**WARNING - DEPICTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AHEAD. MAY BE UPSETTING FOR SOME READERS. DISCRETION IS ADVISED**

[Evening]

[Southern Kingdom - King's bedchambers]

When Roman arrived, fear truly gripped him. The servant's words which brought him here fell far short.

Servants and attendants were gathered in his father's ante-chamber.

Most stood around with concerned expressions, some crying, while others repeatedly banged upon the doors to the King's bedroom. Sharp sounds of various things breaking, followed by screams and vile words, came from behind them.

And the fear in which the Crown Prince felt swiftly turned into rage, causing him to march over toward the mantle and return in haste.

Within his hand, he grasped one of the many mounted decorations which hung upon the stone walls.

A weapon. A battle axe.

**

**

A flash of white light against steel.

It also briefly illuminated the room before the low rumblings of thunder sounded off in the distance.

While, inches above her King's chest, she tearfully held her dagger. Frozen.

Quiety uttered and most unexpectedly, Marie heard

-- Marie?

And she flinched at the simple mention of her name.

Her husband's voice was low and he looked up at her quite puzzled.

Valentin: What are you..?

She made to swiftly draw her hand away but he instantly grabbed her by the wrist.

And while he twisted and squeezed and pushed himself upright upon his bed, Marie, drawn closer, whimpered as she tried to wriggle free.

Valentin: Marie?

To her, he sounded as though he was in pain, as if hurt. But his tone immediately changed as he asked sternly

Valentin: You meant to kill me as I slept?

Further twisting her arm, he yelled

Valentin: Answer me!

Loosened from her grip, the dagger then fell onto the bed beside the enraged King. He calmly took hold, as if in a daze and stared at the narrow blade.

With him distracted, Marie wrested free and withdrew from him to a far end of the room.

If he was injured, she could not tell, for he became free of his coverings and stood with much ease and he took his time as he approached her; dagger in hand.

Seeing this, Marie grew fearful and whatever object her hand rested upon she hurled at him. And as things broke and splintered she screamed for him to

Marie: Stay away!

The King then angrily threw the dagger at the floor. It pitched and came to rest somewhere amongst the broken things.

Valentin: You meant to take my life as I slept?

Marie: ...

Valentin: Answer me. Marie!

He screamed at her

Marie: ....

Valentin: You meant to kill me?

Marie: Where are they?!

Valentin: ...?

Marie: Where are my sons?

Valentin: Marie..

Marie: Why have you taken them from- No! Stay away!

Valentin: ...

Marie: Do not- do not touch me!

Valentin: ...

Marie: You took them from me. My sons -sniff- my daughter..

As he made to reach for her yet again, he called

Valentin: Marie-

Marie: No!

Valentin: ...

Marie: Did you even mourn for them...as I have? You hide yourself away. You no longer care -sniff- for me.

Valentin: Marie, listen to me-

Marie: No! I will not!

Valentin: ...

Marie: I hate you!

Teeth bared, she gave her answer, while he, observed her with much hurt and questioned simply

Valentin: Marie?

All at once her words came bursting forth as she further spat at him

Marie: You swore to father that you would always protect me. And you swore..you swore to me that you would never take Alex away. That I would raise him. You lied and you took and stole..You stole my daughter away from me! My cousin..my sons!..My little one..

Valentin: ...

Marie: They are all dead.. gone, because of your want and your foolish ambitions! Why are you here and they're not? Why?! Answer me!

Valentin: ....

Marie: You take and you take and you take..and I HATE YOU!!

She yelled all the while with tears streaming down her face.

Valentin: You hate me?

The King bellowed out the question, moving towards her

Marie: You- Yes!! ...With all my being I hate you! Why did you return?! I wish- I wish now...you had not.

Valentin: You wished for me to die? You wished I had died out there?

Marie: Yes!

As was in the last instance, it happened without warning. He struck her. Sudden and fierce.

Only this time she did not fall. And with tears of hatred in her eyes she straightened herself and scowled straight back at him.

Her display of defiance however, only served to further enrage him, and this time, he came at her completely full of fury.

With frail arms she attacked him; while screaming and yelling and clawing and biting.

He punched her in the face. And when Marie found herself on the floor, dazed and writhing in pain from his blow, he began to repeatedly kick her.

Then she saw it.

Amongst the many broken things upon the floor.

She scrambled and clawed at it, eventually taking hold of her dagger.

Buried within, she found new strength, and instantly turned upon her husband, swiping at him.

Renewed screams sounded. And indicated to her that she had struck him, for she had closed her eyes with the attack.

His palm was sliced open. Now he howled and yelled and hurled profanities at her while he heavily bled.

Marie then loudly threatened as she held the dagger in front of her.

Marie: STAY AWAY!!

To this demand, the King did not obey. Instead, he charged at her, while she attempted to further wound him.

He got hold of her by the hair and forcefully dragged her across the floor.

She flailed and screamed; her eyes watering from the pain; eventually dropping the dagger in her anguish.

By the neck he grasped and lifted, slamming her onto the bed.

And now, with him standing above her, Marie saw her death within his crazed dark eyes.

Scrambling to escape, she wildly kicked at him. But he easily grabbed and pulled her, dragging her towards him.

Within his bloody hands, the King clasped her slim neck, pinning her down. He pressed and squeezed, forcing her further into the softness of the bed.

Furiously she kicked and clawed and screamed to be free.

But soon, her screams turned into whimpers and her slender fingers merely picked at the bloodied heaviness pressing against her throat and her legs were heavy and difficult to move.

Slowly, her toes began to curl. And steadily her movements became less, while everything around her seemed to hastily grow in quietness and darkness.

A suffocating darkness enveloped everywhere. And into it she fearfully sank.

And surely in no time, her legs, her arms became limp and Marie moved no more.

-CRASH!! -CRASH!! -CRASH!!

It was pure fury that fueled him, as he broke down, nay, destroyed the bedroom's wooden doors.

Roman, huffing from exertion and the adrenaline, entered, battle axe in hand.

The room was littered with various items on the floor but at the focal point of the room, he saw a sight which terrified him worse than anything else ever did.

He rushed towards the bed screaming for his father to stop.

However, the King did not.

It was then, an unknown madness stirred within Roman; and it swiftly flew into his mind. For certain, this is what drove the Crown Prince into an impetuous decision.

Because he then lifted the double headed axe, still in hand, and in one fell swoop, he plunged its heavy blade into his father's back.

**

The Prince's breathing was loud and harsh. And as a stunned King removed his hands from his wife's neck to wildly grasp at his back, he turned and with a crazed stare, looked at his son.

Eyes, wide in shock, swiftly changed to anger.

Blood trickled forth from the King's mouth as he staggered towards the prince; grasping at him, the bloodied gash on his hand gaped.

Yet Roman moved not, and instead simply glared with deep hatred at his father.

In his dying rage, the King hissed and growled at him before slumping to the floor.

Eyes wide- the King laid dead.

For a moment, Roman stood over the dead King, staring down at him in disgust, before his attention turned toward his mother.

He found her unresponsive and covered in blood; her gown and fair hair, her swollen face and small hands; her neck and chest, smeared with it.

However, he soon realised the blood was not her own.

Roman gently called to her but she did not stir. He began nudging her to wake, then rocking and then desperately shaking, but still the Queen would not wake.

The Prince cried all the while as he did this, and in between his sobs he mournfully called to his mother, cradling her limp body in his arms.

He found himself not alone in sorrow. The attendants and servants who had made their way into the room cried openly at the scene as well. Some comforted, while others embraced each other and themselves and wept.

Then, most unexpectedly, the Queen loudly gasped, startling the prince.

With wild eyes she looked around her; and began to claw and slap and fail in her attempts at screaming.

Kicking at him, she scrambled away, her cold blue eyes wide with fear and desperation.

Cautiously, the Prince stood and put forth his hand towards her and said with much pain in his voice

Roman: Mother, it's okay. It's me. It's me, Roman.

But she did not come near her son. Instead, Marie viciously stared at him, her breaths unsteady and panicked.

Roman: It's me, mother

Marie still did not move, choosing to stare at him she did so apprehensively.

The Crown Prince then stretched forth both his arms and tenderly said

Roman: Don't fret...here, come...

Her eyes then widened.

And it was that simple sentence which finally drew his mother close; crying softly as she slowly crawled towards him.

Tightly at his midriff, the prince's mother embraced him. Burying her bruised face into him, she sobbed.

**

**

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XXrd November 18xx

I had truly feared her dead when I found her. But she soon came to and began scratching and kicking at me. She must have thought me father in her panicked state.

Mother has been through so much; too much.

While I carried her away; I feared she might come apart. She felt so light in my arms.

As for father; I left him there.

I do not regret what I did. I killed him.

There was no other option. I had to.

----------*----------

This evening, I found her sobbing. Crumpled upon the floor of her chamber. Her servants, in their concern, called for me.

So frail.

How did she ever think that those hands could challenge him?

Mother clutched my arms and cried into my lap. Her face was still quite swollen and her eye was bloodshot. Something then in my chest pained me, while I embraced her and it made me recall my brothers.

She appeared to be comforted by my presence. And as she nodded off to sleep, I heard her quietly repeating those names, of which I was trying my best to forget.

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