Zoricus

chapter one

As I sat there staring at my family I began to cry unable to scream my three younger sisters the twins who were ony but 8 years old and his baby sister who hasnt even been alive for a fortnight... "Sassilay, suizzy..." I spoke as I stroked their hair staring at my two sisters lifeless bodies. I then looked to my baby sister, "L-lilly" I said holding back my tears. I picked up the mangled body of my sweet baby sister and hugged it crying screaming in agony. I sat there among my dead loved ones holding Lilly's lifeless innocent body. Many hours has passed and the sun was just peaking out from the horizon, at that moment I grab a shovel from my burned down cartage and began to dig them all graves. Once I placed the cross into the head of the grave marking where they are with their names on it I then heard horses and trumpets behind me.

"You there in the distances turn around slowly less their not be an arrow between your eyes." A voice called out. I turned ever so slowly and then saw that it was the royal guard dressed in all black played armor and the kastralia crest on their breast plate, it was a black raven on a shield with black roses on the outer borders of the sheild. "Walk forward and kneel before your king" he spoke as his majesty's horse walked up behind him. I slowly walked forward my face still wet from my tears and collapsed to my knees kneeling before his majesty. "Boy what has happened here." The king spoke in a powerful yet compassionate tone. "A slaughter my king... A battle between kingdoms naught of your court but of enemy's for who will attack your kingdom..." I spoke the truth and looked at my hands I was covered in blood and dirt the puddle infront of my shows my hair is drenched in sweat, dirt and blood.

"And what is your name young peasant." The king demanded.

"I-its Zoricus my lord" I spoke humbly.

"I see very well guards escort Zoricus to the castle dungeon, until we can find out everything that had happened and find out every piece of information from him" he ordered.

I was taken prisoner and kept in a damp dungeon for a week until final I was to be brought before the king. They cleaned me up and fed me then proceeded to take me to the royal hall it was draped with long deep red luxorious curtains and there were pillars of granted and golden statues lined up perfectly spaced between one another. In front of me was the throne a large and extravagant piece beside him the elegant queen and next to her a beautiful princess dressed in a black gowned and jewels. I had starred at her for to long because a gaurd had struck me in the stomach and told me to stay me gaze. They knelt me before the royal family and the king spoke.

"Zoricus you were in the battle to conquer my land is this true?" The king insinuated.

"Yes my lord but I was with my family I'm a farm for you my lord I was not fighting for those other-" I tried to sag but was kicked in the back by the guard and lost my breath falling forward.

"Hold your tongue peasant!" The gaurd ordered pulling me back up.

"So you admit to being in the battle" he congers

I coughed heavily choking on my breath. "Not as a night my lord" I managed to get out.

"I see then tell me everything you know of the battle." He demanded.

"I-i will try my lord." I said still breathing heavily.

"It started dawn, two armies had traveled to my village to conquer it one crest was a lion with olive branches on either side of the beast. And the other was a simple shield with lotus in the top right corner, and a sword&Axe in the bottom left with gray an brown colors for the other two corners." I described them to the king and I could tell this was a shock to him by his slight gestures and the surprise hidden in his gaze.

"The taillistar kingdom of the plains is the crest with the lion on it, and the gulistivain kingdom of the swamps is the other with the flower and weapons..." The king sighed. "Continue please."

"They slaughtered the villagers while the battle between the two army's waged on, killing everyone man, woman, and child. My baby sister was thrown against the ground and stomped on, That's all I remember before loosing contiousness." I spoke softly becoming silent.

"You have my condolences guards give him 30 gold an send him on his way" he waved us off.

"Wait!" The elegant and pure voice came from the princess.

"Please he has nothing make him a servant father give him to me" she requested.

"Hmm alright give him clothes and show him a chamber he's to watch over my daughter and tend to her needs"

"Thank you father"

" he has today to get settled in but tomorrow you are to work understand" he asked.

I nodded and then the king waved us off, they took me too a room far nicer then the cottage in my village a bed with silk sheets and a small fire place its still very small but it's better then what I was used too. Then the princess walked up to the open door and sees me looking over the room.

"Is it to your liking? This room is for the royal servants only, your a important servant not like the others you see around the palace."

I turned and kneeled before her. "Yes your majesty" I said. "Its beautiful"

"You are a very interesting person zoricus" she spoke in a lower pleasant vioce. "Please stand."

I did as she wished. "Your to kind your majesty"

She giggled at me elegantly like always she was raised to be a perfect woman and every little thing she did was perfectly executed with such grace. She had beautiful long black hair tbat feel past her shoulders and eyes that were a whitish grey that cut threw you amd staired at your soul. Her beauty was unmatched by anyone in the kingdom maybe in all thw lands. I spent much the with her in the past few years, I spoke as little as possible she took me every where and has shown me much her father had even began calling me by my actual name and no long calling me servant or boy. She laughed a lot with me she appeared to enjoy my company more then anyone else's. One day we were in the training grounds and I watched the total knights eagerly with every footing change they made, every thrust and parry of their sword and shield.

Millicent watched me smiling, "do you wish to train?" She spoke softly with a sorta childish manor. I looked at her smiling slightly and nodded "I do truly I wanna be able to protect you m'lady." She giggled and we both went to her father and she requested I be put in training. At first he refused but then millicent convinced him that he could be her personal knight that will keep her from harms way. He thought and agreed to her terms and I was put into training the next day.