It was a warm night. The black sky was speckled with an array of glittering stars over a sleeping valley below. The moon laid perk over the horizon illuminating the eyes of those who gazed upon it. Of a particular set of those eyes one belonged to a man who loosely stood over a castle wall. The man looked to the moon with the same light it gave him. His brown eyes gathered into a subtle smile then shifted to the kingdom that lay before him.
"The city is just like the night sky." The man whispered under his breath. In a way he was right, the city seemed to be a pond's reflection of the sky. The torch lights of civilians and authoritative alike flickered with stars among the shadows of the city. The man then changed his weight onto the castle wall crossing his arms and set his rough chin upon them. The shift caused a lock of his mahogany hair to swayed in front of his eyes, prematurely blinding him. "Closed open lids." he mumbled. The man appeared to be relieved but it wasn't true. His lips tightened and relaxed with the aides of sighs. He seemed to be defeated by his mind's troubles. After growing tired of hearing his frustrations he dug his head into his arm and went into a silent reprieve. The only sounds that comforted him would be those of the night.
"Squandering away at your thoughts?" asserted a voice. The man looked behind him to see a woman not too old or young dressed in a crimson royal gown standing in the open of a steel framed wooden door, "What could be troubling the king of Avalon to the point he lies defeated on cold stone walls at the high of night?" The woman approached the man steadily with a smug smirk. The man turned around and leaned back giving the woman a look of spiteful repose.
"It's always a welcome to be greeted by your presence, Vivaline. I was admiring the night and all it had to offer. Just a moment ago I watched a moth flutter in the moonlight right before it was swept away by the most hideous owl. I'm certain you would have enjoyed the sight. After all you can relate to it." The man paused and looked at Vivaline with a blank pair of eyes," What do you want scarlet?" Vivaline's arms were clenched in a vice showing their tension within her acute shuddering eyebrows. She pranced to the king's feet, raised her head, and presented him with the dainty flutter from her eyes.
"Can't I have the luxury of being genuinely concerned about you? I can care as well." Vivaline clarified softly,"After I could not find you in any of the chambers I came looking for you."
"I'm a fortunate man to have patrons that care for me as much as you do."
Vivaline raised her hand and created a pea sized space between them, " I came this close to alerting the the royal guard. So, tell me what disturbs you your majesty." Vivaline guided her hands on the man's worried brow. "Is it the queen's health?" The man placed his hands over hers and took comfort in their warmth. He then gave her sweet gesture back.
"Among other things; I have the largest task of any man in this country. I am to be their representative, father, and sword. All of their burdens are to be mine. Also my wife has been plagued by a mysterious illness days after giving birth to my first born son. At times I think it is too much for a man to bear. Why? Why did I have to be so young when father died? He was such a wonderful king." the man turned his view to the sky and marveled at a bright star. A faint smile found its place on him. He pointed over Vivaline's shoulder,"When I was a boy mothersaid the souls of every king of this kingdom rested in that star." Vivaline looked over her shoulder apathetically. "Watching over all of the people and guiding them with their blessings. I-I hold in comfort father is still with us, somewhat."
"At a king's most critical moment that star shines its brightest." Vivaline joined the man in gazing at the star, "I believe that's the brightest I've seen Aval's Glory. There are great things to be expected in the future. Our ancestor's shine with fervent at this kingdom's future. Throw away your doubt, my lord." The man turned his focus towards Vivaline, who in turn, followed the man's attention. He stepped closer to her, kissing her on the forehead and embraced her.
"You've alleviated much for me tonight, my dear Vivaline. I love you with all my heart." His embrace was received. Vivaline held the man with a strong might caressing his hair and then pursued to remove the stray locks away from his left ear.
she whispered curtly,"I loved you." A faint glint of moonlight filled her pendant. The man tightened his embrace grasping her clothing.
"I" the man repeated with every groaning word, "loved you." He began to breathe heavily. Vivaline stepped back revealing a gown with a dark stain flowing down to it's hem. She then peered at the man who was holding his abdomen. The light of the moon revealed the hilt of a blade. The man staggered back exhaling excited breaths of this inevitable realization. He looked at the steel that was lodged in his flesh spewing blood down his worn white tunic. "Why?" his flustered voice spoke. Vivaline leered at the man with a perplexed look. She proceeded to open her mouth as to say something but faltered promptly after. The once nurturing hands she used to comfort him raised a callous gesture with plain expression.
"What good will it do to tell you? You're a dead man in the end." The man grunted moving steadily towards her with each step. "It's useless." she cracked. The man appeared to struggle with every step; finally in a remorseful defeat, his body gave way and he collapsed on his side.
"You stabbed me with a tainted blade. Your king!? You lowly slime. No royalty of Avalon would commit such a petty act. You have no dignity!" he choked.
"Least it's more dignified than the other choices I had for you." Vivaline advanced near the fallen man, glaring down at him. "It did not have to come this way. You played my hand and forced it to be dealt. If you would've had married the true maidens presented to you, you'd be alive. You even rejected me, your most trusted ally, your most commit. But when it came to obvious choices you were oblivious. Instead, you chose that devil from a far off land unknown to our kingdom's scholars. It wasn't I who thrusted that blade into your breast but your own twisted debauchery. Your offspring would've certainly been the downfall of Avalon. I couldn't let that happen." she spat at the crippled king, "Traitor!"
"So, the assassination attempts on the royal dynasty were your doing?"
"Yes, all of them were carefully orchestrated by me. Sadly, each of them failed. They taught me something though, "If you want the job done it is best to do it yourself. Now you can die without the guilt of defacing Avalon. I'll take over for you and succeed where you have failed." The man felt his body losing its grip on the world around him. The moonlight which painted Vivaline's grimace slowly grew darker. His fiery pain became a dull series flares. He found it hard to keep his wits about and knew he was going to die soon.
The man uttered incoherently, "May you meet an end equal to your treachery, Vivaline". With that, the last trickle of desperation faded away from him. Vivaline kicked the body on it's back to assure his death. The body laid cold. She held a triumphant laugh and turned humming toward the dark steel framed wooden doorway. She flipped her short black hair away from her eye and turned to the slain man for a last look.
"Good bye Brother"...
end part1