Of Glory and Of Doom

NINE - Unknown

He kicked up his feet, watching as the dust rose into the air, disappearing slowly into the evening sky. The sight was almost entrancing and he found himself kicking up some more dust and watching it go before he realized he was indulging in some childish impulse and he gritted his teeth, picking up his pace as he walked around the palace grounds.

It was a habit he'd developed a long time ago and he'd figured out that it didn't actually relieve any of his stress, it just created a distraction from the problems by giving him something else to think about. Like how his calf was burning with the strain of walking. It reminded him of some things that couldn't be kept at bay no matter how he tried.As he walked past the dead garden where creepers and moses had made their home, he couldn't help but grimace at the poor state the kingdom was in. The once blooming gardens of fresh roses, hyacinths, tulips and different types of flowers that had reeked of life and prosperity had withered and died, turning old and gray, the same way everything in this kingdom had gone to.

He frowned. The wolf king had neglected his kingdom, had let it die and the people had become weak, helpless and hopeless. It wasn't supposed to be that way, he thought, clenching his fingers as he walked. It wasn't supposed to be this way but no one was doing anything about it. No one cared enough to make amends, to make sure the people had food in their bellies and proper housing. Nobody cared about that, it was all war, war, war. 

Not that he cared too. For all he cared, the people could rot. What he cared about was that throne. That was all he wanted. To sit on that chair and feel the power on his head. That was what he wanted. That was what was supposed to be right, him being king.

With disgust, he thought of princess Laura and how inept she was. She was nothing but a weakling, a loose thread, someone who didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to rule or what was to be done. She had power, he bitterly thought, but she didn't know how to use it. What was the use, he warily thought, of putting her on the next in line for power if she was still as clueless about life as the day she came out of her mother's womb? 

Realizing he'd started to slack behind, his movements were getting sluggish he picked up the pace again, mind turning things over and barely even aware of his surroundings. The burn he'd been concerned about in his calf was soon forgotten.

The thoughts he was harboring, though only accessible by him, were too risky. He had to play a safe game, had to strategize on how to take over and the only way that seemed possible was to cause an uproar in the people, stir some distrust and cause some mayhem. The less secure people found out they were, the more paranoia would grow. 

And paranoia was a tricky but wonderful thing. If the people got paranoid, coupled with their poor living situation and starvation, all he had to do at that point was spread rumors. He didn't necessarily have to say it, no, no one would be able to link it back to him. All he had to do was utter one wise comment and boom, he'd open the fear lurking in their peasant hearts.

Chuckling to himself, he paused mid stride. It was an excellent idea, why hasn't he thought about it earlier? That way he would've been king long since. He blamed Laura for some of his misfortunes. It was all her fault that he wasn't king. Why hasn't she even died in childbirth? He couldn't have snuck into her room and killed her as a baby then? He thought with disgust at his humanity. Having human feelings got no one anywhere, he chided himself as he began to walk again, nodding at some villagers passing by. He had found himself walking out of the palace and heading towards the village with no idea of when and how it'd happened.

Having human feelings had done nothing for him, except maybe give him a few credits or two. It's done absolutely nothing for him.

So deep in thought, he didn't see the princess coming out of the palace grounds, a grave expression on her face. It took him a couple of minutes for him to realize the princess was walking out of the palace, unguarded and all alone. 

Briefly, he thought about maybe taking himself up on that offer and ending it right here, right now. He could lure her to a secluded corner and kill her there and then blame the vampires. It sounded good but he knew the consequences of that. Her father would start a war, he bitterly thought, against the better equipped vampires and then, the kingdom he wanted so badly would burn up in flames and then, it would all be for nothing.

He shivered at that thought. No, he thought vehemently, at no cost was that to happen. No one would get to the princess before him and if she was to die, it would be him that would kill her, not someone else.

"Hey," princess Laura shakily greeted, hand on his shoulder. He hadn't seen her approaching him or see her walk up the few meters between them, so he was startled. 

"Good day my princess," he replied in kind, eyes darting left and right like a thief. He had no reason to feel uneasy, it wasn't like she was suddenly psychic and could read his mind.

No, these thoughts were only known by him alone.

"It's a nice evening for a walk, isn't it?" Princess Laura said in a tone that implied it wasn't a question so he didn't need to answer. But he graced it with one.

"It sure is. I was admiring the view myself," he slyly said. Admiring the view? He found himself asking. View of what? Rot and decay? The view of miserableness and hopelessness? That was not even what he was out here doing.

He was out to clear his head and sort through some of his thoughts and not admire anything. But he didn't tell her that because she didn't need to know that.

"It is a peaceful evening, will you walk with me?" She asked, peering up at him from the scarf that he now noticed was covering half her face from view. 

At least she wasn't planning on going out without some sort of coverage. He breathed a sigh at that. Sadly, she wasn't that stupid.

"Hmmm...." He stalled. Saying no was at the top of his tongue. God, he wanted to say no. He had a lot of strategizing to do, a lot of planning left.

But he went against it. He nodded and she fell into walking step with him.

They began to stroll down the village path, each immersed in their own individual thoughts, not breaking the spell of silence that fell upon them.

Sometimes, some villagers waved, some gravely nodded, some walked around with some light of hope, some 'maybe' in their hearts. He actually felt sorry for the hopeless ones. The ones with the vacant eyes of an idiot, the ones who walked around aimlessly with no direction in mind, all the while moving mechanically as if controlled.

He'd heard there were different stages of grief but the pain he saw in some of the villager's eyes was just too much. They were hungry, tired and insecure about their tomorrow.

If he was in power, things wouldn't be this way, he thought, subtly sneaking a hateful glance at the princess who's eyes, though were open, seemed closed. She was walking like she was asleep, unconscious to the world around her. 

She was too immersed in her own problems, he realized, to notice the situation of other people. Not that she didn't deserve those problems, he thought, looking away and staring straight ahead also. In his opinion, she deserved everything she was going through and much worse.

"My father has proposed a marriage for me," Laura whispered, as if the information if spoken out loud would somehow make the situation worse.

As if I don't know, he joyfully thought. He'd planted the seed in her father's heart and had stood by and eavesdropped on the end product. Her father had gone with the plan unknowing when he'd accepted the marriage idea wholeheartedly, much to his disgust, and had informed Laura about it.

If he couldn't kill her, he'd send her far away to wife and poorly rule another kingdom. Anyways, he was doing her a favor. Besides, who didn't want to get married?

"But I don't want to get married, not now," Laura admitted, this time turning her head to study his now neutral expression.

"I believe every lady has to get married at some time and the matter can't be postponed forever," he said, not meeting her eyes. He was aware that he'd said the thing she didn't want to hear but he couldn't give a rat's ass about it. The truth hurts, she should've known that by now.

"I know this," she impatiently said, earning a cocked brow in response. "But why now? I'm not ready for that right now. I want to help the kingdom get to its feet,"she definitely said, provoking him but he said nothing.

She wanted to bring the kingdom to its feet, how? How did she plan on doing that? When he was king, he would have some sort of punishment for uttering what couldn't be done. It was slandering.

If she wanted the kingdom on its feet, what was she still waiting for? Didn't she know things were done, not just said? She really was a child, he sighed.

"I understand," he sympathetically said, not meaning it one bit but at least, not wanting to seem too unsupportive.

Laura sighed. It was clear that there were some other matters bothering her but she had decided, thank the gods, to keep them to herself.

Although it saved him the trouble of listening when he was as uninterested as he could ever be, he wanted her to talk. The best step to understanding the enemy was to hear their opinions. 

They were walking back to the palace now, having walked round the small village market. It was open information that the market was lacking in food. Three was barely enough money and the only family that could afford to eat three square meals and even more was the royal family.

"What do you think if the situation of the village?" He tested her. He wanted to see if she was as weak as he thought she was or actually had an insightful and insightful mind. After all, he himself didn't quite understand her as well as she ill knew him.

"I think our people are starving. Unfortunately, fear of the unknown has kept them cooped up here and it's sad really." She expressed. All he did was nod. 

So she was aware of the village matters, that was a shock. He'd always thought of her as oblivious and shallow minded. Maybe he was wrong.

"There are measures that can be taken, things to be done but my father will not take my counsel. I don't really know what to do at this point," she admitted, facing him and chewing her lip.

He nodded again. He'd never known that the princess knew much less gave counsel, though unheeded, to the King. He would have to restrategize and plan again. She was smarter than she let on.

"Anyways," she said, sighing and looking less burdened.

"It was nice talking to you. I feel so much better," she whispered again, placing her hand once more on his shoulders.

"Thank you," she said and then without waiting for a reply, she walked away all alone into the palace, drawing her scarf tighter over her head.

He watched her go, a deep sense of unease in his guy. He had to do something, he thought, walking towards his own quarters. He had to do something quickly.