My Oath
Prologue
Long ago, five empires ruled over the land of Verilda. Split into factions by war, power,and strife. There were the elves of Herhaven, the dwarves of Nalderon, the humans of Alye, the giants of Ide, and the mages of Dundarin. Overcome with power, the five kingdoms waged war on each other until only ash and ruin lay in their wake. The elves and dwarves wished to unite the kingdoms to bring peace and prosperity. While the humans and mages wished to conquer all under their flag. The giants of Ide remained neutral to all parties, but could not avoid the call of war and bloodshed in the end. Soon after, the land of Verilda lay bloodied and broken by war and and death. It seemed the land would never recover and that the darkness would envelop all that it touched. When all hope had but nearly died away, a human king and queen rose to the occasion and took the throne, managing to unite the lands under one banner once and for all. The first king and queen ruled with a iron fist, but also with a kind heart, loved by all. Many generations of peace and prosperity ensued, until corruption worked it's way into the heart of the empire once more. The royal name became tainted with darkness, just as it's ancestors had.
Chapter One
The Elf
Jinshi walked among the halls of the royal palace, a set of folded silk sheets in his hand as he walked past royal guards and nodded his head towards them in greeting. He looked out one of the many glass windows in the hall, overlooking the city of Lihever.
"Greetings Jinshi, how are you this fine morning?" came a familiar voice as Jinshi looked over at Aedan, the prince and heir to the throne.
"I am well my lord, just delivering the queen's bed sheets to her chambers." Jinshi responded, avoiding the princes gaze.
"Jinshi, how many times have I told you to call me by my name? Twas a reason why a name was given to me at birth tis not?" Aedan said, his emerald green eyes looking the smaller elf over as Jinshi looked up at him.
"My apologies my lord...Aedan." Jinshi said as the prince began to laugh and walked up to the window and looked out into the city.
"Lihever is the gem of this nation is it not? Mind my forgetfulness, but where did you say you were from my friend?" Aedan asked, brushing back some of his short black hair as he looked at the elf and smiled at him.
"My family hails from a small village outside of the Herhaven capital. My grandparents came here in search of work, and that's when my family began serving the royal family." Jinshi said in response.
"Bothering the help once again dear brother?" came a voice farther off as Aedan's sister walked up to the two. She cast a look to her brother and then the elf in front of her before she bit her lip and smirked to herself.
"Finish your task elf, mother doesn't like to wait," she said, a slight venom in her voice as Jinshi backed away from her slightly.
"Y-yes my lady. Right away." Jinshi stuttered before he lowered his gaze to the floor and continued down the hall quickly.
"Why must you treat him like that Waverly?" Aedan asked as he glared at his older sister who just shrugged her shoulders innocently and undid a tie in her hair, letting the jet black locks fall down to her shoulder.
"What ever do you mean dear brother, I see no reason to pity them either. They are here simply to serve us and only serve us." Waverly said as she joined her brother in watching the bustling streets of Lihever in the distance.
"You know exactly what I mean Waverly, you treat them like dirt. This is not a way to treat another, mother has taught us that many times." Aedan said, scolding his older sister who just shrugged off the scold and continued her way down the hall, her robes draping far behind her.
Jinshi walked into the king and queens room as he walked up to the bed and placed down the sheets before he began to take off the old ones. There was no sign of the queen yet, so he took a sigh of relief and stopped for a brief moment as he sat down on the bed and felt the silk fabric. He shuddered a bit to himself whenever he thought of Waverly, but he could feel the tips of his ears become warm whenever Aedan sneaked into his mind. He stood once more as he pulled the rest of the bed covers off and unfolded the new ones. Suddenly he heard a soft knocking at the doorway as he turned to see the queen herself standing there.
"Oh, hello my lady. I am just replacing the sheets like you requested yesterday night, I hope you are having a good morning my lady." Jinshi said, suddenly bashful as the old woman laughed and walked up to him.
"You are doing a fine job dear boy, please do not worry about my approval. How is your mother Jinshi, I still have not seen her tending to the gardens yet." Queen Lanora asked, stepping forth as she grabbed one side of the sheet and began to tuck it in.
"I may get that my lady, you need not lift a finger. And my mother is still gravely ill I'm afraid, this winter was especially hard on her. We have not enough coin to have a doctor come and see her, but I have collected some herbs from the forest that might aid her." Jenshi said, finishing putting the sheet over the bed.
"Here then, take this and have your mother see a proper doctor." Anora said as she pulled out a small leather pouch, jingling slightly as she handed it to Jinshi.
"I could never accept such a gift from you my lady, I am but a servant to your wonderful family. Your presence is all the gift I could ask for!" Jenshi said before the elder woman simply pushed the pouch into his hand and clasped his fingers over it.
"Jenshi, your family has been apart of my family ever since I was a wee babe. I do not want to see your poor mother suffer, nor you. Please take this money as a small token of my affection and get her some real help." Lanora said, causing Jinshi to bow to her before he ran out of the room and hurried down the hall. The queen simply smiled to herself as she looked out the doorway and watched the elf run off before he disappeared around a corner. She returned to her bedside as she sat on the freshly made sheets and looked out her window towards the bustling city.
Jenshi stood there at the doctors shop, waiting for the healer to produce a salve that would help his mother as he drummed his fingers across the wood. He could hear the woman grinding ingredients into a stone bowl as he looked around her shop. Different smells drifted past his nose as he looked up and saw pairs of different herbs and spices hanging on a rack nearby. He smiled when he heard the woman return and turned around to see her pouring a dust like powder into a leather pouch and sealing it with a string.
"Mix this with warm water or tea, it'll turn it a dark blue color. After your sure it's mixed properly, let your mother drink it. Don't let her ingest it in all one gulp, spread it out over the course of the night. Too much of this at one time could prove to be fatal. That will be five gold coins dear boy." the healer said as Jinshi pulled out the coin that the Queen had given him and slid it across the counter top.
"Thank you and come again!" the woman said happily as she waved the young elf off as he ran out of the shop and into the pouring rain. Jinshi looked up into the sky as a carriage made it's way by him and a few nobles walked past in a hurry. Lighting streaked across the sky in bright mesmerizing displays, causing a few nearby children to run in fear. Jinshi laughed to himself as he ran through the rain and towards a main road that was filled with market stands and moving carriages and horses as people made there way through the market. He held the leather pouch close to his chest as he ducked under nearby pavilions to avoid the torrential downpour as he made his into a nearby alleyway and raced up a set of rickety wooden stairs.
"Mother! I'm home mother! I bring good news!" Jinshi hollered out as he opened a wooden door and closed it just as quick. The whole house was dark, except for the light coming in from the window here and there. Jinshi grabbed a nearby candle sitting atop the table by the doorway and lit it with a match as he let the glow illuminate the hallway before he made his way through the house towards his mothers room.
"Mother? Mother where are you?" Jinshi said aloud, knowing his mother was too sick to go out into the public. Jinshi pressed onto his mothers door as it opened slowly, creaking ever so slightly as the sound echoed throughout the home. Jinshi walked into her room, raising the candle up to see better as he walked to his mothers bedside and saw her there. "Mother, I've got medicine! Compliments of the Queen herself!" Jinshi said excitedly as he set the candle down on his mother's night table and knelled down beside the bed. He smiled to himself as he gently shook his mother's still body, getting nothing in return as the corners of his lips began to fall.
"Mother? Mother wake up." Jinshi said gently, thinking she was just a deep sleeper like usual as he began to gently shake her once more. Her eyes remained closed as Jinshi's smile finally broke completely as he began to shake her a bit more. Jinshi's breath hitched in his lungs as he slowly reached a hand up to his mother's forehead and felt it, she cold to the touch as he brought his hand down and felt her wrist. He felt the edge of his eyes grow wet as he felt no pulse pumping through her body before he began to shake her once more.
"Mother! Mother wake up! Please wake up mother!" Jinshi said a bit more forced this time as his throat began to tighten up. He brought a hand up to her cheek and patted it lightly, brushing aside some of her dark brown hair as it drifted past her closed eyes. "Mother...I brought medicine...please wake up! I'm sorry I was so late about it, but I finally got it! Please wake up!" Jinshi said as tears began to run down his cheeks in droves, rubbing his mother's cheek softly. "Mother..." he whispered softly before he dropped his head down into her chest and began to sob. He sobbed even harder as he thought back to all the times his mom would hold him close to her chest and pinch the tips of his ears to make him laugh. "I'm sorry mother...I was too late."
Chapter Two
Nothing Left
Lanora walked through the grand dining hall, the stainless glass windows being pounded by rain as she passed a few off duty guards playing cards.
"Good evening my Queen!" one man said in attention as the rest stood up and saluted the Queen before she waved her hand, letting them sit at ease before she continued down the area and smiled as she took in the peaceful sound of the rain outside the castle walls.
"My Queen! We have a off duty servant requesting your presence. He says the matter is quite urgent and must meet with you as soon as possible!" a guard said as he came running up to Lanora, standing in salute before she waved her hand and let him at ease.
"Which servant would this be good sir? Most of the servants have either returned home for the night or to their quarters in the east wing." Lanora stated, before the door at the end of the grand dining hall burst open. A pair of guards rushed the intruder before Lanora recognized the drenched elf standing there, chest heaving with sobs.
"Stand down men! I said stand down!" Lanora hollered out before she picked up the train of her gown and ran to the door to Jinshi's side. "By the Holy Creator's gaze, what has happened young man?" Lanora asked as she wrapped a arm around the elf and guided him to a nearby table as he sat down willingly and cried.
"Mother...she...she is with the Gods now. I was too late with the medicine you had me buy, and I've no where else to go anymore. She was...the only family I had left my queen!" Jinshi said as he began to sob once more. Lanora waved her hand aside as the guards hurried back to their stations before she sat down beside the sobbing elf.
"I am so very sorry young one!" the queen said as she did the unthinkable and hugged the elf, rubbing his back gently as she cooed to him softly to get him to quit his crying.
"Mother? Mother what is wrong!" came Aedan's voice as the prince walked into the dining hall and saw the two sitting down at one of the three long tables. She turned her head to see the prince and her son rushing over to their side.
"It is Jin...his mother has passed on to the great beyond I am afraid. Aedan, please take him to your room until I have time to talk with your father and come up with a solution to this terrible problem. Jinshi and his family have been apart of this family for generations, he will not go unaided during this time of sorrow." Queen Lanora said as she stood up and helped the elf to his feet before guiding him over to Aedan's side. She entrusted Jinshi into his care as she hurried off in the other direction, the train of her gown dragging along the ground.
"I am truly sorry my friend, come with me. I'll take care of thee for now." Aedan said as he walked Jinshi out of the dining hall, holding the smaller male elf close to him as they walked.
"Well, well, if it is not the servant from earlier today. Jinshi is it?" came a vindictive voice as Aedan turned to see his sister Waverly walking up to the pair.
"Not now Waverly, we have a issue at hand. His mother has passed on, mother is talking with father now about what we will do for him in his time of need." Aedan said, stepping between his sister and Jinshi as she walked over and traced her fingers across her brothers arm.
"Dear brother, do you truly think that I of all people would interfere with the affairs of a common slave? He is nothing, just like his mother was." Waverly said, drawing out the last word as she blinked her eyes innocently towards Jinshi.
"Bite your tongue Waverly!" Aedan bellowed, causing his sister to back away with genuine fear in her eyes for a split second before they became devoid of emotion.
"Do not hate me because you have feelings for the elf! Do not push me brother! I can and will go to the nobles court if you tempt me!" Waverly said back, venom lacing her words as she stared long and hard at her brother before shooting her hateful gaze towards Jinshi who shot one right back.
"Watch your back elf, you surely not seen the last of me!" Waverly said as she spun around and stomped down the hall, her black hair swishing back and forth on her back.
"Do not mind her my friend, only jealous that tis I, prince to father, will be the successor and next in line for the throne. Now come, we have much to attend to in your time of need." Aedan said as he hurried his long time friend down the hall. That's when Aedan stopped as he noticed Jinshi had quit walking. He turned around and watched as the smaller of the two shuffled towards the window and pressed his hand against the cold glass of the window pane.
"I failed her Aedan...I truly failed her. My mother put faith in me that I would take care of her in her time of need just as she did for me all those years. I was too late..and I failed her. Mother is dead...because of me!" Jinshi said as he felt his legs growing weaker before falling to his knee's, holding himself in his arms as he cried. Before he could say or do anything, he felt a pair of strong and warm arms wrapping around him and cradling him back and forth.
"You did no such thing! I have watched you work these corridors alongside my mother and father and we all know that you worked extremely hard for your mother. Do not blame yourself my friend...please don't!" Aedan said as he cradled the crying elf in his arms and listened to the rain continue to pound on the other side of the glass.