Chapter 20

Horror

King Yao had insomnia. In truth, he wasn't sure if it was because he was so stressed from the war or if it was because he was so relieved it was over. Well, they hadn't signed a peace treaty, but now that the River-Breather was fixed, Spades was focusing on irrigating land and planting more crops, which meant a truce that should last a long time. Soon there would be an official treaty, though. Of course, there were still problems and conflicts to deal with: money issues from the war, unease within the bordering towns and villages that were still in fear, and all sorts of other matters to deal with. However, overall there was peace. Sadly, King Yao found it hard to sleep because of all this, and tonight he walked the halls and terraces of the palace alone, pondering what to do.

After some time, he walked past Irunya's room, and decided to peek in and see if she was sleeping soundly. Throughout the war, she had been the one comforting him and encouraging him, and he was eternally grateful for that. Certainly, his whole deck had been supporting him, but it was Irunya's voice that seemed to be the most soothing for him. Indeed, he loved her very, very, very deeply. When the war was officially ended, he hoped to marry her, which would make them very literally a king and queen ruling together. However, that was in the future. For now, he merely peeked into her room.

The moonlight shone on her silken covers, outlining her sleeping form beautifully. Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Well, at least she was resting. Hopefully he would become sleepy soon. As he slowly began to shut the door, something told him to look closer before he left. Silently he took a step in the room and studied Irunya's outline. She seemed perfectly all right to him. With a shrug, he left the room and closed the door, leaving his beloved resting in peace.

The next morning, which came all too soon for him as soon as he did manage to fall asleep, King Yao got dressed in his green and golden robes, and walked down the hall to wake up Irunya. Firmly he knocked on the door, calling her name. There was no response. Figuring she was in a deep sleep, Yao knocked harder. Again, no reply. Beginning to worry, he knocked loudly—but only one time, so as not to be obnoxious.

"Irunya? Hello?" He called.

"Something wrong, Your Majesty?" A nearby guard enquired as he walked down the corridor.

Yao shrugged, unsure of what to say. A cold feeling crept over the corners of his heart. Although he knew he really should wait for an answer, Yao opened the door. Irunya was still laying in her bed. Slowly Yao walked to her, and put his hand on her shoulder, but before he said anything, he froze.

"Your Majesty?" The nearby guard asked, seeing King Yao standing still for some time.

"What's happening?" Another guard probed, as he strolled up to his comrade.

The first guard pointed, and the second guard looked.

"Should we… go in?" The second whispered to the first.

The first shrugged, confused.

Meanwhile, Yao slowly rolled Irunya over so he could see her face better. His eyes could not comprehend what he was seeing. She was pale… very pale… and her throat was cut… and there were stab marks in various places in her chest. Eventually, his mind put the images together and realized what had happened.

"Where do you suppose the king is?" Sadik asked the others as they ate breakfast.

"He's had insomnia lately; he's probably sleeping," Raivis pointed out.

Before anyone could say anything else, a loud scream echoed through the palace.

"Moriyah, are you excited? We're finally going to return home!" Toris exclaimed.

"Yes, and I'll finally see my brother again!" Moriyah agreed.

"And I can finally rest on a decent bed," Roderich added.

"And we can all be at peace and enjoy the flowers in the gardens again," Ivan sighed, thinking of his sunflower patch at the Palace of Clubs.

"Indeed, and I shall help organize plans for the future of Spades," Ludwig added, already making calculations in his mind of a possible budget for everything.

Everyone chattered together at the inn at Minton, excited about the return trip home. The River-Breather had been running for a few days now and it seemed that it would be running for a long time more. Earlier that morning, engineers from the capitol had arrived to check on the machine and learn how it worked, so that they could keep it in working order. King Alfred had feared someone may try to sabotage it again, so he also sent extra troops in a transport ravager to protect it. Ludwig thought the ravager was a bit much, however everyone agreed that the mere sight of the war machine would deter criminals from the surrounding area for many months. As Moriyah and her companions ate their lunch, they all imagined what would happen as they arrived at their respective homes.

Suddenly, a messenger arrived at the inn.

"THE WAR HAS BEEN RENEWED!"

All noise in the room was immediately silenced, except for Ludwig who arose and demanded, "WHY? This better be a joke!"

"No! It's true! Word just arrived via telegram: last night the Queen of Clubs was assassinated."

Well, I hope I wrote this in such a way that made SOMEONE upset.

Also, yes, I'm trying to finish this story. I'm determined to finish it.

Pioneering Author, the pioneer with a heart for people and a thousand stories to tell ~+~