Coronated - Walter

I took seven deep breaths. I felt like I was about to throw up. My body was trembling all over and my stomach was doing back flips, all while my soon to be empire stared at me, expecting something I wasn't ready to give. I'm only twelve for goodness sake. I saw his sister smile at him from the stage. She would have been a much better Queen. This should be her coronation. I couldn't do this. Not in a million years, but hey, here I am. I suppressed the urge to vomit and took my first step out of the carriage. My palms were sweating and my heart rate increased at a rapid pace. But I had to keep walking. One step at a time, I slowly approached the platform. I kneeled down on one knee, in front of the head advisor, Sir Nathaniel.

"We are gathered here to day today to honor our our new king. And although he has a soul that is still young and wounded, he will continue onto, as we hope, a rein of success. I now bestow him with this crown, earning him his rightful place as king." The advisor picked up a crown with his long, bony fingers, leaving a small imprint on the red velvet cushion it had once sat on. As the man placed the crown on my head, I felt the cold touch of his fingers run across my throat. I stood up. Sir Nathaniel smiled and clapped, as did everyone else. But something had changed the air. It no longer smelled of sweet nectar, from the flowers, but of lemon. Bitter, rotten lemons. I turned to Nathaniel but immediately backed away. His pupils were expanding and the blue color of his eyes were disappearing entirely, until all that was left was a big, gaping, black hole. Froth formed at the side of his mouth and he tilted his head at me. I gulped and moved back but I was to slow. He lunged forward and grabbed the my collar. He pulled me up to eye level, choking me slightly. He brought his mouth up to the my ear, "You will fall. You will fail. And you will perish. But fear none, as your death will bring the success of a greater cause."

He dropped me, and pulled a small dagger out of his pocket. He held me tightly, holding the knife at my throat. "Stay back or the boy dies." Nathaniel backed up, dragging me with him. The guards got a little to close for his liking and made a show of clutching me tighter. He held the knife a little harder so that a single droplet of blood ran down my neck. He pulled me onto his horse, knife still in throat. We road off, fear gripping me at all angles, dagger cold on my throat. We neared the gates of the empire. "Sorry boy." He shoved me off his horse and I tumbled, rolling on the gravel. The gravel cut through my forehead and grazed my cheek. My leg sat in a way that wasn't normal. Blood streamed from body, staining the ground red. Pain radiated from my body. I could hear shouts of royal guards running towards me, yet everything seemed distant. I wasn't dying, no but I didn't seem quite a live either. It was the thin line in between. Peace fell upon me, yet pain still lingered. I shut my eyes, drifting into a long deserved sleep. The last thing I felt was the arms of my sister, grab around me before being lifted of the ground by armored arms.