Two Hundred Years in Slavery is all the people of Xathania have known. Toiling and dying for a kingdom that has only snarled at them. Not until hope surfaces as a story in the wind and the flames of a spirit long forgotten resurfaces to face the g...
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Eleonor and the man ran.
She did not know what he looked like, she had not dared look back because that was the first lesson her father had taught her about survival, never look back. She kept running until she heard only a pair of footsteps. That was when the Queen of Welkamia came to a halt.
'You are a daring little thing,' the man said not out of breath.
With the absence of the wailing and clinking of chains, Eleonor heard the voice of her unwanted companion a bit clearly now and she recognized it. She looked at him and her cousin stared right back.
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Eric of Foxam nearly fell in his knees when his cousin faced him. He should have recognized that red hair. He should've protected her in that pathway. He took a step forward to pull her into his embrace when she shoved him rather violently. He stumbled, nearly falling.
He steadied himself, confused by her action. She shoved him again, harder this time.
'Leo,' he said trying to avoid her shoves. She did not stop. Eleonor never stopped when she was angry. Truly angry. And anger was not in his little cousin's nature.
Eleonor kept at it until she no longer could. It was then that Eric hugged her. Her crying was the only sound between them and it was hard to tell in this strange place how long she cried. He did not speak until she did, until she told him why she was so crossed.
His cousin said in a clear voice despite her tears, 'You let kill them.'
Eric cupped his cousin's face, certain of whom he spoke. 'Why do you think I am here?'
Her glassy eyes met his, 'Why would I care?'
'Because I learnt of my father's plan and rode to your family. I told to them to flee before I rode to your husband's family and did the exact same thing,' Eric confessed, for that was what happened. He had ridden one of the Xathanian horses that she held so dearly. Had begged the stallion to run faster through the streets of Goxa. First to his uncle's home in the capital then to his cousin's husband's family.
The guards at the gate had revealed what he had revealed what he did when Darin named himself king and placed the crown of Welkamia on his head. His first action had been to hang him for treason while his traitor father watched.
I will make more heirs, The Ursper of Foxam had told him on the eve of his execution. For you are have tainted this family as my brother did.
Eric did not fight or scream. He accepted his fate and knelt before the block.
Eleonor stopped crying soon and the wandered the vast forest of blue. The sky above didn't dim. It only glittered and shone. He held on to his cousin's hand like she would vanish if he didn't. They wandered through shrubs and he was in awe of the beauty of the forest in comparison to that awful, reeking place.
After a long moment of walking, Eleonor paused.
'What is it?' He asked without hesitation.
'I feel uneasy,' Eleonor confessed. He moved his hand to her arm.
'How can I help?'
His cousin had something to say but didn't or rather couldn't. Leo began to glow like the sun. I was not blinding and she wasn't scared, the wretched girl had never been scared of anything which scared him. He hugged her and shut his eyes, hoping that it would be over soon and would draw little attention.
He held on to her like everything he cherished and held dear depended on it.
'Father protect us,' he whispered as his cousin and he now began to glow and vanish into thin air.
