"Lui?"

The voices....

"Useless brat!"

They won't stop.

"Disgrace!"

They insist on tormenting me...

"You're pathetic, Lui."

Even though I killed them.

"No, please I beg you! Don't....please!"

The only ones I listen to are the painful ones, the enjoyable ones.

"Please sir, I have a family! Please, please!"

They entertain me...

"My children, they need me! Please let me go!"

I enjoy their screams for mercy but....

"No, no please! I beg of you sir, please no! No!"

Their suffering only reminds me of my own.

"Dispose of the body. I found no entertainment here."

My voice. How can I sound so cold? So heartless? I sound just like her.

Just like my mother.

We're so similar, share so much in common.

The only difference is that she died without blood on her hands.

I will not be as lucky.

"Sir?"

     My

eyes snap open as I'm pulled from my thoughts. My generals look at me expectantly, almost hopefully. To my own misfortune I was not paying attention, too enraptured by my thoughts. A sudden wave of rage flows through me, but I keep it contained.

"And what will be the point of this strategy?" I ask the general closest to me; a rookie general.

     His

eyes widen momentarily in fear before donning his poker face. "It will ensure Sokkelskrem is protected in case of a siege," he says, almost robotically.

     I

train my eyes on him, and he tenses. My anger begins to get the best of me. "And what is your opinion on this matter?" I ask coldly.

     He

looks shocked, as do my other generals. "My leige?" one inquires.

"You are not to speak unless spoken to, is that clear?" I roar and everyone falls silent. The rookie general is shaking in fear as I turn back to him. "Well?"

     He

remains silent. His fear is showing.

     My

eyes narrow and I lean forward. "Answer me!" I shout. "Unless you want me to cut out your tongue and give you a reason not to speak?"

"That will not be necessary, sir!" he says fearfully before going on. "In my humble opinion, I believe it should be put into practice to better ensure the castle's safety," he manages to choke out.

     I

analyze him for a few more seconds before lunging forward and grabbing his collar. He doesn't hide his fear this time, eyes wide as saucers.

"No, you imbecile! I want all my forces on Vysokaya! I need only my personal guard and a small brigade of soldiers! Besides that, everyone is on Vysokaya beating the shit out of the stuck up emperor's useless army, understood?" I scream before throwing him out of the room.

     The

room is deathly silent and my generals are pale with fear, but the emotion is absent on their faces.

"If anyone dares to propose this again, I will personally execute them. Understood?" I growl.

"Ske dyen," they chorus. Yes sir.

"Dismissed. Chagake, we must speak," I order with a wave of my hand.

     They

all bow and leave the room. Gou stays in his seat, unfazed by the worried glances thrown his way. When the last of them leaves, he gets up, closes and locks the door. He turns to face me.

"Is anything the matter?" he inquires.

     I

stand in my spot before slowly extending my arms. He gets the hint and walks towards me, pulling me into his arms. We stand in this position for a minute or so before he speaks up.

"Is it the voices again?" he asks softly.

     I

nod.

     He

rubs my back before going on. "They can't get you anymore, remember? I was there when you cut them short for good. You have nothing to fear," he soothes.

"I'm still afraid," I say, choking back a sob. "So much is riding on my shoulders; the lives of my men, Hvit's future, the future of my people, my control of Vysokaya. I underestimated that white haired fool of an emperor."

"That's may be so, ye voel, but I know you better than anyone," he whispers before pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "You've held burdens no child should ever carry, and look where you are now. I believe in you, and I always will.

"
    

"I regret killing them."

"Why?"

"Because now people fear me, they don't trust me. I bet even people of other countries think I am nothing but a bloodthirsty, warmongering ruler. I'm starting to regret having have made this reputation for me."

     He

stays silent, not knowing how to make me feel better. I snuggle closer to him, breathing in his scent. The weight of an entire country and the outcome of a war is placed on my shoulders. I don't have time to show weakness or express regrets. The game is afoot and only the strongest will come on top.

     I

hope, for my sake and for Gou's, that we are proven stronger.

×∆×∆×∆×

The throne room is as cold as ever. Even with my thick fur coat, it chills me to the bone. The woman standing before me shivers but stares back defiantly. Her tattered clothes provide no protection from the chilling temperature and she has no shoes. Her hands and feet are nearly black with frostbite, her lips blue and she looks deathly pale.

     A

pathetic sight.

"What is she accused of?" I frigidly ask.

A guard steps forward and delivers a swift kick to the back of her legs, forcing her to her knees. "She stole valuable objects from one of your Majesty's estates," he says sternly.

     I

nod and turn my attention back to her. "Why?"

     She

scrambles to her feet and begins speaking with a thick country accent. "The people are dying of hunger and cold. Your "honorable guard" takes advantage of the poor and steals from the honest. My family is starving and freezing to death. We humans will do anything to live, so I stole some gold from your precious estate. It's not like you use it," she spat.

     I

hummed. "So if I execute you, will I be doing you a favor? Putting you out of your misery?" I asked mockingly.

     She

looked afraid momentarily but the defiant spark in her eyes returned. "You might as well massacre us all."

     Her

words echoed throughout the empty room. It made me think of how much my people hate me now, but once I win the war and have power over Vysokaya, they will thank me for giving them the land. But until then, I must be ruthless.

"I'll let you in on a little something, foolish woman," I said condescendingly. "This war that has left you and my people in poverty and on the verge of death isn't for nothing."

"Then what for, huh?" she shouted.

"Once the war is won by the might of the Luinor dragon, all of Vysokaya's land will be given to the people to make their lives and prosper as they please."

"Really?" she asks with hope and disbelief.

"Yes, really," I say kindly. "Wouldn't it be just lovely? You'd have a beautiful house and an equally beautiful life for you and you family. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Of course I would! It's all I promised my family I'd give them," she exclaims with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, it's truly an ideal life," I sighed. "Just a shame you won't live to see it."

"What?"

     I

nod to the soldier standing behind her and he runs her through with his sword. Her light blue eyes widen and she reaches her hand towards me before crumpling to the floor in a growing puddle of blood.
     I stare at the woman's body, at her blood staining the white tiles of my floor. Her frail body, not alive but not quite dead. Is this how all my people look? Is this how they've been suffering? They suffer of hunger and the bitter cold of the north, while I sit here, wrapped in furs and warming myself by the fire. As much as I want to keep up my facade, I know I must offer at least some measure of comfort.
     "Where is her family?"
     "They live in the outskirts of  Aljor, near the north."
     "Have her body sent to her family. And investigate the integrity of the guards stationed in Aljor. If they do indeed take advantage of their position, I want them punished to the fullest extent of the law. Understood?"  

     "Yes, your Highness."
     I take a final look at the woman, before turning and leaving the throne room.
     I

opened the door to my room, finding Gou standing there waiting for me. I look at him sadly and now my head in shame.

"You saw, didn't you?"

     He

nods. "At least you didn't have her thrown into a mass grave."
     "She had a family, how could I do  such a thing to them?"
     There was a moment of silence before Gou spoke up. "Did you mean it? That you'd givie the land to the people so they could make their own lives as they wish?"

     A

single tear rolled down my cheek. "I never had that as a child. I simply want my people to have what I didn't."

To the one person reading this story.

*Waves* Hi, thank you, I hope you're enjoying it. :) My friend and I worked really hard on this. I know the action is slow but we'll get to the first arc in the next chapter, which I'll be publishing in a bit.

I'll be proofreading and editing the first few chapters so they make a little more sense.

I see the typos, I'll fix them, not to worry.

Shout-out to my co-author MaxKattKiara I LOVE YOU BIITTCCHHH THANK YOU <3

Anyways, thank you for reading :D