This was something I'd posted before, but deleted. This is hopefully a better version.
Rated T to be safe.
I own nothing.
~ Stolen Heir ~
Something was changing today in the kingdom of Meridian. The sweet chirping of the birds grew silent and the world was turning dark as the once warm, bright sun was being covered by a thick layer of pitch black cloud. The people of the city stopped their business and looked around with worry before turning to look up at the grand palace of Queen Weira. The beautiful architecture turned dark, and innocent and beautiful art became monstrous. A purple vortex swirled at the top of the highest tower, over the main hall where the evil was coming from.
The evil seeped into the world from deep below the main hall. Thick pulsating vines that were freshly formed weaved from the city, around the castle and deep into a cave-like room below the palace. Thorns produced out of them as sharp as knives, as cruel as the heart of the man who grew them.
All of them had sprouted from a large pool of murky water that filled most of the area. The energy and magic of the world was being pumped into the water. The vines acting as a circulatory system and the water was the heart. Only nothing was being pumped back out. It was all being absorbed by the parasite in the middle of the lake.
Prince Phobos stood waist deep in the water, his arms slightly outstretched and his eyes closed. His long, pale blonde hair cascaded into the water like the most beautiful waterfall and water droplets glistened on his bare muscular chest. Black roses sprouted around him and around the room. His pale blue eyes opened and he reached down to gently stroke a soft individual petal.
This world was now his.
The kingdom he had waited for so long to be his…it was becoming a reality. With his parents disposed of there was now only one obstacle in his way: his sister. Had his mother not given birth to that little brat, with the fact that the baby was a female making things worse, then things would have been a little easier. Then again, he could make this work to his advantage. Now that the Princess was technically Queen, she was the Heart of Meridian. All of that glorious power was inside her. Such majestic power was inside a baby. Princes Phobos almost snorted at the thought. That brat had more power than him and she didn't even have any teeth yet. At least it would make his job easier if his victim didn't put up a fight. Killing a baby would be easy. Then her power would be his. No longer would he have to constantly steal power from the land. He would be unstoppable.
Those fools in Kandracar thought they could stop him by raising a veil around Meridian. With his sister's power, he could easily tear that veil apart as if it was nothing but a thin piece of paper. Then the universe would be his for the taking.
Phobos smiled sinisterly at the thought before rising out of the water and putting his robes back on. Now all he had to do was have his sister brought to him and his plan could commence.
"Lord Cedric!" Phobos' command for his advisor and commander-in-chief echoed in the vast space.
A tall man dressed in black and green robes emerged from the shadows. His violet eyes shined sadistically and his long blonde hair flowed behind him as he walked forward.
"Yes my Prince?" Lord Cedric asked, bowing before his master.
Prince Phobos grinned down at him. "I think it's time my baby sister and I got to know each other a bit better. Fetch her and bring her to me immediately."
Cedric nodded. "It shall be done my Prince." He said before he swiftly left the room.
Phobos looked up at the dark ceiling and laughed. "The power of Meridian shall be mine!"
.
The curtains to the royal nursery began wildly flapping in the strong gust of wind that swirled around the area. The tiny new-born baby girl in the crib, a princess, the heir to the throne, began to whine fearfully, her arms flailing around, pushing her warm blankets off her. Her crying grew louder as she longed to see her mother's face, to be held in the Queen's comforting embrace. The princess longed to have her beautiful blue eyes gazing down at her with her long, soft red hair tickling her nose. But her mother didn't come.
Her mother would never again rush to the sound of her baby's cry.
The Lurdens that guarded the room grunted at the obnoxious sound of the baby's cries. Their ears twitched at the irritating sound and they held their weapons tighter in their hands. Both dim-witted creatures were concentrating so hard on blocking the sound out, they didn't noticed three people ducking behind the corner of the now darkened walls.
Two men and one woman cowered back slightly, making sure the Lurdens hadn't spotted them before they began talking to each other in hushed whispers.
"Galgheita, are you ready for this." The tallest, dark haired man asked, looking down at the fair haired young woman.
"I am the royal nanny, it is my duty to look after the princess." Galgheita responded in a determined voice, pulling her dark cloak tighter around her body.
"Good." The other man said. "Alborn and Miriadel are already on Earth awaiting your safe passage with the Princess. There they will have everything you all need to start a new life away from here as Phobos takes over."
"Is there really no stopping him?" Galgheita gasped.
The men sighed. "He's too powerful and the only one who can take him down is the Princess. Phobos will surely kill her if she remains here."
The three of them froze as the cries of the Princess grew louder. Galgheita placed a hand on her chest as her breathing grew heavier. This was it. The operation of saving and hiding the baby princess had begun. It was all up to her to carry the infant safely across the veil. Kandracar had clearly seen Phobos as a dangerous threat. Why else would they have raised a veil around their world? They were now cut off from the rest of the universe. No one could protect them from Phobos now. No one except for the baby in the room across the hall. Their one source of hope who would one day rule over them. When she was old enough that is. The task now was to ensure her safety. To hide her away on Earth where she could remain healthy and safe, away from her vile evil brother. Once she was old enough and her great powers matured, she would then be returned to this world and defeat Phobos once and for all, thus claim her birth right as Queen of Meridian.
Galgheita gasped as she felt something cold and hard being pressed into the palm of her hand.
"Take this." The dark haired man whispered. "It will help you get to the other side."
Galgheita glanced down at the object that had been placed in her hand. A large golden pendent in the shape of a diamond with the royal crest carved into it. The string attached to it dangled down and Galgheita looked at it with disgust.
"The Seal of Phobos?" She hissed. How in the world did they get hold of Phobos' most prized possession? Besides the Princess, this was one of the most powerful things on the planet.
"It is the only way to cross the veil." The man who handed it to her explained. "But take heed Galgheita, for it will only open a portal, not close it, so you must use it carefully."
Galgheita stared at the necklace again before gripping it tighter in her hand. "I will."
"Let's move." The other man order, running out from their hiding place.
Galgheita followed the men at much more slower and cautious pace as the pair both jumped onto the surprised Lurdens. Their ugly, yellow eyes widened in alarm, unable to move their weapons in time before the men had knocked the large beasts over. The weight of the two monsters knocked down the tall double doors to the nursery sending splinters of wood flying in every direction.
The Princess continued to wail from her cradle, drowning out the sounds of the Lurdens' grunts as they were knocked out by their own weapons.
"Go! GO!" The men ordered Galgheita who wasted no time in rushing into the nursery.
The three of them began to panic as they heard many footsteps stomping down the long corridor and they knew it would only be a matter of time before they were swarmed with guards. The palace alarm sounded and Galgheita dashed over to the extravagant cradle and swiftly, but carefully, picked up the Princess and held her tightly in her arms. She picked up a few blankets to protect her from the chill and wrapped them around the baby.
"Come on!" One of the men yelled in panic.
Galgheita obeyed, kissing the tiny nose of the Princess. "Ssssh, it's going to be ok, please don't cry your highness."
Without waiting for the baby to quiet down, Galgheita ran, following the men out and down the corridor towards the exit they had planned to use. They could hear the guards charging down the corridor after them and Galgheita froze as she noticed the two men were not running beside her anymore. She looked back to see them poised, ready to face the guards who were quickly catching up.
"GO!" The taller one ordered once he realised she had stopped. "Take the Princess and get out of here."
"What about you two?" Galgheita's voice shook with fear.
The other man sighed. "I'm afraid you'll have to go into the city without us, we'll distract the guards for as long as we can."
"But you'll be killed!" Galgheita shrieked as tears formed in her eyes as the baby's cries grew louder once again.
"Our lives are unimportant compared to the Princess's. We have vowed to protect her with our lives and that's what we'll do."
Galgheita took one step back, still unsure.
"Now take the Princess and leave this world!"
Galgheita no longer argued as she quickly turned around and continued running. The loud roar of Lord Cedric made the whole castle shake and despite the burning sensation in her legs and chest, Galgheita kept on running as fast as she could. She barged through the small wooden door with her shoulder and let out a small cry of frustration when she realised how dark the stairwell was. With all the commotion going on in the castle, the torches had not been lit. She couldn't afford to tread carefully. The two men would only buy her minutes at most and she couldn't afford to waste their precious sacrifice.
The baby's crying had died down slightly to a few spontaneous whines and Galgheita wrapped the blanket more tightly around the Princess before taking a deep breath and running for it. Her steps were slightly clumsy but her adrenaline kept her going as she continued to run down the narrow, winding, stone steps. Every now and then, she would hear a sound echo around her and her heart would leap into her throat. Any moment now, a guard or another member or staff not in the know could come up the stairs and it would all be over. The Princess would be killed and she herself would be executed for treason.
She just had to make it. Please, please, please, she pleaded inside her mind. Her hopes began to rise as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Galgheita paused as she reached the wooden door and peered out through the bars. The Princess let out a gargling sound and Galgheita shushed her, carefully rocking her as she assessed the situation outside the door. Many people were wandering in and out of the castle, business as usual only this time there was more guards.
Galgheita pulled her hood up to hide her face and wrapped her cloak around the baby to hide her from sight before she slowly opened the door and stepped out. She prayed as hard as she could that the Princess didn't suddenly start crying. As soon as she joined the crowd of people, she heard the whispers.
"Did you hear that the Princess has been stolen?"
"The heir has been stolen."
"The Princess is missing."
Galgheita held her breath as she passed by many people and relief began to flood through her as she made it to the outskirts of the city. Even though it was the middle of the day, all lights were on in the now darkened world. Guards made their way through the streets, invading homes and stealing valuables, arresting anyone who tried to resist. Husbands were stripped from their wives and parents were stripped from their children. The sight was horrific, but Galgheita knew she had to press on. She needed to find a safe, quiet spot, away from any of the guards where she could cross the veil without being spotted.
Any hope she had suddenly came crashing down around her, shattering into millions of pieces and all it took was a cry from the bundle in her arms. The guards and people around her froze and stared at her. Galgheita could only stare back at them in horror which further proved her guilt.
"She has the Princess!" One of the guards yelled. "Seize her!"
Galgheita panicked and ran, but she was already out of breath and sore from running so much earlier. She knew she wouldn't get very far, especially with so many guards chasing her. She had to do it. She had to use the seal.
Even though she was supposed to wait, it was either that and have a chance of escape, or be captured by the soldiers and fail the mission. She pulled the Seal of Phobos from her cloak, holding it tightly in her hand while the baby continued to scream as the guards chased after her. Guards were now approaching her from all sides and with her heart beating frantically in fear, she raised the seal into the air. The seal followed her wish and Galgheita gasped as a bright blue vortex opened in front of her with the promise of the safety of Earth at the other side.
Wasting no time, Galgheita ran towards it, accidently dropping the seal on entrance. It didn't matter though. Good riddance as far as she was concerned.
Much to the astonishment of the guards, the portal closed behind her preventing them from following her to Earth. They scattered around frantically with the seal accidently being kicked down a drain in the midst of the chaos. However the guards all froze as a family, intimidating giant monster slithered towards them.
"What happened?!" Lord Cedric yelled. "Where is the princess?!"
"Gone." One of the guards replied with a shaky voice. "To the other side."
Lord Cedric growled and hissed in anger. "And how was it possible that she crossed the Veil?" He froze as a thought came to mind. "She possessed the Seal of Phobos, she's taken it with her."
First the Princess and now the seal. Phobos was going to have his head…that's if he was lucky. How was he going to break the news? Lord Cedric didn't fancy his chances.
.
"My Prince…" Cedric began, "The Princess, along with your seal have been stolen. It appears there was a plot your highness and many of the castle staff worked together in order to kidnap the Princess and take her to another world with your seal."
Cedric's eyes opened when he didn't sense any movement or response from the Prince. Phobos remained stood beneath his new black throne intertwined with vines and roses. His pale blue eyes fluttered closed and it appeared he was fighting off a smile.
"Lord Cedric," Phobos said calmly, "Who is the most powerful creature in Meridian?"
Phobos then angled his body in such way that his long blonde hair hid his face from Cedric's view. Cedric stared at the Prince for a few seconds, unsure and slightly fearful of what was going on inside Phobos' mind.
"You, your highness." Cedric answered.
"WRONG!" Phobos abruptly yelled, his booming voice echoed throughout the throne room. "I am not the most powerful creature on the planet. MY SISTER IS! And YOU let her slip away!" Phobos twisted back around, picking Cedric up by the scruff of his robes and glared furiously at him with a dangerous spark in his eye.
"My Prince please," Lord Cedric begged, "The veil is weak and portals will open; my men will go after her then."
Phobos shook his head and tightened his grip. "This failure is not good enough Cedric." He tossed the frightened Lord to the cold, hard ground. "My sister's power will allow me to take the universe as my own. If she is not found, the danger she presents to me will only grow."
"She will be found your highness," Lord Cedric asserted, "I will not fail you."
"Good." Phobos snapped. "I don't care if it takes days or five years or thirteen years. She will be found and all the power of Meridian will be mine."
"Yes my Prince." Lord Cedric wasted no time in quickly making his way out of the room.
Prince Phobos growled to himself, his whole body tense as he began walking towards one of the large purple arched windows. Many areas of the city were glowing with fire as the people of Meridian began to rebel against him as a usurper. He gazed at the city below as if it was infested with rats. He cared not of what the people of Meridian wanted. They would all make good slaves and prisoners for his collection. If not that, then he would derive pleasure from watching their executions. He would take everything they owned. Everything was his. The throne, this world, the universe. His.
It was only a matter of time before he would be able to get it. Now he had to focus on finding his little baby sister. That screaming brat contained within her, the power he needed to accomplish this. So, the portal had mysteriously closed behind the wretch did it? Yes, it would indeed seem his sister was already incredibly powerful. With this thought, he smiled at the anarchy below him.
Oh dear sister, I will find you.
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