Disclaimer: I do not own anyone mentioned in this story.

A/N: This idea came to mind a while ago and I just got to writing it. I've always imagined Hunter in a movie like Conan The Barbarian or something related so I wrote a little something. It is completely unique from anything else I've written. I suggest listening to Hans Zimmer's "A Small Measure of Peace" while reading this. It fits it really well. I hope you enjoy.

King Helmsley stared down at his soldiers from the upper window of his stone castle. His hazel eyes scanned each man in armor and he examined them thoroughly. Injuries were a lag out on the battlefield and he couldn't afford to lose a battle and especially soldiers. They seemed quite well in health as they performed their duties and he felt relieved. He didn't really want to deal with the problems physically, mentally, or emotionally. They just had to fight tooth and nail last night from a group of soldiers who wanted to come and claim his castle as theirs. He sent his soldiers left and right to defeat the enemies and they did just that. After many amputations of limbs and punctures to the hearts of the enemies, they raised their bloody swords in victory.

"King Helmsley?"

He turned slowly and looked at the doorway to his bedroom where a soldier was stood, almost out of breath. "Yes?" The king spoke boldly. His chest was puffed out underneath his armor and fur from lions that often roam around the proximity of the castle and his land. Well, his chest wasn't really puffed out, his chest was just huge and so were his arms and legs. He was a 6 foot 5, 275-pound beast. His size often intimidated his soldiers and the peasants. The soldier that stood before him, his body language was evident of that.

"We are all done with our duties for the evening." He almost stuttered when he looked at his king's hard look.

Helmsley was a little taken aback. "You are?" He asked, obviously not having a clue even though he was watching them through the large window. He must've spaced out as he thought about the bloody and gruesome war from last night.

"Y…yes, sir." He was now fidgeting with his fingers.

Helmsley turned his head to look down at the outside and found that it was all done. "Thank you. You may rest now. I'll see you all in the morning." His deep voice rumbled as he didn't even look over at his hardworking soldier. He heard the heavy footsteps as he left and then the door gently shut, leaving him alone once more. Their duties were done quick. They consisted of burning the body parts of the fallen, fixing fences or structures that were torn down during the rage of men who wanted nothing more than to claim the lives on the battlefield and definitely his. They would be labeled as superior if they took his life.

If he were to be honest, sometimes he wishes that they would take his life.

Her lengthy brown hair that always shimmered in the sunlight; her eyes that always looked like a sparkling blue ocean when she gazed at him with a smile that was only meant for him. Her smile, oh her smile. It could brighten any bad day that he ever had when soldiers were killed or just because he was in a foul mood. Her perfectly shaped naked body that glowed in the fire light from the fireplace in this very bedroom. She would lie there bare breasted after they had just made love and it was the most beautiful sight to him.

A tear slipped silently down his bearded face as he watched the sun set in the distance leaving a purple color in the never-ending sky. The shedded tear and the tough lines of his face illustrated that even the most powerful human beings on earth can deteriorate to nothing more than a broken soul that will never feel a sense of happiness in life ever again.

Flashback…

"Hunter?"

She was playing with his thick beard and stroking his cheek. "Yeah?" He whispered as his large hand roamed her smooth skin. They were lying naked by the fireplace on a rug; the orange hue from the flames illuminated their bodies in a romantic way.

"When are we going to get out of here and have a life of our own? I want to have babies with you." The queen said with a soft smile etched on her beautiful face.

"Soon, Steph. There are still things to be taken care of." He explained as his hand moved to her shoulder.

"You're a good king; you're my king. I love you, Hunter." She whispered as she brought her face close to his and kissed his lips softly.

He suddenly felt so small; like he got deflated of his ego and pride. He put his head down and stepped away from the window. His heavy footsteps echoed as he edged closer to his bed. He opened the curtain that was hanging around the bed and removed the lion fur from his body. He lied it out on the heavy duvet and smoothed it out with his hands. It was a precious item that he had. He killed the lion with his bare hands. The numerous scars that crossed his arms, chest and back were proof of the deadly clash between a powerful king of his castle and the king of the jungle.

He looked down at his open palms and noticed the scars and callouses that decorated each of his massive hands. The scars and callouses were nothing compared to the blood that he had on his hands, a man's blood. The blood of the man that took his life away from him; his reason to live. He strangled the man until he was no longer breathing, until he knew that he took his life away from him. He wanted to hear his struggling breaths; he wanted to feel him tremble beneath his massive frame; he wanted to feel his throat break in the tight grip of his hands that were wrapped around his throat. He got what he wished for when the man took his last breath at his expense. Before the strangle and his death, he had almost beaten him to death.

The man raped and killed Stephanie, the queen; the love of his life.

He remembers finding her lying face down on their bed. He could see her naked silhouette through the thin white curtains that surrounded it.

He and all the soldiers were down in the yard in front of the castle. He left her alone in the room as he went and did his business. As he walked out that door, he would've never thought that that was the end of her life and damn near his sanity.

The image of her standing in the middle of the room, sweeping her hair out of her face and smiling at him was the last time he saw her alive.

Flashback…

"Stephanie?" He whispered nervously as he advanced towards her. He could hear his pulse in his ears; he knew something was wrong. Once he got close enough, the scratches and bruises were visible for him to see. "Stephanie!" He yelled as he ran the short distance and brutally whipped the curtains out of the way, almost ripping them off the wooden frame of the bed.

"Oh my god." He said aloud at the sight. He gently placed his shaky hands on her arm and tried to shake her. Her hair was in her face so he couldn't see it. "Stephanie, god damn it! Wake up!" His voice was raw with emotion as he shook her.

His actions were pointless because she has been long gone.

"Baby?" He near whimpered as he reluctantly swept the hair from her face. Tears were now falling down his bearded face. Her eyes were wide open and it was puffy around them like she had been crying before she died. "Steph…" He whispered as he brought his hand to her cold cheek.

Just then, a few soldiers came rushing into the room. They stopped right in their tracks at the somber scene in front of them. The king looked heartbroken and devastated; he was showing the side of him that they have never seen. He always had that hard, manly look on his face but now it was hidden beneath tears and distress. The queen was lying there, motionless. They both gasped when they noticed the horrifying marks on her body.

"King Helmsley?" One of them muttered as he dared to step closer. "We saw a man running from the castle. He looked disheveled and worrisome. He kept looking back at the castle before he ran into the jungle."

He broke his stare from his dead wife and slowly looked up at him. It was almost as if the tears suddenly stopped flowing. His cheeks were replaced with a fiery red instead of dried tears. He felt his muscles flex underneath his heavy armor, preparing for a fight. He gradually stood up from his squatted position and walked over to the fidgeting soldier. His nostrils flared, his breaths quickened, his fists clenched as he towered over him. "Bring him to me." He growled deeply; it was almost inhuman.

He saw the extreme anger in his eyes and felt his body shake. "Yes, king." He said hastily before they both ran out of the room.

When he was alone again, he turned around and went right back to her. He looked down at her and felt a pang in his heart. He reached down and gently closed her eyes; she looked peaceful.

"Crack, crack, boom!"

He violently snapped out of his thoughts at the loud sound of the thunder outside his window. The room was almost completely black; the moon peeking through the clouds was the only thing keeping the space dimly lit. He noticed he was still gazing down at his worn hands and when lightning flashed, he whipped his head around to look out into the stormy night. He was surprised to see a storm brewing. He did see clouds rolling in from the east but he didn't think it would turn into this violent weather. To most people, it would be an intimidating phenomenon but to him, it gave him inner peace. The ginormous dark clouds that produced the cold water droplets described his state of mind perfectly. His mind was always cloudy from the sorrow and pain that he felt each of every day of his life. Well, since she died. He was always gloomy just like this storm that was raging on just on the other side of the plate glass window.

Lightning flashed once again and thunder soon followed. It was like a never-ending cycle just like his existence. He wished that he could've saved her. He wished that he could've caught him right then and there before that pathetic excuse for a human killed her. She would still be here, probably standing right next to him grasping his hand and her murderer would still be dead. There was no doubt about that. She suffered. He saw it in her eyes when she was lying there, motionless. That is an image that he will never get out of his head.

Breaking his focus from the storm, King Helmsley trudged across the room and quietly opened the door. His footsteps were as light as possible as he headed down the long corridor and to the spiraling staircase. He didn't want to wake any soldiers and have them curious about him. He didn't need their care right now.

As he descended the long staircase, his hands trailed along the gold railing. The feeling was smooth against his rough hands; it was the feeling of money and success. None of that mattered anymore though. He finally made it to the bottom and walked the distance to the gargantuan front doors of his castle. He could hear the rain beat against the concrete on the outside before he pushed open the heavy doors. The freezing water droplets immediately stung his skin as he faced it. He walked out and the wind blew his long blonde hair around frenziedly. But again, ironically, he was at peace. Despite the bitter air that surrounded him, he didn't acknowledge it. It's hard to feel such things when you're numb inside.

His steel and leather boots seemed to make no noise as he walked along the trail to the outside gate. His mind was too occupied and the storm just seemed to progress with each passing minute. His hair was now soaked and stuck to his face and his protective armor was now slick to the touch. He effortlessly opened the gate and closed it behind him when he stepped outside the vicinity of his property.

His heart was beating out of his chest as he gazed at the hundreds of tall trees in front of him. Even though he could barely see in front of him because of the darkness, he could hear their leaves swaying fiercely in the wind. It was almost frightening but he mustered up enough strength to stand out here alone. The guards were all sleeping peacefully back at the castle. He felt that they deserved the much needed rest that they needed because of the numerous commands that they were ordered to take care of the past couple of days in the heat of the battle.

He drew nearer to the jungle as his feet sunk into the drenched ground. When he felt he was close enough, he brought his hands to his chest and slowly removed his armor. His torso was now exposed as he dropped the heavy armor on the ground with a loud thud; it was intentional.

He shivered as he waited. He knew damn well that he wasn't shivering out of fear. He's been in this position before. That's how he got the thick lion's fur to wear around his broad shoulders and he wore it with pride.

That pride was going to soon cost him as cracking sounded in the distance. The cracking was the sound of sticks crunching underneath feet, or in this case, paws. It wasn't just coming from one spot but all around him. The rain continued to pound against his massive frame as he stood in bravery amongst these beasts. He couldn't see them but he knew they were there. When the lightning flashed and lit it up like daytime, his eyes widened at the spine-chilling sight before him. For that one second, he could see what seemed like five lions slowly emerging from their kingdom. Now, that it was dark again, his thoughts drifted off to a warm place he kept in his heart.

Flashback…

"It's so beautiful out here." Stephanie said with a smile as she looked around at the open green grass field that her and Hunter were currently sitting in. Her eyes stopped at their beautiful black horse that was lying next to them, resting after bringing them all the way up here.

"Yes, it is." He said with a smile as well. His heart felt fulfilled as he looked at her face that was full of wonderment and complete joy. She loved nature and she just loved life. It was hard not to be happy and positive when she was around. He could lose all his wealth and power and he wouldn't be phased because he would still have her.

She looked over at him and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. She caught him gazing at her and she blushed. "Staring problem, much?" She joked. She honestly could stare into his honey brown eyes all day and all night.

His hearty laugh echoed in the distance. "Maybe. You're just so beautiful." He replied with a somewhat serious voice but still had a small smile on his face.

The warm breeze was not helping her body temperature go down as she started blushing even more. "Are you flirting with me, Hunter?" She questioned as she bit her bottom lip.

"Maybe." He repeated but this time, he reached over and lied his large hand on top of hers that was near buried in the long grass. He noticed that she didn't feel uncomfortable and he was relieved.

She was beyond flattered and it seemed like nothing else around them existed, including the loud breathing horse next to them. It was at that time that she fell for the king. The mighty powerful king that had a humongous castle of his own that was surrounded by a jungle. He had all the money and soldiers in the world. She was just a "peasant" and never thought that this would be happening. "Hunter, I…" She stammered as she tried to find something to say.

"Be my queen?" He asked suddenly. "And the queen of the castle of course." He added quickly. Stephanie being his queen was way more important to him then her being the queen of his castle.

Her heart seemed to stop at his question. She felt tears burn her eyes when she noticed that he was being serious. "Hunter…" She started but was interrupted when he brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it as he still looked into her blue eyes. "Yes, yes I will." There was absolutely no hesitation in her voice.

The smile on his face widened.

Her big smile never left.

That was when they first fell in love. He always held that close to him and he thought back to it when he was in a dark place, such as now. But this time, he was not going on. He could hear them coming closer. Their growls and their heavy steps were becoming clearer now. He breathed in deep, taking in the smell of the wet earth and looked up at the dark and cloudy sky. He was just taking in the magnificent surroundings around him one last time.

Unhurriedly, he dropped to his knees. He could feel the chilling damp ground soaking into his clothes. Once the stinging of the rain drops into his eyes was too much, he stared forward and eye to eye with one of the kings of this very land he was on. It's huge yellow eyes were piercing into his own brown ones. It was basically tasting him with its eyes and so he swallowed hard. He could feel the presence of the others grouped around him. Everything was silent as he kept staring into this creature's hypnotizing eyes. All he could hear was his own heartbeat and the heavy breaths coming from these beasts.

Perhaps, this was his punishment for taking one of their own. Lions were some of the most precious cats in the world. Ironically, that's what he thought about Stephanie; she was the most precious being on this planet to him and she was taken away from him.

Lightning flashed and that's when he realized how close they were to him. This was it. He bowed his head and shut his eyes before he opened his arms as if he was giving them the okay. He could feel their furry and damp manes on the tips of his fingers. He tried to push that into the back of his mind as he succumbed to the feeling of the icy rain beating against his bare back.

One last deafening roar and everything went black.

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this very random story lol I realized that I basically wrote the message that money doesn't buy happiness and I couldn't be more proud of that. I would really appreciate feedback on this one because I'm curious to if it was actually great or not so please leave reviews/favorite/follow!

On another note, my other story "Too Little Too Late" didn't get any reviews for the last chapter I published. I'm warning everyone that if I don't get any feedback with the next chapter I publish, I will NOT continue the story. It is frustrating to put work into the chapter and not get feedback. What author doesn't want or need feedback?

Thanks, guys.