Here it is. After months of preparation and writing, I have finished the process of creating what is now known as Kingdoms Lost. Let it be known, this is the first time I've written an entire story before uploading it to this website, and I am very proud of myself cause I didn't even think I would be able to do it.
I have fallen in love with this story. In my opinion, it is absolutely the best fanfiction I've ever written. The original concept came up while I was writingLegend, and from there, I started developing it and making sure the story was perfect. In the final drafts, it turned out to be a twisted version of Cinderella, with of course the addition of Merome.
All the characters in this story are YouTubers based off their Minecraft aliases but humanized. For example, Jerome is dressed in his suit for the majority of this fic, but is not a bacca hybrid (and so forth with the other characters).
(For each chapter there will be a song that goes with it ie) SotC: Viva La Vida - Coldplay
I hope you like the first chapter out of 14 of Kingdoms Lost. And yes, I did write 14 chapters in three months. In my mind, this is an accomplishment (since you all know how bad I get with writer's block)!
Now let's take a journey far into the land of Minecraftia...
Tyler's POV
The power of true love and friendship can impact two completely opposite lives.
One lived in prosperity, getting everything he could wish for. But in his heart, he needed to be free of his many duties.
The other spent his lonely days in captivity pushed around and treated like nothing, wondering when he would be free.
This is where their story begins.
There was once a time where everyone got along and respected each other. There was a time where crime was not an issue and the peasants and royal court sat side by side. Kings, Queens, and their mighty armies stormed the castles of enemies, working together as a whole. Peasants gathered necessities for themselves while being treated with the upmost dignity by the royals. But during the time when my only child was born, the world surrounding our small kingdom changed. Rebel groups formed, seeking power and greed. The royalty feared losing their title, belongings, and lives. No one in the city I called home remembered the time where love ruled the lands. However, in the midst of this drastic change, I would lose the one thing I loved the most: my son.
In the land of Minecraftia, many rulers gripped controls of the kingdoms. For many generations, the Aceti family reigned over Star City, the location where this story takes place. The Acetis were kind, generous, and considerate to everyone, including those lower than them. But when Captain Jordan Aceti, passionate King of Star City and brave war general, passed away, his naive son stepped into the high-ranked position. The townspeople found this new ruler, King Jason, careless to their relentless efforts. Jason tried his hardest to regain their loyalty, but the lies and rumors spread like wildfires. The peasants established violent rebel groups, who would ransack properties owned by the Acetis. With no choice left, Jason recruited people of extreme loyalty, including myself, to fight for his kingdom and protect the common citizens from these extremists. Eventually, the King placed favorable trust in me concerning his army, promoting me to Lord War General Tyler Hughes. My name would be forever remembered in Star City history.
On the seemingly glorious day this story starts, Jason held his fearless newborn son in his arms as the normally quiet King stood on a elegant platform before the court's elderly priest. His wife, the beautiful Jennifer, remained joyful at her husband's side, glancing down at her baby. The boy snuggled deeply into the sleeve, rubbing his the blonde hairs on his head against Jason's velvet tunic as the priest read off the baby's official name.
"Jerome Robert Aceti."
The audience cheered for little Jerome. Lifting my head, I turned my attention towards my wife, the gorgeous Lady Elizabeth, who carried in her arms our newborn son, Mitchell. He had large radiant brown eyes and short almond brown fuzz sticking out on his head. Elizabeth had chosen the name; her grandfather Mitchell Rivers was a very appreciated member of Jordan's court. Surprisingly, Jerome and our baby Mitchell had been born shortly after the other; Jerome came first, followed by Mitchell four hours later. No one in Star City expected two handsome boys born into the royal court almost simultaneously, but only Notch could predict the outcome.
After the applause lowered down in the throne room, Jason spun to face his people and looked towards me, smirking. I returned the favor by giving him and Jerome a smile. Jason took in a deep breath before speaking in front of his people. "Citizens of Star City! I present, my son and heir to the throne, Jerome!" He motioned one hand over to Elizabeth and Mitchell and the audience turned towards my wife and son. "And of course Jerome's successor, Mitchell Hughes!" The crowd applauded once more, although not as loudly as Jerome's.
There was a festive gala after the naming ceremony, in which Jason connected further with possible rebels. He kept on communicating with a certain peasant named Antvenom McNulty, who I didn't trust at all. Antvenom had messed around with Star City funds several years prior, demoting him from a high General position in Jason's army to a regular peasant. Since then, I believed he had it out for Jason and only dared to return into the public eye when he felt like it. Around eight o'clock, I noticed Jason and Antvenom together yet again, and focused my attention on moving the two far apart as humanely possible. As the King's second in command, it was my duty to keep Jason safe from all harm, as I considered Antvenom harmful.
Antvenom blabbed on about his quite interesting family, chuckling at everything Jason said. "Ryan, my son... he'd be a perfect fit for war general of your army one day. And my wife, Grail... oh, your highness... King Aceti..." Antvenom gasped. "She's a sight to be seen...!"
"I'm sure she is," Jason replied, faking his enthusiasm.
I walked next to the King, interrupting their conversation. I coughed with my fist over my mouth, startling Jason and Antvenom. After doing so, I put my hands on my hips, exhausted from the efforts taken to get their attention. "King Jason, I think it's about time that Jerome and Mitchell sleep. It's already eight o'clock."
Jason turned his head to face me and nodded. "Of course, Tyler. I'll be upstairs in a moment." He motioned a hand to Antvenom. "Mister McNulty over here is just telling me a fascinating story..."
"I must be on my way then." I faked a grin towards Jason and eyed down Ant as I returned to Elizabeth's side. I rolled my eyes in disbelief. Why the King actually want to spend a longer time with that traitor of a man?
"Why is his majesty speaking with Antvenom McNulty?" Elizabeth whispered to me, glancing over my shoulder to find Jason and Ant together. Like me, she always provided safety for Jason and his family. Since they were children, Elizabeth and Queen Jennifer had been great friends, so I wouldn't have blamed her for being so overprotective.
"Most likely trying to get him on our side," I replied in a soft tone, "Or at least I hope, 'Lizabeth."
Elizabeth sighed and repositioned the small baby lying in her arms. As the clock fell exactly on eight fifteen, we walked up the stairs from the throne room into the bed chamber that Mitchell and Prince Jerome shared. With each step, a strong pang hit my stomach, which always signaled a bad event to proceed. Something very bad would happen the night of the naming ceremony, and no one would be able to stop it.
Upon reaching Mitchell's medieval stenciled wood crib, Elizabeth placed our son onto the mattress. The window was open, so fresh waves of cool winter air swarmed into the room. I watched Mitchell's little eyes blink open and close, the brown dots twinkling from the light of the moon. He observed our every move, his attention darting from side to side.
"Goodnight, my son." Elizabeth smiled with joy. She leaned over the deep brown wood railing and kissed our son gently on the cheek. He begun sucking on his thumb as she lifted her head.
"Goodnight, Mitchell." I responded, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. Mitchell shrieked with happiness. I grinned down at the little boy; a feeling I'd never had since my marriage to Elizabeth appeared again. The basic idea of being a father caught me speechless. There was so much I could teach Mitchell... from practicing his swordsmanship, to the most practical way of talking with a girl, to becoming the best person he could possibly be.
As the night-time approached, I took my wife's hand as she led me back into the room where the gala was being held. I met up with Jason again, who I realized had gotten rid of Antvenom. As I chatted privately with Jason about our memories and plans for the future, I reflected on the days to come and the friendship that would blossom between our sons. But how was I to know that night would be the last time I would see Mitchell in a very long time?
Antvenom's POV
Ever since my demotion from the royal army, I despised Jason Aceti and his entire family. They helped with nothing in Star City besides hosting fancy parties. Jason was never fit to be a ruler, and had honestly never been trained by his father. Jordan was an effective ruler, however. He showed the people of Star City that there was hope in not being rich... and I praised him for that belief. Although Jordan's death was not in vain, his son couldn't reach the standards of a Star City ruler following the previous leader.
My son Ryan had very powerful opportunities ahead. With Jason's reign crushing beneath his feet and a son who'd most likely follow in his nimble footsteps, I planned a way to make my son King of Star City. At only two years old, Ryan showed signs of strength and dominance amongst his peers. I remembered one day when Ryan came home with a handful of pure gold coins because another student in his class corrected his wrong answer. My wife Grailmore and I pushed our son to work out on a daily basis and receive the highest education from the best teachers in town. But, not only Ryan's influence on his peers, physical strength, and education would bring him to the top. I needed to remove the weakest link: the Aceti family, beginning with innocent Prince Jerome.
After talking with King Jason himself, I found myself wandering the upstairs halls of the expansive castle he owned. Tiptoeing through the extensive halls, I envied the custom-made paintings and expensive carpets. I envied the torches nailed to the walls that dimmed the hallways. Upon finding a door labeled Nursery, I pushed it open and spotted two identical cribs. One of course was for the prince, but the other one was made specifically for the son of Lord Tyler Hughes, who I also hated. I sneaked towards Jerome's crib and disturbingly glared down towards the face of the sleeping baby prince. As my hand reached in to grab his tiny body, I heard footsteps coming from outside. I leaped back, making loud creaks due to the wooden flooring.
"There's someone in there!" A guard yelled, "Protect the prince! Go! Go!"
Not wanting to get caught yet accomplish something in the process, I ran over to the other crib and snatched the other boy, Mitchell. I draped my leather cloak around Mitchell's small body, trying to cover his squeaky screams. Without second thought, I spotted an open window and jumped from the second story onto a rose garden. Although stung by a few thorns, I was able to escape in time for the guards not to recognize my presence in the castle. As I hurried back home to Grail and Ryan, I overheard the horror of Lady Elizabeth as she figured out her son had been taken by a mysterious figure in a cloak.
"NO! MITCHELL! TYLER, NOT OUR SON!"
No one expected it was me.
Eventually, I reached the small shack my family resided in. The house was made out of wood, pinned together with iron nails. The exterior was decorated by large dark oak trees and patches of dirt. Quickly, I rushed inside the shack, placing the crying child in a blanket on a tweed chair. Flustered, I rushed to the sink, turned on the water, and splashed refreshing cold liquid onto my face. Grail, a tall, thin woman with long, wavy platinum blonde hair and dull blue eyes, entered the room. As expected, the first thing she saw was the baby.
Grail paused and stared long and hard at the back of my head. I refused to face her. "Antvenom McNulty, what is that?" My lips clambered together in fear. She was that type of woman who I couldn't ignore by walking away, so I had to tell her the truth.
I gave her the most general statement I could think of. "A baby."
"Whose?!" She hammered me with questions. "Cause I know it ain't mine!"
I winced, expecting the worst. "The child of Lord Hughes."
Grail gasped; her jaw dropped from shock. "Lord Hughes?!" she cried, "Antvenom, have you gone mad?!"
I spun around to face my wife, and lifted my index finger against her lips. I told her in a loud whisper, "Quiet yourself! Our neighbors might hear!"
Grail pushed my hand away from her face in a fit of rage. "We have no neighbors! You built our house in the middle of nowhere! Our closest neighbors are the Worths... and their house is a mile and a half away!"
"That is true," I thought out loud.
"Yes. It is true... But why do you have the child?"
I gaped my mouth open, surprising myself with an idea. "It's a distraction."
She lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "What kind of distraction?"
"Don't you want Ryan to become King of Star City?" I asked, boosted my hope about kidnapping Mitchell instead.
Grail lowered the volume of her voice, stepping closer to me. "Yes... of course..."
I took my wife by the hand and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Well, this is his chance. Now that Hughes will be focused on finding his beloved son, Aceti's army will crumble to pieces without a resourceful commander." With my free hand, I rolled my hand into a fist, symbolizing destruction. "And when the army is finished with, the King will have no choice but to surrender his throne to the most powerful rebel force in town..." I smirked, arrogantly proud of my prediction. "This is a much better plan than the one I originally thought of."
"What would that be?" Grail curiously asked.
"I would kidnap the prince..." I sighed, "But then Hughes's child would be the successor... That wouldn't have worked anyways."
"I understand..." Grail queried, "But how does this new plan relate to Ryan?"
"Guess who will be the leader of that powerful rebel force."
Grail opened her mouth in devious excitement. "Ryan?"
I nodded. "Our son will eventually become the King of Star City. I tell you, my dear mistress..." Wrapping one arm around half of my wife's neck, I used my other arm to motion the endless opportunities for our son. "Ryan McNulty will rule this land. And no one can stop us now that we have Mitchell."
"What are we going to do with him though?" She glanced over towards the baby with antipathy.
"The boy?"
Grail irritatingly snapped her head in my direction. "Yes the boy."
I paused, trying to think of what to do. My thumb and index finger stroked the black hairs on my chin. "Don't you need assistance around the house?"
Grail sarcastically laughed. "Always! If only I didn't have to work like a maid around this household! I don't deserve it!"
"Of course you don't deserve being a maid." I paused. "We'll make the boy our personal servant who does your daily chores on a twenty-four hour service... while you help me with my upcoming forgery business! That way we can have a life to ourselves and keep that kid inside the house!"
My wife gawked and chuckled to herself. "That's perfect! The less work for me, the better."
"Anything for you, dear, dear Grailmore." I moved my attention towards Ryan's bedroom, which was located down the hall from our main entry room. "And anything for our son, the King."
I picked up the baby by its nightgown and placed it inside a handmade cage I'd been keeping in the living room in case we got a ocelot or wolf pet for Ryan. Over a period of 5 days in the cage, Mitchell's crying decreased, which lowered Grail's stress rates. From the prison of my shack, he watched as I trained Ryan in the large swampy field outside. The boy begun learning the chores at one year old, and started worked full-time at three. When Mitchell turned five, Grail and I taught Ryan to treat him like a servant who was forced to obey every rule commanded of him, and if a command was not answered, there would be consequences. As 20 long years passed, Mitchell became more willing to obey our rules and easier to control. He'd completely forgotten about his past in the castle and his old family. The only memories Mitchell had of his life remained in the palm of my hand.
In my wildest dreams, my son would become King. But during my political demise, I wouldn't be around to see that dream come true.
Intense, right?! First you got a royal family, a baby Jerome, a baby Mitchell, and a ceremony. Then enter the evil guy and poof! Baby Mitchell is gone and is now forced to be a servant! What'll happen next?!
Note: NO HATE FOR ANY EVIL CHARACTERS, including someone you'll meet next chapter. THEY ARE ALL GREAT PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE BUT I THOUGHT THEY WOULD FIT WELL WITH THE TYPES OF CHARACTERS I CREATED. THAT'S ALL.
Thanks to DrWhovianist for creating the cover picture! 3
Spread #KingdomsLost everywhere! I wanna see it spammed on my Twitter notifications to make sure I did something right! If you don't, I'll hunt you down and find you... Just kidding. But seriously love you all if you do ;)
See you in the next chapter!