This is the beginning of a story in a land far away from you.
In a time of kings and creatures, in an unreachable place, there sits a prosperous kingdom.
In a small, rather run-down tavern in the said kingdom, tankards of beer were thrown into the air, clashing against one another as people cheered. Skirts were flying as women danced, their lively energy contagious in the warm atmosphere.
"Another, another!" The people roared, scattering gold coins onto the wooden stage up front. The one sitting on a stool on the stage was a lithe figure draped tip-to-toe in a white cloak, in their arms an unknown instrument.
Thin fingers reached out, lightly strumming the four glistening strings of the odd instrument. The pale hands revealed that the cloaked figure was a young lady, whose face remained hidden.
"Relax, my audience dears." The young lady chuckled. "I only know so many songs that you want to hear."
However, the people continued chanting, banging their pewters against the wooden tables. The dancing women joined in on the cacophony, clapping to the beat. "Another, another!"
"Alright, alright… for what kind of bard would I be, if I couldn't satisfy my lords and my ladies?" The figure in white abruptly strummed her strange instrument, punctuating the rising cheers.
"Very well, I shall now tell - a springtime tale of long ago, a true romance to behold."
A hush descended upon the audience as the first delicate notes rang out.
"There once was a king who'd never wed,
Even unto the day of his death.
There goes rumours of a person he met
Whom this king loved 'til his last breath."
~❊~
"Get him!"
"He's just up ahead!"
A figure wearing a tattered cloak was panting heavily as he stumbled forward, roughly shoving the dense foliage out of his way.
The brambles scratched up his entire body, but the figure never stopped running forward, as if he couldn't feel the pain at all.
A gnarly branch hooked onto the dark hood and tore it, revealing matted blond hair. The youth grimaced but simply kept fleeing.
"Blond hair! It's definitely the fourth prince!
“Get the other teams to join us now!"
The fourth prince cursed under his breath, dashing forward desperately. He had to leave, to go somewhere far far away. To get away from that darned place. He would rather be anywhere but there.
He hated, no-
He despised that place.
Thwack. An arrow brushed past the youth, embedding itself in the tree he had just passed.
The arrow left a long, unsightly gash across his cheekbone, dying his left cheek crimson with pouring blood. Wincing, the youth decided to abruptly veer off to the side, trying to throw his pursuers off.
"Keep chasing! The brat's getting tired!"
The fourth prince heard this, and inwardly, he knew it too.
He couldn't possibly keep this up for much longer; he had been running for hours, ever since the break of dawn. Much less, those people chasing the youth had been on horses for most of the chase, only getting off when he entered deep into the woods.
The fourth prince could feel it; his body would soon fail him, abandon him... like how everyone around him had done to him too.
'Why? Why should I die just for royal blood I don't even want in my veins?' Deep loathing welled up in his heart, turning his eyes bloodshot.
As he shoved the branches ahead of him aside, he stepped right into cold water that reached up to his ankle, making the youth jerk to a stop with the icy splash on his soaked calves.
Ripples spread from his foot on the water, expanding slowly.
What greeted the youth was a beautiful sight, causing him to pause, still panting heavily.
It seemed he had reached the edge of the woods.
A large expanse of the lake before him reflected the sky above, calm beyond measure. There was a small piece of land in the distance with a white weeping willow leaning slightly to the side, tranquilly lowering its branches.
The lake seemed to stretch for some time to go, melding seamlessly with a gurgling river not too far off.
But, the sudden appearance of this beautiful scenery seemed untouchable, just like the small island situated right in the middle of the lake.
The lake was too wide, too deep, the island too far to reach. Indeed, it was untouchable.
Looks like… even nature was against him living.
The youth gritted his teeth, a strong sense of unwillingness rushing up in his heart. He clenched his fists so tight that his nails sunk into his palm, drawing blood.
Hearing the sound of breaking branches and muffled voices speedily approaching him from behind, the young prince knew… that his time was up.
But strangely, facing the scenic beauty before him, the unwillingness in his heart unexpectedly did not stay for long. It dissipated slowly, like the ripples he had caused earlier.
'Fine.' The young prince unclenched his fists, letting them hang loosely by his side. He could vividly feel the hot droplets of blood sliding towards his fingertips before dripping on the grass; a soft patter that was almost soundless, just as… insignificant as he was.
'If I have to die, then… I'd rather die on my own terms.'
Closing his eyes in weary resignation, the fourth prince slowly opened his arms and fell forward into the chilly waters, almost like he was embracing the cool touch of death.
~~
✉Author's corner: ✉
Hey! 👋 This is an incomplete draft I've had lying around for quite some time and I think it's time for me to post it. ฅ(´-ω-`)ฅ This is gonna be a short story~ and by that I mean each chapter isn't gonna be very long either... (´-﹏-`；)
Anyway, thanks for reading, and do leave comments! I read comments!!! (~*´꒳`*)~<3
