Chapter 3

It was a sight the guards had never expected to see. What they expected was to see their king, riding proudly atop his snow white steed, bearing good tidings of the war. Instead, hours earlier, all of the troops had returned, bearing the mighty horse’s body, and the king’s crown. The king had been lost during the war, and was feared to be captured or dead.

And now, what the guards saw was a broad-shouldered young man, walking slowly towards the city gates. Who would dare to trespass against these gates? And in times of war? Surely only a fool, or a beggar, which the kingdom usually welcomed. But war had ravaged them, and no one, save for the king himself, would be allowed to enter.

As the boy got closer, the guards could see he was carrying an old man. Recognizing the man as their king at once, the guards let the boy pass without a word. He wasn’t inside the gates one minute when he was surrounded by citizens of the kingdom. Shouts of “The king is back!”, “King Thomas is here at last!”, and “He’s wounded!” fell on the boy’s ears. He ignored them all and continued his trek to the palace.

At the palace doors, he was met by a tall man with long, dark hair, wearing a strange-looking robe. The man beckoned him to follow, and led the boy into the palace. He guided the boy through long halls, each looking no different than the other. They finally arrived in the king’s living quarters. The boy gently placed the old man on the bed, and turned to the dark-haired man.

He bowed and said, “Greetings, young man. I am Jackie, the royal advisor. The people and I are in your debt, for you have returned our dear King Thomas to us. Anything you ask for is yours.”

The boy glanced at the king and asked, “Will he live?”

Jackie’s eyes seemed to darken as he slowly shook his head. “The wound is fatal, I’m afraid. I don’t think he’ll live through the night.”

There was a rasping cough as the king awoke. Jackie immediately fell to his knees and cried, “My king!”

The king nodded and Jackie rose. Then his eyes locked on the boy. “I owe you my life, young man. Please, tell me your name.”

The boy reluctantly replied, “Nathan Grey.”

The old king smiled as he took Nate’s hand and said, “Because of your kindness to me, I name you sole heir to my throne, Nathan Grey.” Nate’s eyes widened as the king pressed a small object into his hand. “Take this, and let it guide you well, Prince of the Darkness Realm.” The king laid back on his pillow and closed his eyes.

Jackie placed a hand on Nate’s shoulder. “He should rest. Come with me.” Nate stared at the small item that the king had given him as he walked out. It was a jewel, black as the darkest night. “That is one of the Jewels of Darkness,” Jackie said, looking at it. “Only the rulers of the Darkness Realm have them. You are now officially the Prince of the Darkness Realm!” Nate only sighed and followed Jackie down the hall.

“Hurry up, Ariel!” Sara shouted, and then mumbled, “Why do I get stuck with the slow ones?”

“I heard that!” the blonde teen shouted back. “Then come on, already. King Thomas won’t be here much longer.” The pair ran down the long hall toward the king’s room.

“How sick is he?” Ariel asked.

Sara sighed and said, “He’s dying, Ariel. The wound is fatal.” They ran the rest of the way in silence.

The king was staring absently up at the ceiling when they arrived. There was a large bandage over his head to protect the wound from infection. Though he wouldn’t live much longer, his subjects made sure his last hours would be, if nothing else, painless and peaceful.

Ariel ran straight to the old man’s bed and hugged him. “It’s good to see you again, daughter,” he said quietly. “Come closer, Sara,” he said, motioning her nearer. He coughed loudly, and then went on. “I won’t be here much longer. My reign in the Realm has ended; for I have chosen an heir just within the hour. He is now Prince, and sole ruler. I trust his judgment, and I feel the kingdom is in good hands.”

“Sara,” he said, his eyes almost staring right through her, “Assist Jackie in any way you can; I sense this time will be most stressful for him.” Sara nodded, turned, and quickly left the room. The old king turned his eyes to Ariel, and a smile spread across his face.

“My beautiful Ariel, so full of life. You may not be my daughter by blood, but you are surely my daughter in love. Take care of yourself, my precious one, for the war rages on. Stay true to your heart, and I know you will succeed. Farewell, my child.” Then he kissed her hand, closed his eyes, and breathed his last.

Ariel kissed his forehead and slowly rose. “Goodbye...my father. I will love you always.” She stumbled out of the room, blinded by her tears. Sara appeared and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Oh Sara, how will we ever go on without him?”

“I don’t know, Ariel,” Sara said, “but it looks like we’re going to find out.”