Glacier Lain
Stephanie
"You must kill the King." She hissed at me...
When we first met, I was nothing but a knight. A common soldier nobody ever thought twice about. Despite this, I was happy. Content with serving my King. I first laid eyes on her when our army raided and took control of an enemy village. It was against our law to put the lives of women and children in danger. Even if they were loyal to our enemies. All the other women and children fled the scene when we attacked the village, but she stayed and watched the entire thing.
I saw her at a distance watching the battle take place. She was staring at me and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by her piercing blue eyes. She didn't take her eyes off of me the entire time, and when the battle was over, I felt compelled to approach her. As I walked up to her, I noticed that she was dangerously thin and pale. Her hair had a dull, almost white look to it and she was wearing rags to cover her fragile body. However, all these qualities only made her beautiful blue eyes stand out even more to me.
Just as I was about to say something, she spoke to me. "Hello, handsome." Her voice is so ethereal. "You fight boldly. I was quite impressed with your power."
I was enamoured. Without saying anymore, I swooped her up onto my horse and brought her back to the kingdom. It wasn't long before she returned to a healthy state. And boy was she beautiful. Her hair had acquired a golden shine, which perfectly matched her soft pale skin. Her lips and cheeks had the perfect shade of pink and I didn't think it could be possible, but her blue eyes had become even more prominent than before. She looked perfect in any dress that she tried on and was definitely the envy of all the maidens in the kingdom. We were wed in holy matrimony soon after.
Marriage must have been the best move for me because the moment we were wed, my career started to take off and I was eventually promoted to a Baron. My Lady was so charming she enchanted everyone in her presence. She was also very smart. If it wasn't for her charm and allure, we would not have been invited to the King's Ball. Never in my life did I think I would be attending such a prestigious event. At the ball she wore the most beautiful blue and green dress that was embroidered in gold. She was so magnificent it was impossible not to stare. Even the King was so enamoured with her beauty that he invited us to sit at his table.
The King was utterly devoted to his Queen and when she died of pneumonia, he never remarried. They also never had any children but his nephew, the Duke, was set to inherit the throne when he passed. His nephew was a vile creature. The moment he laid eyes on her, he was determined to take her away from me. A few weeks after the ball, he ordered her to move into his castle and in return, I would be promoted to a Count, but if I declined, I would be executed. I tried to convince her to run away with me but she objected.
"Don't worry my love." She said to me, calmly. "I will move into the castle with this fool and in a fortnight, I shall return to you."
I'm not really sure I understood her, but I decided to trust her. And with that, we parted ways. It was exactly two weeks later when I received word that the young Duke had fallen ill and that I was to report to his castle immediately. By the time I arrived, he had passed but nobody was able to figure out why. That didn't matter to me, I was just excited to be reunited with my lady. When I saw her, however, she didn't look the same. Her hair had become limp and her eyes no longer had the mesmerizing shade of blue in them from when we first met. It was as if a part of her had died with the Duke. I was worried about her but when I confronted her, she coldly brushed me off and told me not to worry.
With no living successor to take the place of the King's fallen nephew, I was reluctantly given the title of Duke and became first in line to inherit the throne. I felt uneasy about it all but she seemed to thrive on this newly acquired title. It wasn't enough for her that we would eventually become King and Queen, she wanted it now. She became so obsessed with the possibility that it absolutely consumed her. I was indifferent and much rather preferred a normal life, but I wanted nothing more than to make her happy. I tried to compromise with her but she wouldn't hear it. She would lock herself in her quarters for days at a time. I don't know what came over her.
One night, a few months later, I awoke to her standing over me. "You must kill the King." She hissed at me as she handed me a dagger.
And so here I am. Conflicted between my duties as a husband and my obligations to my King. I feel like I'm going utterly insane deciding which path to take. I haven't slept in days and on this dark and gloomy night, in my half-asleep state, I find myself in the King's castle just outside his bedroom. What am I doing?
Before I even have a chance to turn around and go home, she appears beside me. "Do it for us." She says. Her face hardened by her determination.
She once again places the dagger in my hand and this time, I grip it with great conviction. I turn towards the King's bedroom and enter.
boogleloo
