Inside Achro

Prologue

Absentmindedly admiring the craftsmanship of the massive ebony dining table, Lord Philip waited. He observed every line on the wood, which ran along like many streams in shades of tan and rich charcoal. The King was finishing his meeting with the royal council, and Philip was instructed to sit in the dining hall for the time being. The whole matter seemed very secretive, in fact, Philip hadn't been aware of the existence of a counsel prior to his visit.

Two hours had slowly ticked by, and in this time Philip had contemplated the words he would say to the King until they were stuck in his brain like a head on a body. He knew very little about the King, but expected him to be stubborn and intimidating. However, Philip felt confident that he could explain to the King why he needed to do more for the people of the Kingdom, and if he succeeded, Philip would be praised by the starving people in his region beyond his wildest dreams. Philip felt sorry for these people, but he knew the people would become of poverty again once he stopped helping them.

Philip was a high-ranking official who recently married the daughter of another lord, and he considered himself successful and practical-minded. Philip's name came from his mother's side, and there was a custom in the family to always give one son in every generation the name Philip. The name symbolized strength and stamina in the family. He governed Middoras, the forested region of Achro known for its prominent wildlife, along with the highest population impoverished merchant class workers in the kingdom.

Just then, a servant of the castle approached and spoke the words, "The King will see you now." Confidently, Philip stood up to his full height and followed the ragged looking man through the doorway and into a long corridor. While walking, he smoothed out his dark red tunic, making sure he was presentable. The hall was overly decorated with lavish gold decorations and paintings that must have been worth a fortune in gold pieces. His sleek black shoes clicked against the checkerboard floor, and he sensed a metal layer below the linoleum. It struck him as odd how so few people were granted access to the castle, let alone a meeting with the King, yet Philip's request was accepted in a matter of days. Usually, even people of greater power than Philip weren't allowed to enter such a place.

Leaving Philip outside the door to what was presumably the King's chambers, the servant departed. Philip knocked firmly three times and waited with patience until the door opened. The room was cluttered and too dirty to be up to the standards of a King. Then Philip's eyes met the face of the King, and he was shocked by his appearance, to say the least. His hair and beard needed a trim, although the man was tall and surprisingly handsome. He returned to his seat in the corner of the room and motioned for Philip to sit across from him. The King then allowed Philip to speak about everything that was troubling the people of the kingdom. He appeared to be listening, but Philip couldn't tell. At last, when Philip finished, the King spoke.

"Why should I care about these problems of the people? Did you really think that is why I let you come here? Tell me, do you know any person who has seen me before, or knows anything about me? I'd like to keep it that way. I can't have you spreading my secrets to everyone. They wouldn't want me as King if they knew what you soon will." Philip began to stand up, but the King called back his squires, and they violently grabbed him by the neck and arms, almost puncturing his burning skin. The King was now laughing, and yelling loud orders to his men. Philip was pulled toward a small door he hadn't noticed at first, and was thrown head-first inside an enclosed room with rusty, barred windows and damp, stone walls. He felt his nose break as his face hit the cold dungeon floor.

As Philip returned to a sitting position in the corner of the cell, he felt shackles being forced onto his ankles. After a few minutes, Philip ceased to hear anything from beyond the walls of the dungeon. His mind was racing. Why would the King want to keep him as a prisoner? Philip couldn't think, his head was pounding as fast as his heartbeat. He sat there for hours, but couldn't find the energy to even stand up.

Philip had no idea whether it was midday or evenfall when the cell door opened quietly with a weighted sound. Philip had been staring at the door for hours, but as it opened, he shrunk back into the shadows like an owl exposed to sunlight. Philip recognized the figure; he had seen him earlier that day.

The King entered, then began to undress Philip and himself. Philip's parched throat couldn't do anything to protest as the King had his way with him for hours. The King relentlessly forced Philip to do things, which Philip did not oblige to. When the King was done with Philip, he grabbed him by the arm and threw him back into the dungeon saying to him with a smirk, "Now you know the real reason I let you come here. I hope you know that I will do whatever I want with you and you will have to obey me."

The King closed the door forcefully, and the last person Philip saw before he fell asleep was a servant who gave him a plate of venison and a chalice full of water. As soon as the water was given to Philip, he began to chug it down, nearly drowning himself and choking on the hydrating beverage. After he was finished gulping down the cold water, he threw the chalice at the door, demanding for more from the servant.

After a few days of being prisoner, Philip had lost track of time. A guard forcefully opened the vault door and walked over to Philip, making a loud clicking sound on the grimy floor with his heavy, steel boots. He bent over and grabbed Philip by the arm, lifting him up, for at this point Philip was too weak to get up himself. As soon as Philip was out of the cell, he was blinded by the light beaming from the windows. At this point he was used to the dark and was becoming semi-nocturnal. The guard led Philip into the Kings chambers, tossing him onto the floor. After another encounter with the King, he was returned to the cell to continue the never ending cycle that occurred when someone was the prisoner of the King.