ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine March 2014 | Page 35

Elias tightened his lips, and kneeled before the throne. “My
Lord, please reconsider these actions. It is not our fault. You
must know that.”
Every head turned to the king.
King Theodore stood, amplifying his authority. “I thought the
proclamation was simple to understand. You said it yourself.
That you knew of the tragedy before it happened.” Taking slow
steps towards Elias, he continued. “You saw this coming—the
death of my wife, your queen—and you did nothing. With all
your power and foresight, you did nothing to stop this
atrocity. That alone is punishable by death.”

The king hesitated at the depth of grief in Elias’s eyes.
“However, you are my beloved’s kinsmen, and so I shall save
you. Death may be too extreme, but exile is generous. You
are to leave by day’s end. Be warned, if you so as much enter
the kingdom, or whisper its name, your protection will be
gone and I will not stop my men from killing you.”

King Theodore stormed out, amidst a confused uproar of
questions.

The next sound King Theodore heard pulled at his heart. Outside
the royal nursery, his hands stayed on the steel handle.

The nurse opened the door, bouncing a baby on each shoulder.
“Your Majesty,” she cried exasperated. “The children, they cry
for you.”
“No,” he answered, looking down at the woman, “they cry for
their mother.”

The wind shrieked through, blowing out the candles once
more. King Theodore let the darkness hide his tears.
“My Eleanor, sixteen years have passed, and the children and I
still grieve for you as if it were yesterday,” King Theodore quietly
cried into the night.

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