Prince of Edith

Heads-up :

[

` This is what it looks like when someone is talking in their head `

" This is what it looks like when someone is talking out loud "

* This is an Onomatopoeia (action word) *

]

(Ray is 16 years old)

-- Narrator POV

The Kingdom Edith held many titles, "The Strongest Kingdom", "The Richest Kingdom", but those are only the positive ones. Deep in the darkest corners of the kingdom, there is a rumor regarding the Prince, Ray Edith, the one who will succeed to the throne.

A rumor that was inciting a civil war, the "Good for Nothing" prince. After the death of Ray's mother he had fallen into a deep depression, he saw his own mother die in front of him after a corrupt noble started a riot. Helpless, he watched the one person he cherished the most, disappear with a face of sorrow.

The king grew distant from his sons, Ray included, Ray shut himself in his room and neglected his training for over 4 years. The citizens of the Kingdom grew scared of an incompetent king and pressured the king to make his son prove his worth as the next in line to the throne.

-- MC POV

` Is it morning already? I'll just keep sleeping... `

* Knock, Knock, Knock *

I reluctantly get out of my bed and walk to the door, before opening it I look at myself in the mirror to see a man with black hair and golden eyes, that has nothing going for him.

I open the door to see a servant who has been serving me since my birth, Edward Smith. The Smiths are a long line of servants that serve the Kingdom of Edith directly.

Edward has white hair and a sharp look to him. He is always surrounded by a professional aura as if every move he does is calculated.

" Master, the King is requesting your presence at the royal chamber. "

I have been expecting this moment, since my mother died I've become a shut-in. It's as if when she died, all my emotions went with her.

I wanted to change but something in me wouldn't let me, maybe it was a sense of grief that never quite left my system, or me not coming to reality, either way, I have lost the trust and admiration of every single person in this Kingdom.

As I make myself to the Royal Chamber, I can see servants talking about me, they try to be discreet but I can tell. When I arrive at the Royal Chamber, the first thing I make eye contact with was the empty throne beside the King.

And afterwards, the Nobles, whom looked at me with disgust from the audience. Even my own brothers, who had helped in the act of tarnishing my reputation.

The audience went quiet as my father began with his opening sentence.

" Prince Edith, of Kingdom Edith. From today forward you are stripped of your position as Prince until you can prove your worth. "

A look of visible shock was put on my face, anger, resentment? I was already too broken to feel any of that, but I could see it. The pity in my father's eyes, the feeling that he was in the same place as me.

He began to open his mouth again as if to finish this with a final sentence.

" You will be dispatched as a knight to venture through newly discovered ancient ruins, and bring back the head of a monster, if you come back victorious, you will have redeemed yourself. "

A dawn of realization came towards me in a flash, the dark world got darker, me who has been laying around for 4 years killing a monster?

I came to my bed and slept like it was the last time until the promised day arrived. I had armor presented to me and I joined the fleet of soldiers.

We ventured, ventured, and ventured some more, until we got to a cliff, with a small part of that cliff extruding to the cliff which we had to go. When you looked down from the cliff, all you could see is darkness, a man beside me makes a joke to lift up the mood.

" Well, that's one way to go, eh fellas? "

The soldiers around giggled and went on their way. Unknowingly to them, I was scared to death by heights and can feel me losing my balance just by looking down.

As we walked on the narrow path, someone whispered in my ear.

" For the new king "

He pushed me off with a devilish grin, as I looked upwards for the last time, all I could see was the dawning sun and the soldiers continuing to march on.

My life flashed before my eyes, my mother, my hardships, my wrongs. Instead of fear or panic, a deep sense of relaxation had come over me, as I plummeted into the abyss.

The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat, increasing over time until a wave of realization came over me. The reason why my mother died, the rumors, they were all to prevent me from obtaining the throne.

*Ba-dum, Ba-dum, Ba-dum...*

Before I hit the ground, I felt the most anger I had ever felt in my life.

*Thump*

But that didn't matter, I was just something to clean off the floor now, a hindrance. Death didn't feel like how I thought it would, It feels like I am moving in a body that can't move, that I'm swimming in the water and floating in space at the same time.

In the darkness that surrounded me, a bright light appeared, and I could see my mother extending out her hand. As I approach the light and try to reach the hand that I've wanted to hold once again for the longest time...

Something had grabbed ahold of my foot like a man resurfacing after a nice swim to get a fresh breath of air just to get pulled back down.

I try to resist, but I could see the light fading and the endless abyss behind me trying to devour me.

* Shriek *

"A-A-A STOP! NO! HELP! MOTHER HELP!"

My cries for help held no pause in the inevitable, the inevitable which was the abyss, finally, I have been swallowed by the abyss...

*Gasp*

I open my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar dark place, as I look around, I see monsters the size of mountains, and predators only found in legends.

Fear overtook me, as I ran in the opposite direction.

*Thud, Thud, Thud*

Footsteps in this place were especially loud, and before I knew it I had a pack of small rat-like monsters chasing me. They looked hungry, they looked like they were ready to feast.

"S-STAY AWAY!"

I ran, ran, ran until I reached a cliff, it seemed as if I was done for.

*Slip*

As I fell down the cliff, a strange sense of deja-vu came over me.

" AHHHHH! NOT AGAIN!! "

I reach out my hands to slow my descent, my fingers, crying out in pain as they are slowly scraped away by the cliff, until I land at an entrance of a cave embedded into the cliff.

" G-G-RAHH! "

Crying out in pain, I couldn't even move my fingers anymore, but I could hear the rats trying to find a way down. I had to run, I had to survive, I had to exact my revenge.

I enter the entrance of the cave, but more surprisingly than a cave being in such an odd place, there were torches on the walls of it.

*Torches? Could other people be here!?*

As I made my way inside the cave, I realized the stupidity of my hope and the disparity of my luck. A lone goblin, feasting on prey that isn't his, had laid his eyes on me.

He breaks out into a devilish giggle as he runs towards me with a makeshift dagger, I try to run back to no avail.

He leaps at me but I dodge it, as he is getting ready to come at me again, a loose rock from the cave ceiling falls down on the goblin's head, disorientating him.

I saw the chance, picked up a small rock, and continuously bashed it into the goblin's head until it died. Surprisingly, I wasn't distraught or frightened, I was ecstatic, I unveiled a side of myself that was better left hidden.

I looked up and laughed like a maniac, so much so, that you could mistake me for one of the monsters inhabiting this hellish place...

[A/N] -

"Let me know if you enjoyed this chapter, also let me know how you think of Ray's psychotic behavior at the end of the chapter"