The Pen.

Chapter 4 - Eternal.

The kingdom was a mess. And that was putting it politely. The kingdom was ridiculed by other kings and citizens, the once feared and revered Morghanna had lost all prestige it once held. Other monarchs were unwilling to trade with the Kingdom after the poem spread, afterall who wants to be seen to trade with a warmonger? King Benedict had ordered that should anybody believe that a member of their family was the creator of any of the poems, plays and novels that had raveneged the Kingdom then they were to inform one of the guards and they would go under examination. It is worth noting at this point that to go under examination in Morghanna meant that you would be taken to the torturer and endure horrifying pain until you said the correct thing and then tortured a little more for good measure. Then what would follow would be a public execution at King Benedict's pleasure, either a hanging, hung drawn and quartered, an axe or if he was in a particularly foul mood burning.

There had been so many public executions that it had caused a direct impact on the population of the kingdom. Those who fled Morghanna pretended that they had travelled from some other kingdom or were wanderers now looking to settle and make a life for themselves - nobody wanted to be known from that kingdom. But despite this more writings emerged, attacking King Benedict and his council and all his generals and soldiers.

"Its madness!" Shouted Freya. "Utter madness!"

"We can't even go and get food without being spat on!" Shrieked Katya.

"Calm down both of you!" Ordered their mother.

Emma sat at the kitchen table and listened quietly and constantly. She could hear the bellows of soldiers enforcing the curfew, every now and then a shriek of terror from a man or woman and the cries of children. She found it difficult not to smile or gloat at the fate of her home kingdom.

'Serves them right' she thought. 'This is no worse than what they have done to others'.

She went up to the kitchen window and stared out towards the castle. It had once been gleaming white, the model of what a castle ought to be, but now charred, grubby and bloody from the carnage that had unfolded. Emma leaned her head back against the wall and struggled to hide a triumphant grin.

'I hope you are scared' she thought. 'I hope you go to bed at night fearing what comes the next day. I hope you are afraid of me and my pen little King. I will make you regret belittling me'. She paused her thoughts and looked at her sisters and parents. 'I will make you all regret it'.

King Benedict was pacing in his council chamber. He had called an emergency meeting after they lost trade with Domhnall, Endora and Boann.

"Can someone explain to me why we have lost our trade with three of the richest kingdoms in the world?!" Exclaimed Benedict to his frightened councilmen.

No one spoke.

Benedict slammed his fists on the table. "NOW!"

The councilmen jumped and then one cautiously stood up.

"Well sire, as you know our reputation has somewhat...changed over the past months -"

"I KNOW BUT HOW DO THEY KNOW ABOUT IT?! HOW DO OTHER MONARCHS KNOW ABOUT OUR UNREST AND KNOW TO MOCK US!" Benedict roared. His nostrils were flaring like a wild boar and his eyes had turned black.

The councilman gulped and steadily continued, "it appears that with some of the population fleeing - I mean leaving! - that they are spreading the word about...well the words of this person".

"Words!" Spat Benedict as he threw himself into a chair. "I've had enough of bloody words, who knew they could be such a damned nuisance".

The chamber was quiet for a few moments but was broken by King Benedict laughing.

"You would think they all would know better" he chuckled. "I will have this person, this wizard of words and I will burn them".

The councilmen shifted awkwardly in their seats as they saw their kings eyes change from being black to ablaze with anger.

"But your majesty, we have already executed those who we thought were the -" started one of the ministers.

"Exactly Perkins! We thought! But we were wrong! I will find them and I will burn them, even if it means burning my own kingdom to ashes!" He snarled.

By the time King Benedict had dismissed them the ministers were pale and frightened. They all looked tentivley to one another and all knew they were thinking the same thing, though they daren't express it aloud or in writing - this 'wizard of words' was right. The king was unstable and if they were right about that then what else were they right about?

Emma's family had moved from the kitchen and were huddled around the fireplace.

"Father" said Katya. "Did you really help King Benedict usurp the throne from his brother?"

"Katya!" Hissed their mother as her head snapped to the window, checking in case anybody was there and heard.

"What a suggestion of course not" thier father half laughed.Emma looked at him, she already knew the answer. Her father had help orchestrate the planning of Benedict kill his elder brother Frederick, thus securing his family a certain status. It was only because of the kings favour that her parents and sisters had been so popular amongst the people and held such high places in the army thus influence over the king. That of course had all changed recently.

"This will all end though won't it?" Said Freya. "It will all be forgotten"

Their mother sighed. "Some things are eternal and I think this is one of them"

"How do you mean?" Asked Emma.

"What I mean is, that some things last, some things are immortal. Some things never die and aren't forgotten".

Emma looked out the window and saw the rain pound the smouldering remains of a house and market stall across the street. She restrained from grinning at her mother's view on the situation.

'No sword could have ruined this kingdom this quickly and to this extent. No battle axe, dagger or bow could have done what I have' she thought. 'Only me and my weapon'.