The deafening battle raged around me as I made my way toward the castle. The enemy had torn through the village like a fox through a chicken coop. They were met with little resistance from the unarmed villagers and their families as they rose in the early hours of the morning. My one and only objective was to reach the royal family before the Gorum breached the outer wall. I leapt over debris and bodies of fallen soldiers, desperate to achieve my mission.
The final rasping of my now-dead commander replayed in my mind: “Taeren! We need your speed and bravery. You must get inside and ensure the safety of our kingdom. Get the royal family out of here.”
No one had seen the Gorum coming until it was too late. The war had never come so close to home, but this was clearly what the Sideon had planned all along. The battles our army had been fighting were merely a distraction; they sent their weaker warriors to give us the illusion of winning, but saved their fiercest for an attack on Riona.
The only soldiers we had to protect us were either too old or too green for battle; I was the latter. I was only sixteen, barely old enough to join the army. My parents were proud of me when I signed up, and they told anyone who would listen that their son would one day save us all. When our bakery burned to the ground with my parents inside, I couldn’t help but wonder what they thought of me in their dying moments.
Almandine lay in ruins, dead bodies littered the ground and smoke rose in blossoming plumes throughout the city. The once proud capitol of Riona had fallen in a matter of hours. After the First Gorum Invasion, we thought we’d managed to defeat them soundly; they’d returned to their own world and agreed to leave ours alone. If only we’d seen the warning signs, if only we’d realized a more cunning force had enlisted their brute strength to distract us while they made a play for the stone.
I leapt over the crumbling outer wall, trying desperately to slip through the grasp of our fearsome invaders. Now that the Gorum had broken down the stone and metal walls that protected our city, they had redoubled their focus on clearing a path for the real threat. The Sideon were dark, wispy creatures from a world that devoured power faster than it could be produced. They weren’t built for fighting, but they had harnessed those who were to create the perfect killing machine; their army was expendable, reliable and deadly.
Once inside the inner walls, I instructed the gatekeeper to raise the drawbridge. It wouldn’t stop the attack, but it may delay them long enough to escape with the Queen, her King and the young Princess. The groaning of the chains mimicked that of the men turning the crank as they closed the massive titanium drawbridge. The metal was light and nearly impenetrable; the perfect material to act as the final shield between our most precious source of power and the demonic creatures who wished to pry it away. I didn’t let anything slow me down as I sprinted towards the palace entrance.
I had only been inside the castle one other time, but I didn’t think I would ever grow tired of the smooth black walls and gold threaded accents. While I hadn’t the time to stop and gawk, I couldn’t stop myself from slowing slightly as I approached the massive columns set on either side of the great hall. Fashioned from gold, one pillar featured black crystals that jutted out in seemingly random patterns, the other column was sprinkled with glittering white diamonds that flowed and swirled upward. I’d been told long ago they represented the two sides of humanity, good and evil.
The castle shook as the enemy began trying to force their way through the inner wall. With a final glance at the columns, I wondered if they would survive the attack or if they too would crumble to the ground in the wake of war.
“You there, young man! What are you doing in here? Shouldn’t you be out fighting for our kingdom?”
I recognized the authoritative voice of Chancellor Tilda before I turned to face her. I’d dawdled too long. I was still out of breath and in a hurry to complete my task; I didn’t have time for her stern speeches. Her permanently wrinkled forehead gave away the amount of time she spent worrying about everything.
“Apologies, ma’am. I have been sent by Commander Paloni to ensure the safety of our royal family.”
She scoffed at my statement, “Why would Commander Paloni send you? It seems to me that he would want to complete this task himself.”
I bowed my head slightly, of course word hadn’t reached the castle about our losses. I was the only soldier sent away from the battle as a desperate attempt to at least save the only people who could help our dying kingdom.
“The Commander is dead. He fell in battle. His last words were to insist that I complete this mission, and in his honor, I will not fail.”
“Dead?” The horrified look on her face was quickly replaced by stern determination, “Follow me!”
We set off toward the throne room at a furious pace. If we didn’t reach them soon, there wouldn’t be time to escape. A resounding boom shook the castle walls, followed by the sound of crumbling stone. They had breached the inner wall. We doubled our efforts and burst through the jewel encrusted golden door to find the Queen pacing in front of her throne while the King comforted their daughter.
“Your majesties, the Gorum have broken through the inner wall. It is only a matter of time before the Sideon arrive. Commander Paloni sent this young soldier to see you to safety,” Chancellor Tilda said with her head bowed.
I stepped forward, forgoing all show of respect for the throne. “I apologize, we haven’t the time for formalities. We must get you away from here before the Gorum enter the castle, or worse, the Sideon arrive.”
Queen Isadora gave me an appraising look. I had never met her personally, but I knew her to be a fair and kind ruler. I hoped she would recognize the situation we were facing and forgive me for being so forward. She stepped down from the platform that held her throne and came to face me.
“What is your name?”
“Taeren,” I replied with a hint of frustration.
“How bad is it?” Her clear blue eyes were wrought with concern.
“The Gorum have slaughtered our army and rampaged the village. We have no hope of winning today, but if you live, we may win in the future.”
She maintained eye contact with me for a few moments before nodding briefly. Queen Isadora turned to her husband and daughter. The princess had recently celebrated her thirteenth birthday. She was beautiful, but still so young. I noticed how her deep ebony curls framed her heart-shaped face. I caught a glimpse of the soft blue eyes that matched her mothers. I remembered those eyes filled with laughter.
As a child, I was dragged to various functions my parents had baked cakes for. Many times, that meant I would spend days on the castle grounds and evenings watching nobility dance the night away. I’d first met Delia when I was seven and she was four. Despite our age difference, we became fast friends. It had been a few years since we’d last seen one another. Our last meeting had been painful; it had been a goodbye. Now that I stood as the man sent to save her, I wondered if she even remembered the baker’s son.
“You can leave through the cellars. There is a passage there that should still be undiscovered.” The Queen paused, and met my gaze with fire in her eyes. “No matter what happens, you must protect Princess Delia. If they stop you from escaping, I expect you to fight to keep her safe with your dying breath.”
“You have to come with us! How can we hope to win if our queen and king remain behind to be trampled to the ground?”
Queen Isadora raised her chin. “I appreciate that you were sent by the commander of the Royal Guard, but you must remember who you’re talking to. Under no circumstances are you to tell me what I should be doing.”
“Yes, your Highness.”
Without further conversation, the Queen led us to a tapestry behind the thrones. The vibrant threads had been woven together to create a breathtaking view of the Rionian sky. Shades of pink and orange streaked across the scene with bright white stitches representing the millions of stars visible to the naked eye. Pulling aside the work of art, the Queen revealed a simple door.
“You know what we must do,” Queen Isadora reminded Chancellor Tilda over her shoulder.
“Yes, my Queen,” her voice caught in her throat.