The King

The Fallen King

The streets are empty. The tribulations that have come from the ceremony have ended in bitterness. The king's murder has cast a shadow over the city, shrouding it in fear and uncertainty.

Wanting to take safe measures for his daughter, Alan took her back home and, no doubt, spread word to other kingdoms. Carissa was reluctant because Larkin hadn’t left his room and refused to eat. His mind is so full he can’t think about how empty his stomach is. He couldn’t sleep either, not without seeing the cold steel glinting with his father's blood, his feet glued to the floor, and the grinning face of the Demon King.

He spends days staring out the window and going over the fact that his father is actually gone when he had so many years ahead of him. Time has fleeted away with him; he feels he didn’t savor the days enough.

Now he sits in the same place he and his now fiancée have done for their ceremony, looking at his father's deathbed displayed out for people to pay their respects. He doesn’t want to be down there and hear people's condolences, their cries, and questions about his plans for the future. He had no plans, none to cry or to move.

He can tell someone has approached to sit down right next to me. At first, he is irritated until the smell of perform makes him realize that it's Carissa.

“You came…” his eyes remain staring down the balcony, but only to avoid her face.

“I insisted I come,” she says quietly, “my father insists the wedding is off.”

His eyes glance over to her anyway, seeing a black veil covering her face. He can still make out her lips, stuck in a grimace. He appreciated her honesty.

“Should it be?”

Carissa's head turns to him quickly, “I don’t want it to…but if you do..”

“I…I don’t know…”

She seems hurt but sucks in a breath, trying to conjure up something to say. The silence is deafening, and she doesn’t want him to wallow in sadness. Though it is swollen in his eyes, quelling any means of acknowledgment.

“If there is anything I can do for you, I won’t hesitate.”

He finds that statement funny; he doesn’t know why it made him scoff. Maybe he isn’t used to such tenderness or care shown. He never got any when his mom died, and maybe that’s why Carissa is like this, why he likes the closeness of her being near.

“You have done enough. I…I am glad you are here.”

He feels her warm palm press against his head before she pinches his chin to turn to her. He holds still, watching her eyes analyze him.

“Have you eaten anything?”

He is watching her lips move, but isn’t recognizing the sounds they are making. She is looking at him for his answer.

“Yes,” he lies.

Her thumb caressing his cheek is telling him that she doesn’t believe him. His skin was pale, eyes hanging heavy with lack of sleep.

“You look like you haven’t slept for days.”

He doesn’t want to worry her because the look on her face makes him feel bad. The way she touches his skin, the way she cares. He wants to relax into her touch, but he doesn’t allow himself to.

“I intend to stay here for a bit…” She adds.

He moves himself away from her hand, facing the balcony again.

“Carissa, you don’t have to.”

“I don’t want you to be alone,” She says. “I intend to help you through this…if you will let me.”

His shoulders relax as his fingers press against his eyelids as if to stop himself from crying. He feels Carissa cupping his back, and it makes him want to cry more. They sit there until the place ends up vacant except for the two of them.

The walk back is a quiet one, and Larkin heads straight to his room to continue his cycle of thought. He knows that it breaks Carissa’s heart; she keeps knocking on the door every now and then to offer food or letters of encouragement, some are just ramblings of her thoughts. He is comforted by them, and it adds enough distraction to forget for a minute or two.

With the lack of sleep, he doesn’t want to spend his time crying. He wants to know how to destroy the Demon King. He doesn’t know when, but at one point, he fell asleep and woke up with his face lying against a book. Peeling his face off the page, his eyes catch a glimpse of the words Demon King. It reads along the line of something to help defeat it. All the Hylanders' weapons are gone, but there must be something else that can help. That is when he realizes he has woken from a knock on the door.

Larkin and Carissa walk out to the courtyard. Conversations of childhood can not save the melancholy atmosphere.

“It is very nice out today.”

“Why didn’t he kill me? Why only my father?”

The questions forces itself from out of his mind into his mouth. Carissa's pace slows to a halt, stunned by the sudden question.

“It's a blessing he didn’t. “

“He didn’t even try.”

“I would still stay on alert, with your father gone, others might take advantage of that,” Carissa warns. “I’ll make sure you are well guarded by my people. This time is especially dire as you need to be officially titled as King.”

They continue their walk to the vine-tangled arch and sit down on the bench.

“I have been researching the Demon King. I found something that can help us,” he says. “His crown, it is apparently what can bind his powers.”

“Yes, except you have to get close enough in his weak form to put it on.”

“It is the best chance we have.”

“That is, if we can get there before he reaches full power, it is too dangerous.”

“We have to do something.”

“And we will, it has made a huge move showing itself like this. He must need more time to recover.”

On their way back from their walk, they come across Morris standing at the door, looking like he is about to knock. In his other half, there's something wrapped in cloth

“Can we talk for a moment?"

They sit in the far corner of the tavern. Morris wanted to be hidden, and it only makes Larkin more curious about the item wrapped in cloth.

“Your dad wanted to give this to you himself. He said if anything happened to him before then…I would have to.”

Taking a glance at the room, he carefully unravels the cloth, revealing a gold sword with a silver handle. In the hilt is a diamond with a leaf emblem just above.

“A Hylander sword,” he says hushly. “I thought they were all gone.”

“It is the last known weapon. The only thing is, it doesn’t work.”

“How can it not?” He questions.

“I don’t know, it just doesn’t. The magical properties were destroyed long ago.” He says.“You were supposed to have his sword when the time came. It was going to be your right. If I ever see that demon's face, I’ll kill him. I promise.”

“I will kill him myself if I get the chance.”

He can still feel the ghost of his father as he sits in a throne handcrafted for a King. It doesn't feel like it is meant for him. Resting his arms where they should be, pressing his back against the cushion. As the advisors read off the tasks, he finds more solace looking out the window.

“Your majesty, being next in line for the throne, it is vital that you establish yourself among the other kingdoms. The kingdoms will not so easily follow you.”

Hearing the advisor call him that made his throat strain. It shouldn’t feel this foreign.

“In which case, it can cause any uproar. I advise you to push up your marriage with Princess Carissa sooner. Possibly, in these coming weeks.”

“I agree with that, your majesty. The sooner you wed, you will have good faith for aligning powers. It only adds more security once you--yourself have an heir to pass the throne to,” the other advisor suggests.

He cups the side of his cheek, thinking of how he isn't supposed to be here. This isn’t supposed to be his. Not this way, and it would have never been this way if it weren't for the Demon King.

“No.”

“Your majesty?”

“I will not marry the princess,” he says decisively.

The two advisers share a bewildering look as one stutters to say, “It is our best option. Your father would….”

“My father is dead. Murdered by the dark king this world fears. A marriage is not what I need; I need to be out there.”

“Your majesty, you have just had your ceremony. Sending you out there would be dangerous. We need your heir, you need a relationship with vying kingdoms.”

“We are already in danger!” His voice rose. “I am going. While I am gone, someone will watch over my kingdom…and Carissa.”

"Which is why we can't be rash; any move without protection could set off a war."

"I am a Hylander who will someday marry another. Hylander, if anything, we are the two who have a chance in this war. Now is not the time to worry about social status; it is the time for action. There is a talisman made to weaken the Demon King. I hear it is possessed by Amos, and I intend to get it and hopefully end this before anything begins, and more are killed," he explains. "I am going, and you will do as I ask as your next king."

The two look at each other with concern, “As you wish.”

Larkin and Carissa stand out on the terrace. They watch as the sun turns a hue of orange, melting away into the earth.

“So you are leaving,” her voice comes softly.

“Yes, I am afraid so.”

“Do you not wish to marry me?” She says like she has long been trying to bite back those words. “Is that why you have postponed and want to go away?”

He looks at her, grazing the side of her cheek with his hand.

“Princess, any man would be a fool not to want you to be their wife. I do want to marry you, but this could very well end in bloodshed if we don't act fast. I couldn't go through with planning a wedding knowing I was neglecting to protect you and our people properly.”

“I worry for you, Larkin.”

“I wish I could take away any fear you have. I don’t want to worry you.”

“And yet you do.”

He smiles softly at her remark, “The moment I get back, I’ll make you my Queen.

They gaze at each other for a long time before she looks away. “My father wanted to withhold our forces when you postponed, but I wouldn’t allow it.”

He smiles wider from her getting flustered and nods, “You are too good for me. The stars don’t even compare.”

“Just don’t get yourself killed, please. Come back home.”

He nods sincerely, "I will.”