Daren looked at his mother in awe. Her hands are as soft as the feathers of a bird, so how could she have hurt the man so much, just with one single punch? "Mommy, is that man going to be okay? He-he only wanted to-to take some money. He must be having a ha-hard time in the unpeaceful faction..." Daren frowned.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll protect you."
[But you didn't.] Daren thought angrily, thinking back to the moment where everything went wrong. [You didn't protect me from him. You married him.]
---
Daren walks the halls of his mother's castle everyday, and he still manages to find himself lost. Whether he gets lost in thought or not, it is never the time to be actually lost in the long halls and rooms of the home that's still as confusing as a labyrinth made from the fey. Especially not when Daren's father wants him. As a King without a Crown, King Matthew Oradil is still as important as High Queen Mira, since she was the one to pick him out in the first place. And abusing that power was Daren's father's absolute favorite thing to do. As of the day he came into Matthew Oradil's purpose was to make his life both the most luxurious and the most difficult. Because Daren wasn't actually his son, and Matthew Oradil hated that.
He enters the throne room as the clock strikes three, and he's suddenly worried by how his father would punish him for being late. But he's not there. Not only is he not there, but all of his guards are gone. And there was only one thing left. On the bottom of the steps, lying on the cold, hard marble floor, was the unbreathing body of Daren's beloved mother. The High Queen, dead at the feet of the most respected monument of the High Rulers' legacy.
"Who could do such a thing?" Daren closes his eyes hard, but when he opens them again, his mother's body is still there. It looked like such a brutal battle had taken place. Blood splatters on the walls and ceiling, the remains of a few charred body parts littering the floor, even what looked like an unbeating heart lay on one of the top steps. But the Queen's was the only body there.
"I could think of a few." A voice answered, giggling. "Like perhaps daddy or some jealous ex of hers or one of her sisters or some random terrorist. Or maybe mommy just wanted to take a quick stroll to the afterlife, huh. That's actually a good idea. I should totally go to the afterlife next!" More giggles erupted, seemingly behind the throne.
"Huh. Not there, little prince! Seemingly close but seemingly far, huh? If you're going to look for me, let's make it a game! Hehehe!" A little girl appeared in front of Daren and clapped excitedly. "I'm gonna disappear again, okay? But this time, you know what I look like! It's an obvious advantage! Hehehe! If you find me within a two minute limit, I think I'm going to help you. Okay? But if you don't, you're gonna have to do without me. Got that? I can't really afford to help right now, but I think it could be fun! Oh, I know who killed your mommy. And I also know how to get revenge on them too! Hehehe! So, what about it? You wanna try it out?"
"Who are you?" Daren shouted at the girl, annoyed. "Are you some kind of god?"
"Are you some kind of god? Hehehe!" The girl falls to the ground laughing. When she picks herself back up, she just winks and disappears. "Not even close."