Chapter 14 "Only a Child"
Melody had become a thirteen year old under the watchful eye of her father but there was still an emptiness she could feel with each passing day.
Blake walked inside the door to his house; closing it behind him.
He fastened his cape since the wind was making it blow different directions.
Melody lay asleep at the dining room table, holding a piece of paper in her delicate hand.
"That's odd." Blake thought to himself.
He came closer to his daughter; her bangs were all messy like she'd stayed up all night.
He put his kingly hand on her head affectionately then reached down and gently pulled out the paper.
His fatherly eyes turned into deep seriousness when he saw the drawing.
There written in pencil was a well done drawing of Spike Melody and Sarah, with him missing.
Blake angrily crumpled it up in his hand.
"How can I change what's been done, she's had no interference yet she's turning on me anyway." Blake thought.
"I need to get a hold of myself; I'm not helpless in this matter." Blake took a deep strong breath. "Maybe it's the neglect that's pushing her away but she looks so much like Sarah it's hard to look her in the eyes…"
Blake moved her shoulder trying to wake her up. "Melody."
Blake shrugged; he could feel fatherly except when looking into her eyes; feeling anger every moment but trying to cover that fact up.
"Father?" she said.
"Melody why did you draw a picture of your mother and brother; and I'm not in it." Blake said with his deep voice trying to sound less rough.
Melody turned her back on him burying her head in her arms.
"I understand you're probably as mad and confused as I was, you must understand that I do what I believe will help this world and our world the best. You my daughter are probably the last in my line now that my son and wife are dead." Blake said.
Melody pushed him. "You don't know that they're dead!"
"Melody, accept the fact you and I are the last ones." Blake said trying not to get angry with her.
"Tell me the truth Father! You never wanted a daughter! The only reason you put up with me was because my mother cared for me!" she said.
"Your mother wasn't the woman I thought she was!" Blake said. "She was waiting to tell the world everything! And thanks to her I can never achieve dominance on our world! So I'll rebuild this one! It will forever be known as Blake's planet!"
"You're mad with power…" Melody said.
"Do you really want to know my intentions? I'm sure you'd disagree with me as your mother did. But you are a smart girl Melody and I know you aren't stupid enough to mess with my affairs as your mother did." Blake said, the sentence driving through Melody.
She began shaking a little from the sheer look he gave her. "Continue being the good little girl you are and mind your own business, like it or not you're next in line after me so get used to it."
As Blake went through the door Melody held onto the picture she'd drawn, and wept.
Blake approached a building amongst Tai's old village; there was an unburned and untainted house around the broken ones.
He walked inside slowly, there was a soldier waiting there holding armor.
"Sir?" he said.
"How many have you recruited?" Blake asked.
"Twenty sir but I've heard tell of a military being assembled of the few villages left." he replied respectfully. "What are your orders?"
"Assemble all troops, bring Tai to me before the others, and do it quickly." Blake said with a smirk.
The soldier obeyed quickly putting his armor on and taking a map with the locations on it as he left.
Inside this building was a large amount of supplies and papers, it was obviously another one of Blake's bases.
He sat on an old tattered couch putting his head on his hand folding his legs in a comfortable position.
"If I'm mad with power, I wonder, Why is everything coming together so? Sometimes it takes somebody strong to fix a world with no boundaries." Blake thought to himself. "Questions overwhelmed with questions, I need no reassurance to make the world what I want it to be. She's just a child."
Blake smiled darkly. "They're assembling a military for the remaining villages, how pitiful. I am a commander, I am a warrior, I will snap out all that stand in my way."
He laughed quietly but darkly. "This world is lucky to have me, they're too afraid to solve things for themselves; it was only a matter of time before somebody like myself took it. With a ruler as gracious as myself; they have nothing to worry about."
Blake took his crown off and laid it at the side of the couch and turned over to sleep. "One day I will not have any regrets and my confidence will reward me."
A quiet night passed as Blake slept peacefully on the old couch where nobody would look for him.
Blake's empire had grown hugely; his soldiers were trained and ready to fight for him on pain of death.
The land was stricken with black buildings with red stripes across them and each soldier too terrified to dare think of a revolt.
Besides, the ones that were loyal to Blake would willingly take down anybody who would stand against him.
Everyday was no longer just another day, the colors faded from the world.
Although a mighty world in Blake's mind, it was a sad world in the eyes of any other.
Blake was already being called by the people 'The Supreme Commander' and nobody but the small resistance would dare try fighting against him.
At this time there was a light on in Blake's house; Melody's window to be exact.
She was garbed in a different ware; she'd taken an outfit early in development for Blake's soldiers.
Long green slacks and camouflage jeans with shoes that matched and a belt of gold and leather.
She opened her dresser drawer putting a headband on and clipping and fixing her hair in bangs and a ponytail.
"Today…it all stops." Melody said to herself.
End chapter