**
[Years ago]
*
[June]
-- Aren’t you hungry?
[After Sundown]
[Southern Kingdom - Queen’s Palace]
Roman: No, mother
Marie: Surely…I had the chef prepare so many things for our dinner together, I wasn’t certain what you’d fancy so..
Roman: …
Marie: ..At the very least, you must want something to drink, yes?
Roman: No thank you, mother. I am fine
(Concernedly, his mother observed him.)
(His short dark hair caressed his once pale forehead, now bronzed by the warmth of the sun.)
(Adorned in all black, the Crown Prince sat attentive at the sofa’s edge, his back straight and chin proud. )
(Beside him, Marie elegantly seated herself and asked importantly)
Marie: How goes your training then?
Roman: It goes well. I train every day.
Marie: Every day? Is that so?
Roman: I do, yes.
Marie: I suppose then you are most prepared for your first hunt?
Roman: I am, yes.
Marie: And you shall make your father most proud when you are the victor of the event
Roman: I plan to do just so, yes.
(Both remained silent for sometime.)
(Yet Marie, noting his rigid replies, kept observing her son.)
(She began reminiscing of his birth and how his little form nestled perfectly within her arms.)
(Now, before her, he was much grown. Into his own confident and handsome self.)
Marie: ..Roman?
Roman: Yes, mother…?
Marie: ..Do you know how much I love you?
(The Crown Prince abashed, lowered his head.)
(Marie smiled at this and emphatically added)
Marie: I love you far deeper than the Black Sea..
Roman: …
Marie: ..and far more than all the stars in the evening’s sky..
(His mother, attempting to catch his eye, leaned in closer and questioned)
Marie: My precious one…?
Roman: …?
Marie: …Do you love me?
(Soothing and gentle, the Queen, in placing her hand upon his back had asked and continued asking)
Marie: Roman? Why do you shy away? Are you ashamed to share your feelings with me?
Roman: Father-
Marie: …?
Roman: Father says…that to show emotion makes one weak.
Marie: Is that so?
Roman: Yes.
Marie: Well…
(In taking him by the hand, she added)
Marie: …you have every right to heed your father’s words, for you must.
Roman: …
Marie: ..But my precious one, there is something to consider..
Roman: …?
Marie: ..Are not joy, anger…sadness, also emotions? Must we hide ourselves away from these as well?
Roman: ….
(His silence she noticed as his eyes wandered in consideration of her words, before adding)
Marie: No, I should hope not. And my greatest wish for you is so that your heart does not become cold and fearful toward such a beautiful emotion..
(The Queen touched him kindly upon the cheek and said)
Marie: ..a beautiful feeling. Love, Roman. Love. Be never afraid or ashamed to show it, yes?
(He nodded and it made Marie’s heart glad for she smiled as she stated)
Marie: I shall present you with your ring now
(The Queen rang and a servant swiftly appeared.)
(Presenting before the Crown Prince, he received what was his without a word.)
(Silently he stared within a tiny box at the ring. A ring of black onyx inlaid with gold.)
Marie: …Is it to your fancy?
Roman: Very much so, yes
(Indeed, the Crown Prince was pleased, for he now wore a bright smile.)
(The Queen admired him and then offered)
Marie: Here..allow me..
(And his mother slipped the ring on. Perfectly it adorned his finger.)
(Softly she next kissed the back of his hand, to which the Prince dropped his gaze once again.)
Marie: ..I pray you courage and strength and-
(The cries of a young child interrupted.)
(Louder and louder the wailing became as the nursemaid neared and entered most apologetically.)
(Still moons away from turning two, he appeared quite diminutive compared to Damien at that age. His tiny hands desperately grasped at the air as he cried and reached for-)
Alex: Ma-Maaaa!!
Marie: Why are you not asleep, my little one? Here…
(And Marie, in taking and placing him upon her lap, wiped his tears and kissed him. She laid kisses upon his cheeks until his cries turned into giggles.)
Marie: The very moment his eyes open, he frets and fusses ..
Roman: …
Marie: The same were you at his age
(Having only seen him once, when he was a much tinier thing, the Crown Prince looked on as the queen happily tried to have Alex say)
Marie: Brother. Bro-ther.
Alex: Mama-ma-maaa!
Marie: See? Look, there..bro-ther…
Roman: …
Marie: Worry not. Very soon he shall call you ‘brother’
Roman: …
Marie: He loves when Damien visits. Cries when he leaves-
Alex: Me-Me?
Marie: No Me-Me today, my love. Morrow- In the morrow Me-Me shall visit us……
(And without questioning or informing the Prince first, the queen placed Alex onto her son’s lap and into his awkward hands.)
(Tensed, he held his brother at arms’ length.)
(While his baby brother’s feet danced on his trousers and his short arms flailed and stretched to meet him.)
(The Prince could easily lose hold. And with the constant wriggling, drop the young prince.)
(Yet the queen did not intervene.)
(While her eldest son desperately and silently wished to hand over his brother, she looked on.)
(With much admiration, she observed until Roman eventually chose to settle Alex into an one-armed embrace upon his lap.)
Roman: Stop it. No- Don’t do that.
(Ignoring the telling off, Alex continued to playfully tug on the strings along the neckline of his brother’s tunic.)
(Marie laughed.)
(She partially hid it with her slender hands but it escaped. Like a summer bird from its cage.)
(Whether he or Alex amused her, Roman knew not.)
(Yet what he did know, his mother’s beauty in that moment was breathtaking. Innocent and warm and bright.)
(In that moment he wished to forever remain. Happy and safe and loved.)
(And also in that very moment he promised- he swore to himself, his very life, that in all his power, he would give everything to always see her smile the way she did now.)
----------
He screamed in agony.
Clutching his bloodied eye, dropping his sword. An arrow’s shaft protruded from his face.
A black arrow.
The man next fell dead where he once stood.
His breaths were ragged and uneven.
In determined ignorance of pain, his leg wobbled beneath him. Yet, Alex bested his last enemy, plunging the blade into a northerner’s exposed neck.
Dreadful thoughts flashed across his mind.
Of his surroundings, he then took short note.
Upon the foul wind, he heard said his companions were all dead.
To find his brother was all in vain. Attempting such surely futile. In fact, he shall never be able to give warning.
And as the weight of it all came heavily upon him, he saw himself laid amongst corpses and mud, dead.
-fwip! fwip!!
A moment’s rest, all he desired.
But upon the battlefield, there was none to be had.
Only fearful thoughts and constant dread and the need to persevere with much alertness. All in hopes to survive and cheat death from claiming your soul.
Unexpectedly, horns sounded.
From the hills it came.
Piercing through the torrent clear across the plains. Lifting the hearts of many and moving others to fear.
The Imperial army announced their arrival.
Their infantry; innumerable, already on the fields, marched onwards.
**
**
Indefinitely the tide of war turned.
They seemed to rise and swarm the field.
Against the eastern wall, the Imperial army squeezed their foes. Their numbers swelling and swallowing all in its path.
Cowards fled.
Green armoured with yellow bellies. Men of that two-faced lord of the eastern province. Leaving many of their own behind.
In vain such ones found that be. For they were slaughtered, killed without remorse for their treacheries.
As for the southerners, they remained, and remained well.
Though their numbers dwindled and many fell, the foreigners held firm.
Skillful their swords, and with their king at the lead, an unnatural strength was found within each.
However, this advantage stood but for a little while.
**
**
Thunder rumbled somewhere. And with it, a fresh downpour of rain obstructed his view.
Yet, Alex saw him.
Death.
Its form oddly familiar.
To the sword it claimed one and another then another.
Its dark gift extended towards all before they fell in his shadow.
Death adopted for itself the appearance and skills of a man.
Broad and dark.
And he appeared to stand leagues over his enemies.
A southerner.
Of the southerner; to Alex it seemed, his fighting style was distinct.
And before Death, fell yet another.
Even so, another took that poor soul's place. With wild screams and sword strokes just as crazed.
Brief their engagement was however.
Overpowered, his enemy knelt defeated, ready to fully accept the gift of swift death.
Looming above was the full weight of his longsword. In one fell swoop to claim the officer’s head.
Alex knew not how long he looked on but his feet dragged him nearer all the while.
Closer and still yet closer, toward death he drew. Realisation of the figure apparent.
It was clear now as to-
Alex: Brother?!!
Alas, his cry was but a drop in the sea of battle.
Failing to gain his supposed brother’s attention, he called twice, thrice more.
Still, his brother acknowledged him not.
That was, until he had drawn near.
Near enough to prevent the fall of his sword upon the officer.
And with that, he found himself in single combat against his brother.
➵
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