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He should have stayed, he should have been here for his mother, his father. Julius blamed himself , he was the oldest he was suppose to take up the mantle of king when his father passed, all the years of being by his side, the grooming and teachings. It almost amounted to nothing a year ago when that beast of a man stormed the castle--his home--with his raiders and swords drawn.
Julius had been away on a hunting trip with his friends in the south, mother wanted him to experience life outside the tall walls of The Black Keep; he was almost twenty five and he needed some time away from his family to learn what kind of man he really was. Father had approved, mother was the real voice of power behind closed doors when it came to her children at least. The south was kind to him, it's white sandy beaches and friendly locals, all of the humid northern summers truly seemed like a lifetime away. Julius thought he'd be able to look back fondly on his time in the south, spending all day on the beach with his friends or lounging in their fruit gardens but the raven had come a week before he was scheduled to return.
His father had been dragged from his sleep and beheaded on the balcony in front of screaming onlookers. His sister Amira assured him mother and Nathanal were alright but the news had brought him to his knees.
He should have stayed.
~
It took over a year to finally breach the castle walls, 30,000 men to return order and some form of peace to The Black Keep. Only two weeks had gone by since his return home and the capture of the usurper, the fall out of his defeat still painted alleyways and street stone red with blood. Julius had ordered for the man's unharmed captured, decided it best he face the King's Justice when order had returned to his people. It had been two weeks and his mother just now could bring herself to enter the castle without weeping; Julius quick to give her a room on the opposite end of the keep where she shared a bed with her husband for thirty years.
Julius was busy for two weeks after that, digging mass graves, rebuilding storm doors and dealing out orders, payment to his soldiers and generals. It was all busy work he knew but still he found himself in the dark recess of the keeps dungeon standing in front of the usurpers cell. Fist clenched around the torch he carried, pale milky eyes peered between the rusted bars, glaring at the man bound to the wall with chains.
Giving the heavy door a push he waved the torch into the damp room. "Do you have anything to say?" He asked coming closer. "You've been down here for a month, I'm sure they've treated you well enough."
Julius had been away on a hunting trip with his friends in the south, mother wanted him to experience life outside the tall walls of The Black Keep; he was almost twenty five and he needed some time away from his family to learn what kind of man he really was. Father had approved, mother was the real voice of power behind closed doors when it came to her children at least. The south was kind to him, it's white sandy beaches and friendly locals, all of the humid northern summers truly seemed like a lifetime away. Julius thought he'd be able to look back fondly on his time in the south, spending all day on the beach with his friends or lounging in their fruit gardens but the raven had come a week before he was scheduled to return.
His father had been dragged from his sleep and beheaded on the balcony in front of screaming onlookers. His sister Amira assured him mother and Nathanal were alright but the news had brought him to his knees.
He should have stayed.
~
It took over a year to finally breach the castle walls, 30,000 men to return order and some form of peace to The Black Keep. Only two weeks had gone by since his return home and the capture of the usurper, the fall out of his defeat still painted alleyways and street stone red with blood. Julius had ordered for the man's unharmed captured, decided it best he face the King's Justice when order had returned to his people. It had been two weeks and his mother just now could bring herself to enter the castle without weeping; Julius quick to give her a room on the opposite end of the keep where she shared a bed with her husband for thirty years.
Julius was busy for two weeks after that, digging mass graves, rebuilding storm doors and dealing out orders, payment to his soldiers and generals. It was all busy work he knew but still he found himself in the dark recess of the keeps dungeon standing in front of the usurpers cell. Fist clenched around the torch he carried, pale milky eyes peered between the rusted bars, glaring at the man bound to the wall with chains.
Giving the heavy door a push he waved the torch into the damp room. "Do you have anything to say?" He asked coming closer. "You've been down here for a month, I'm sure they've treated you well enough."