Conquer the sun

Under an Eternal Night

Arthur son of Nicephorus.

My name is Arthur and Claus is my younger brother. Our father Nicephorus has taken care of us since our mother died after giving birth to Claus. We all live in the kingdom of the praying mantis, a kingdom in which day and night are alike. I have never seen the sun rise or set in this realm since I was born.

I like to train in combat and I often do it with my father.

One day while Claus and I were training our father came to interrupt us.

“We have a lot to do this morning, my children,” said Nicephorus.

"This morning?" I returned to him.

"What surprises you?" asks Nicephorus.

"Morning, our realm lost track of that word centuries ago. It's always dark here, how can you talk about morning?" I answer him.

"You may be right, but still its morning, son."

"Arthur has truly changed since his visit to the Kingdom of the Sun." Claus said. "That's why he sees things differently," he added.

"I can understand it, the sun is a luxury for us who live here." said our father, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"What do we have to do today?" I asked him.

"It's the start of a new week and as usual we will deliver the king." replies Nicephorus.

"This king annoys me so much." I couldn't help saying it. Just hearing his name made me angry.

"You're not the only one he annoys, brother. Even our father doesn't like him but he has to deal with it. Right father?"

"King Freud is a good king, I hope for you to recognize it. He could have closed our brewery, but he didn't."

"You are the biggest brewer in the kingdom, he can't afford to lose you. He doesn't close your brewery but you have to deliver beer to him every week. I think it would have been better if he forbade you to sell beer."

"Enough chatter!!" My father was tired of hearing me talk like that. "Freud is our king and he has the right to do what he sees fit with us his subjects. I don't care how you feel when you see me working for the king because I don't mind that." he adds before leaving, leaving me with Claus.

"He's right, don't you think?" Claus asks me.

"I rather think he takes what I say the wrong way."

"Freud is his childhood friend, it's normal that he doesn't like being attacked."

"King Freud is a drunk, nothing more"

"Why do you hate him so much?"

"I don't hate the king, I just don't like his behavior and lack of action."

"I know what you want to talk about"

"Our people have been suffering for centuries, little brother. We have to change things and it pains me to see that our king would rather drink alcohol than work to change things."

"Arthur, things will not happen in the blink of an eye. Our kingdom has lived without the sun for many centuries, we are not dead from it. Besides, we are not the only kingdoms deprived of the Sun." defending my brother.

"Things won't change in the blink of an eye, but even a long journey begins with a first step. Our ancestors agreed to live like this, it would be a shame for us too if we agreed to continue living like this. We are reduced to a life without sunlight. On our journey to the Kingdom of the Sun, I saw how happily they live there."

"There are also those books that make your head spin," Claus pointed out.

"Someone has to do something after all. Anyway I refuse to live like this."

"You don't even have a clue how to change things. Excuse me bro, but I think it's a no-win."

"I'm going to prove you wrong." A sincere promise that I tell my brother.

***

Captain Munt

I'm just a captain in the Praying Mantis Kingdom army. I still don't understand why the princess is so in love with me.

"I'm not here just for you, I have a duty to this kingdom and its inhabitants" I was saying to this beautiful young lady in front of me.

"You're just scared of my dad. I know you respect him a lot and you're willing to turn your back on me just so he doesn't get mad at you." said the beautiful young lady to me.

"Naya, whether you like it or not you are the princess of this kingdom. I am just a soldier in the service of your father's army."

"You are not a simple soldier, you are the captain of his army. Even if you were a simple soldier, I do not see what can change, my love for you is really great and nothing and no one can. .."

"I, on the other hand, I can" said this voice coming from the entrance to the corridor where Naya and I were.

It was King Freud, Princess Naya's father.

As King Freud walked towards us, without further ado, I quickly got down on one knee, bowing my head in front of my king, to greet him.

"So Captain Munt, are you the one my daughter's heart beats for?" King Freud asked me in a rather peaceful tone.

"Your Majesty..."

"Father, I love Munt, please understand me" begged Princess Naya.

"I have no idea of ​​harming you." Say King Freud. "Get up, Captain" he ordered me afterwards, leaving a smile on his face.

I got up, King Freud approaches me and stares me straight in the eye. I tried to lower my head, but the king prevented me.

"Several times you saved people of this kingdom, the army general always tells me about your prowess. Hopefully you can go far and who knows maybe you are the next king. My daughter chose you, I can't do anything about it. I hope you don't disappoint her" he said, looking me straight in the eye.

"I swear to you, your majesty."

"So much the better, the general and I have a mission for you. Please join us when you're done" said King Freud and continued on his way.

Princess Naya, very happy, kisses me with all her might.

"I can't believe it's like I'm dreaming" I said to myself. I still couldn't believe what had just happened. But I had great joy in my heart.

"My father is not a bad king and he has just proved it to us again" Princess Naya reassured me.

"We'll see each other afterwards to celebrate, I have to go see the general" I tell her and rush to join the general.

"Hello my general" I said once in front of the latter.

"Munt..." said the general.

"Yes my general"

"I warned you several times, but you didn't want to listen to me" said the general with a disappointed air.

"What did I do?" I ask him.

"King Freud knows you're dating his daughter, he's not happy about it"

"The king is not happy? But..."

"Forget everything I said to you in front of my daughter" said the voice coming from behind me.

I turned around and here I am face to face with King Freud. My heart began to beat very quickly as if it wanted to come out of my chest.

"Your majesty..." was the only thing I could say in the face of that withering gaze from the king.

"I didn't want to hurt my daughter so you have to take everything I told you out of your head. She's not made for you and I think you knew that." says King Freud. "After all, I have a mission for you," he added.

"I am available to serve you, my king" I replied despite my displeasure.

"You lose nothing to impress me" confides to me King Freud.

"I'm in love with your daughter, but most of all, I intend to keep my oath no matter what the cost." I tell to reassure him.

"Great" said King Freud. “The general will take care of explaining to you the objective of your mission” he adds before leaving me alone with the army general.

"So general, what's the mission?"

"For the past few months, the tension in the north of the kingdom has become more and more worrying," said the army general.

"So I have to go to the territories in the north of the kingdom?"

"Exactly, the king wants us to end this tension or roll it back in the worst case scenario"

"It's still risky, the north is very risky and if I remember correctly, there is an army under the control of the king in this part of the kingdom too"

"Are you refusing this mission?" the general asked me in a threatening tone.

"The north of the kingdom is a risky area even you know, I'm amazed that you are in cahoots with the king for..."

"That's enough!" yelled the army general. "Your king sends you on a mission, you are obliged to go there, refuse and you will be obliged to face his anger" he adds, still threatening me.

"He's sending me to my death because I'm in love with his daughter, isn't he?"

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"I who thought we had a good king." For the very first time I say such a thing. I had always considered my king an exemplary king. And a few minutes ago, I thought he was a good king.

A few minutes later.

Having left the general, I had barely come into the court of the palace when I saw Arthur and Claus in their cart. They entered the palace, carrying barrels of liquor. The king's soldiers immediately approached them to unload the cart. Arthur is my friend, but the situation in which I found myself at the moment did not allow me to go and see him. I then continued on my way.

"Munt, Munt" said the voice. I recognize that voice.

"Arthur..." I said

"Yes it's me, your friend" said Arthur.

"What do you want from me this time?"

"Hmm...Nothing, I saw you and I just wanted to talk to you, it's been a long time since we saw each other" Arthur replies.

I turned around and here I am now facing Arthur.

"Tell me Arthur, how do you manage to recognize me from afar despite the darkness?"

"We were born under this dark sky, we had to get used to it, you would have recognized me too" replies Arthur. The way he was talking, shows how much he is happy to see me.

"You're right, but I'm not in the mood to argue at all" I let him know.

"What is wrong with you?" Worried Arthur.

"You don't have to worry about that, I will be fine"

"Munt, you know you can confide in me," he wanted to reassure me, taking a few steps forward towards me.

"You're right, we are friends after all"

"So tell me what's wrong"

"What do you think of the king? Is he a good king?" I asked Arthur.

"Why this question?”

"Just answer me, Arthur"

"I had a discussion about that this morning, King Freud may not be a bad king, but he's not a good king either" replies Arthur, before adding "in all case, in my opinion, he is not a good king"

"Finally an answer that relieves me" I say.

"May I know what he did to you?"

"Naya is in love with me, but when her father found out..."

"Princess Naya is in love with you!" exclaimed Arthur. “Congratulations,” he added.

"Her father is against our relationship, but he pretended in front of his daughter as if he was ok with our relationship"

"I see why, he is not a good king for you" said Arthur "but as far as I am concerned King Freud is not a good king because he does nothing with regard to the evil of our kingdom" added- he.

"I don't seem to have understood"

"The sun... I find it unworthy that one kingdom should deprive the others of the sun"

"Arthur, I really don't have time to talk about this subject with you again"

"Why not?" asked Arthur, "We both know what I'm saying makes sense"

"Arthur, the king has sent me on a mission to the north of the kingdom"

"It's more of a suicide mission," Arthur said in shock of astonishment.

"So can you understand me when I tell you that I don't have time to talk about your everyday subject again?"

"Of all the soldiers the king had sent to the north of the kingdom, none of them returned home"

"I know, you don't need to remind me of that"

"You all show blind loyalty to your sovereign and the latter takes the liberty of sending you straight into the mouth of the wolf"

"What you read in the books has completely turned your head. The king is the king, whether we like it or not, he has the power to decide in our lives, that's why we call him king»

"Just as he is currently deciding the fate of your life. You will go to face the evil creatures of the north while he is in his palace sipping his glass of alcohol"

"How would you feel about taking the trip with me?" I asked Arthur. I hadn't even thought of that beforehand, this proposal came out of my mouth, let's say it escaped me because I didn't even think about it.

"Don't even think about it," Arthur replies immediately.

"The general authorized that I go to the northern territories with a dozen soldiers that I have to choose myself. I have just made my first choice of soldier and it is you" I told him in a mocking tone. .

"You're kidding, I'm not a soldier and you know it very well" Arthur did not hide his disagreement.

“But you know how to fight very well, I am your friend and I know it very well. Read these history books, you have been able to build up an impressive intellectual baggage and I have just realized that in order for me not to die in the northern territories, you must come with me"

"You don't have that right, you can't force me to follow you" Arthur told me.

"You yourself know that deep down that you have no choice, you will come with me. Arthur, you and I are going to the northern territories." And then I continue on my way while Arthur watches me leave.