The Broken King

The moon pulled the blanket of stars over the bright sun as it shined its last rays of light. It spread across the sky like splattered paint on a canvas as the bright orange, yellow, and red blended in and out of each other. William already left after the moment we shared in the bath, he kissed my lips and bid me goodbye, he left me a promise of attending the ball tomorrow night. I felt the remnants of his touches and lips against mine, how his presence erased everything that I feared for tomorrow. I walked towards the large window as the light of the sun-washed my room in a golden hue.

The sun bled through the peaks of the Dark Mountains and put up the Dark Woods in red color like they were blazed by fire. I still don’t believe the things that William told me in the fitting chamber a while ago. But there was still the feeling of uncertainty and fear that loomed in the back of my mind for such stories to be real. My mother told me a story about the blood drinkers when I was young. A kingdom filled with strong soldiers and cunning men with a thirst for blood and weakness for the sun. A love so strong and forbidden and a deal to stop the wounds from bleeding. It was only once when she told me that and it felt like a fever dream to me.

A knock echoed throughout my room, it broke the silence and picked me up as I drowned in my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called out as I watched the sun flickered and died, the moon slowly took its place. The doors opened and a flock of footsteps started to rush in.

“The King is waiting for you, your Highness,” the servant barely said. I turned to face them and they bowed their heads. I walked towards the door as the tail of my black colored gown trailed behind me like a tail of a snake. I made my way past the paintings, through the halls, down the large stairway, and into the dining hall with a large table in the middle. The King sat in the center while Princess Veronica was on the left side of the table. I sat on my father’s right side.

The servants brought out the dishes and placed them on the table. We started to pick apart the ones that were served in front of us but my father decided to appease himself with a chalice of mead. He did not touch the ones that were served to him rather drowned himself with the alcohol. The King never acted like this before, I felt the tension that was built up inside of him based on his hand’s tight grip on his chalice.

“Are you sure about tomorrow, father?” I put down my spoon and fork as I looked at him.

“I am willing to take the risk, Victoria,” he uttered, “anything to come up with an agreement.”

“We still have time to change it…we could change plans or—“ The chalice flew out of his grip as his hand slammed against the hardwood table. His eyes fired up like a forest fire and his voice thundered when he spoke.

“I am a man of my words, Victoria,” he said as his eyes flared, “I will not shame myself and this kingdom by taking back that invitation.”

“This is not worth the risk, father,” I exclaimed as my voice cracked in frustration.

“How dare you talk to the King in such a manner,” his voice exploded and he finally stood up from his seat. Princess Veronica quickly stood up and excused herself from the table with my father who paid her no attention.

“I have fought the East Islanders, conquered the Etherian Deserts, and vanquished the Southern Empires… I am a King who fears no one and will kneel to no one,” he shouted.

“Then why do you seem to look like you are afraid for tomorrow?”

He grabbed the cloth draped on the table and sent everything down the marble floors. He lifted the table and flipped it, the floor was nothing but a materialization of his rage. Anger radiated out of him as he looked at my face and pointed his finger towards me.

“You know nothing, Victoria…you know nothing,” he pointedly said.

I ran out of the dining room as tears ran down my face. The sound of my father’s screams echoed throughout the castle. My vision blurred from the tears and my head filled up with thoughts that I could not comprehend. I am not sure as to where my feet took me but all I wanted was to be far away from the King and the dining hall.

I slowed down my pace the moment my feet touched the soil and not the cold marble floors. I wiped my tears and stared at my mother’s mausoleum in front of me. I pushed the doors and stormed towards the tomb of my mother, wrapped my arms around her tomb, and imagined it was her. If only she was still alive, she knew what to do and my father would listen to her— we would go back to how everything was. A sea of tears poured out of my eyes and my uncontrollable loud cries filled up the place.

“I wish you were here, mother,” I whispered.

“I miss you.”

Slowly, I fell down the black void of nothingness.

I fainted.

***

I woke up to a hand that rubbed my back and the door of the mausoleum wide open. I jolted up and saw that it was my father who was seated next to me. He took his hand from my back and placed it on his lap as he looked at the stained glasses on the open ceiling of the mausoleum.

“I knew you’ll be here.” He decided to break the silence between us.

I faced the opposite direction and the noise of the water and the loud pour of the fountain became my response.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he took my hand in his palms. I looked down towards it as he rubbed his thumb on my knuckles.

I nodded in response.

“I know I have hurt you…it wasn’t what I wanted.” He sighed and he placed his face on his palms as he tried to calm himself.

“It’s okay, father,” I told him I stood up from my place, “I understand.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave him three quick squeezes to reassure him that everything is alright.

“You should take some rest,” he said and he kissed the back of my hand.

“I will, father…I will.”

I walked towards the door of the mausoleum, left my father on the tomb of my mother. He hasn’t been here for a long time, best to give him time with her. I looked at him as I slowly closed the doors.

“It has been a long time, Eleanor.” He leaned down and kissed the grave of my mother.