Time flew by slowly, each day filled with agonizing pain. What remained of the kingdom mourned the loss of their duchess and family. Children all over were left orphans, wives turned into widows and husbands turned into alcoholics. The once lively spirit the people had was now gone within the aftereffects of the massacre. The kingdom was now weak and vulnerable, pathetic among the rest.
Oliver had held a parting ceremony for his mother, she was buried under the oldest tree the kingdom had which was known as the tree of life. This tree was known to have magical healing properties when the white fruits were eaten. As soon as she was buried the tree started to bare fruit, creating a sense of hope for a better future for the citizens.
This situation took a tole on Oliver's mental state. He was traumatized and paranoid. Knight Vernon tried his best to comfort the prince but to no surprise, it didn't work. Vernon himself was shaken up by this incident but he had to remain strong for the benefit of the people. Oliver couldn't sleep without having nightmares neither could he relax without hallucinating a gruesome scene taking place again; he couldn't differentiate between hallucinations and the reality he was in.
The neighboring kingdoms heard about the situation that had transpired in Lamadia. Instead of helping and trying to be supportive of rebuilding the damaged kingdom's spirit or population, they mocked andd ridiculed it for being weak and valueless. Though they would never admit it, these kingdoms were worried and scared that they would be next on the massacre hit list. The controlling bodies of these kingdoms banned their own subjects from ever stepping foot in Lamadia as it was deemed contagious.
••TIME SKIP••
Two months go by...
Around this time, the Kingdom of Lamadia was starting to rebuild itself. There once former allies turned against them but that didn't stop Oliver from effectively leading the Kingdom to prosperity. His mental health was still poor but not bad as it was when the incident first occurred; Vernon's methods of comfort had finally started to have an effect. He would distract Oliver with tea or even small strolls in the open world. It would be a lie if Oliver said he hadn't fallen for Vernon a little but he was not planning on acting upon his feelings.
This day in particular, was one in which seemed like an ordinary day. Everyone was busy. Vernon was busy caring for the orphans while Oliver made plans to better the current Kingdom lifestyle. The troding of horse hooves caught the attention of a sleep deprived Oliver. The knights who were outside bowed down to the figure who stepped out of the diamond encrusted carriage.
"We welcome his majesty, King Darius ll!"
The man was a sight for sore eyes, hideous. He looked like an old scrawny man. He wasn't actually unattractive but Oliver felt repulsed against the man's looks. In order to show some respect, he allowed the guards to escort the king to his throne room.
"Ah, there you are, Oliver is it? You're an exact copy of my sister...not a trace of anyone else in sight. It's... disappointing..." The king walked in, calm and eerie.
This man said he was his mother's brother, doesn't this make the man infront of him his uncle??? The same man that tried to kill him on multiple occasions? Oliver couldn't help but inquire the meaning of the man's cryptic words,"Greetings...my king. Why is it that you are disappointed by how I look?" Oliver was genuinely confused. He didn't see one once of sadness on the king's face, almost as if he wasn't grieving any of the poor souls that lost their lives.
"I'm disappointed that I don't see any features from me at all, my son should look like me, no?" The king had a dark look on his face.
"Son...?" If Oliver felt repulsed before, he was vomiting in his mouth now.