p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"*Charlotte POV*/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I woke up early the next morning to the sun shining in though the window. It was a plesant change to the storm last night. The storm. I suddenly remembered and bolted up as last nights events flashed through my mind. I still didn't understand everything that had occured, but my curiosity was fueling me as I got up and began to get dressed out of my night gown. /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I went into my closent and ruffled through my numerous dresses that hung there. Eventually I decided upon a lovely light blue gown that matched my eyes. The matching shoes sat below with sparkling gems dotting the edge of the fabric. As I went to the dresser I ran a brush through my hair before deciding that I was presentable and walked out into the hallway./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" My feet headed towards the throne room where my father was located for most of the morning with my mind set on getting answers. A number of servants passed me on my way with a simple "Good morning." as I went along. The hallway meanwhile continued in front of me; the stone extending below me and up along the walls, which were lined with stone torches that were usualy lit at night but were curently put out./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" Continuing along I finally found myself in front of the giant wooden doors of the throne room and pushed on the wood which creaked as it opened. As I stepped inside I caught a glimpse of my father siitting proudly on his throne, currently preoccupied with a game of chess. My father loved chess and all games that involved logic. He was a pro at them. Before he was king my father was prince of the kingdom and practiced in the art of battle tactics. He was elected general of an army and planned out strategic movements that allowed him to win many battles. In his time he was revered and his father admired him as a valuable asset on the field of battle. But when his father was assasinated by an enemy kingdom my father was forced to fight a war on his own soil to prevent us from being overrun. His soildiers were fighting for their lives and their home as the went off to face their enemy outnumbered. Without the strategy of my father the kindom would not be standing here today./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" So when I entered the throne room and saw him emersed in his game I quietly approached and waited for him to finish against his opponent and loyal trusted friend Lord Ciro who seemed to be beat as he sat there contemplating his next move./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Ah, Charlotte, I've been meaning to talk to you." the king finally addressed me pausing only a second from his game./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes I wish to talk to you too, father." I began./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes, yes of course, but first. It has come to my attention that you are almost of age?" He questioned moving his rook around the board thinking./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes, my birthday is in exactly a month. But -"/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Perfect, then it is about time for you to find a suitor." He said before deciding upon the placement of the rook. That caught me off guard./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Wait, what?" /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "It is about time that you were married. I have sent for suitors to come visit from the various estates and at the end of the month you shall choose one and be wed." He casually explained as my eyes widened, I knew I would have to get married someday but I never thought it would just be thrown on me like this especially now. /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "But.."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "You will be married and that is final. Am I understood?" his voice taking on a commanding tone and I realized I had no choice but to agree./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes... yes sir. But sir?" /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes?"/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "I was wondering... what happened with the two men who were caught in the storm last night?" I asked hesitantly waiting for his reply./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "You shouldn't worry yourself about them. I'll deal with it." /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "But-" I began wanting answers. /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Enough! I am handeling it! Now go!"/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Yes sir." I replied with a bow and began to walk away. As I opened the door with another loud creak I heard behind me. "Ah, checkmate" as I left the room. I found myself once again in the stone hallway of the castle a bit dissappointed as I realized that I didn't find out what I wanted and even more I was worried as I thought about what my father had said. I was to be married? How? Why? and for the first time I realized. I didn't want to be married... not to some stranger that I had barely met. But I couldn't think of how I was going to get out of this./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"_/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"*Rowan POV*/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" The night was pleasant sleeping in the castle's hospital ward on the cotton sheets. The sun had barely risen above the treetops when I awoke from my sleep to find myself laying beside my "father". The man that I had carried through the castle gates, he lay there in the bed beside me with his feet elevated. I too lay in my cot enjoying the peace that remained in this moment before everything went downhill. The sound of a rooster's crow in the distance reminded me that my moment of normalcy was over and I sat up in my cot./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" It was time. I stood up and walked over to my father's cot and looked down upon him. The man was pale the faint traces of his age was clearly visabe on his face. I watched as his chest rose and fell steadily with every breath. Life was so fragile when you were human. Every breath meant something, but not anymore, not to me. I heard the shuffling of footsteps, the nurse would be up soon to check on her patients. In the blink of an eye I quickly pulled out my knife and cut his throat./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I cleaned my knife on his shirt and stashed it under my clothes before leaving to find the nurse and report the murder of my father. /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" -/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" The nurse had just gotten up when I reached her and explained that I had woken up to find my father's throat slit. She immediently rushed to see the evidence I had laid out and sent an urgent messenger to the king. Approximately 20 minutes later the king arrived and stood staring at the body that lay in the bed. /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "How did this happen?" He asked looking from me to the nurse./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "I don't know I woke up and found him like this." I faked concern and added a slight shake to my voice./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "You arrived in the middle of the night this had to have happened sometime in the early hours of the morning." the king said more to himself that to the rest of us. "You there, guard." he called the guard over. "Have you seen anyone come by as you were making your rounds?" /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "No sir, not a soul." He replied./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "I want to find who is responsible for this! I want guards all over the castle. I will not allow the security of my home to be breached. This castle has always been safe and it will remain so, now go notify the others!" He dismissed the guards who stood watch./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Now," he turned to face me. "I believe that it is time you explained to me what exactly happened last night." /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /p