Chapter 3

The house was ablaze as I burst into the main room. Where were they, quickly I ran up stairs, seconds before the stairs were engulfed in flames. It was getting harder to breath by the second, as quickly as possible I started kicking the doors open to find my family, as I smashed my parent’s door open I saw her. She stood there her hair floating in the calm breeze, amongst all the chaos, I rushed towards her and grabbed her hand

“We have to get out of here” I shouted we didn’t have time to talk, i started pulling her towards the door. With her free hand she seized mine and pulled towards her, her pretty face was so close to mine, suddenly her lips were on mine. Stunned, I made no movement, eyes wide open feeling her lips on mine. I was staring into her pale blue eyes. Without thinking of my actions, my arms wrapped themselves unconsciously around her and I pulled her in closer to me, forgetting the fire and all the dangers around us. Suddenly I heard a tremendous noise and the last sight was a yellow star in pale blue.

 

When the sunrays emanated through my window I was wide awake my mind filled with the images of my last nights dream. Dream, it was a dream, but my family’s death was not a dream. I turned over and cried more tears than I ever thought capable of. I turned around and tried getting up and off the bed. The room was smaller than the one I had fallen asleep in and I was alone. I hesitantly stood up, and lurched forwards losing my balance fell straight to the floor, grabbing the first thing that came to my hand. The rope on the bedside ripped but that didn’t stop the bell from going wild. As I stood up the lock to my door clicked and a row of servants came bustling in. I was already on my feet when they entered with several buckets and started pouring them in a basin on the other side of the room. An other group came and lay a fresh set of clothes out in front of me.

“What is happening?” I asked to the closest maid

“Your going to court and you will be judged and you can hardly go dressed as you are, be ready in thirty minutes, there’s a waterclock behind you” said one of the maids before leaving.

After getting out of the hot water and drying up I stepped towards the pile of clothes and grabbed a few of them and started getting dressed. There was a soft knock on the door as I was just about to slip the last bit of clothing on, not knowing how to respond i called 

"Come in", the door opened and the princess walked in, I knelt into a bow. 

"Are you ready" she asked ? 

"Ummm, yes I think so" I answered hesitantly, her pale red lips opened up to speak before closing again, repeating the process several times, her blue eyes were moving around the room, from time to time skipping back to me. I slipped on the top bit of the tunic, and her shoulders seemed to sag with relief. Strange i thought, she took a deep breath before saying 

"Follow me" and turning around and walking briskly out of the room. I quickened my pace to catch up with her and once I reached her level she explained 

"You will talk when spoken to and the king has already chosen the sentence for you but it will depend on your will." She sopped in front of a large wooden door. As the guard stepped to open the door she added one last thing. 

"Oh ... and never make eye contact with any of the nobles, judges, and certainly not with the king" she gave me a warm smile and turned around to walk away. My mouth dry I stepped forwards to the guard who lazily opened the door.

 A second guard stepped forwards, and clapped my wrists in chains, before pushing me forwards on the center alley. As the crowd started hearing my sandals clapping against the rock floor there heads turned towards me and in a few seconds the room was plunged in an unusual frightening silence. Slowly the talking returned and the nobles found a new center of interest. I was led to the center of the stage positioned in front of the room. I looked around the room before sitting gingerly down on the wooden chair to which my manacals were fastened to. A staff was slammed to the ground three times and the crowd quiet down and seated themselves only to get back up, moments later when the king entered the room with the judges his brother sons and his only daughter, princess Moyra. The judege cleared his throaght nervously before starting to speak, i kept staring at those eyes, but the princess seemed to be avoiding my gaze, the back of a spear head smashed into my head making me rock forward on the wooden chair. 

"Answer when you are asked a question" said punctuating his sentence with an other smash in my head, i felt a trickle of blood flow down my face and into my right eye. I hastily closed my left eye as the blood covered my whole face. The judge repeated the question 

"You have been suspected to have fought with a group of men and started a fire, do you have anything to say in your defense ?"

"I was just defending my family as any other man would" I exclaimed coughing as blood ran down my throat. As I lifted my head up, a mixture of tears and blood was running down my face, I felt the ground starting to turn around me, the king stood up and started speaking. I could barely hear his voice as the blood started run over my ears. i heard his voice pronounce a non guilty verdict and i let my self drift in the dark starry sky that was obstructing my vision.

My meager belongings had been placed at the foot of a cott in a small side room under the stairs. The blacksmith had accepted to take care of me till i reached adulthood. There was a knock on the door and a woman stepped in the room 

"Dinner is ready," she said kindly 

"Yes thank you," i replied my visage devoid of emotions. I fell on my bed trying to hold back my tears right after she'd shut the door and walked to the other room. The faces of my family were hidden by the faces of the assaillants, i needed revenge, i needed them to disapear from my mind and never come back, i needed them dead.