-Chapter 1- (The Old Kingdom - Riot of the Blood Kyo)
It was indeed a black day when a cloaked man come to the old Castle. This man's name was William Riot, but always prefered to be called upon as "Fal". Beneath the shady hood of his, there was a roughly carved face with prominant cheek-bones and chin. Brownish-red hair fell lighty over his eyes, which were a dark hazel color. Sweat dropped from his cream-colored chin.
Fal's strewn mouth drew in air. The desert was a hot place after all.
He had been traveling for days to the Kingdom which was seemingly tucked away into nowhere to meet once again with his family for a reunion of some sort. Fal was a prince, but preferred not the lime-light. His decision of leaving inheritance of the throne to his brother came into effect when he was twenty, and his clumsy, careless, and irresponsible ways gained him a reputation in the family. Upon realizing this, Fal left his brother in charge. No real concern.
So here he was in front of the Castle doors, wiping sweat from his dirty palms.
If he was going to appear in front of his brother, whether he was king or not, Fal was going to try to be of acceptable stature.
He had nothing to give, all that he had was a dirty brown cloak and a rusted sword locked into a black leather sheath.
...So here he was in front of the Castle doors, wiping sweat from his dirty palms.
He slowly drew his rust-ruined hand from underneath the wretched cloth and gave the door three good knocks.
After a few spare moments, the wooden gates slowly swung open with a booming creak, and slammed into the locking. Fal looked about quickly for some sign of family, but instead found a small red-haired girl standing in front of him. There was no else.
Fal knelt down to face her.
She saw the inquisitive look on his face, and gave an innocent smile.
"Hullo." She peeped.
Fal, not quite familliar with children, spoke without hesitation.
"And who may you be, child?"
She shook her head which caused her golden-red curls to bounce, and gently took his hand, as rough and beaten as it was, then tugged it.
He stood again, waiting to be directed.
The girl's soft skin rubbed comfortably against Fal's as she led him down the long hallways.
Stopping in front of the throne room door, the small lady softly wispered "You first, sir."
Unsure, Fal looked at her, at the door, then at her again. With apprehension, he threw the door open.
A large, bearded man slid in front of Fal, and brandishing a hearty, teeth-filled grin, his arms were around him, nearly crushing him in a loving hug.
The bearded man laughed a mighty laugh and Fal's lungs were filled with the smell of sweetly-roasted chicken and red wine.
"Brother! You're bloody late, you bastard!!" He exclaimed in happiness.
Fal gave a half nod, still held tightly in his brother's arms.
"Speaking of which..." He said between wheezes, "...I'm lacking some vital circulation right now..."
The man dropped Fal to his feet. "You could say hellow to your brother, you know!"
Fal blinked hard and took a deep breath.
He looked about the room. Their mother and father were chatting quietly near a table, the red-haired girl wandered aimlessly around, and there was a shady character in the corner. Interesting. Fal's attention switched to the little girl.
"Who's that?" He asked bluntly, not feeling quite impressed about not being informed.
The brother turned to Fal. "Why that's my daughter!" He boomed.
Fal's pupils shrunk.
"Daughter? And why was I not notified?" He spat, annoyed.
"Well-"
"Enlighten me."
"...The mother is your childhood love." He scratched the back of his head.
Fal shook his feelings off. "Lothair, I frankly don't give interest to those sort of things anymore." He contemplated. "...And it is still not excuse for not telling your brother of the birth of his sibling's child, or his marrage!"
Lothair nervously shook his head.
"...Anyway, I'm sure you are curious about the rest of the family!" He left the room.
Fal snorted furiously. What a curr.
As uninterested as he was, though, he was going to meet the rest of the family whether he liked it or not. Starting at his parents, anything that slightly resembled interest in what they had to say was soon diminished and it wasn't long before he left them. Fal's real interest was the shady character in the corner, but he had decided that he would save talking to him for last as this was a habit of his.
Fal met with the red-haired girl. She had been sitting down at a table (and her seat was a might too big), eating some sort of prepared meal consisting of cooked vegetables and whatnot. Fal pulled a seat out beside her and sat down. A few moments passed before either of them spoke.
"...Your father is my brother, you know." Fal spoke with no child-bearing euphamisms.
The girl kept her view on her plate, kicked her feet, cocked her head back and fourth while munching and replied "I know."
It seemed that everyone but he knew that she existed before tonight's gathering.
Fal looked about.
He leaned in towards the child and asked "Who is that?", pointing at the man in the dark corner.
The girl looked up from her platter to the black portion of the room. She gave a sugar-sweet giggle.
"That's my knight!" She looked up happily at Fal.
It was indeed a black day when a cloaked man come to the old Castle. This man's name was William Riot, but always prefered to be called upon as "Fal". Beneath the shady hood of his, there was a roughly carved face with prominant cheek-bones and chin. Brownish-red hair fell lighty over his eyes, which were a dark hazel color. Sweat dropped from his cream-colored chin.
Fal's strewn mouth drew in air. The desert was a hot place after all.
He had been traveling for days to the Kingdom which was seemingly tucked away into nowhere to meet once again with his family for a reunion of some sort. Fal was a prince, but preferred not the lime-light. His decision of leaving inheritance of the throne to his brother came into effect when he was twenty, and his clumsy, careless, and irresponsible ways gained him a reputation in the family. Upon realizing this, Fal left his brother in charge. No real concern.
So here he was in front of the Castle doors, wiping sweat from his dirty palms.
If he was going to appear in front of his brother, whether he was king or not, Fal was going to try to be of acceptable stature.
He had nothing to give, all that he had was a dirty brown cloak and a rusted sword locked into a black leather sheath.
...So here he was in front of the Castle doors, wiping sweat from his dirty palms.
He slowly drew his rust-ruined hand from underneath the wretched cloth and gave the door three good knocks.
After a few spare moments, the wooden gates slowly swung open with a booming creak, and slammed into the locking. Fal looked about quickly for some sign of family, but instead found a small red-haired girl standing in front of him. There was no else.
Fal knelt down to face her.
She saw the inquisitive look on his face, and gave an innocent smile.
"Hullo." She peeped.
Fal, not quite familliar with children, spoke without hesitation.
"And who may you be, child?"
She shook her head which caused her golden-red curls to bounce, and gently took his hand, as rough and beaten as it was, then tugged it.
He stood again, waiting to be directed.
The girl's soft skin rubbed comfortably against Fal's as she led him down the long hallways.
Stopping in front of the throne room door, the small lady softly wispered "You first, sir."
Unsure, Fal looked at her, at the door, then at her again. With apprehension, he threw the door open.
A large, bearded man slid in front of Fal, and brandishing a hearty, teeth-filled grin, his arms were around him, nearly crushing him in a loving hug.
The bearded man laughed a mighty laugh and Fal's lungs were filled with the smell of sweetly-roasted chicken and red wine.
"Brother! You're bloody late, you bastard!!" He exclaimed in happiness.
Fal gave a half nod, still held tightly in his brother's arms.
"Speaking of which..." He said between wheezes, "...I'm lacking some vital circulation right now..."
The man dropped Fal to his feet. "You could say hellow to your brother, you know!"
Fal blinked hard and took a deep breath.
He looked about the room. Their mother and father were chatting quietly near a table, the red-haired girl wandered aimlessly around, and there was a shady character in the corner. Interesting. Fal's attention switched to the little girl.
"Who's that?" He asked bluntly, not feeling quite impressed about not being informed.
The brother turned to Fal. "Why that's my daughter!" He boomed.
Fal's pupils shrunk.
"Daughter? And why was I not notified?" He spat, annoyed.
"Well-"
"Enlighten me."
"...The mother is your childhood love." He scratched the back of his head.
Fal shook his feelings off. "Lothair, I frankly don't give interest to those sort of things anymore." He contemplated. "...And it is still not excuse for not telling your brother of the birth of his sibling's child, or his marrage!"
Lothair nervously shook his head.
"...Anyway, I'm sure you are curious about the rest of the family!" He left the room.
Fal snorted furiously. What a curr.
As uninterested as he was, though, he was going to meet the rest of the family whether he liked it or not. Starting at his parents, anything that slightly resembled interest in what they had to say was soon diminished and it wasn't long before he left them. Fal's real interest was the shady character in the corner, but he had decided that he would save talking to him for last as this was a habit of his.
Fal met with the red-haired girl. She had been sitting down at a table (and her seat was a might too big), eating some sort of prepared meal consisting of cooked vegetables and whatnot. Fal pulled a seat out beside her and sat down. A few moments passed before either of them spoke.
"...Your father is my brother, you know." Fal spoke with no child-bearing euphamisms.
The girl kept her view on her plate, kicked her feet, cocked her head back and fourth while munching and replied "I know."
It seemed that everyone but he knew that she existed before tonight's gathering.
Fal looked about.
He leaned in towards the child and asked "Who is that?", pointing at the man in the dark corner.
The girl looked up from her platter to the black portion of the room. She gave a sugar-sweet giggle.
"That's my knight!" She looked up happily at Fal.