Ch 2
Elise and I ran through the castle. I swear it's like a maze in here. Fifteen years of living in the castle and I still find myself going the wrong way and getting lost. It doesn't help that I'm panicking either. If Walter really plans on facing Logan will he execute Walter as well? I shook that memory out of my mind and focused on the here and now. Elise was running right beside me as we crept through the hallways. Right before we found the war room, Elise and I both stopped suddenly seeing a young girl who was twelve years old standing there. She had long brown hair and was staring at us half asleep.
"Kyle what's going on?" My younger cousin Becca asked me.
"Don't worry about it, Elise, Walter, and I will have this whole thing straightened out okay." I told her smiling. "Now go back to your room we'll talk later." I knew she probably wouldn't listen. She never really does.
Becca means everything to me. She never met her parents and she thought of me as an older brother, someone to look up to. The last thing I wanted was for her to get involved in this mess.
"Go now Becca please." I asked. Becca nodded and ran back into her room.
"Come on," Elise told me walking up to the door. We looked through the key holes and saw Logan talking to Sir Walter.
"Logan you can't do this. Those are people who are just trying to be heard." Walter pleaded. One of Logan's guards hit Walter's leg with the butt of his rifle and Sir Walter fell to his knees in pain.
"Never tell me what I can't do old man." Logan ordered. When I saw my brother a feeling of hatred ran through my body. Logan has long black hair and pale skin. The same skin that my Mother had that I was never able to meet.
Elise pulled me away from the door. "Quick you need to do something. If we just stand here than Walter will be next on the execution list." She told me holding back her tears. But I knew that they were there. She cared for Walter just as much as I do. "You're his Brother. Maybe he'll listen to you." I looked through the key hole again watching as Walter struggled to stand. In anger I banged my fists on the doors swinging them open and marched angrily inside.
"Brother? What do your doing here?" Logan asked me.
"I came here to stop you. I can't let you kill those people." I said forming my hand into a fist.
"Kyle, no." Walter breathed.
"Quiet old man. You want to have a chance to save those people, fine. You shall have your chance. Guards, escort my brother and his friend to the throne room."
Elise and I walked there sweating from the fear that something might go wrong. On the left of the throne room were the people involved in the protest. They were pleading for their lives and crying their eyes out.
My brother sat on the thrown; legs crossed and tapping his finger on the armrest.
"Welcome Brother. I told you that you would have an opportunity to save these people. So I've come up with a proposition for you. I'm letting you choose who will die."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's nothing complicated. It's eitherthese traders… Or your friend!"
"Elise? No!"I yelled. The guards pushed Elise away from me. I reached out to her holding her hand for a slight moment. Passably the last.
"You have betrayed me Brother. Now you must realize what it's like to make the hard choices. These people are troublesome rioters who deserve the worst punishment he can give them. Don't you see brother? If we let them take over the kingdom then Bowerstone will fall. I will do whatever it takes to keep Albion alive and safe."
I stood there looking up at him. Right above the thrown was a painting of Logan. Him wearing his favorite red suit looking down at his kingdom. If you look close enough at the painting, you can see something on the edges of the picture frame. Right behind it, there is part of the wall where the pain has been chipped off. I remember the day that happened. It was when Logan replaced the painting of my Father for a painting of himself. I looked down from the painting and at him. His soulless eyes, ice cold heart. I forced my tears back as took a step forward.
"Well have you made your decision…" Logan began before I cut him off.
"King Logan," I addressed trying not to spit at his name. "That thrown that you sit one was once our Father's. The painting that he put up, the rules that he passed, the kingdom that he ruled. He has always told us that Albion was one big world full of culture and differences. His plan was to give places like Brightwall their own government so that they can become their own nation apart from Bowerstone yet still united with Albion. He wanted to pass down his dream with you so you can finish up what he started. Yet what have you done Logon? You have only made things worse. Turned Brightwall into a poor city and have taken more than half of their food and resources. You will never be a King like Father was. And yet here you are sitting upon his thrown forcing your own brother to choose between friendship and loyalty. How dare you stand where he did! How dare you call yourself King!"
"Enough of this!" Logan yelled. "I didn't call you down here for a morals speech. And if you cannot decide between Elise and the traders than I shall choose for you. They Shall All Be Executed!"
Guards began dragging Elise and the protesters away.
"No stop!" I yelled. "You can't do this Logan you just can't." I looked at Elise as she stared back at me scared to death and crying. "Please whatever you do just don't hurt Elise." I told Logan.
"So you have finally decided at last have you? Kill the traders but leave your precious Elise alive. Fine then. Guards send the girl back to her Father and the traders to the execution room."
I wanted to yell, I wanted to protest. But I couldn't get myself to say anything. A part of me wanted to save the protesters but a bigger part of me wanted to save Elise. I didn't know whether it was because I was in love with her or that I was just that careless about the less fortunate.
Elise's life was spared; for now. But I can never forget the faces of the people that I killed all because I let my emotions get in the way of my judgment. I swear I will make it up to them. No matter what it takes I will make it up to them.