Only a few days later, a small funeral was planned. Jack was sad that he had lost one of his guardians to a wild beast, especially the one who taught him how to fish, hunt, hide in the shadows...
"Jack! Sweetie, where are you?" The young brunette turned around, and saw his mother gripping her black skirt with her smooth, soft hands, slowly making her way up the hill he was standing on. He brushed a strand of silky hair from his face, and looked at the forest of trees around their home and town. His eyes flicked upward, and he stared at the large castle resting on another hill that seemed faraway.
"Jack! Jack! Honey, Mommy was looking for you! What are you doing here anyway? We have plenty to attend to, so we must go back---"
"Mother. I miss Father. When will the pain heal, and leave my body? When will I stop feeling the misery I feel right now? When will I feel the love again...?" The young woman gazed at her son with forlorn, her heart throbbing softly with sadness and worry. She reached her hand out, and laid it upon his shoulder, rubbing it softly across the velvety material. She was unsure how to word her thoughts, but she understood that her blood and flesh was asking her for comfort, a way to forget the hurt for a while, in front of everyone.
"...Jack, it takes a great deal of time for a person's heart to heal from distress, particularly if the person is closer to you than most others. I know how you feel, Jack, I loved him just as much as you did. But, the pain will slowly dull, leaving behind only a small ache in its place. It will take a while, but the hurt will lessen as we continue to live on."
"But, will the heartache ever leave? Or, will it remain within my body forever, to torture my sanity to breaking points...? Mother, what will happen to me then? Will I be cast out of town, a stranger to the people who once loved my innocent nature? What will become of me...?"
The widow stared at her son in shock, tears slowly making their way to her eyes. She gripped her skirt with enough force, her knuckles turning a shade of white. She pursued her lips, before letting out a quick sob, and dropped herself in front of her offspring. She cried into her fists, a few of tears falling onto her formal clothing. Jack immediately felt guilty, and he leaned forward to wrap his arms around his mother's trembling figure. Suddenly, the woman snapped her body straight, and yanked her child forward by his shoulders. Eyes blown wide, Jack gawked at his mother's restlessness and how hard her grip on his slim shoulders were.
"M-Mother, please, calm yourself! Like you said, we still have to attend that---"
"DON'T YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN! I NEVER want to hear that from your mouth! You can not talk so lowly about yourself, not when you mean so much to your father and me! Jack, we love you, I LOVE YOU. I don't want to hear those disgusting words ever again, for as long as I live. All that pain and grief we...I experienced, was worth it, especially when the result was an amazing child...Jack, you are not allowed to disgrace yourself by thinking about your own mind and body like this. You deserve all the love the world has to offer, and anyone who thinks otherwise, is just the spawn of the Devil himself."
During the rant, Jack could feel his eyesight clogging with water, and he let out small whimpers as the tears flowed freely down his pale face. He sniffled, and hugged his mother close as he cried loudly. Soon, the both of them were reduced to nothing but a bumbling mess of tears and sobs. They clung to each other, their salty liquids streaming down their cheeks like waterfalls. After a few minutes of thunderous weeping, the two of them calmed down, and the only sounds that were audible were the soft hiccups and the wind brushing against the swaying trees.
--------------------x--------------------X--------------------x--------------------
"H-hello everyone. This is the day we say our farewells to my dear husband, John Wrightham Overland . He was, and will always be, remembered as a wonderful husband, an empathetic hunter, and a kind friend. I hope that today, he is watching us will open eyes, because he should understand the love we all harbor for him." Sarah looked up at the sky, the water in her eyes making the sunlight glisten in her chocolate pupils. "I hope that he will hear the words of our affection, and remembers the good deeds he did for this little town. May he rest in peace, and live a nice life in the sacred land above the clouds, aside the angels and the Lord." She smiled sadly, her eyelids a bright red and puffy as she closed them over her eyesight. "If anyone would wish to say anything to our departed companion, this is t-the right m-moment t-to do s-so..." With that, she quickly rushed off the small platform, head tucked between her arms as she wept.
After a few people said a few words about the dead man, Jack finally went up to the stage. He looked at everyone, and saw that had their teary and red eyes on him. All except his upset and depressed mother. Sighing softly, he claimed a look of determination and courage on his wet face, and opened his mouth.
"Today, we are talking about a dead person." Everyone's eyes bulged out of their eye sockets, shocked that they were hearing such malevolent words from the normally kind-hearted and shy boy. "Today, we are mourning the lost of my father, a man who was caring and considerate to everyone. But, we must keep in mind, today is also a day for change."
With that, Sarah looked up at her child, gaze holding a silent question about what her son meant. Jack faced his mother, lips quivering slightly as he choked out his words. "T-today, we are to start a-anew. We w-will not be focusing on the decreased man we all loved, b-but how we can honor him. How we can improve our town, how to survive together, and more importantly, how to value each other for years and years to come. We will honor the d-death of a leader, by showing how much he has taught us, and using it to our ability. I hope this is a message we can all agree to, and one that will stay in our memories for many lifetimes. Th-thank you, everyone." Jack quickly walked off the platform, and ran into his mother's open arms. They both cried together, ignoring the sound of clapping hands and the sniffles around them. Sarah pulled away, and cupped her baby's face in her palms, smiling lovingly at the brunette.
"Sweetheart, you are most definitely correct. Today, we remember a lost family member, but now, we open the doors to new beginnings. Thank you, Jack. I needed someone to show me that, and who better to do it than you?" Looking at the clouds, she grinned, her pearly white teeth showing in the sunlight. "Today, we turn to a new leaf."
--------------------x--------------------X--------------------x--------------------
Five Years Later After The Funeral
"Come on, Snowflake, I know you can go faster than that!" A snow-white steed neighed in reply, before moving even quicker, nearly throwing its rider off. "Bloody hell, Snowflake, it would be nice if you were to give me a warning next time!" The horse only gave a snort.
"Fine, I'll buy you some apples the next time we stop at the market, but only if you behave!" Jack pulled the horse's reins to a stop, and took a moment to look around. It was getting late, and the winter nights never seemed to get any warmer. "We need to be careful, especially since it snowed last night. There could be ice on the ground. But, we have to speed up a bit, if we want to be home before sunset."
Just then, a loud crash sounded, making the two jump in surprise. Jack looked in the direction the noise came from, and steered his stallion that way. They were met with a tiny forest of naked trees, all of them dusted with mounds of snow. After a few minutes of exploring the small cluster of trees, he found a broken wheel laying on the ground, splinters here and there. "Snowflake, move ahead. There might be someone injured, or in need of assistance." The young teen gripped the reins with worry, wondering if there was anyone out there in danger, or if they were severely hurt.
I hope they are alright. Hopefully, it won't turn out like the last time a loud sound was heard...
He flinched, pushing away the images of his bleeding father on the floor. Jack surveyed the ground, looking for any mangled pieces of a human. Suddenly, the bared trees parted to reveal a turned over carriage, and people littered around it. Jack's eyes widened as he looked around in horror.
Oh gods...what happened here?! What happened to these poor people?!
A sharp gleam of light caught his eye, and he jumped off his steed to investigate further. Keeping a close eye on the nearly blinding brightness, he stepped closer and closer to one of the fallen men. Peering at the older male in curiosity, Jack wondered if the man was still alive. A sharp groan pierced his ears, and Jack froze as he saw the man before him, turn onto his back. Gasping quietly, he stood stiffly while panicking in his head.
Oh dear gods, it's the bloody king!
--------------------x--------------------X--------------------x--------------------
Author's Notice:
Hello, everyone. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, and I wish you a happy new year! I dedicate this chapter to all my followers and readers, and one of my resolutions this year, is to get a total of fifteen chapters (for this book) done. I hope all of you reading this now like the story so far, and I promise I will update more of it as soon as I can. Farewell, and have a wonderful night~!