Chapter 12

Betrayal

I arrived at the secret passage way into the castle.

This passage was added not long after the castle was built two hundred years ago.

There had been eight different rulers since then.

Each of differing levels of violent and smart.

The more violent rulers were quickly killed off by even more violent ones.

Though overall most of them did' t last long, since back then living past thirty was an accomplishment worthy of a feast.

Most, if not all rulers usually had very violent ends at the hands of others.

A few did live to the mighty age of forty years old though.

I delve deeper into the passage.

I softly put my footsteps on the floor, trying my best to make as little sound as possible.

This place is so secret that not even my children know of its existence as part of the castle.

Sometimes you have to keep secrets even from your family.

However, in most cases, your family won't be thinking about how to kill you in your sleep without rousing suspicion.

I made to the door at the end of the passage.

You may be thinking about how I could keep it secret if there is a door that could be easily found.

The answer is simple.

Make the door appear as if it is part of the wall.

It was actually rather hard to use it as an escape plan, because inside the castle, it was pretty much impossible to find it.

Paranoia is useful sometimes.

This is one of those times.

I open the door.

I go through and close it behind me.

"Sigh" Time to find out what's going wrong.

Many things have gone wrong, apparently.

As I suddenly notice a few corpses on the floor in the hallway.

What in Tartarus happened?

I go over to the bodies and check them.

The smell seemed to indicate that these unlucky bastards died half an hour ago.

They were wearing standard guard armour, complete with the standard ranking tattoo symbol on their arms.

It looks like there was a fight between them, as there is one guard with a standard guard sword sticking out of where his heart would be.

Now that I look closer, it appears said guard was one of the Sergeants.

Qrow was his name I think.

Glynda talked kindly of him.

He was good at keeping the men in line.

He was loyal.

"Dammit..." I mutter under my breath.

Life is cruel and short.

But that's that.

I can't dwell on every death that has happened.

Right now, I need to focus on preventing more deaths.

I started running down the hallway with speed.

As I ran, I noticed more and more bodies pop up.

Not just guards, but some servants and royal court members as well.

I hope to the Goddess that my family is fine.

Maria, my wife.

I'm coming for you!

My daughter Ruby as well!

None of you will die under my watch!

None of you!

I will make sure of it!

I made it to the throne room.

My wife would be there.

She had to be there!

She must be there!

I opened the door.

"Maria!" Now I wish that I never opened it.

Her head was on a pike in that had been stabbed into the floor.

No...

No.

NO!

"AAARRRGGHHH!" I roar with anger in my lungs!

Why?!

WHY!?

WHY DID THEY HAVE TO KILL HER?!

"Heheheh."

My roar of anger was cut silent by the sound of cackling laughter.

It was the type of laughter you would hear when someone was laughing at a joke.

It was infuriating.

There was only one person I knew who would ever laugh like that at such a situation.

That someone was sitting on the throne.

With a crooked smile on her face.

Someone of my own blood.

"Cinder." I said with a growl.

"Hello father." Cinder said with a crooked smile on her face.

"Why, why, WHY!" I shouted.

"Because, I felt it was time for your departure from the throne father." She said, grin still on her face.

I just wanted to slap her across her damn cheek and put an arrow in her putrid stomach.

She was just asking to be beaten to a pulp with her smug attitude.

"Sorry about mother, she just didn't agree to my plan." She laughed heartily to herself as she said it.

She is insane, utterly unhinged.

But I guess that runs in the family at this point.

Well I need to end it.

I will end it.

My blood will end the curse of madness that runs through them.

And it will begin with killing Cinder.

"I almost forgot, Ruby had a couple guards assigned to her, and..." Cinder tried to hold in her laughter.

"Let's just say that she won t be joining us!" She cackled.

She needs to die.

Now.

"Guards!"

"Oh, they won't help you father!" I realized in horror what had happened.

"Because their guards that I snuck into the guard!" She cackled incessantly.

"It was during the recruitment drive that you had Captain Glynda initiate!" She Bellowed loudly.

"In other words."She spoke, as if she was putting on a show for all to watch.

"That your own decision led to your downfall! Ahahahaha!" She laughed violently out loud.

"You little bratty bitch!" I shouted at her.

"Oh and talking about Captain Glynda." She continued.

"She should be currently having a meeting with a few of the new recruits right now." Brata said gleefully with a psychotic smile.

There is no bigger bitch than one who is insulting you with the truth.

Stuff like that just makes the whole moment feel even more like something you would see in a play.

I never like those kinds of plays.

That's why when Glynda broke the door; I was the one that had a big stupid smile on my face.

"My liege!" The loyal Captain shouted.

"Captain!" I said with pure, complete, utter happiness.

"Simple mercenaries will never best me!" Glynda bellowed at the ones who would harm her king.

"I will protect you My King!" She charged swiftly towards the enemies.

One of Cinder's guards got in her way.

That guard's whole body was on the floor within seconds.

Well, the two halves of the guard's body were on the ground within seconds.

I admit that I have never seen Glynda go completely lethal in her attacks, but I guess this is it.

Captain Glynda carried on in her charge with no loss of speed.

"YOU SHALL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE!" She shouted at the top of his lungs.
"No, I don t think I will." Cinder said with a cruel Cheshire grin.

"Wait Glynda sh-!" But it was too late.

My warning was much too late to be of any help at all to her.

As Captain Glynda, the person I trusted the most, the woman that had been one of the most loyal and optimistic people in the whole of The Kingdom Of Vale, was dead.

She was still standing, sword raised.

However, she was most definitely dead.

This was because being dead while still standing was what happened when you are frozen to death by an ice spell from a wizard.

Her frozen corpse was stuck completely in place.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Said an old Tenor pitched voice.

God dammit.

Why does everyone I trust end either dead or decide to betray me!?

Why!?

WHY!?

GODDESS DAMN IT!

Watts stepped into the light of the room.

"Sorry, my King, but I chose the winning side." He said.

Winning side my arse.

More like the jack arse side.

"Guards, lock him up please if you don t mind doing so." Cinder said kindly to her men.

They immediately complied and grabbed me off the floor.

I did not try to escape this.

This made the guards angry as they didn't get to hit me for resisting.

Well.

I'm tired of this.

I'm tired of the betrayal.

Tired of the deaths.

Tired of the utter chaos that is happening around me now.

I'm tired of it all.

I wish that it would all end.

For the world to go peaceful again.

Right now!

I want it to end!

Why? Is life ever fair?

Why must they take away everything?

Why must the world be so cruel?