A beautiful midday in a peaceful kingdom. Then came a coronation, being held in the throne room. Everybody, both priests, royal courts, and nobles, in the throne room seemed very excited. They wore bright smiles on their faces as they watched the king himself put the crown over his son's head.
" Hereafter, my child. You have become the Crown Prince of...
Before the king could complete his words, the door banged open and thirty camouflaged Invaders suddenly barged in.
These Invaders wore no armor to indicate the kingdom where they came from, rather, they dressed as though they were assassins. Their attires seemed quite creepy to the little children who were there in the throne room.
Everyone in the throne room got thrown into confusion, wondering how the Invaders managed to enter the throne room, who they might be, and who sent them. How come the city bell didn't ring to signal them to be at alarm regarding the danger?
The Invaders began killing guardsmen in the throne room. Because it was unexpected and nobody was prepared for the fight, these Invaders killed the whole guardsmen.
Every one of the attendants were still in the verge of confusion. Awe submerged everyone in the throne room, they were scared to death and hopeless. They shivered in terror, gazing fearfully at the Invaders, who had already drawn their arrows to shoot. One of the Invaders held a spear, aiming at the king.
Just when the king thought the Invader would throw the spear on him, the Invader threw the spear, and it landed on the king's son.
The spear penetrated the little boy's stomach, making him unable to move his body nor speak, he was overwhelmed by an excruciating pain which felt like death is the only way to get rid of the pain.
" No!" the king growled and held his son, who had fallen down due to the unbearable pain. " Be strong, son. Stay strong." the king pleaded with his son. It didn't seem to him like his son was going to survive the pain, not by any chance.
In an unruly rage braced with sorrow, the king growled and started running towards the Invaders with his sword.
But already, the Invaders released their arrows and shot everyone down, including the king. The king still tried to stand on his feet to fight, but the Invaders released more arrows on him, which made him fall back on his knees unconscious. Blood gushed out of the king's wounds, more than ten arrows were shot against the king.
As if that wasn't enough, the same Invader who threw a spear on the king's son, prepared to throw another spear on the king. He targeted the king from where he stood by door, then he vigorously threw the spear, and it landed on the king's heart.
The king was unable to withstand the deadly pain, it was ever so unbearable to him, so he fell to the floor.
The king wasn't dead, but he would definitely lose his life in no time. Everyone in the throne room had died, except the king and his son who were still struggling between life and death.
"Father… Father." the king's son faintly called.
The little boy was drenched in his own blood, and was at the point of death because of the pain induced by the spear. He crawled on the floor, struggling to reach for the king's hand.
The king also was close to death, and nothing on Earth could save him from dying. The king tried stretching out his hand to reach for his son's hand, but it seemed almost impossible to move his limbs, all he did was to say his last and most important word to his son.
" Live... Stay alive." The king spoke faintly, as though he were forcing the words.
Immediately, one of the Invaders stood beside the king with an axe raised above his head. Vehemently, the invader beheaded the king. The little boy screamed in agony, wailing with an unsteady tone.
Killing the king didn't feel enough, as another invader lifted the king's son from the floor. Clutching on the little boy's face from behind, he gradually started slitting the boy's neck with a dagger.
The invader whispered in the ear of the little boy, saying, "No descendant of Asriel will live."
******************
Abothorn was known as one of the greatest kingdoms which suddenly impoverished due to the embezzlement of funds and properties by the former King Jooper, also the misdeeds by predecessors.
King Jooper was a greedy and malicious king. Due to no fund and properties, Abothorn had poor citizens, thieves, low or no income earners which are the king's royal courts and subjects. Beggars, hungry peasants, robin hoods, promiscuous men and women, assassins, defamatory citizens who take the kingdom's affairs to other kingdoms to get coins, and more abominable misfortunes. Even the nobles lacked like the peasants in the kingdom.
Worse over all, the king had only one child, which was the heiress, Princess Matilda. The only way to put an end to these misfortunes and to save the kingdom was that the princess be married out to a wealthy and powerful kingdom.
Princess Matilda was the one and only heir to the throne of Abothorn. Matilda was a young woman whose dignity attaches to everything she does. Despite her beauty and good qualities, she always got rejected by bachelors.
Princess Matilda had been told that she would partake in a consort pick in the Kingdom of Messea.
There was absolutely no hope for Matilda to participate in the ceremony, it was pointless. Matilda believed that she definitely would be rejected by Prince Uriah, even though he accepts her, she cannot marry him because of her illness. Therefore, she must find another alternative.
In Abothorn, it was forbidden for a noblewoman to leave the castle without a permission, regardless of how dire the reason might be. Only the king gives permission to his consort and daughter to leave the fortress. This permission requires that the noblewoman must give a clean reason as to why she wants to leave the castle.
Matilda sneaked out of the castle, she wore a blue hooded cloak to camouflage her identity. Yet, individuals who saw her in the city recognized her. Unfortunately for Matilda, even the king's whistleblower recognized her.
*******
In Ephraim's inner parlor. Matilda sat silently, drowning in morose, and her eyes misted in agonizing tears. Despite being the only child of her parents and the successor to Abothorn's throne, her life felt more miserable than that of a deceased. Matilda fell completely from grace.
" Life can never be any better for me. Even if I get accepted by the crown prince, nothing would change. Because with my illness, I cannot marry him."
" Princess Matilda, I clearly understand your predicament. I do not suppose you attend the function, instead I advise that you let your family know about your illness, so that they will know what to do next." Ephraim advised.
Ephraim's son, Ander intended to walk into the parlor. But then he halted by the door because he overheard Matilda's voice. Ander knew they were having a private conversation, and he didn't mean any interruption. Just when Ander was about to leave…
"You alone can convince Eleanor, Lord Ephraim. I cannot attend the ceremony like this. Please, make Eleanor replace me in the consort pick." Matilda requested.
" Are you aware that Eleanor's life would be at stake if she replaces you?"
" I am aware. And I can give anything just for this to be successful." Matilda assured. " You have done enough for me already, please do not fail me this time."
" Are you certain it is your desire that Eleanor replaces you in the function? Have you made up your mind for whatever consequences may occur?" Ephraim asked.
" Aye, Lord Ephraim. I have made up my mind to go through the consequences which may eventually stand against me."
Hearing their entire plan, anger got the better of Ander who still stood behind the door. He frowned upon the very plan that Eleanor would go to Messea disguised as Matilda.
Turns out that Ander has love in his heart for Eleanor, and just couldn't stand letting her risk her life for those people who do not want to see her alive. Such a thing might not happen on his watch. Ander so abhorred their rulers, especially the queen.
The memory of what happened to Eleanor's mother usually came alive in Ander whenever he set his eyes on the king and his relatives. Looking at Matilda, he recalled the day Queen Esther poisoned Rebecca to death.
That very morning, he was playing around the castle with Eleanor when he ran into the passage to hide. He oversaw Queen Esther conniving with a servant who was carrying breakfast to the dining room, and they deliberately put a poisonous potion into Rebecca's food. Despite being little and naive, he still understood that Queen Esther did something evil.
******
Not quite sometimes after Matilda took her leave, Ander walked into his father's parlor. He seemed to be glaring at Ephraim.
Ander despised his father's loyalty towards the king and his family. He vividly remembered telling what he saw to his father on that day, all Ephraim did was to let it slide. Ephraim even urged him to remain silent, and not reveal the truth to anyone.
Ephraim understood his son quite well, he understood that look on Ander's face. Ephraim knew that Ander might have heard something nerve-racking, something he shouldn't have heard.
" Speak." Ephraim insisted.
" I heard everything, Father. If I were you, I would not have agreed to Matilda's decision." Ander spoke in annoyance. Exactly what Ephraim thought.
" I understand your countless affections towards Eleanor, and I beg you to chain those feelings. Our kingdom is at stake, and it is your responsibility as a citizen to give in whatever you have to make Abothorn a better place. You of all people should put your kingdom above you."
" I would rather put my desires above my kingdom. Abothorn does not deserve Eleanor's good. Do not pretend like you cannot remember what happened many years ago. Eleanor is going nowhere, I will not let it happen. Not on my watch."
" You know nothing, Ander. Humble yourself and rather not be an obstacle in this. I beg you as a father… Stay away from this." Ephraim spoke with a perceptible smoldered anger.
" For how long would you ignore the past? You are helping those people who hate Eleanor, those people who…
" I am not helping the king and his family. Whatever I do today, whatever decision I take… is for Abothorn. My people." Ephraim interrupted. " Do not take your father for a fool." He cautioned. "Besides, it is Eleanor's choice to make, nobody would force her."
" Do you not think that Eleanor will agree if you ask for her help? Eleanor would want to return your favor, Father. She definitely will agree."
" Then so shall it be, Ander."
Ander gestured in frustration and despondency, he could shed tears because of his father's words. His father wasn't helping matters at all. " But why have the princess refused to attend the ceremony?" pained, Ander asked.
It seemed to Ephraim like Ander would never stop bothering him about the consort pick until he provides a reason for him to stop.
" The princess has leprosy." Ephraim disclosed. Ander remained quiet in shock, mulling over Ephraim's words. " Take the truth to your grave, Ander." Ephraim warned.