Innocent Sorrow: A Tale of Twisted Hearts Book One

Chapter Two

I killed one of my own men today. I’m not sure why but when I saw the soldier preparing to slaughter an innocent child, I cut him down with my own blade to spare one of your own. Yet once more my sword is trained on your men. I can’t help but wonder, what is the difference between killing the grown soldiers or the babe clinging to his mother’s hip with tears running down his cheeks?

 I know that soon they will set you on us for we have beaten them into a corner. Your land is torn with war but can you see it from your cage? With your eyes hidden away, do you see what we do to each other? With ears that you have covered, do you still hear my pleas for you after every battle? Do you scream with the voice that you gave up so that you might forget the words you once spoke? The kindness that you once spoke…do you even remember the words you used?

~/~

Hilda entered the sleeping chambers of the prince just as the clock struck twelve, the sun high in the sky yet the boy still slept. Instead of finding him tucked into his bed though, she found him standing before the large glass doors to the veranda with the curtains pulled fully back. “Something is coming Hilda…something exciting and new… I can feel it.” His voice was breathy with excitement, as though he had never felt anything like this before. He pushed open the glass doors forcefully, a warm summer wind blowing in making the curtains rise wildly. The bubble of laughter spilling from the boys lips as he turned, night shirt swirling up around his thighs, was as shocking as the look of bright joy on his angelic face. Everything about him screamed happiness and the sun shining in on the scene lit the white, gossamer curtains like wings from his body.

Hilda took a step back as she took in the sight before stepping forward again with a hesitant smile. “I am sure many good things will happen today, it is your birthday gala after all. Now grab your play clothes and go take a bath so I can pick out your outfit for the ball.” Feliks’ smile didn’t even twitch as he grabbed the old outfit from the closet and ran off; not bothering with shoes or pants for he knew no one would be down by the bathing chamber at this time of day. The long night shirt fluttered with his speed and his feet made soft slapping noises against the marble floor in the bathing quarters but he didn’t mind. Whatever this bubble of excitement was, it made him happy…made him nervous and it made him eager to see what would come.

Walking through the tall marble arches, he stepped inside a glass encased chamber with woven wooden baskets where he placed his clean clothes and an old hamper where he slipped out of his sleeping gown and undergarments before walking over to an ornate cabinet filled with different vials of soaps all in strange scents and colors. Sifting through them slowly, Feliks found a purple colored vial for his hair that smelled like lavenders, clear in color with a sprig of lavender in it, the aroma soothing him as he picked up the matching oil to soften his tresses. Looking through the bath oils, he found a lovely glass bottle in the shape of a rose blossom. Uncorking it, he smiled as the scent of summer roses filled the air. Closing the cabinet again, he padded through the glass doors and into the steam filled chamber beyond. Everything was clouded over and the air was heavy with wet and warmth but the cooler feel of the marble under foot was comfortable as he stepped towards the short, small steps leading into the water. He placed the soaps on the side of the marble before wadding further into the warm, clouded water.

The only downside to the huge, beautiful bath was the silence that reigned. As Feliks leaned back and floated on the surface to stare at the coils of steam, he let out a soft sigh that sounded too loud in the quiet. “I hate the silence…” Lids drifted over violet eyes as he let the haze of warmth melt his mind into a lull, dreams playing at the edge of his conscious thought.

~/~

These eyes which you loved so dearly…I hate them for they shine the color of the spilt blood and strike terror into every man who meets my blade yet they are the only part of me you would remember. Another falls to my feet, his blood saturating the reddened ground and I realize, this trampled field we fight on is the field from when the three of us were little. Grass up to our hips with brilliant green is now crushed under foot and stained horrible crimson. My tears run just as much as the blood from your soldiers and I know you will come to kill us soon but I don’t mind. I embrace that fate but really…all I want is for you to come and take me away from here…even if that escape comes in the form of death…I don’t want to die for a worthless dream that tore us apart…I want to die because I loved you.