Pair of hearts Tale of two princes

Chapter 10

Unwanted job

The kids followed Fionna as she rushed down the hall and to her room. Fionna skid to a stop in front of her door, seeing the gathering of servants around her bed. She bit her lip and walked forward, the kids followed her but didn't notice the gathering but the servants; they noticed the blood as they went down the halls and into their parent's room. Marcus gagged a bit as they saw the blood; he wasn't quite use to carnage like this but Joanna on the other hand could stomach this carnage, she's been to the nightosphere after all but- she couldn't stomach what she saw when the servants parted.

Joanna gasped while Marcus just held his hand to his mouth. They saw their father was completely covered in blood; his arm and legs covered in bite marks and deep in gashes. Marcus grabbed Joanna and covered her face, Fionna did nothing but close her eyes and take a seat next to the bed by her husband and cradle his head. He was badly hurt and he wasn't healing straight away. Tanis patted Marcus's shoulder, indicating that maybe they should leave. Marcus took on last look at their wounded father and broken mother, he could see her cry; he has never seen her cry before. Marcus sighed, he picked up Joanna who was covering her face; he followed Tanis outside.

Marcus tried to calm Joanna down, she was almost crying from what she saw; they had never seen their dad hurt like that. He was always so strong and protecting them from danger but now- it looks like even the ones they believe to be strong can also be teared down by another force. Marcus sighed as he petted her head, Tanis had they set to them to his room so they could stay here until further notice. For all Marcus knew that guards were stationed outside of their doors; not like that's much of a change.

Marcus and Joanna were startled by a knocking. Joanna crawled out of Marcus's lap and under the covers; Marcus didn't bother to tell her that it wasn't a good hiding spot. He just got up and went to the door; he opened it a pinch but calmed down. Tanis was behind the door, he looked content and unnerved than before.

"Oh hey Tanis, so- what's going on?" Marcus asked, trying to hide his nervousness

"I bring good news and bad news." Tanis said plainly.

Marcus flinched a little. "Um, start off with the good news first."

Tanis nodded. "The good news is that both your parents are fine."

Marcus sighed with relief; he turned back to Joanna who was peeking out from under the covers. He smiled and nodded; in return Joanna crawled out and smiled.

"But-" Marcus turned back to Tanis. Who looked at him serious. "Due to the fight they out up against the werewolf; Marshall and Fionna are going to be temporarily out of commission. They need plenty of rest and will no longer be able to rule in their condition. While they are resting, they are going to place the kingdom's affairs and people into the hands of someone they trust completely."

Marcus held his breath, it can't be that way. They can't hand it over to someone like that! Marcus was getting madder and madder that his body started to slowly shift into a reptilian creature; he had a habit of shape shifting into a beast when angry, it was a problem his parents had when he was a child. He still hasn't learned to control it.

Tanis could see the young prince turn, he panicked. "But wait! It's not going to be just anyone! It'll be you!"

Marcus stopped in the middle of his transformation; his partly scaly skin and horns only showing the reptile part. He blinked and looked Tanis.

"Me...? rule over the kingdom? In- my parent's place….?" Marcus trailed off.

Tanis nodded his head. "Yes, they have trusted you to rule while they are recovering. I could honestly agree with them for no one better to watch over the people and the land then non other than the print-"

Before Tanis could finish, Marcus fell backwards; unconscious.

"Is he alive?"

"I don't know, he's been out for an hour."

"He has to be alive, he's breathing."

Marcus groaned, he opened his eyes to see a blur of light and shadows gathered around him. He could hear muffled and familiar voices. He blinked a couple of times to regain his vision; he looked and saw Joanna, Tanis, Barbra the maid, Moot the guard and his chambermaid Susan. He looked at all of them, they all seemed relieved and stopped leaning over him. Marcus forced himself to sit up, seeing that they carried him over to the infirmary. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, he had a headache and a need for sleep.

"w-what happened?" Marcus asked as he looked at the servants.

Barbra straightens her dress and bowed her head. "Sir, you passed out in shock. We carried you here because we were worried you sustained an injury that we did not see earlier but we are relieved you haven't and are safe."

Marcus nodded, Barbra had a habit of bowing her head when spoken to when it wasn't required for servants to do such a thing; maybe it was whipped into her from her previous household but who knows. She never talks about it and no one asks.

"I passed out from- something. What was it?" Marcus asked.

Tanis waved his hand to get Marcus's attention. "You passed out after I told you that you are not in charge of the kingdom."

Marcus froze, that was what he passed out from. He bit his lip and looked down at his hands. He was in charge? A king? For how long? He knew he would have to rule someday but he wasn't suspecting it to be so soon, he was expecting to become king in like- a thousand years or so later but not now. Marcus shook his head.

"But- I'm just a prince and I'm young. You can't possible think I can run a kingdom by myself? Why not Joanna? She knows more about running a kingdom then I do." Marcus tried to smile.

Tanis shook his head. "I am sorry but Joanna seems like she can do it but she is not the crowned princess of the vampire kingdom. She is but the princess of the nightosphere; she has sole ownership over anything related to it but you- you're the prince of the vampires, you have sole ownership over this kingdom." Tanis adjusted his cuffs. "We could put her in charge but the people will be unnerved by being ruled over by um…. Uh-… a demon."

Marcus's eyes widen as well as Joanna's. "Wait- so you're saying that Joanna can't rule is because she is a demon? But- thy never had a problem with her before so why now?"

Tanis bit his lip. "It's just that they have an idea of demons being cruel rulers that want nothing but their people to suffer and since Joanna is mostly demon and spends her time with the lady of evil, it makes her the heiress of evil. That is what the people fear."

Joanna sighed and lowered her head, she knew the vampires feared her; the servants had nothing against her but when she always went outside, she was pushed away by the vampires. They didn't like her because of her demon blood, it hurted since they did not love her as much as her brother but she didn't have to worry since she wasn't going to rule over them. Marcus enraged.

"But why not? Just put her in charge! I don't care what they do!" Marcus spitted

Tanis shook his head. "I'm sorry but- the people will revolt and start a civil war if we put her in charge. They would then move out and cause problems all over AAA and we would have to be exterminated completely."

Marcus gritted his teeth but he calmed down. He knew he was right, a civil war is hard to calm down and would take thousand years or more to get people straighten out and into what they were before. He sighed and lay back down.

"I am sorry sir but it has to be you sitting on that throne and wearing your father's crown." Tanis said.

Marcus didn't look at him but at the ceiling, he was defeated. He couldn't weasel out of being king for a short period of time. He didn't want to rule yet but he can't escape from it. He heard them talking and trying to encourage him but he didn't hear their words, he was too tired to deal with them or- basically anything at all. He closed his eyes, he just wanted to sleep and escape from this; being asleep was an escape from duties like. When he awakes though; it will be a start of being a king for however long until his father and mother are fully healed.

When he awakes, he will be the temporarily king; a king that he doesn't want to be right now.

oooh looks like Marcus is going to be a King!

well for a little while but he appears he doesn't seem to be ready for the king duties

poor child and turns out their whole kingdom doesn't like demons! maybe the reasons she never goes outside, who knows?

-A