"My King..."

Trigger Warning: Slight Mentions of Gore/Blood and Abuse

I stood leaning against the wall. My eyes were vailed in shadow. My arms crossed tightly against my chest.

“If we move our troops here, we can finally snuff out the king’s guard and take him out,” Dagger said grinning. “I can finally take the throne.”

I grunted as if I cared.

“Aww, come on, Satya, let’s celebrate.”

He smiled once more, but I shook my head. “And this will make you happy?”

"Of course.” He frowned. “What is it?”

"Nothing, of importance, my lord,” I said calmly.

"Of course, it isn’t. I’ll take down the tyrant and kill him once and for all.”

“My lord.”

“Yes?”

“You should be weary. Power tends to corrupt and hurt people. You may not intend it, my lord, but you will turn out like the king.”

He frowned once again. “I will be better than him, Satya.”

I nodded. “Of course, my lord.”

He held my gaze for a moment before glancing away. “We will win.”

“Without a doubt.”

“I will be king.”

"Yes.”

"I’ll free my mother.”

"Maybe, my lord,” I said quieter. What an idiot. He isn’t helping those he loves, just endangering them.

~     ~     ~

Dagger stood a few feet from the late king’s head. I saw the tears of grief and the tears of pain.

"Satya… have I done it?”

“Yes, my lord,” I said calmly.

“Good, good.”

“My lord?”

“Yes?”

My eyes shifted to the bloody crown. His eyes widened in horror.

“My lord, you won’t be king-“

“until that crown sits on my head,” he finished, his voice barely audible.

I nodded and stepped out of his way. He slowly moved toward the head, clearly shaking. He removed the crown and slowly placed it on his head. He swallowed turning to face his people.

“All hail King Dagger,” I announced turning to the people as well.

“All hail! All hail!” they chanted banging the ground with their feet.

I truly pity this young boy. I watched him grow, I watched his pain, I watched him suffer, and now I get to watch him destroy everything he ever loved.

~    ~     ~

Dagger’s eyes were sunken and tired. Black bags hung from them. His hair a messy mess of brown.

“Satya?”

“Yes, my king?” I said as I said every time.

“Any more meetings?”

“Not today, my king.”

He sighed. I saw a hint of relief behind his exhausted eyes.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, my king.”

He stood nodding. He’d done as he wished. He’d saved his family from the dungeons, but Dagger wasn’t meant to rule. He was foolish and young. I saw his movements. Easily predictable. He wants bigger. He wants more, but he doesn’t want the paperwork that comes with that. I pursed my lips. I hoped he didn’t take us down with him.

“Satya?”

“Yes, my king?”

“Why do you have that look?”

“No reason that’s important, my king.”

He nodded glancing away. “I want that horse by tomorrow.”

“But my king, they said it-“

“I know, I know, but I have agreed to go with my mother for a ride.”

I almost called out in shock, but I maintained my neutral expression. “Yes, my king.” Foolish, foolish boy. Did he not see the target on his back? The king had been loved by some, and those some wished to kill him and those he loved.

~     ~     ~

“Satya?”

“Yes, my king?”

“How come they haven’t payed my tax yet?” he demanded standing.

“My king, those people are poor, with barely enough to feed themselves. Maybe you should wait to collect the tax. Give them more time.”

I saw a hint of resistance before his expression softened. “Of course.”

“My king,” I said softly, “I suggest against these actions entirely.”

“What?”

“This tax is unnecessary. We do not need it.”

“Yet.”

“My king?”

“Satya, Narda is weak,” he said, the greed shinning in his eyes. “We can take it easily. Just the two of us.”

He smiled at me. I did not return the favor. Instead I shook my head in disappointment.

“What is it?” His expression changed.

“I warned you, my king. Power leads to corruption.”

I hadn’t expected it. His hand hit me across the face, hard. I sucked in a ragged breath. I was not afraid of him.

“Do not call me corrupt,” he snarled.

I did not satisfy him with a response before I silently left the room.

~    ~    ~

I sat on the chair he’d “graced” me with next to his elegant throne decorated with gems, jewels, and gold. All things he’d won when he demolished Narda. The people had been weak. They had not stood any chance. The thing that shocked me the most was when he removed Narda’s king’s head without remorse. No tears. No fear of blood. My warnings meant nothing to him anymore.

“Satya?”

“Yes, my king?” I said without meeting his eyes.

“Move the execution of the traitors to noon,” he said coolly as if it didn’t matter.

“My king, these ‘traitors’ are children.”

“They are thieves.”

“Because they do not have enough to eat because of your tax,” I almost growled.

“My tax? Satya without that tax we would not have the lives we live.” His voice rose with every word. “Is this not what you want? I gave you this life. I made you this!”

I stood calmly. “My king, I used to be an innocent. An ordinary little child that lived on a farm free of guilt.”

“And I saved you!”

I shook my head. “You have made me a tool of your greed,” I said calmly turning away from him. “I will be retiring now, my king. Good night.”

I did not wait for his response.

~     ~     ~

I sat in my room. It was full of all Dagger’s gifts that I had not cared to open. I was still sorting through them you see. Anything he would remember giving me, I kept. Everything else I gave away. Maybe then the heavens will have some mercy on me.

My door flung open. “Satya…”

I stared at Dagger. Tears streaked down his cheeks. Someone must’ve finally been killed.

“They killed her. My mother. How could they?” he demanded as if I knew the answer.

“That’s horrible, my king,” I said calmly.

He sat harshly on my bed. I moved slightly away from him.

“She was such a sweet woman…”

“She was your mother,” I said calmly, “who ever it was knew it would hurt you, my king.”

His eyes filled with resentful hate. “I’ll kill them.”

I glanced away. “Maybe, my king.”

I felt his eyes shift to me. He moved my head toward him. No, I did not like this. I stood up quickly.

 “I’ll order for an investigation, immediately,” I said just wanting an excuse to leave.

 He blinked for a moment. “Yes, yes of course.”

 I nodded swiftly leaving my room. I needed to hunt down all the keys and burn them. I didn’t want him being able to get in my room anymore.

~     ~     ~

The body of the murderer tumbled to the ground. Dagger sighed loudly as he started cleaning his blade of blood. I stood stiffly being forced to watch.

“No one messes with me,” he said turning his eyes to me searching for approval. He didn’t get any.

“Yes, my king,” I said softly. Not to long ago he would’ve been horrified at this.

He grinned slightly insanely. “No one would ever dare appose us, Satya.”

“No, of course they wouldn’t oppose you, my king.”

“It’s just you and me now.”

A sickening feeling crept at my stomach. “No.”

“No?” He stared at me puzzled.

“I-“ I turned away. “Good night, my king.”

~     ~     ~

Power corrupts people. It twists their minds and breaks them. It hurts those around them as well. No one ever notices that it can even happen to the kindest and best fit. I’ve always known this. All the way back when Dagger “saved” me from the farm. All the way back to when he was still kind and compassionate.

And now I sit on the ground. My hand against my stinging cheek. Dagger standing over me. No, looming over me with death in his glare.

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re sick,” I repeated flinching as the blow came down. “That everything – your power, your greed – is hurting you, Dagger.”

He paused. I never called him by his true name.

“You’re hurting not only yourself.”

“Shut up,” he growled. “You’re all I have left. You’re supposed to love me.”

“What-?”

He kissed me. Hard and passionately but I hated it. It made me feel sick. I pushed him away. He stared at me shocked.

“You-?”

A shot rang out. I ducked away. Of course, having power is dangerous. Look at how many have died because someone else wanted the power they possessed.

“Almost,” a voice said as a boy came out of the shadows.

“You,” the king spat glaring at me full of hate. Blood pouring from his stomach and mouth. “You staged this.”

I stared at him. “No, you brought this upon yourself, my king.”

Betrayal. Pain.

Another shot rang out. Blood poured from his head as his body fell limp and cold.

“Hey you!” the boy called moving towards me. “Who are you?”

“Satya,” I said truthfully.

“Satya…?”

“I was a farmer.” Again true. “I am no one important.”

“Flynn, who are you talking too?” I voice asked on his communication device.

“Just some ordinary farmer.”