The Fallen Prince

Darkness soon enveloped me, muffled cheers sounded right behind the cellar's door, as I soon lost my consciousness.

When I came to several hours later, I lost track of time and bearing in the total darkness of the cellar. I felt numb all over as I didn't realise how long I was sprawled in the cold hard stone floors of the cellar.

Silence engulfed my surroundings and the last thing I heard before I lost my senses was the muffled cheering behind the cellar's door and the arrow that had infiltrated Tanya's left eye socket.

Fortunately, the rebels did not discover the existence of a hidden door behind the thick curtains that led to the cellar, or else I would be done for next. I slowly pulled myself up from the cold hard ground where I had slumped next to Tanya's now cold and lifeless body.

The juncture I pictured the last image of Tanya with an arrow embedded through her left eye, I retched and I swung my head sideways and hurled the contents of my last meal.

"I'm sorry Tanya, may you rest in peace." the words left my lips with a hoarse voice after I plopped her arms over her chest.

Seeing Tanya's cold and lifeless body, I evaluated the earlier chaotic scene in the main hall when the guards were trying to pin down the infiltrators.

Afterimages of bolts flew as it struck both my parent's chests while some managed to be deflected away. After the chaotic event had passed, I was blown with a sudden realisation.

"BOTH MY PARENTS ARE DEAD...!"

I can't help the tides of remorse that washed over my emotions as I hunched on the cold hard ground, clutching both my knees to my chest and sobbed uncontrollably. I planted my face deep under my chest as I held my knees tight. The tears that I had fought hard against, finally shattered through like a broken dam.

Amidst my sobs, tears and shuddering body, I felt extremely weakened and due to my inadequate determination, I succumbed once again and soon lose consciousness again and ended up in a dreamless state.

Sometime later, I awoke with a start as my tear-stained dirt-covered face was hit by rays of sunlight began breaking through the cellar's tiny slots that acted as a vent.

"I can't hang around here and wait to be found. Father, I swear upon the blood of Macleod that I would carry the honour of our family and rebuild what was left." I gritted my teeth as I took a last long look at my younger sister's face. I cracked off the shaft from her left eye and I wiped her blood matted hair from her forehead.

"Goodbye, little sister. I will meet you in the afterlife." I kissed her forehead as I slowly stood up, trying to summon the energy to move on despite the heavy heart and the sadness of my loss. Her gape of terror froze on her face as her mouth was gaped open and her undamaged eye was simply staring into nothingness.

I ran my fingers and shut the other eye and somehow managed to close her gaping mouth as if she was screaming in silence. The look of terror on my younger sister's face left a shuddering impact on me.

I unbolted the door as silently as I could and when I am done, I listened for any activity beyond the door as I opened it up a crack once I find it safe to do so.

The sight that met me was too indescribable...!

Bodies of the guards and the fallen rebels were scattered across the floor like as if a giant had barged through and bashed their heads and bodies about. I peered and I saw the bodies of my parents, beside one another.

My father's body was facing down with a few bolts sticking out from his back while mother was lying face up with the same number of bolts from the crossbow on her chest.

My legs felt soft and jellylike as I stumbled across the floor, oblivious to the dried blood that had pooled from the bodies of the fallen guards and rebels. I trudged towards the bodies of my parents and I turned father right side up.

They looked so peaceful in their death and I understood that they both realised and had no way to avoid the outcome of the infiltration of the rebels once the last line of defence had broken through.

I snapped the shafts of the crossbows that were embedded in their bodies through the thin bronze armour that they were wearing and threw them aside.

I stretched out to close their eyes that were staring lifelessly and I placed both of their hands together as if they had intended to clasp their hands together, even in death.

"Mother... Father... Please rest in peace. I am the only heir to the Macleod bloodline and I will uphold the honour to bring back the Macleod to its former glory. Please give me your blessings."

I bent over them and placed their hands on my forehead as I squatted on one knee and gave them the last respects from their only living son, the heir to the throne and the last Macleod. Their skin felt cold on mine as I clasped them for the very last time.

I steadily picked myself up and ambled to the second floor where my study and bedroom was. The vision before me was blurry as torrents of hot tears flowed incessantly as I wiped them away on the sleeves of my outfit.

Upon reaching there, I stood a bit surprised at what greeted me. Furniture had been broken through, drawers carelessly were thrown on the ground as its contents were strewn across. I rummaged through the mess and picked up my leather knapsack that was thrown aside, emptied the contents and stuffed some of the essentials that I think I might need.

It seems that almost anything valuable had been looted away. My eyes glanced over to the wall where a painting of a scenery was left untouched. I unfasten the painting down from the wall and placed it down on the ground next to me.

A small wooden panel was then removed from the wooden wall as I took out my stash of gold and silver coins that I had conserved over the years. This stash of gold and silvers were part of my possessions when I was still in varsity.

Along with it, I took my small dagger with a hide as its sheath and placed all the items I had compiled inside my leather knapsack. Before leaving my room, I unhooked a short sword that depicts a symbol of a cross on its plume from the mantelpiece above the furnace and hooked it up at my sides.

The small dagger was, in fact, a small utility one that was used to remove the skins from apples when I took them away from the Royal Kitchen. The short sword that I had taken gave me some assurance as it clanged at my side. It was unsharpened and it was good enough to be used in parrying attacks, or so it seems.

I found my old cloak hanging inside the wardrobe that was used during times when I used it to sneak out to the town square at night. I slung it over myself as I slowly and noiselessly made my way out of the Manor.

The sun had just broken through slightly above the horizons and the top of the trees lining the outskirts of the kingdom of Darlington. Time seemed to stand still when I stepped out of the courtyard. Nothing alive stirred in the courtyard and beyond. It was as if the whole town was painted black and grey everywhere.

The raid that was performed by the hordes of rebels left destruction in its wake. None of the houses was intact and those that had been set ablaze was still smouldering. Small flickers of flames were still licking at the charred remains as grey coloured smoke slowly permeate from them.

The air was still, there was not a single gust of wind nor breeze. The smell of burning wood and corpses mingled in the air. The whole kingdom was smouldering and plumes of smoke were still rising from it. I crouched as low as I could to the ground and would prone to the ground and acted as one of the victims to avoid detection.

The journey from the Manor to the gates that points towards the wild forest and nearest body of water would normally take a casual 15-minute walk. But right now, to avoid being seen, I have to crouch, stepped lightly and hide among the broken houses just to avoid being detected.

It took more than an hour before I reached the gates and I made a run for it, heading towards the wild forest that would soon engulf me with enough cover and foliage.

I ran as if I had never run before in my life. The short sword was clanging beside me as I dashed across the wild forest, sometimes in a zig-zag and beeline manner, just in case someone would have noticed me and decided to give chase.

Alas when I was still within the perimeter of the living quarters, I discovered that the rebels had long gone. It was like a swarm of angry driver ants had passed through the town and devoured anything living, humans and animals totally unspared.

My heart was thumping wildly like a hundred horses galloping through a muddy field. After running crazily for about 15 minutes or so, I slowed down but kept my pace on fast walking speed. I removed my knapsack behind my back and took out a leather skin pouch filled with water and took a drag from it.

The water was like heaven and it never felt so good and delicious as it flowed down my throat, moisturising it and at the same time quenching a bit of my thirst from the long run.

Along the way, I recognised some hawthorn and wild berries growing wildly in shrubs and I decided to make a pitstop to pick a bunch of them.

At least these berries would be able to quench my thirst further and help me stave off hunger. It had been more than 12 hours since I last ate and had even heaved the contents of my last meal.

I stopped for a few minutes to wear my cloak front side back. This way I could utilise the hood to carry the fruits in them, like a kangaroo pouch as I could consume them from time to time as I trotted slowly into the unknown and towards the supposed body of water.

More berries were found and I quickly picked the ripe ones and stuffed them up it in the hooded section of my cloak. I walked on when I heard some twigs breaking underfoot. Surely it is not me as I avoid those in order to remain as quiet and discreet as possible.

I stopped and hid in the shadows cast by the trees and crouched as low as possible. If a wild and ferocious beast appears, I had no choice but either to make a dash away or fight it. Based on my current situation right now, running away would be the best idea since I have no means to fight against a beast, especially with a blunt short sword.

I still had not overcome my grief on losing my family and I am in no position to be able to fight a ferocious beast right now. I focused my surroundings and I saw some silhouettes of people some distance on my right-hand side. "Rebels...!" the thoughts screamed in my head...!

I squinted and saw more than 5 figures approaching my location. I then unsheathed my short sword and gripped the handle with my sweaty hands and readied the weapon before me. If those were the rebels, I would only attack if my position was compromised but other than that, I will try to remain low and silent until they had passed by for at least some 10 minutes or so.

The silhouettes were walking cautiously towards my direction as well towards where I was crouching low to the ground. They were using the Shadows too as they walked slowly, trying to hide their bodies as if both parties were anticipating signs of hostility.

"SWOOOOOSH... THUD"

An arrow whizzed through the air and struck at the tree trunk just inches from my head. I was shaken but only momentarily as I picked myself and ran in their opposite direction. "Dammit... They've got archers with them...!" I screamed aloud in my head.

I dare not glanced back for a second look to see if any of them were chasing me or not but I ran blindly ahead and whizzing in a zig-zag manner on order to throw off the archer's focused aim towards my back.

As I ran for some minutes, I slowed down to a trot and glanced back and discovered that I was not being followed. When I was about to turn my head about and continue to run forward, I heard some noises on my left side and noticed a slight movement as well at the corners of my eyes.

When I turned around to look and took a sidestep to the right and readied my short sword, I felt a sudden crunching blow to my abdomen and before I knew it, my wind was knocked out as I doubled over, coughing and clutching on the area that had just suffered a blow.

"Stay down where I can see your hands or the next blow would be on your head this time...!"

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