A/N: I decided to write another story related to "Tears of a King", personally because I love that story. This piece basically goes into detail from "Tears of a King" and explains all the big events that occurred. I will warn you that some parts of this story are graphic so if you come across a part and don't want to read it, than I'm not forcing you to.

I recommend reading "Tears of a King" first and then enjoy this one next haha I also recommend listening to Hans Zimmer "A Way of Life" while reading.

Anyway, enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I own no one but the soldiers. Vince McMahon owns Hunter and Stephanie.

The sounds of heavy pants and soft moans filled the dark room; the only light present came from the large fire place across from the bed. The bed where Hunter and Stephanie were making love. She held onto his broad back as he showed his love for her. As her fingertips trailed along his back, she could feel the faint scars that decorated it. Scars from battles where his livelihood was on the line. They just made her fall in love with him even more because they represented strength and compassion that was deep within his soul.

"Oh, Hunter…" She moaned quietly into his ear. His face was buried in the crook of her neck and she could feel his hot breath beat against it with each jarring thrust he made. What she loved most was when he would softly kiss her neck. It was a soft touch to his rough actions.

She moved her hands from his back to his soft hair that was now getting damp from his sweat. She tangled her hands in it and succumbed to the feelings that her lover was creating.

Hunter looked up from her sweaty neck and gazed into her eyes; for that moment, he got lost in them. Looking into her eyes was like looking into a clear blue sky on a warm peaceful day or an ocean that went on forever. When he felt her hands move to his cheeks, he was brought back to earth. Their lips connected in a loving kiss until they were desperate for air.

"You're so beautiful." He hushed as he felt himself get close to the end.

She felt herself get warm and tingly inside at his sweet comment. "I love you." Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

"I love you too." He picked up the pace of his thrusts and Stephanie's head rolled back as she moaned loudly. He brought his hands up to set them on each side of her head to lift himself up from her. "I'm so close." He grunted.

Feeling the heat of his body suddenly disappear, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. She could by his body language that he was about to release. His teeth were clenched; the veins were popping out of his neck and his chest was flexed which made her mouth water. Her hands were soon roaming his chest as he let out a thunderous growl. She sighed at the feeling of him twitching inside of her, flooding her with his heat.

They ended with sweet kisses that only two people deep in love can give.


They lay wrapped up comfortable in the thick blankets of their bed with the only sounds being heard were Hunter's heavy breathing, the fire wood crackling, and a cricket outside of the cracked open window. They caressed each other's faces with no words being exchanged. It was a peaceful moment after the romantic encounter between the king and the queen.

"How did I get so lucky with you?" Hunter asked with an adoring smile as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

She shrugged her bare shoulders. "Right place, right time." She replied with a sly smile.

He chuckled deep in his throat. He loved her sarcasm sometimes; she had such an amazing personality. "That's just what I was thinking." He said sarcastically with a smirk. Right place, right time couldn't be any truer though. She just came here as a peasant, to work for him, the king. He saw something in her, something special. Underneath all the sadness and misery in her eyes, there was a bright loving soul. He knew that she shouldn't be doing back breaking work because she was better than that. He knew by just getting a glance at her that she deserved the world.

"What if I get pregnant?"

He was snapped out of his deep thoughts at her sudden question that caught him off guard. He didn't even know until now that she was playing with his thick calloused fingers. He looked her in her eyes and could tell that she was serious. She was scanning his face for an answer. He has never thought about her getting pregnant. The battlefield and castle were not really a playground for babies and children. Yes, the castle was heavily secured but still not a place for them, especially if an intrusion happened. "I don't know, Steph. I've honestly never thought that before." He said softly as she watched her fingers caress his.

She just smiled understandably. "Yeah, I know. I just think of it every time after we make love." She's always wanted kids, especially with the man lying before her. She watched his hazel eyes focus from her to her delicate fingers. She knew that he would be a protective father; he was so protective of her that it was overwhelming at times. Well, she wasn't the only person that he protected daily. He made sure all his soldiers were safe even though they wore protective armor and carried swords with them. He was a good king, the perfect king and everybody loved him. Even if he often intimidated his soldiers.

"Someday we'll have a little prince or princess running around but not here." He made his statement clear with a stern voice at the last part of the sentence. He knew that he wasn't going to be here forever, at the castle that is. Don't get him wrong, he loved being the one sitting comfortably on the throne of power but someday he wants to go on to the next chapter in his life. He would give one of his best soldiers his authority and him and Steph would walk off into the sunset together.

"You're right, baby. It's too dangerous here." She said before she sighed sadly.

Hunter noticed her mood change and the upset expression on her face. "Hey, hey." He whispered as he tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up to look at him. Once her eyes were glued to his, he continued. "Someday, Steph. Now is just not the right time. I love you, you know that. I'm only doing what's right for all of us." He assured with a smile that she always loved. "Now, I should probably get out there." He said as he released is hand from her hold and untangled himself from the sheets. He always held an early morning meeting with his soldiers out in front of his castle to motivate them for the day ahead. Whether the day be consisted of a bloody war or hard labor.

She just smiled as she rested her hand on her arm on the white pillow. She watched him make his way across the room and to the bathroom. A sudden yawn escaped her mouth before she attempted to get out of their massive bed. An ache always lingered in her body after being with Hunter tenderly but it was a good ache. The morning sun beat against her tanned naked body as she walked over to the massive glass window. She peered out at the beautiful purple morning sky and felt peace take over her soul.

When she heard the wooden door to the bathroom squeak open a few minutes later, she slowly turned to see her love grabbing his armor from off the table. The heavy metal sat on his broad shoulders to protect his entire torso; it made him look three times his size which always frightened the rivals. His damp hair clung to his back and water dripped from his thick beard. She was admiring him, there was no doubt about that. He wasn't just a king but a god as well.

"I'm going out to the yard for the meeting. If you need anything, that's where I'll be."

She literally shook her head from her thoughts and then nodded at his comment. "Be careful out there." She lightly walked up to him. "I love you." She stood on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss as she rested her hand on the cold armor that protected his chest.

"I love you too. Wash and eat something, Steph." He near demanded before he swiftly walked past her. He opened the door to their bedroom and stepped out, closing the door behind him. His heavy footsteps stamped on the marble flooring as he made his way down the long hall where diamonds were studded beautifully into the walls to form majestic designs that had you staring forever as if it was a maze. The trimming was made of pure gold and so were the frames of the pictures that were scattered about the walls. The pictures were also protected with thick glass so no intruder had the opportunity to steal them; they were pure art. The sight was almost as if it was a museum and it was all his. The king and queen's floor of the castle was the most treasured of all.

He slowly stepped down the long spiral staircase that was located at the very end of the lengthy hallway. His feet padded lightly on the soft red carpet that adorned the wide steps.

When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he was greeted by a few of his guards that were standing on each side of the tall and heavy doors of this very castle. He preferred a few guards inside and outside the doors for extra protection just in case somebody felt brave. The guards had a sword with them and heavy body armor as well. They even had metal helmets to shield them from the obvious attacks since the enemies mostly aimed for the head and neck.

"Good morning, King Helmsley." One of them said boldly with a nod as he stepped out of his place to push open the massive doors.

"Good morning." Helmsley replied before he stepped out of his stone castle. The warm morning sun immediately hit his skin and he felt refreshed for the usual meeting that he held every day at this time specifically. He eyed each of his fifty soldiers, who were all standing respectively shoulder to shoulder facing him. The rocks crunched underneath his heavy steps as he advanced towards them with a serious look on his face. When he stopped in front of them, the heavy doors to the castle slammed shut and he could feel the vibration on the ground.

Before him were fifty brave human beings who have saved him from many death threats and deadly encounters. Before him were his soldiers. Before him were family.

"Men." He said with bold words as a salutation. He was stood up straight with his chest huffed out to act intimidating but he didn't even have to try. If he acted or unintentionally looked beastly, then they would be more encouraged to fight for their lives and claim what's theirs.

It was quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the repeating sound of the kings' boots crush the tiny rocks under his body weight as he slowly walked back and forth to study each of his soldiers.

Once he stopped right in the middle, he spoke. "First, I want to say that I hope each of you had a good night's rest because I have something planned for you all today." He stopped and waited to see if any of them would react. They just all looked him in his eyes as they listened to their king make his speech. "Last week we had enemies invading from all directions and they were all from the western land. We lost resources. We lost blood. We lost warriors." His voice dropped at the last sentence. Some of their eyes darted to the ground in sadness. They were all like a big family; they were brothers and King Helmsley was like their father.

"But we will only let that add fuel to the already burning fire that is deep within ourselves!" He shouted in encouragement at the quiet men before him. He realized that he provoked them as some of them shouted in agreement. He felt pride run through his veins. "Tear them apart one by one! Make them wish they never stepped foot onto this land and killed our own!"

"Yeah!" They all exclaimed in unison as they raised their clenched fists in the air.

"Men! Let's take what's ours." He demanded in a deep voice as his nose twitched in anticipation. He's faced death many times through bloody wars. Since he was the most dominant king in earth's history, rivals will purposefully attempt to yank off his armor so they can pierce his beating heart with one of their swords that was caked with blood and dirt. They would immediately take his throne. Therefore, he had more scars and marks on him than any of his soldiers possibly combined. He was ready to fight for his legacy once again.

He watched as his men cheered loudly before the doors to the castle suddenly opened. Everybody quieted down and looked in the same direction as the king.

King Helmsley's heart skipped a beat at the sight of his wife as she exited the castle with a serious look on her face. Her hair was put up into a long braid and some of her naturally wavy hair hung loosely around her face. The sun's rays beamed against her gold jewelry which consisted of a necklace and earrings. She was dressed in a tight black dress that stopped just above her knees, revealing her beautiful long legs that he had just caressed earlier.

Helmsley eyed her suspiciously when she stopped and stood right by him. She was scanning the soldiers just like he had before he gave his motivating speech.

"I hope you heard him loud and clear." She started with a grave tone of voice. "You may not be familiar with me but I want to make myself clear as King Helmsley just did." She knew that they've never heard her speak before but she wanted to remind them that each and every one of their livelihood's were on the line. "The battle ground will be scattered with lifeless bodies and their king will learn to bow down to us. Do it for us but most importantly, do it for yourselves." She stated with her chin high in the air as she walked back and forth, eyeing each man in armor.

The king watched as his wife gave her first speech and he had to say that he was very impressed with her. They just made love a few hours ago and she was the sweetest thing he had ever laid eyes on. Now, she was taking control and edging them towards another round of shouts and cheers.

"Just keep that in mind when the pointed sharp metal is face to face with you." She ended her dedicated speech with the illusion of staring death in the face. She turned around and eyed her husband as he stood there brazenly. She walked up to him and smirked before she kissed him lightly on his bearded cheek. She walked back into the direction of the double doors of the castle but as she did that, she felt something….something strange. She felt like someone was staring at her. It could most possibly be Hunter so she looked back at him to see if he was but oddly enough, he wasn't. Her eyes skimmed the soldiers to see if one of them was but their attention was directed towards their king. She just turned back and entered the castle in curiousness.


A dark set of eyes watched as the queen skillfully brushed her long beautiful hair in the mirror. With each run of the brush through her hair, he felt himself get aroused. The way it ran easily through the dark brown strands made the desire inside of him grow stronger. He's had a want for her, no, a need for her ever since he laid eyes on the beautiful and powerful woman. The orange hue in the room made her look angelic and she was smiling, like always. She was talking to someone in the room and he knew exactly who it was.

Speak of the devil, the king walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as he nestled his face in the crook of her neck.

His fists clenched and his jaw tightened in fury. The jealousy was racing through his veins as he watched King Helmsley kiss her. The cold night air around him was not enough to cool him down as his temperature was rising rapidly. "I'm going to get you." He said confidently as he hid behind the bush some more when the queen looked out the window and into the night.


"What is it?" Hunter asked as he slowly walked over to Stephanie, who all of a sudden, directed her attention to their large bedroom window.

"I don't know. I don't feel right." She replied as her eyes studied the outside. Well, she tried to look as much as she could because it was so dark.

"What do you mean?" He inquired with quirked eyebrows as he stared down at her. She looked very concerned about something and he couldn't tell what it was. Just a minute ago they were talking about anything and everything and now he's questioning her weird and random behavior.

"I feel like someone is watching me." She turned to look up at him. "Ever since that meeting the other day, I have felt a set of eyes on me and it's scaring me." She stated as she fidgeted with her fingers.

He saw the fear in her eyes and so he grabbed the ends of the curtains and shut them so all they can see is the thin red material.


The person outside remained in his place as he watched the queen quiver in fear. The fact that she was starting to notice made a sick smile appear on his face. When the king covered the window, he stood knowing that no one could see him in the darkness of the night and slowly walked off not looking back once.


"Steph, it's okay. Maybe it's just because everybody knows you now. I think you have nothing to worry about." He explained with a soft voice as he led her to the bed.

She smiled faintly and eventually nodded her head in agreement to his words. "Yeah, that's possible."

He smiled in relief that she felt better; he hated seeing her worried about something. "Yeah, get some rest, it's been a long day." He said when she sat down on the side of the huge bed.


King Helmsley walked cautiously throughout the many humongous trees that scattered the humid jungle. He could hear the birds chirping about in the trees above him, which drowned out the sound of his footsteps crunching branches and leaves dispersed among the floor of the home of the king of the jungle. His eyes were narrowed as he kept a close eye for one of the monumental cats. He was in search for one in hopes to wear its fur on his own body. It would symbolize Herculean attributes that he possesses; all the enemies would fear him.

He wasn't wearing his heavy armor because it would weight him down in the midst of a fight between two kings of different lands. The sticky air covered his skin with a thin sheen of mist and perspiration. The sun beat down on his large form which made him visible to a naked eye, which means that a lion will easily spot him even from afar.

A sudden growl made him stop in his tracks and his soldiers behind him as well. They were with him in case he was in trouble and almost killed. They insisted they go when he refused to have them trail along with him but the queen forced them. Stephanie. She was scared to death of what his intentions were when he said that he was going to enter the ominous world of wild beasts. She decided to stay back at the castle in complete fear of her husband perishing.

He felt his muscles tense all over his body when he heard crunching in the distance. Eventually, he spotted a shadow moving towards him and his guards. When he took a step forward, the men behind him, who were heavily protected in steel, stepped back as they clutched their swords. The face of his opponent was unveiled from behind shrubs. When it came into full view, its yellow eyes were fixed on him and so were his own brown ones. The two colors clashed and it brought upon a stillness in the air.

There they were, in the middle of the jungle, the sun beaming on them like a spotlight for a boxing match. The lion stood proud as it showed its pointed teeth; it growled lowly to express its displeasure of the human standing before it. Its fur was frizzed which made its mane look much wider than it originally was.

King Helmsley prepared himself for a grueling fight that was to come in just mere seconds. He planted his steel covered feet firmly on the ground and regained a stance that could help him slay the beast quickly. His heart was racing and so was his adrenaline. "Come on." He muttered under his breath before he took a step forward. His actions earned him a growl much louder than before as its fur covered snout wrinkled up to show its enormous teeth once again.

He stepped closer before he did what no human being would muster up the strength and will to do. He charged at the monstrous lion and the two clashed. Gasps erupted from the soldiers as they stood back and watched with wide eyes. Helmsley pressed all his body weight against the lion to wrestle it to the ground. He could feel its sharp claws piercing his back and the warm gushes of his blood running down. Being the dedicated man that he was, that only motivated him more to fight until he was victorious. As he was trying to wrestle it to the ground, he bit down hard on its ear until he drew blood which caused the lion to tremble slightly. That gave the king the advantage as it stumbled onto its back as he spit out its blood that came from its ear.

Helmsley had his large arm around its neck but when it fell on the ground, he lost his grip from the pain of it being squished between this beast and the hard ground. The lion bit into his arm and he screamed in agony at the sharp pain that run from the tips of his hair to his toes.

One of the soldiers stepped forward out of instinct in fear that the king will be killed right in front of them. The disturbing scream that ripped from the kings' lungs scared them but they didn't act; they were too scared to. What human being wouldn't be? The concerned soldier racked at his brain until another soldier pulled him back towards them.

His blood was dripping down his arm and soaking into the dirt underneath them. The lion still had a tight hold on his back and it suddenly infuriated him. Helmsley saw red as he threw his huge fists down onto the face of this cat. The lion was writhing underneath him which stirred up dirt into the air, causing a dust cloud to form around them.

He was hitting it so hard that his own hand started to become sore. He was intense; saliva was excreting from his mouth as he breathed heavily. He just wanted this to end but he knew it wasn't going to be an easy task. Unexpectedly, he felt the claws on his back start to dig into his flesh even more and drag down, ripping and tearing at his skin. He screamed loudly once more and withdrew from the hold with all the strength he possessed.

The lion got up in the blink of an eye and he saw the blood that adorned its face. He caused that blood and a wave of confidence washed over him. He ran after it and placed his arms around its giant head to give it a swift twist.

The carcass collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud and everything was suddenly silent. The king almost fell onto the ground before a few of his soldiers caught the heaving man. His body was throbbing painfully where deep wounds were present. The deep gashes that adorned his back, the monstrous bite on his arm and the cut right below his right eye where the lions' tooth punctured him, was enough to make anyone get sick from the sight of it all.


He hissed in pain at the pressure being applied to his back. His soldiers were caring for his wounds with cloths and stitches. The used cloths that lied across the floor damn near frightened him because it looked like he lost a great amount of blood.

But it was worth it.

Some other soldiers were currently outside in the yard, skinning the lion so he can have his precious fur.

"Hunter?"

He gently turned around and saw his wife advancing towards him with a half-hearted smile etched on her almost pale face. She was very disturbed when she saw him walk into the castle with some of the men supporting him. She had seen him get bloodied up many times but obviously, it was never this bad. He never had huge bite marks on him and deep scratches from claws the size of a blade from a tip of a sword. By the looks of her now, she seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Hey." His voice was hoarse from the few grueling screams that tore from his lungs. He tried to smile but the stitches on his cheek didn't allow it. They closed the gash up with some kind of string or material, clearly to stop the bleeding.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly as she eyed his back. The very back that she caressed as they made love the other night.

"I'm fine." He waved his hand to indicate that she didn't need to worry about him. He was the king, it's what he does. "Are you okay?" He asked while reaching for her hand. When she gladly accepted his touch, he smiled genuinely. He was eager to know if she was really alright.

The warmth of his skin relieved the chills that coursed throughout her body. The image of him injured from that lion was an image that will never be erased from her memory. It scared her to death. Hell, it scared her so much that she nearly got sick. Sure, he always fights in battles and suffers wounds but not damn teeth marks the size of small rocks. She easily could've lost him today but…she didn't. Looking into his tired eyes, she saw the concern etched in them. However, she recognized the constant pride that was permanent within them. He was hurt but he was proud.

"Well, you're okay so I'm great." A real smile finally appeared on her face.

"King Helmsley? Queen?"

They both turned to the direction of the voice, which was the entry way of the door.

"Your furs are ready." Right on cue, one of them walked in holding the beautiful fur that he fought so hard for.

Stephanie helped Hunter as he slowly rose from his seated position on their bed. His eyes never left his prize. Once he was within reach of it, he carefully grabbed it and held it in his hands. It was heavier than he thought it would be. It was like a blanket or a huge rug. He ran his hand over the short hairs as he remembered the beautiful animal that this belonged to. Its angry growls, intimidating stare, heavy breaths, and brute strength; he could imagine all of it as if he was holding it right now while it was alive. His think fingers raked through the golden-brown mane and could feel the pressure in his hand when he thrashed down onto its head with his meaty hands. Of course, they rinsed out the blood with water but he could still see it, could feel it.

He flung it over his shoulders and immediately loved the feel of it. It was the feeling of complete domination; it was the feeling of security; it was the feeling of a near death experience that he conquered. That last thought made him shutter but it quickly faded away when he observed this amazing item. It easily covered his muscular shoulders and could very easily cover his armor when he puts it on again. It hung all the way to his calves and it was just perfect. He walked over to the mirror and got a good look at it. The mane sat perfectly around his neck. If he were to be honest, he almost looked like a lion himself. His think blonde hair, thick beard and the fur allowed him to resemble the creature that almost took his life.

He was the king of the entire land now.


"I'm going to go out there now. I'll be back soon." Hunter said to his wife who was standing in front of him, looking up at him with her innocent blue eyes. He was going to go deliver his usual speech to his soldiers.

"Okay." That was all she said before she stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. His beard tickled her face and her heart flipped in her chest. When she pulled away, she smiled at him as she swept some of her chestnut hair out of her face.

He returned the smile before turning and walking out of the room with the door slowly shutting behind him.

As he made his way down the long hall, he failed to notice the dark figure standing in the shadows near his and Stephanie's room.

The figure stepped out of the darkness when the king was no longer in view. He had to have been in the yard by now, observing the line of the couple dozen men who stood proud before their ruler.

Stephanie was sat on the bed when she heard the door suddenly open. Thinking it was her husband, she turned around with a bright smile on her face but it soon faltered to a frown when she noticed it was just one of the soldiers. "Hello, what brings you here?" She said boldly as she stood up from her seated position on her and Hunters' bed.

He just shot her a cold stare before he turned his head and locked the door at a leisurely pace.

She felt her blood run cold when she saw his hand move to the lock on the door. It seemed as if it all went in slow motion but her heart showed different. It was beating so fast that she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. She was starting to shake as he moved closer with a predatory look on his face. Even though she was in trouble, she still stood her ground and showed why she was the queen.

Despite shaking and feeling her heart beat rapidly, she scowled and stuck her chin out, standing up straight. "I suggest you get the hell out or there will be hell to pay." She growled. A couple of seconds passed and when he didn't obey her command, she reared her hand back and attempted to slap him but he brutally caught her wrist and squeezed.

His tight grip made her wince as she looked this man into his eyes. She saw the desperation in them and it seemed like time stopped. She felt that weird sensation again…like someone was watching her. She felt chills run through her stiff body while he cast an eye over her body. He looked so familiar to her when suddenly it hit her.

He was one of Hunters' soldiers.

His deep dark eyes were boring holes through her and she wanted to escape. "You…" Her words trailed off when he snapped his head up at her. She kept her mouth shut. She couldn't say anything. Instead, she tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp but he held on so tight to where bruises would soon form around her slender wrist, making it look like she was wearing a bracelet.

An evil smirk stretched his lips. "I can see the fear in your eyes. I like it." His cold voice made her shiver more since he felt it underneath his sweaty palm.

"Let me go." She pleaded as she tried to release her arm from his grasp once more but failed. She whimpered and felt her lips start to tremble.

I am not going to cry. Hunter, please return; I need you.

She thought to herself but it was almost as if he could read her mind when he took advantage of his hold to throw her damn near across the room. Luckily, she didn't hit her head on the chair next to her and she landed on her hands. She looked back in terror as he rushed over to where she was and brutally smacked her across her face. She yelped loudly and cupped her face with her shaky hand. The metallic taste was present in her mouth and she tried to back away from him but he got a hold of her and threw her on the bed.

Her breathing was erratic as she tried to cover herself with the bed sheets as some sort of protection but her attempts were unsuccessful when he brutally grabbed them and threw them across the way.

"Please, whatever you're thinking of doing, please don't do it." She begged as, unfortunately, tears fell from her eyes. Hunter always told her not to cry and to be strong but now she felt weak and ashamed.

He didn't listen as he just hopped on top of her and immediately ripped her top off. She was exposed to him and he licked his lips disturbingly. He ducked his head down and took a nipple into his mouth and bit down hard on it and the skin around it.

"Stop!" She cried out as she tried to shove him off but he easily overpowered her with his strength.

"Shut the fuck up!" He screamed before he smacked her in the face once again. He quickly moved off her and removed the rest of her clothes all the while fighting her kicking legs. "Stop fighting!" He yelled once she was fully undressed for his desire. He could see scratches decorate her beautiful tanned skin; he caused them when he brutally ripped her clothing off.

She had no way of covering herself so she just got in a fetal position the best way possible. "Hunter!" She screamed in a desperate voice as she sobbed. She needed him right now like the very air she breathed. She needed his warmth and protection.

He laughed in a sickening way while he reached down and released himself from his pants. "He won't save you, no one will." He gripped her legs and spread them open. He growled deep in his throat at the sight of her. He's been waiting for this moment and he finally got it. Therefore, he was going to enjoy the hell out of it and her. He roughly pushed himself inside of her and felt a rush from the sound of her screaming in pain.

"Moan for me, queen! Moan for me!" He mocked as he thrusted his hips fast and hard. He watched her face scrunch up in pain and anger took over. "God damn it! I said to moan!" He yelled as he pound his hand onto her back and his other onto the back of her head. Her face was close to being buried in the pillow so she could barely breathe.

Stephanie felt her lungs start to tighten up as she couldn't breathe in the pillow. She tried to move her head to the side just a little but his hand was pressing against the back of her head. She kept Hunter in her mind, hoping that he would burst through the door at any moment.

Her sobs were growing louder but they were muffled. His time was coming quick and so he thrusted harder than before. He felt a sudden wetness so he looked down and noticed a trickle of blood run down her private part and onto the bed sheet below them.

She felt her heart beat slower and slower as she tried so damn desperately to lift her head from the pillow. His strength overpowered her. She could feel herself fading; she couldn't really feel anything anymore.

It was when he released into her that he noticed she was silent. He withdrew from her and put himself away before he scooted off the bed. He took a good look at her and took note that she wasn't moving or making a sound. He slowly took her head and turned it to the side. Her hair was in the way so he moved some of it and noticed that she just had a blank stare.

She was dead.

"Oh, shit." He whispered to himself as he backed up away from her. Panic set in and he felt the walls closing in on him as his eyes never left her. He ran to the door and unlocked it before he ran out in a hurry.


King Helmsley trudged lightly down the hall to his and Stephanie's room. The meeting went well and they were definitely ready for a fight. Now he just wants to be with his love and tell her all about it. She loved hearing about what takes place between him and the soldiers. He raised his eyebrows in surprise to see that the door was open. She always liked to keep the door closed because she loves her privacy.

"Steph?" He said as he poked his head into the room. He right away saw her naked in bed and questioned himself as to why she was.

"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.


The king. That was the only thing on his mind as he practically ran for his life. The branches and their leaves brushed roughly against his face as he tried to escape the vicinity of the castle. Quite honestly, the lions were the last things on his mind as he scurried through their homeland; lucky for him, he hadn't seen one cross paths with him.

He didn't mean to kill her. He had absolutely no intentions of doing so. That's why if he was to get caught, there would be hell to pay. King Helmsley killed a lion with his bare hands; he saw with his own two eyes. He was one of the men standing there watching as he slayed the beast.

Speaking of beast, he suddenly heard cracking behind him and so he turned around, preparing for the worst. He thought it was a lion but no it was worse than that. They were chasing him and he knew the king sent them after him. He tried to run faster than before but he was growing tired. His labored breaths were becoming shorter as he tried to outrun them.

"Run around him and cut him off." One of the soldiers muttered to the other. They were right on him but they needed to catch him now. He killed the queen and for that, he was soon going to pay for his sins.

He tumbled into the many branches, rocks, and leaves as he felt a heavy body weight crash into him. Next thing he knew, he was being dragged against his will in the opposite direction that he was running.

The castle.


His soft kisses to her pale face did nothing to bring her back to him. He was broken. He was silently hoping that each kiss would bring her one step closer to waking up, just like he would do in the mornings when he woke before her. He covered her with one of the bed sheets that was piled against one of the stone walls across the large room. He couldn't look at those hideous marks on her body. He only caught a glimpse but he couldn't bring himself to look at any part of her except her face.

"I'm sorry." He whispered oh so quietly as he rested his forehead against the side of her forehead. If he would've just arrived five minutes earlier, she would be clinging onto him tightly as he whispered soothing words into her ear. Instead, he was the one clinging onto her as soon as he threw his armor and lions fur off. Her heart would be beating rapidly against his chest but much to his dismay, there were no beats at all. He knew his tears were soaking into her tangled hair; he couldn't help it.

Without warning, the door burst open and in came his soldiers that he sent out to capture the sick human being they were currently dragging in with them.

Hunter eyed him suspiciously as he lifted his head up from Stephanie. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was his very own soldier; one of his best soldiers at that. He noticed the drenched sweat on his skin and his disheveled hair. Hi eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at Hunter. He was breathing heavily and looked absolutely terrified to be on his knees before him. That right there answered his burning question but he asked anyway out of sheer curiousness.

"Did you do this?" His voice was low but bold. He never broke his stare from him to find the answer written all over his face. Everything was silent; there was no answer. "Answer me!" He yelled, startling the three men.

"I…I…" The guilty man stuttered as he tried to break his stare from the kings' fiery eyes. He knew he was not going to see the light of day again so his brain had trouble putting words together. "I…didn't mean to…kill her." He confessed as he shook violently from head to toe.

The rage he felt before he sent them out to capture him was bubbling to the surface once more but it was much stronger. He gradually stood up as his face grew red and his hands clenched into tight fists. His heart rate quickened as did his breaths. He growled and within the blink of an eye, he ran over to him and yanked him from his soldiers' grasps. He pushed him to the floor and got on top of him to lay his giant fist into his face. "You son of a bitch!" He screamed, all his hurt and fury coming out at once. He didn't know how many times he has hit him since all he could see was red. Well, now his face was covered in blood. His men just a few feet away from him didn't dare to stop his brutal actions.

Something came over him suddenly and he stopped. Perhaps, it was the ripping skin of his knuckles and the soreness within his hand. He stared down at the man he once considered to be like his own son like the rest of them but that was no more. He took his life away from him and so he was going to take his.

As he watched his eyes swell up and the blood run down his cheeks, he wrapped his massive hands around his throat and squeezed. He enjoyed the choking sounds he was making; sickly, it satisfied him in a way. He was transferring his pain to someone else, Stephanie's murderer.

Stephanie.

The image of her lying there not breathing appeared in his head as the chokes were becoming louder. Then, her smile and bright eyes flashed throughout his mind, like he was, for that split second, in a different world. That's when a few tears fell from his eyes and rolled down his bearded cheeks. He applied more pressure and that's when he felt pops beneath his hands.

He was crushing his throat.

"Die, you motherfucker." He seethed. There was no remorse in his words or actions.

"I'm…sor…sorry, k…king." The dying man managed to get out before he coughed up blood that spilled out and onto his face.

King Helmsley took no pity upon the man and would never accept a false apology. There was one last loud 'pop' and the struggling breaths stopped and the trembling body beneath him stilled.

He loosened his grip on his shattered throat and stood proudly. He tried to catch his breath as he motioned to his soldiers to pick up the deceased man. "Take him and dump his body in the jungle. The lions will get him." He ordered without hesitation.

"Yes, king." They said in unison as they did what their ruler ordered them to do.

King Helmsley took a good look at the dead man's face. His eyes were open but they were damn near swollen shut. His nose was sure busted and so was his mouth. Deep purple and black marks started to appear around his throat.

That was the last thing he observed before they dragged him away and out of the room. His eyes landed on the tiny puddle of blood on the floor which made him look down at his fist. The knuckles were busted open and it wasn't just his blood on it but the other man's as well. One of his very own. A soldier he trusted with anything and everything. A soldier that fought wars with them. A soldier that, at one time, was family to him.

Now, he had his blood on his hands from the man whom had his wife's on his very own.


The next day…

"Men." The ruler of the castle greeted them as he usually did but this time it felt different. He felt different. He wasn't full of confidence; he was empty of any sort of emotion. He wasn't here to encourage them. He was here to say goodbye without actually saying it. "The last few days have been brutal for all of us…" His eyes suddenly landed on the pile of dirt in the distance. The polished stone shimmered in the sunlight, making it easy for him not to forget. How could he? It has only been a day.

He had his soldiers construct a coffin for Stephanie out of wood from the jungle. It took them all night but they had accomplished it. He couldn't help or watch though. He couldn't witness her final resting place being put together. His heart couldn't take it. He wanted her buried at the place that he called home and he just wanted her close.

"Um…thank you for all your help last night. You have all helped win every single battle by fighting tooth and nail but…" He took a second to gather himself before continuing. "Putting my beautiful wife to rest is something I cannot thank you all enough for."

Then there was the victim, the person responsible for her death. The lions were probably still licking their chops. They threw his body into the jungle and as soon as his body made a heavy thud, the lions slowly appeared and dragged the carcass away into the many trees and shrubs. They all watched it take place. Some stood bold and some had tears in their eyes. However, Hunter didn't blame the ones who were emotional. They were all a big family before everything that had happened. He was like a brother to each and every one of them. They obviously weren't close to the queen like the king was; they barely knew her but his death had to occur. Hunter was one of the ones who stood bold before the gruesome scene before them. Relief washed over him when he saw the lion bite into his neck but he winced at the loud crunch of an already crushed neck.

"I have put my trust in you day in and day out and have never made me disappointed in any of you. I didn't have a damn thing before I took the throne of this very castle. I was a peasant just like you all were before you became my soldiers. So, because of your hard work, I became the richest and most powerful man in the world." He looked each man in the eye as he spoke sincerely to them. He noticed some of them had tears and he couldn't understand why. Maybe they noticed how broken he looked yet, he still took time out of his grieving to express his great appreciation to them.

"We had lost one of our own yesterday, at my expense." His voice quieted down as he stopped and stood in place. He was expecting one of them to lash out or worse, attack him. "He had killed the queen, my wife and he had to pay." Surprisingly, none of them did anything. Instead, some of them had a sympathetic look on their face. Perhaps, they understood his pain and respected his actions. "You will all move on though." Notice how he didn't include himself. "Take on today and then get a good night's rest. I want you all to sleep tonight. We don't need guards."

"But king, what if someone intrudes?"

His ears perked up at his soldiers' question. "Nobody will intrude. We had just fought a deadly battle a few nights ago so everybody should get the hint not to intrude." He knew it was possible that adversaries could intrude. He just didn't want to tell them that he will be out in the night…alone.


When the morning meeting was over, the soldiers took on their daily duties while he went up to his room to watch over them.

He was stood at the window when there was a sudden knock at the door. "Enter." He shouted, not even bothering to look.

"King?"

That's when he looked over and spotted one of his men. He wasn't nervous and paranoid this time. He looked relaxed and even had a small smile on his face. He watched as he slowly walked over to him.

"I just want to thank you for your encouraging words earlier. It really means a lot to all of us when you notice our hard work and actually tell us. Quite honestly, if it wasn't for you, I would probably be deceased. Thank you. You're a good king." That was all he said before he left and closed the door behind him.

King Helmsley's lips turned up into a small smile. That's why he was like a father to them. His last sentence he stated sounded oh so familiar. It was almost as if Stephanie spoke into his ear and told him to say that because she had told him that very same thing long ago.

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.

His smile faltered before he turned his attention towards the window again. Except this time, he wasn't gazing his soldiers' work, instead, he gazed to the beautiful green trees of the jungle ahead and the clouds moving in a slow pace in the bright blue sky. Tears cascaded down his face as he felt the depression consume him once more.

That night, he had committed suicide by bravely giving himself to the beasts that roamed behind those very beautiful green trees.

The king, ruler of this land, potential leader, and father to his very own courageous soldiers, was no more.

The king and queen were gone from this earth but they were together again in another kingdom that nobody really knew existed.

God's kingdom.

A/N: Thank you all for reading this very long one shot and please leave a review/favorite/follow! It is very much appreciated that I know whether you loved it or hated it.

And do you think I should write another about how the kings' death affected his soldiers? Let me know with your review. :)