And now I present to you chapter one! The trauma dumping begins! 😏
CHAPTER ONE: RATTLING NEWS
Arundelle’s legs felt like jelly. Her father, Reginald, had just told her that the King, Queen, and dear Mister Ortham were dead. Her heart was broken completely.
Mister Ortham had always been so kind to her, every night before she left, giving her cheek a quick kiss, teasing her lightly about what a wonderful granddaughter-in-law she might make one day. She smiled in spite of herself. Everyone figured she would marry Artham one day. Oh, how she missed him.
She had always had a great respect for the King and Queen, and her heart moaned for her friends, Artham, Esben, and Emerald, and the grief they must be feeling. Her heart especially went out to Artham.
He had gone out to watch the docks, waiting for his parents, every day for the last week. Arundelle was now going to tell him this news that would completely rattle his heart, and her own was filled with a fair amount of trepidation.
How would he take it? Would he be angry? Destroyed? Heartbroken?
Would he cry?
That was the one that filled her with the most nervousness. She wouldn’t be able to handle his tears. She had never seen him cry, and would not want to see him cry. Her little, eleven-year old heart beat quickly. She swallowed hard.
How she felt for him. This would hurt him, terribly.
She looked ahead of her, and saw him.
The thirteen year old looked so peaceful and calm, smiling slightly, his eyes closed, as the wind whipped through her hair.
Oh, why had she offered herself to tell him that his world was about to crash down around him? She sucked in a quick breath, wiped her eyes, and walked forward, trembling in every limb.
Artham heard her steps and turned slightly. “Hello Ari,” he smiled. But then it faded when he saw how upset she was. He stood to his feet, and took a few quick steps toward her.
“Is everything alright? Are you hurt?” Artham asked.
Arundelle mentally slapped herself. She needed to be offering him sympathy, not the other way around!
“Artham,” she began softly, “I need to talk to you?”
“What is it?”
Oh, how could she say it? How could she word it? How to put such a sensitive subject in something so insensitive as words? She let out a sob, and lowered her gaze.
“Artham, something terribly has happened. Your parents, and grandpa—“
She sobbed again, and she ground her teeth in frustration. Why couldn’t she say what she needed to?
“What?” Artham’s voice was filled with a slight flicker of panic.
She looked up tearfully. “They’re all with the Maker now,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
But Artham’s ears caught the voice.
Arundelle looked at him to see his reaction. His whole face drained of color, his eyes went wide, he was the perfect picture of shock. His lip trembled. But no tears did he spill. He just stared at her, blankly, confusedly, heartbreak in his eyes.
His heart was torn to pieces, and his whole soul trembled with the shock of the pain. Doubt flashed in his mind.
There must be some mistake. There had to be. He was practically begging the Maker mentally to make it some mistake.
But it wasn’t.
He saw that in Arundelle’s eyes. There was no mistake…..there was only the terrible truth. His whole heart was shattered to bits. His mind was spinning. His stomach felt sick. Any other word Arundelle said fell silently on his ears. No sound could be heard.
Arundelle softly grabbed his hand and started leading him away, to the castle, and Artham followed her in dumb submission.
His mind threw memories in his face, of his grandfather making him laugh with his stories, his father tussling his hair and encouraging him kindly, and his mother, his dear, dear, mother, whose gentle touch warmed his whole form, whose kiss was the only thing on earth that could put him to sleep, whose touch he would never feel again in this world. How could he bear it?
A sob was forced from his lips, but he forced down his tears and looked at the castle ahead of him.
He couldn’t cry. Not now. He needed to be there for his siblings. Not, for himself.
“I’m the Throne Warden,” he whispered, “I’m it.”
NOTES: Yes, I know I used Janner’s line, but it really felt like it felt this scene! You’ll notice I use another line from the show in a future time hehe. Anyways, I hope you liked, and please let me know what you think in the comments! ^^
....Ah, this is a little embarrassing...which line was it?
This was amazing, Arthra!