't make him particularly ugly. If anything it added to his rugged and messy look. Miles gulped. He wasn't really sure how he felt, but it clearly was nothing good. This man was intimidating at best and terrifying at worst.

''So. What do you want to talk about?'' He said, looking at Miles from across the room.

''Wait so you're...?'' The man nodded, crossing his arms.

''You aren't getting a name either until I know you're not just a spy. Wouldn't want to be arrested for high treason now, would we?''

''Right... What I wanted to ask you was to join your revolution. My brother is tarnishing my father's good name and I can't stand it. He's abusive and cruel. He needs to be stopped.'' The boy... man? Miles wasn't sure. His body said man but the look in his eye said boy. Either way, all he did was laugh.

''And your father wasn't? Not to tarnish a dead man's reputation to his poor sheltered baby boy, but he may have been good to you up there, but as you've probably seen, his good graces didn't reach us.'' He crossed his arms, his brow creasing.

''I understand that, but whenever he tried to send down resources, you always denied them or they got intercepted and stolen by rogues or travellers. He did try to help you!''

''Guess who the 'rogues and travellers' were? Us! Any supplies or aid he supposedly sent down were not to us. I don't know what kind of cloud nine fantasy world you're living in, but your father hated us. We don't hate northerners, northerners hate us!'' Miles' jaw dropped. Any kind of certainty left in his life was gone. He felt as if he were on a swaying ship, at any moment a huge wave could engulf him. But he wouldn't let it. It couldn't be though... could it? He really didn't know what to believe. He couldn't believe this rebel but... somehow he could. He wasn't sure what it was but the fire in his eyes, the pure hatred and anguish, told him he was telling the truth.

''I-I'm so sorry I didn't-''

''It's whatever. But I don't know if I want to work with you. Your father's clearly indoctrinated you to a point you truly think he was an incredible king. To be fair with you, he may have been to you. To the rich and wealthy, he would have been. But it was us poor folk that got the brunt of it.''

''I understand that, and I think we can make an agreement in regards to that,'' Miles said the panic he'd been trying so hard to repress pushing up to the surface. He was grasping at the frayed ends of his plan, gripping on as tight as he could as to not fall into the pits of despair and eventual death. Whether or not this worked now, was all down to the boy in front of him. He looked down at him, not aggressively per se, more as if he were looking at a small child who had trapesed mud in his home.

''I doubt anything you say will change my mind.''

''No, I promise. It'll benefit both of us, possibly you more than me.''

''Why should I believe a word you say? Just a moment ago you were claiming the man who kept my family, my people, in poverty was a hero.''

''Because I believe you! I believe you wholly. I know you're telling the truth and all I want to do now is put a better king in power, better than my father or my brother.''

''Who could that be then?''

''Me. I hear your pain, I can see it in your eyes, I saw it in your people's eyes. I want to help you. But to help you I'll have to be in power. If I was king, I'd help your city be rebuilt, I'd give your people jobs, good-paying jobs. I'd teach tolerance of those not as fortunate and different to us. I swear to you, I will help your people but first you'll have to help me.'' Miles said desperately. He wasn't a liar. Never had been. Now it was just a matter of whether or not the boy believed him. The boy's brow only creased.

''I just... why do you want out help so badly? You're willing to put your life on the line to help us?''

''Yes of course! My father may not have always done what was best for the kingdom, but he taught me many good lessons in my life. The biggest lesson being that if you make a promise you must stick to it. Just... please. I see your suffering, I see your pain and I want to relieve you of it.'' The boy took a deep breath and walked closer, circling around and beginning to untie the ropes binding him.

''Looks like we have a deal. But if you at any point try to back out, runoff or betray us? You're dead. Got it?'' Miles gulped.

''Got it.''

the beginning is very poetic lol sorry i was trying to bring about an air of confusing and just word jumble and i guess it turned out ok?? idk lmk what u all think. also yes i fully jammed to into the unknown from the frozen 2 soundtrack and let it go from the first movie bc theyre jams and they fit this too well but yall wont get 100% why yet lol anywhooo see u on wednesday for the next update ;D - Alec