I sit up slowly so as not to give myself a head rush and make myself dizzy and look around the room.
Unlike the warm, cozy room I've grown accustomed to living in as king, this room is cold and dark. There aren't any windows in which to let the light from outside filter through and the room is dim enough to make even the most energetic person feel like laying down and sleeping.
I throw my legs over the side of the bed and stand up. My legs are weak from laying in bed for so long. They want to give out on me.
I stretch them a little, then carefully make my way to the door. Just as I reach to open it, the door swings open and a soldier comes rushing in and hurries past.
He's too focused on something on the desk opposite of the door to notice me, so I leave and go in search of someone who can help me.
Normally, the castle is teeming with life. Gwendal would be working in the office and arguing with Günter, who has just barged in on him with a list of complaints. Anissina would be in her lab, creating something amazing that everyone was afraid of and forcing Günter and Gwendal to help her. Wolfram would be in our chambers, reading to our daughter.
The maids would be discussing the latest development in the "love lottery" while the rest of the castle staff would be abuzz with the latest castle gossip.
Instead, the atmosphere feels kind of ...
I stop walking and look up at the sky. I don't know what possessed me to stop and look up at the sky, but now that I have, I can't help but notice the dark, ominous clouds hanging low over head.
The air is cool and damp. Nothing is moving and everything is quiet.
Too quiet.
It feels like the calm before the storm.
Unsettled, I start walking again, eager to find someone who can explain to me what's happened and why.
A voice emanates from a room at the end of the corridor and I quicken my pace. As I approach the room, I realize that I recognize the voice.
Actually, there are two voices. The conversation between them sounds serious.
I put my ear to the door and listen.
/ / / / /
"... once I give them the news, I'll make the announcement publicly. As for the person responsible for this outrage, I'll see to his execution personally!"
Gwendal ball's his right hand into a fist and shake's it angrily in the air.
"Is there anything I can do, Gwen?"
Gunter asks sympathetically, wanting to help.
"No. This is my responsibility."
Gwendal pauses a minute before continuing.
"Actually, I have a feeling that I'm going to need help dealing with my younger brothers. They're the ones who are going to be upset the most by the news."
"Understood. I'll do my best to help both of them but..."
"But?"
"What about you, Gwen?"
Gunter asks, concerned.
"You needn't worry about me, old man. I'll be alright."
Gwendal tries to assure him with one of his classic, confident smirks.
"You need to take time to grieve properly, too, Gwen. He was important to you, too."
Gunter says gently.
/ / / / /
Execution? Whose? Why?
As I listen to Gwendal and Gunter's conversation, I come to understand.
Someone has died.
It isn't Gwendal or Gunter, obviously. Nor is it Conrad or Wolfram. Instead, it was someone they were all close to.
Greta? Gisela? Anissina? Celi-Sama? Dacascos?
I can't think of anyone else they were all close to. Unless it was one of the maids.
Someone's coming. I can hear their boots "clacking" loudly against the floor as they approach.
I look up and see Conrad coming towards me. He looks pissed.
I wonder if he's angry with me, but I can't remember doing anything that would make him angry.
I start to apologize to him the second he's close enough to hear me, but instead of acknowledging me, he ignores me and joins Günter and Gwendal in the room. It's like he didn't even see me.
What the hell, Conrad?!
The door closes behind Conrad and I put my ear against it and listen in once more.
/ / / / /
Conrad stand's in front of the desk and peer's down at his older brother. He tries to read the expression on his face, but per usual, it's unreadable.
"You sent for me?"
Gwendal thread's his fingers together, prop's his elbows up on the table, and rest's his chin on his fingers.
"Yes. A situation arose while you were away. His Majesty..."
A feeling of dread washes over Conrad and his chest tightens at the mention of "a situation" and "His Majesty."
Whatever Gwendal is trying to tell him, he knows it isn't good.
"What happened?"
Conrad's voice is small and tight.
/Something is wrong./
"While you were away, an assassin weaseled his way into the castle. He attacked His Majesty in his room. I ... I'm afraid His Majesty is ... "
Gwendal can't bring himself to look his younger brother in the eyes as he gives him the news, so he stares at the surface of the desk instead, examining it. His voice trailing off.
Perhaps giving his younger brother the news about His Majesty is just too painful for him.
"I'm sorry, Conrad."
Günter touches Conrad's arm in an attempt to help ease the pain of the blow and comfort him.
Conrad glances from Gwendal to Günter, then back to Gwendal. He shakes his head, his body trembling. He's in shock.
"No... No! It isn't true! It can't be true! How could something like this have happened? How could you have allowed something like this to happen?!"
"I didn't allow anything to happen! I would never deliberately allow something bad to happen to His Majesty!"
"The person who assassinated His Majesty is in custody and the incident is under investigation. Conrad, I promise you. That person will pay for hurting His Majesty."
Günter pipes up and assures his friend, who looks angrier than a hornet that's been provoked.
Conrad grabs his forehead as if he's just been struck down with a major headache, crestfallen.
"His Majesty can't be gone. He can't..."
/ / / / /
An ... assassin ... attacked His Majesty? W-Wait a minute! I'm His Majesty!
The realization of what's happened shocks me and sends a chill down my spine.
I.. I'm the one w-who's died?! How?! Why?!
I become deeply depressed.
If I'm dead, that means I won't get to see my little girl grow up and become the woman she was meant to be. On the other hand, maybe I can sneak into the girls locker room at school without feeling guilty about being a peeping tom.
Can I even return to Earth in this form?
Maybe they have baseball on the other side.
The idea of having baseball on the other side cheer's me up only a little. I'm still depressed that I won't get to see my little girl grow up.
Actually, I'm depressed about a lot of things. A lot of things ...
Conrad gets upset and yells at his older brother. It shocks me back to reality and instead of feeling depressed, I start to feel angry.
I want to kill the assassin for being the one to make Conrad angry instead of me.
The bastard had no right!
No right!
I force myself to calm down and watch the rest of the scene between Gwendal, Gunter and Conrad with a heavy heart.
I didn't mean to die and inconvenience everyone. Least of all, cause you pain. Please, forgive me, Conrad... Günter... Gwendal...
I wonder if Wolfram knows I'm dead?
No.
Earlier, Gwendal mentioned giving "them" the news and told Günter that he would probably need help dealing with his younger brother's. His younger brother's being Conrad and Wolfram.
Conrad only just now found out about my death. If he was the first of Gwendal's two younger brother's to learn about my death, then Wolfram doesn't know yet.
Rather than stick around to bare witness to Wolfram's reaction to the news of my death, I leave and return to the room I was in before. There's something I need to confirm for myself.
I stand next to the bed and stare at the person laying on it.
The person is mostly definitely male. His chest is flat and there's a slight bump between his thighs, under the covers that have been pulled up around him. He has short black hair and light, olive colored skin.
He looks like a teenager. Probably around sixteen years of age.
I reach to pull back his lids to see what color his eyes are, but my hand goes right through.
Alarmed, I jerk my hand back.
I don't need to see the color of the eyes of the person laying on the bed to know. That, along with the fact that my hand passed through the boys face when I reached to open his eyes confirms it.
The person laying on the bed in this small, cold, dark room is me.
That's when it hits me.
I tip my head back and let out a blood curdling, ear piercing scream that echo's through the castle.
Thunder roars overhead and it begins to pour.
/I... I'm really dead!/
