Whispers Unsaid

When the Great War first began, my family did not worry too much. We lived in the outermost kingdom, ruled by a wonderful man named Richard and his wife Elana. Previous wars had not reached this far, so we assumed that we were safe. The Great War, however, was different. It was the largest war that anyone could remember, and soon enough, soldiers from far away kingdoms were at our doorsteps, guns drawn and eyes blazing. The king and his wife were killed. They were still moderately young and had not yet produced any children, so this left our kingdom without a ruler. Our military was no where near as grand as the ones that invaded, so it wasn't long before our entire kingdom was under the control of a far away kingdom.

I was merely thirteen when the Great War began. Certainly not young, but I had not yet been married and was still under the thumb of my parents. When I was sixteen, my parents were killed by marauding soldiers. I had no relatives nearby, so this left me to fend for myself for nearly four years. I was an orphan of war. I stayed alive by keeping quiet, and by running, never staying in a single place for too long. It was this method however, that eventually led to my capture. One day not long after my nineteenth birthday, I accidentally intruded upon the hiding place of foreign soldiers. They immediately seized me and informed me that I would be shipped to a different kingdom - one that fared well in the Great War - in order to serve their rulers. I was far too terrified to fight back or refuse, and so I said goodbye to the desecrated ruins of my home.

. . .

"Guard, bring her into the throne chamber!" a harsh voice bellowed. I trembled as the guard forced me forward, guiding me towards a large stone archway that held two grand cherry oak doors. I attempted to reach out and touch the smooth wood as I walked by, as such things were a luxury in my kingdom, but the guard slapped my hand away.

"Do not touch what does not belong to you," he ordered gruffly, and he gave me a hard shove. I tumbled to the ground, not used to such harsh treatment, and the guard quickly yanked me back to my feet. I gave a cry of pain. My body did not agree with the manner in which he was twisting my arm.

"Be gentle with her," the harsh voice commanded, although this time the anger was directed at someone else. I looked up and surveyed the man sitting atop the throne. His hair was the darkest black, and on top of it sat a beautiful golden crown encrusted with yellow, red, and green jewels. His hair fell most gracefully in front of his eyes, which were colored as green as the emerald of his scepter. As a young woman, I could not help but appreciate his appearance. But as a prisoner of war, I knew much better than to act on it. "Leave my presence," he ordered of the guard, waving his hand dismissively. After the guard left, closing the wooden doors behind him, the man on the throne beckoned me forward. "State your name," he said.

"T-Trinity Maston," I answered. His eyebrow arched in what could almost be a condescending manner and I quickly added, "Your highness, sir."

At this, a smile bloomed on his face. Now I was confused. Why on earth was this man - the king of one of the most powerful kingdoms, my new master - smiling at me? Was he smiling because he was plotting ways to drive me into submission, to work me to the bone? Or was he smiling simply because he had something no other human being seemed to possess: a heart? "No need for the formality here, my dear," he said. He rose to his feet, and it was quite easy to see why he was the king. His stature and physique were exquisite, and his very being radiated power. "I am King Zachary Baker," he began as he started to pace. "I inherited this wonderful kingdom from my father James, who suffered an untimely death during the Great War. You have been brought here to me because your kingdom is now under my control. And since you seemed to have no home of your own, my soldiers brought you here so that you might serve me and my beautiful wife, and so that we may provide you with a home."

"You have a wife?" I breathed. Nearly immediately, I realized this question was inappropriate, and my cheeks flushed a fiery red. A smirk of sorts graced King Zachary's face. "I am terribly sorry sir, I meant--"

King Zachary held up a hand, and I immediately fell silent. "I know what you meant," he chuckled. "My wife Stefani is upstairs with her midwife. We expect her to give birth to my firstborn within the hour."

"That is most wonderful, sir," I said, smiling. "Are you to be with her when she gives birth?"

"It is not appropriate," he countered immediately. "Birth is something no man should witness, lest he be the one being born. Now come, I must show you to your chambers." Without another word, King Zachary marched from the throne room, and I noted that even his stride exerted power. Such a man would not be trifled with. I scampered after him, quickly gathering that he was leading me to the basement. As we neared the servants' chambers, a low, moaning sound filled the narrow hall. My head whipped to the right, and I stared at the door that was directly in my sight.

"What is that sound?" I questioned.

"None of your business," King Zachary spat. I stepped back. He turned around to face me, and I saw that his green eyes were burning fiercely. He gestured towards the door. "Do not ever go in that room. If you choose to disobey, you will be killed. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," I stuttered.

"It is 'yes, your highness'," King Zachary corrected curtly. He turned around and walked away, towards the servants' chambers. I remained rooted where I stood, transfixed on the door with the foreboding sound. Something was not right here, I just knew. But for now I had no option but to leave the matter be, because King Zachary's voice bellowed down the hallway, urging me forward and away from the strange room. I quickly caught up, and King Zachary's strong hand clasped around my tricep. His grip was much stronger than that of the guard that held me earlier, and as badly I wanted to cry out in pain, to pry his fingers away, I did not. Somehow I knew that silence was the better option. We arrived at the servants' chambers, and King Zachary unceremoniously tossed me inside before slamming the door in my face.

"What on earth...?" I whispered to myself. I fixed a look of determination on my face. I would not be treated this way! I was human, not a piece of property. And I would discover the hidden wonder behind the strange door, punishment be damned.

"I would not do that if I were you." This new voice spoke from behind me. I turned sharply and saw that another woman had materialized behind me. In her hands she held one of the torches that adorned the wall. Her hair was dirty blonde and twisted into a braid. She appeared to be quite young, yet older than me. "You were thinking of investigating the room which contains the strange sound, were you not?" she asked. I nodded. "Do not. King Zachary means what he says. Enter that room and he will have you killed."

"Has...has he already had someone killed?" I questioned in disbelief. The woman nodded. "What is in that room that the king is so protective of?"

"I do not know," the woman responded. "I value my life far too much to even wonder. And even so, King Zachary has ordered you to stay away, and I suggest you do as he says."

Notes