Not So Sweet Candyland

V: Licorice

The next morning...

"Wake up you lazy dickhead!"

Berry slammed Chase with a pillow. Chase woke up.

"What?"

"It's morning, I have a lot to do. And I can't leave you alone. Who knows if you're going to set the house on fire?"

Berry dragged Chase out of bed and through the city.

"It's 6 in the morning, the sun is up." Berry scolded him as they walked.

"You sound like my mother." Chase yawned.

The city wasn't full of people unlike in the morning or at night. The smell of burning cinnamon could be smelled throughout the city. Berry didn't hold Chase's hand but made sure that Chase was always at the most 5 steps behind.

Soon, the city fizzled and it became more rustic. The broken and blackened road became overgrown with green grass and little lollipop shaped black circles. Once they were far enough, Berry put down her hood and took a black stick, broke the hard shell open, and let the liquid ooze all over her blue hair. Bringing a cheap comb, she combed the black dye into her hair, changing her hair color to navy blue. Over and over again, she did this. Her fingers were becoming stained with the black dye and when her hair was fully navy blue, she went to a nearby stream and dipped her fingers in the clear water.

Once she was done, she let her long hair flow in the breeze.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me like that. Stupid maids forced me to take a bath. Luckily, only their shampoos can take this hair color out. Most can't."

She viewed the empty but calm fields.

"This was one of the first places that I ran away to. One of the few places that haven't been touched by the stupid Candyland flavor. The water here is fresh, the grass is actually grass. The only weird thing is the black licorice lollipop. They are, however very useful. I would recommend getting some water."

Berry took a flask and gave a spare to Chase.

"Don't expect freebies from me all the time. I don't want you to die."

Chase took the flask and went to the stream and filled it up with water. He drank out of it and felt the clear taste of water go down his throat.

Berry giggled as he enjoyed his water.

"The most Southern parts of Candyland has fresh water. Water that doesn't have sugar or honey in it. Or actually, the edges of Candyland have fresh water. Everywhere else does not."

Berry looked out into the open.

"Candyland is actually in the middle of 6 other kingdoms. Dryland, Bitterland, Hotland, Sourland, and Two small kingdoms neighboring on the borders, Arc de Blule and Totawa. My sister's husband is from Arc de Blule. For a while, there were bridges that connected all of the kingdoms that spread out for a handful of miles. But, when my mother disappeared, my father forced the destruction of all of those bridges. Many people have come to Candyland either for better food, better living conditions, or for work. When my father isolated Candyland, nobody could go anywhere anymore. People had to work away from their families, and people couldn't see their relatives that lived in separate lands anymore. Of course, I've never been to those other lands. But, I know that to the west was Dryland, a land that had infertile soil and little rain. To the north was Bitterland, a bitter climate where it would always snow. To the East was Sourland, the third most bountiful soil, however, the food would come out sour. At the South was Hotland, where it would always grow crops or burn you up from the heat. Candyland was seen as the perfect middle ground, with all types of biomes. People used to vacation to the different lands. As for Arc de Blule and Totawa, Arc de Blule is a very Northern European inspired place, the people there live a life of style and fun, that is also where some fairytales were created. While Totawa is scared land of the Totawa Tribe. However, they were always opened to trade."

"This place...."

"You've heard stories about Candyland, but that was when Candyland was happier. Before my dumbass father took the throne. When the people had genuine feelings their happiness was real and not scripted. This whole world was founded 100 years ago by my great great grandparents. Originally, there was only Arc de Blule and Totawa. The Poffine family as they were called, the parents split the land among their 6 children. Dry, Bitter, Sugar, Sweet, Sour, and Hot. Well, you can guess which ruled what land. It's fairly obvious. But, there is a little story that I know about.

My grandmother, Sweet had met a prince from a foreign unknown land and they fell in love. Eventually getting married and having a child. They tried to have another, but they had a miscarriage. The prince soon went to Sugar and impregnated her many times behind Sugar's back. Sweet found out and almost threw herself off of a cliff. But when that happened, the prince was never seen again. There were a total of 10 children between Sugar and Sweet. Sweet's child was revealed to be a girl and when it was her time, she took the throne. One of Sweet's children, the youngest, was my father. The queen's name was actually a normal name: Margarette. It's assumed that the prince was a human. But also, Margarette's future husband was. Once Margarette and her husband were wed, that's when 'The Great Royal Massacres' occurred.

A year after Queen Margarette and King James were wed, somebody shot them. The both died. That shooter was my father, only 9 years old and power hungry. Until he was about 19, he killed each of his sibling last in many terrifying ways. Burning, drowning, cutting, staged suicide, sending them to exile, locking them in a jail cell, mischief, and even killed by knights. As the youngest, he went from being the 10th heir to the king."

"How do you know all of this?"

"When I was 13, after coming back after sneaking out, I heard him offering blackmail to a person. He admitted everything he did. And that sent a shiver down my spine. Because all I heard form that was that the whole kingdom was terrified that he would be the Last Victim. And that made me hate my father more."

Berry looked away.

"I can't face him head on. He's scared that I can lash out."

"But are you scared?"

Berry gulped.

"When you're tough, there's so much that you can and cannot do, it's scary." She said calmly with no expression.