Disclaimer: Wish I did, but I don't.
A/N: In the beginning the ages correspond with season 1.
Utter chaos. Those were the only words to describe the Ishida Kingdom. Inside the high walls that surrounded the land houses burned and peasants lay dead in the streets. This was the result of an invasion by the Shiasta Kingdom. The Shiastaian people were bloodthirsty warriors with no regard toward treaties or rules of war. It was on a whim that King Priam of Shiasta decided to attack the Ishida Kingdom.
The nobles and royals stayed holed up in the castle waiting out the attack. The highest rule of war was that the nobles and especially the royals were not to be intentionally harmed. However the Shiastaian soldiers did not follow the rules of war.
After several failed attempts the soldiers were able to break through the barriers protecting the castle. They rode their horses through the main halls and chambers harming many, but killing none. It almost seemed, to the people of Ishida, that they actually had a goal.
Once the soldiers had searched the main level of the castle the captain gathered them in the center of the courtyard.
"The royal family must be hiding elsewhere. We will search this castle until they are found. Do not harm them though, merely separate them. The glorious King Priam wishes to have the young prince Takeru as his personal slave. This will cause the family more pain then we could ever physically inflict. If you secure prince Takeru report to me immediately. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yessirs" was the reply.
"Good," the captain said, "Now move out!"
*
The royal family was huddled together in a small room on the second level of the castle. They knew the Shiastaians did not follow the rules of war and could not risk staying with the nobles. The four sat around a candle as torches would alert the soldiers to their location.
"Mommy I don't like this. It's scary." Takeru said from his position on his mother's lap.
She gave him a reassuring hug. "Don't worry sweetie, they'll leave soon and everything will be back to normal."
This answer seemed to satisfy Takeru as he drifted off to sleep in his mother's lap.
Yamato looked over at his little brother fondly. The two were very close, closer than any other siblings in the Kingdom. Yamato absently fiddled with his necklace as he sat there thinking.
At the last New Years celebration the blacksmith had made special necklaces for each of the royal and noble children. Each necklace had its own unique symbol on it. Yamato's represented friendship, while Takeru's represented hope. The noble symbols were courage, light, love, sincerity, knowledge, and reliability. Each symbol, or crest as the blacksmith called them, seemed to suit its owner perfectly.
Yamato's thoughts were interrupted by a banging on the door.
"We know you're in there!" a voice called, "Come out or we'll come in!"
Nobody moved or made a sound.
"Very well!" the voice called.
There was a sound of wood splitting as the door was broken in. Two soldiers rode in, still on their horses. They rode through the middle separating Yamato and the King from Takeru and the Queen. The Queen grabbed Takeru and ran out of the room.
One of the horsemen beckoned to the other. "Go." he said.
The other horseman nodded and rode out after them. The King and Yamato were trapped between the soldier and the wall so they were helpless.
The Queen, carrying Takeru, ran into the child's room that he and Yamato shared. She did not have the opportunity to shut the door as the horseman was right behind her. She backed against the wall clutching Takeru protectively.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound braver than she felt.
The soldier just smirked and maneuvered his horse so that he was right next to them. He suddenly reached out and attempted to grab Takeru away. The Queen held him tighter and tried to pull back. However the soldier was stronger and with one great heave he pulled Takeru out of his mother's arms and held him on the horse.
"MOMMA! MOMMA!" Takeru cried as he struggled to get free.
"TAKERU!" the Queen made a desperate attempt to get her son, but the soldier slapped her hard and sent her to the ground.
"Say bye-bye to mommy Takeru," the soldier sneered before riding out to report to the captain.
The Queen curled into a ball and cried tears of despair as her youngest sons cries of "MOMMA!" rang in her head.
*
Back in the room the King and Yamato were clueless as to what was happening. 15 minutes after they were found another horseman rode by.
"We're leaving."
The other horseman nodded and left, but not before sneering at the two members of the royal family.
The King turned to Yamato. "We have to find your mother and brother."
Yamato nodded and followed his father. After 10 minutes and searching and calling they heard crying coming from the children's room.
The King rushed to his wife's side. "My Queen! What is wrong!"
The Queen replied through her sobs. "My baby! They took my poor baby!"
Yamato and the King looked around suddenly and noticed for the first time that Takeru was not anywhere in the room.
"No," Yamato whispered grief-stricken, "Takeru."
A/N: In the beginning the ages correspond with season 1.
Utter chaos. Those were the only words to describe the Ishida Kingdom. Inside the high walls that surrounded the land houses burned and peasants lay dead in the streets. This was the result of an invasion by the Shiasta Kingdom. The Shiastaian people were bloodthirsty warriors with no regard toward treaties or rules of war. It was on a whim that King Priam of Shiasta decided to attack the Ishida Kingdom.
The nobles and royals stayed holed up in the castle waiting out the attack. The highest rule of war was that the nobles and especially the royals were not to be intentionally harmed. However the Shiastaian soldiers did not follow the rules of war.
After several failed attempts the soldiers were able to break through the barriers protecting the castle. They rode their horses through the main halls and chambers harming many, but killing none. It almost seemed, to the people of Ishida, that they actually had a goal.
Once the soldiers had searched the main level of the castle the captain gathered them in the center of the courtyard.
"The royal family must be hiding elsewhere. We will search this castle until they are found. Do not harm them though, merely separate them. The glorious King Priam wishes to have the young prince Takeru as his personal slave. This will cause the family more pain then we could ever physically inflict. If you secure prince Takeru report to me immediately. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yessirs" was the reply.
"Good," the captain said, "Now move out!"
*
The royal family was huddled together in a small room on the second level of the castle. They knew the Shiastaians did not follow the rules of war and could not risk staying with the nobles. The four sat around a candle as torches would alert the soldiers to their location.
"Mommy I don't like this. It's scary." Takeru said from his position on his mother's lap.
She gave him a reassuring hug. "Don't worry sweetie, they'll leave soon and everything will be back to normal."
This answer seemed to satisfy Takeru as he drifted off to sleep in his mother's lap.
Yamato looked over at his little brother fondly. The two were very close, closer than any other siblings in the Kingdom. Yamato absently fiddled with his necklace as he sat there thinking.
At the last New Years celebration the blacksmith had made special necklaces for each of the royal and noble children. Each necklace had its own unique symbol on it. Yamato's represented friendship, while Takeru's represented hope. The noble symbols were courage, light, love, sincerity, knowledge, and reliability. Each symbol, or crest as the blacksmith called them, seemed to suit its owner perfectly.
Yamato's thoughts were interrupted by a banging on the door.
"We know you're in there!" a voice called, "Come out or we'll come in!"
Nobody moved or made a sound.
"Very well!" the voice called.
There was a sound of wood splitting as the door was broken in. Two soldiers rode in, still on their horses. They rode through the middle separating Yamato and the King from Takeru and the Queen. The Queen grabbed Takeru and ran out of the room.
One of the horsemen beckoned to the other. "Go." he said.
The other horseman nodded and rode out after them. The King and Yamato were trapped between the soldier and the wall so they were helpless.
The Queen, carrying Takeru, ran into the child's room that he and Yamato shared. She did not have the opportunity to shut the door as the horseman was right behind her. She backed against the wall clutching Takeru protectively.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound braver than she felt.
The soldier just smirked and maneuvered his horse so that he was right next to them. He suddenly reached out and attempted to grab Takeru away. The Queen held him tighter and tried to pull back. However the soldier was stronger and with one great heave he pulled Takeru out of his mother's arms and held him on the horse.
"MOMMA! MOMMA!" Takeru cried as he struggled to get free.
"TAKERU!" the Queen made a desperate attempt to get her son, but the soldier slapped her hard and sent her to the ground.
"Say bye-bye to mommy Takeru," the soldier sneered before riding out to report to the captain.
The Queen curled into a ball and cried tears of despair as her youngest sons cries of "MOMMA!" rang in her head.
*
Back in the room the King and Yamato were clueless as to what was happening. 15 minutes after they were found another horseman rode by.
"We're leaving."
The other horseman nodded and left, but not before sneering at the two members of the royal family.
The King turned to Yamato. "We have to find your mother and brother."
Yamato nodded and followed his father. After 10 minutes and searching and calling they heard crying coming from the children's room.
The King rushed to his wife's side. "My Queen! What is wrong!"
The Queen replied through her sobs. "My baby! They took my poor baby!"
Yamato and the King looked around suddenly and noticed for the first time that Takeru was not anywhere in the room.
"No," Yamato whispered grief-stricken, "Takeru."