I couldn't be more embarrassed by anything else that could have ever happened to me, here I was thinking those words didn't leave the enthralls of my mind only to discover that I said them out loud. "Ohh, I said that? Must have been out of it" I said trying to hide my embarrassment, she didn't seem to take any offense to it as she just giggled and said "I'm glad you're feeling alright" with a smile and she scurried out of the room. I could have sworn I saw an inkling of blush pinkness on her cheeks like she was shy but didn't want to show it.
My recent brush with death didn't seem to reduce the amount of workload I needed to sort out, if anything there seemed to be more paperwork than usual. "There seems to be way more work to do on my table than usual" I said to Venice as she was helping me sort out the scattered documents. "I'm not certain anyone has told you but there seemed to have been an uprising in the lower cities" she said, that's new caught me off guard. "An uprising? The bloodbath at the gates weren't enough to dispel any such thoughts from springing forth?" I said, not betraying my subtle temper. Yes, yes I was angry, I was angry at the fact that they could so easily thrown their lives away at a moment's notice. Angry that the only thing they could think of resulting to is foolish crude and plain barbaric tactics.
"Sir,You've never known the pain of a groaning stomach without the hope of soothing it, you've never known the pain of seeing your loved ones die because they were too weak to endure the daily sufferings, you've never known the pain of watching your beautiful sister or brother lose the light in their eyes as the cold abyss sucks out all hope and joy. Hunger and frustration breeds malice and spite sir" Venice said as she continued to sort through the papers. That remark hit me, way more than I thought it would've. I wanted to say it didn't matter, that nothing they did could be justified but I found myself agreeing with it. Truly I've never known the pain of hunger, sure I've been on many missions where food was scarce but that was always as a result of location and not lack of ability to purchase supplies. I've never been scared of falling ill even though I've been injured quite a number of times, even having brief interactions with death but I always came back because I had access to the best physicians the kingdom could offer. What would I do and how would I feel if even the most common of colds became a death sentence because I couldn't afford medicine or watch the ones I so dearly love lose hope and their faces become bleak and expressionless, children who should be fools and living a fool's fantasy are now hardened by the cold embrace of despair.
Thinking deeply I came to realise that I took would do whatever it took to not see such despair snuff out what little joy I see in their eyes, not watch them grown in pain as the next meal was nonexistent, not watch the sorrow in their eyes as they no longer look towards hope but stare at the unwavering and unending abyss. Such thoughts soured my mood and I just had to focus on the work at hand.
"Such cruelty, such sadness, even with that there are still vile bags of flesh who claim to be humans taking advantage of the situation!!" I said, the anger now seething through my words. I could no longer concentrate on what it was I was doing and I had to step out. I took my leave while apologising to Venice for dumping the work on her head, she just bowed slightly and made me promise not to do anything stupid as she knows me to be hot-headed when it comes to things like these.
I decided to stroll through the streets of the upper city where I saw little children smiling and having fun, parents laughing, couples smiling and looking in love. I saw peace, I truly saw peace. Then I saw ignorance, I saw entitlement, I saw humans oblivious to the tragedies of life. I was so angry because I wanted to protect this peace, I wanted to see their faces remain so bright but protecting them means destroying those who all they've ever known was despair, sadness, hunger. What was scary to me was how justified the two sides were.This cruel system which pays no mind to those it sees as lower, those it sees as filth as if they were not humans also. It's all wrong, this system is all wrong I thought to myself as I walked down the street absentmindedly.
It seemed I was getting too gloomy but then I noticed a familiar face holding a basket and was haggling it seemed like, from what I was seeing she was losing. "Any luck,Elaine?" I said as I quietly walked to her side so as not to startle her. "My lord, what are you doing here?!!" she exclaimed, she must have realised I'd been watching here and must have seen her haggling skills because here eyes widened a little bit and her cheeks grew plush red in realisation."Just taking a stroll down the street to clear my head, what're you doing?". "Just getting a few supplies for tonight" she said, "Tonight? What's happening tonight?" I asked because I wasn't aware of any event going on tonight. My remark seemed to have caught her by surprise because she started stumbling her words trying to salvage the situation, that only made me more curious as to what exact tonight's plans were. Seeing her all flustered made me feel warm inside, seeing how she unintentionally helped get my mood better I decided to join in in her little haggling escapade. Sellers in this market seemed to think nobles don't haggle which is far from the case, every noble haggles. Ordinary elites haggle prices of estates while the true elites haggle the price of the empires operations but even with that I seemed to be failing at haggling with the store owner. In the end I just decided to pay for whatever she was getting and joined her on her market mission. Whatever tonight's plans were they seemed like they'd be quite an event seeing how focused and invested she was in it. After she was done, I decided to part ways with her because I felt bad leaving all that paperwork to Venice to handle so I said my goodbyes to Elaine, a little more reluctantly but it was necessary.
On my way back, I made sure to take in every sight and smell of this beautiful scene and I swore to protect the cherished memories of everyone here. "Glad to see you've not drowned in the sea sized heap of documents and dealings". I said as I entered, "Glad to see your lovely sense of humour still stands". Venice said without raising her head, I told her the thoughts I had while walking, the little run in I had with Elaine and her little escapades. "Venice, do you think I'm too pessimistic in my view of this system?". I asked genuinely worried, " You care deeply for all citizens whether nobles or peasants, their lives hold meaning to you but you have to realise in a battle there are victors and there will also always be losers. Sacrifices will be made,even the ones you'd hate yourself for having to make.". She said, I listened knowing the implications of what she said. " Now will you just stand there contemplating life or would you help me out?" . She asked, I smiled and I complied.
Venice's remark stuck with me as we made our way back home, sacrifices I'd hate to make uhn I thought to myself. I opened the door lost in thought only to be brought back by the sound of music playing, the ballroom usually empty seemed to be bustling with different aristocrats. I entered feeling confused because if there was plans for such events I'd have been made aware, I walked through the room trying to find father or mother, greeting different people as I wade through the crowd. I saw them on the terrace speaking to the king and queen, I made my way to them. "I greet your royal majesties". I said as I bowed, then I looked at my parents with surprise. I knew the king and my father were on good terms but I'd never seen them personally attend any social gatherings or event my parents have planned before so it was somewhat shocking to see them here. I enquired on the reason for holding such an event moreso without informing me and they said it was for a bethrotal. "A bethrotal? Neither of my siblings have been brought up in any of such talks before". I said, still confused. My parents looked at the king and queen and then at me smiling and said "Not of them but for you my son, you're getting engaged to the princess". This came as a surprise because while talks of engagement have been made before, none had included the princess as a potential suitor worse still now that I had gained an interest in someone else but I knew it wasn't something I could refuse unlike the other times as this was directly from the king and any action otherwise would be seen as treason. I took my leave with a sad expression on my face, feeling conflicted between my sense of duty and what my heart wanted. I made my way down the stairs looking for Elaine, she was my only hope in this grim turn of events when I heard a loud shout. I looked at the direction of the loud sound only to see a man who looked like a noble but I'd never seen him before in any of our gatherings but he looked familiar. As I moved closer I realised where I'd seen him before, he was one of the lesser city citizens that were part of the mob before the blood bath. I had a very terrible feeling about this so I ran towards his direction, I noticed a device in his hand that looked too much like a magic storm detonator, a device which when activated summon a storm which had the power to level even a city depending on the magic capacity of the user, That not good I thought as panic set in, I was racing towards his direction as he screamed "May you know how it feels to live in the dark as we have!!!" as he closes his eyes and activated the detonator.
A violent magic storm erupted, the first magic blast incinerating the guards and nobles that were close to his vicinity, the second was more devastating as it rocked the house making it to start crumbling. Everyone started running for safety out of the building but I was searching for Elaine in the chaos but I couldn't see her.
Then I saw her, in the kitchen, trying to make her way out into the hall and put but in the chaos, a noble pushed and she fell on the floor. I noticed the ceiling starting to cave in as I was running at my full speed to her. No no no no no no!!!!! I can't lose her I thought to myself as the ceiling finally caved in. Everywhere seemed to slow down as I watched the concrete beams collapse on her figure but it seemed like I was dragging my legs through thick mud. I wasn't running fast enough, I wouldn't make it, I can't save her, ohh noooo.
Elaine! Elaine!! Elaine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!