When You Rise
By Draic Kin of the Balance
"You build your walls
And break them away
'Cause that is what it takes
You've saved yourself
You've found who you are
That never goes away
And I know you wish for more,
And I know you try,
And I hope you realize
You know the time is right
The whole world is watching when you rise
The whole world is beating for you right now
Your whole life is flashing for your eyes
It's all in this moment that changes all
What are you waiting for?
What are you fighting for?
Cause time's always slipping away
The whole world is watching
Yeah, the whole world is watching you when you rise." –Within Temptation, Whole World is Watching
FRANCIS
My father lies dead before me. Dead, because of me. I bow my head, the horror and guilt consuming me like fire. I can scarcely hear anything else; the declarations of my being the new king of France almost falling deaf to my ears. I rise from my father's bedside, and rush out of the room, slamming the door behind me and not looking back. I am the king of France now; I need to be strong. For my country, for my wife, for my brother. A king does not show weakness. I look straight ahead; I need to get out of here. I need…
…my brother. Bash sees me, and I see him. Horror and shock registers on his face. Almost immediately he kneels before me, and my resolve crumbles. I run over to him and envelop him in my arms, holding onto him as if he is my only lifeline. And, in a way, he is. Mary would never understand the magnitude of how intensely, how deeply, this has cut me. I'm the one who killed my father. I'm the one who stabbed him in the jousting tournament. It doesn't matter that I did it for both the good of France and Scotland. I know that killing him was the only way to save our countries, and in turn the lives of thousands. I had hoped against hope that I wouldn't have to be the one to do it, and now his blood was on my hands. My vision is suddenly blurred by tears, and I let my grief and remorse set in and I weep, my body wracked with silent sobs.
SEBASTIAN
"THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!" I can't remember the first thought that entered my mind when I heard those words being cried about. My father is dead, and my brother is now the king of France. Francis. Ever instinct in my body is screaming at me to find my brother. My king. It is barely registering in my mind that Father is gone, and Francis now sits the throne in his place, and Mary with him. I finally see Francis as he furiously storms across the hall, looking directly ahead, seeing nothing. The turmoil raging inside him is clear upon his face, and I know now that because he is my king, I cannot offer him my comfort as his brother. Father has ingrained it into Francis' mind that a king must be strong for his people, but my brother's façade of calm composure will not last long. We have not just lost a king, but a father as well.
I fall down upon one knee, staring at the floor, but Francis pulls me up, taking me into his arms. He doesn't say anything, and neither do I. What is there to be said? What words could possibly ease the pain of our loss? I return my brother's embrace just as fiercely, and his body shakes as he finally crumbles. I would not have known he was weeping, if it weren't for his shoulders shaking. I close my eyes, letting the first tears come and fall.
I need you, my dear brother, and you need me.