It was May 2003; Sirens rang out over the small village of South Pekin. It was a tornado. I didn’t know what it was at the time; I had just moved to Illinois the year before and had never experienced a tornado before that. I, of course, was at that stage that all ten year olds are at where they believe they know everything, so I ignored it. In my defense, I had lived near a military base before that had all types of sirens go off at all sorts of times that meant nothing to the common public. At least, that is what I did until my stepmom came running in my room yelling at me to go to the bathroom. I had no idea why and definitely was in no hurry, but I did as told and called the dogs in with me. It was only then that I noticed the wind, It’s howling and blowing increasing until I hear the recognizable crackling of a tree breaking and falling over onto someone’s car, it’s own sirens joining in the catastrophe of noise. My stepmom rushed into the bathroom and ordered me into the bathtub. Fear started to settle in my gut as I realized that this wasn’t nothing, I felt like throwing up but I did as told, curling in on myself to make myself as small as possible after It became clear that my stepmom planned on joining me. Suddenly the power went out, startling and scaring me even more than before. I have always been afraid of the dark, and the sudden plunge into it was too much. I screamed as lightning struck near by and shook the house. I wished it would stop, but it wasn’t, no this was just the beginning.

Soon enough the entire house was shaking from the wind, and I could no longer hear the siren that started all of this. The wind was whistling, howling, roaring, the windows were shaking the trees were crackling, and the house was groaning, and that was when it happened. The tornado broke through the house and was ripping it to shreds around us. I began to feel my stepmom lift off of me and I reached out to grab onto her. I shouldn’t have. I began to be lifted up into the air by the massive funnel of wind. I closed my eyes and clung to my stepmom while screaming in fear and darkness, that is the last thing I knew.

Next time I woke up I was in a bathtub in a destroyed home and a long haired woman was screaming at me. I didn’t understand her but I could tell the simple act of waking up greatly relieved her. I went to stand only to have sudden pain in my feet, I didn’t have shoes on, and the splinters of wood and nails hurt my feet. Luckily, the long haired woman noticed this and called out to an older woman the next house over. Thankfully she had shoes I could use, though I still had to wonder who she was. In fact, I wonder about a lot of things. But most important of those wonderings was the persistent question I have had since I woke up from my dark slumber.

Who am I?

Ninety-four percent believe they are better than average, and statistically speaking ninety-four percent is, in fact, greater than average, forty-four points above average at that, but that’s not what we are talking about today. No, what we are talking about today is the fact that ninety-four percent of people believe themselves to be better than average. In a way this is true, almost everyone can find a way that they are better than the average person if they look at it in certain ways. For example, the couple that can save up half of their paychecks for retirement is better off than the starving author that barely makes enough to by the bills, who in turn believes herself better off than her neighbor who can’t even do that. As for that six percent that don’t believe themselves better than average? Shh, those are the pessimists we don’t talk about them. 

“Bring in the defendant, and prosecution.” A Lord; if I remember right he is Baron Henry McClair; and a heavily pregnant woman in rags and handcuffs; clearly a slave; come out of their respective doors on the either sides of the court. I review the papers detailing this case; I read them when I got them, and again this morning; this case though is particular in the fact that there is no clear law pertaining to it.

Baron McClair has run into some money problems as of late, to remedy this he decided to sell ten of his slaves. The woman; who has no name implying that she was born into slavery, is labeled as a high stock slave; translation: bastard child of a bastard child, making her more noble than slave, and making her able to have noble children if the father noble decided to acknowledge the child. The woman is a rare ‘commodity’ with a large price tag; since the number of nobles that are impotent are increasing, likely because of the incisive inbreeding in the noble class. Based on her looks; I would say that the woman is more than likely Baron McClairs’ daughter and granddaughter; in which more than a little sick.

Anyway, that's not what makes the case unique though it does pertain to the case. What makes it unique is the fact that the woman bought herself from Baron McClair, using money that others had gathered for her. She bought herself anonymously since she doesn’t have a name. It was a legal buy, since it was an anonymous buy in which Baron McClair approved of; taking the money, and leaving the woman. So by all premises it would be a legal buy if it wasn’t for the fact that Baron McClair already had a contract with Earl Leo Stilson for her. Earl Stilson had made it known to Baron McClair that he was going to buy the woman, anonymously; Baron McClare; when given the anonymous offer, thought that it was from Earl Stilson, only to be proven wrong when the Earl Stilsons offer came in a week later. Baron McClair tried to void the sell with the woman only to be told by the lower courts that the sell is valid; in which it is; but it was revealed that the woman is pregnant with Earl Stilsons child, in which is why she bought herself in the first place. She was a sex slave favored by Earl Stilson when he visited Baron McClair; in which is why he decided to buy her. Since she was freed, and pregnant with his only child Earl Stilson proposed to the woman, she said yes. Upon finding out about the marriage Baron McClair sued Earl Stilson for a bride price since she was his daughter; Earl Stilson refused since she was unclaimed; not to mention freed; unfortunately for the couple the judge assigned to the case had a grudge on Earl Stilson, and ruled in favor of Baron McClair; declaring the marriage, and sell invalid, banning Earl Stilson from involving himself in the case all the while. The woman is now acting in place of Earl Stilson; with him footing the legal fees for her; this leads to an extremely bad situation for the woman, and she was put in protective services by the state court; she is still a slave, though so she has little rights of her own, but the ruling that made her a slave again is in question; the previous ruling of the legal sell should have prevented that, but as a slave she doesn’t have the right to refute that claim, with the only claim of illegal termination of marriage being the only case she can claim as her former husband was a noble.

As the second highest judge in this country, only below King Frederick of Little Evalia; also known as my father, but don’t expect me to ever call him such; I can bring any previous rulings into question. In which is what I am going to do, vetoing the previous ruling pertaining to her sell.

“I have reviewed your case, and have determined that the sale of the woman, between Baron McClair and the woman to be legal. The woman legally bought herself from her former owner. In Baron McClair’s claim of being the woman's father, the claim has been denied. Baron McClair may be the woman's birth father, however your name is not on her birth record, and you refused to acknowledge her as your daughter throughout the entirety of her life; refusing to even give her a name. In the claim of unlawful termination of marriage, I award the claim to the defendant; as a free woman she has the right to marry whomever she wants, no matter whom is her father. Earl Stilson can come into the courtroom.” Earl Stilson calmly walked into the courtroom, and over to his wife. “Earl Stilson; the previous ruling has been overturned; the plaintiff is to cover the court fees, give the woman three million dollars, have his ten youngest slaves taken from him, and handed over to the state.” I gaze over the three; noticing that the woman was clutching her stomach, and the bodily fluids running down her legs, pooling at her feet; her water must have just broken. “Earl Stilson, you may take your wife to the hospital wing so that she may have a safe labor.” The earl was shocked; he didn’t realize that his wife was in labor more than likely, then after a few moments of getting over the shock he hurried his wife out of the courtroom. I have no doubt in my mind that there will be no love in their relationship; the man married her purely so that his heir wouldn’t be a bastard.

This is why I hate Civil cases.

I look at the next case file, this case is nothing but a formality truthfully; the man is being charged with killing his family with the exception of his youngest child. The only hold up being that of the son vehemently denies that it was his father, instead insisting that it was his uncle. The child's truth serum testimony shows that he truthfully thinks that his father is innocent, but all of the other evidence points to it being the father. The uncle has already been interviewed with truth serum, and has proven his innocence; the whole thing would have gone faster if the father was not allergic to the truth serum; in which in that itself is an anomaly as it has no chemical in it that should enact an allergic reaction. I wonder if I could have the allergy test readministered. No it would take too much time, I’ll just have to listen to his testimony in person. 

“Send in the next case.” Jon Samen walks into the courtroom; it was clear that he had no respect for me or the court, by wearing jeans, and a t-shirt to a royal court; in the presence of your Crown Prince nonetheless. Then again; he is from a lower class family so that might be the nicest thing he can afford. Little Evalia, does have a large poverty problem with about a fourth of our population being classified as lower class, with barely enough money to put food on the table; if they have a table. Slaves sadly makeup half of our population. King Frederick has been trying to rectify this problem; especially in terms of child slavery, as most slaves are born into it; unfortunately King Frederick has had an easier time setting up orphanages; than ending slavery. In which is ironic as all but a certain few nobles want slave regulation to change. I believe that those, certain few nobles, are either blackmailing, or bribing the larger majority of nobles.

Add in the fact that the neighboring countries are starting to threaten war on us because of slave dealers invading and kidnaping their people; along with the ever present threat of our own civil war; it makes me wonder if it is worth trying to keep this country going, and not just pardon it off to other countries. Highly doubt that anyone will want to take us through; with the amount of work and money they would need to put into us so that we would be fully incorporated into their own country.

Then again Norway has offered to buy the southern alps, fjords, a fair bit of forests, and prairie lands; a total of twenty percent of our land. It is fairly isolated from the rest of the country with it being separate from the mainland and being surrounded by Norwegian land; Duke Linus Albertsen who is in charge of the land is actually from Norway, and has hence started a major clean up of the area; all but banning slavery in its entirety; raising the economy to the point that half of our middle income families live there. We’ve gotten plenty of complaints from lower lords in the area; complaints that we have dutifully ignored if not just because his work has greatly improved the area, to the point that I am seriously considering implementing the same policy for the rest of the country. Even if his way of changing things is controversial; with his ‘obey or I will force you to’ view of things; he has even taken the local military there, and forcibly evicted nobles that refused to follow his new laws, taking their noble rankings and money away from them.

Maybe a civil war is what this country needs; only instead of the civil war being between the government, and the common people, it would be between the nobles, and the government. That way at least we would at least a cornerstone to work off of, though I do think that if a civil war was to pop up in the first scenario that the other countries would support the people. At least I hope they would, for if a war like that were to happen, I would; despite the fact that I would hate to do it; lead our military against our own people. I pray to the Savior King that if it comes to that; that there will be more deserters than followers in our military.

A subtle clearing of the throat coming from the chancellor next to me brings me out of my musings; focusing me once again to the man in front of me. “It has come to my attention that you have not given any testimony at any of your previous trials, if you wish to do so this is your last chance.” My voice quiet, but strong; demanding the attention of everyone who hears it, and silences even the loudest crowds with a single word; it pours ice into the very soul of those who have wrought my ire; spreading dread and fear to those in its wake. My eyes colder than the coldest of icebergs, my stare making even the strongest of people quake in fear, and my glare having the ability to kill those that are held under it.

“No your majesty.” The quaking blubbering fool was able to squeak out before passing out; landing in the leftover liquids left of the woman’s water breaking.

“Put him in the dungeons, once he wakes up, put him prison where he will stay for the next twenty years with a chance of parole after ten years.” A relatively light punishment for the type of crime he committed, I know King Frederick was expecting me to sentence him to execution, but the punishment needs to fit the crime. I look at the two remaining cases files; both of which are executions, meaning that they have both already been tried, and just waiting for the ultimate punishment. “Ladies and gentleman of the Court our remaining two cases are executions if you will join me in the outside arena we can finish up for today.” It hasn't been a particularly long day; it’s only eleven o’clock, but with all political pressure, and my increased paperwork since our king is in Norway negotiating the sell/trade agreement; have been wearing on me, I am only fifteen years old damn it; between Court cases, paperwork, tutoring, and making sure King Frederick does not get his way in raising my younger siblings; he has been trying to make my ten year old brother hold court cases, that's way too young! No, it doesn't matter that I have been executing prisoners since I was ten, and holding court cases since three years before that, it’s just plain old child abuse. If I could I would sentence him to be executed like all the other warlords who force children to kill. I have practically raised my siblings; keeping them as far away as possible from Frederick, not to mention a mother that is more often in the hospital than not, and wants nothing to do with her own children; no wonder I punish those that harm children more strictly than those that don't. Then again I can’t really blame them, Mother can’t help if she is sickly, and Frederick was a slave before he was forcibly wed to my mother, and was raised with a do everything I say without question mentality; causing him to lean too much on his advisers and let them make most of the decisions in how to rule Little Evalia.

As I walk out of the courtroom a group of slaves and servants holding the cleaning supplies bow to me, I barely acknowledge them as I walk by; according to the few servants that are brave enough to talk to me, I am a cold, strict, and terrifying prince that parents tell their children to be good or I will take them away, and kill them. They call me the Arctic Prince. Anyway; as I walk to the end of the line of servants Margrit; a servant that was my nanny when I was younger; holds out my ceremonial execution sword. Her face showed her sadness clearly, worry lines prominently displayed, she smiled at me sadly as I took the sword from her hands; she hates this; I know she does, but I chose her to be the to carry this burden; a ten year old desperate for protection and help from the only mother he knew. Hoping that she could stop what was going to happen, only to be proven wrong when A noble forcibly took the ceremonial sword from her unwilling arms, and had the guards punish her in an unspecified way. It wasn't until nine months later when she gave birth to her daughter Katie that I fully understood how she was punished, and why she never fought giving me this sword afterwards.

I look away from her; unable to take the pity in her eyes, and the knowledge that I am the cause of much of her current pain. Facing forward I use a bit of magic to open the thick white marble doors with platinum inlays in the form of snowflakes, white diamonds, aquamarines, rubies, emeralds, smokey quartz, and yellow sapphires riveted to it; each representing the Savior King and his five generals; water, fire, wind, earth, and lighting.

May humanity forever praises them for it is them that saved the remnants of humanity from the nuclear wasteland of it's own creation; taking the last humans that had held up on Iceland off earth, and striking a deal with the Evilans so that we could live on their planet, but the Evilans lived up to the evil in their own name, exploding one of six ships that carried humans to their new home in an attempt to scare humanity into complete obedience. They chose to destroy the ship that my namesake, the Savior King Lloyd, his descendants, and the future population of Little Evalia was taking to Evalia; the Savior King was crushed, but the Savior King; little more than a head and an arm; used the last of his life and magic to prevent the collapse of the ship, and his oldest granddaughter killed the Evilans that was slaughtering the surviving humans in a fit of rage. The Evilans gave an ultimatum to the generals, submit to their ruling or they will destroy the rest of the spaceships; however the generals refused, instead they started a war with the Evilans; planning on either making the Evilans submit or extinct. The image of a bloody General Water standing over a clearly defeated King Azleid with her mace pressing down on King Azleids’ neck is forever iconic. The peace treaty of Little Evalia made it to where the five Nordic nations would be free of the Evilans, with a sixth newly created country that would be under the Evilans control, but with their own human government, and no input from the generals would be allowed into the governance of the newly created Little Evalia with the youngest granddaughter of the Savior King was crowned Queen of Little Evalia. And so little Evalia was created with it’s government formed in the image of the Evilan government, with those that are not nobility having no say in the governing of their own country

Fire himself has admitted to me that he wishes that he had just killed them all off; it wouldn’t have been hard either as all they have to do is kill King Azleid and the Evilans hive minded structure would kill off all of the other Evilans. Fire and I have been close since before I can even remember; which is strange as none of the five generals have opened up to anyone else. Thinking about it; I'm fairly close to all of them.

My ever so wonderful escapism was brought to an end as I reached the center of the arena where I am to give a speech telling the watching public why these two men were to be executed; the bloodthirsty public expecting bloody torture rather than a swift death. King Frederick was supposed to do the executions this week, and he likes to put on a show. In which is ironic as he himself has been tortured before. The public is going to get their wish anyway.

“Ladies and gentlemen; we are here to witness the execution of Joseph Mayer, and Alf Leoson.” The people in the stands shiver in fear, good I want them to fear me; it makes it easier to keep them in line. “Joseph Mayer is guilty of killing his twin and the rest of his family in a fit of insanity; he is to be beheaded.” A large percentage of twins go insane in Little Evalia, I expect that the mixture of Evilen DNA and human DNA that is prevalent in Little Evalia make twins more prone to going insane. Though the culture of fearing twins most definitely has a roll in it to. One of the guards brings the man forward, and makes him kneel before me; I put my sword on the back of his neck; frostbite instantly turning the skin there black from me subconsciously adding my own ice magic into the sword. “Any last words?” I ask Joseph.

“Do you think my family will forgive me?” Joseph has to be strong to be able to talk while his throat is quite literally freezing to death.

“They forgave you the moment that they passed on to the other life.” It's less of a beheading as a shattering of the ice in which was formally Joseph's neck. Guards remove Joseph's body from the arena; paying attention to not touch the frostbitten skin as to not develop frostbite themselves. “Alf Leoson is convicted of leading and/or participating in sixteen raids on orphanage's; killing all of the children that showed promise of becoming Evilans.” Evilans are born human but those with the Evilan gene are born with both human and Evilan magic, the Evilan magic ‘eats’ the human magic and converts it into Evilan magic, the more magic a child has the faster the human magic can be converted, and it takes a child born with a large amount of magic for full conversion to be successful before the age of ten in which is when a child's magic will be too stable for it to be converted. It is only after a child's magic has been fully converted that their magic begins changing the child's human body into that of an Evilan one. Because of terrorist groups like Alf the total Evilan child population is now only three including me. “He is to be gutted and butterflied.”

I hand Margrit my sword, making sure all the while that she only took it by the handle with her specialmade gloves. I don’t want her to see this; she knows that too so she leave the arena without protest. Alf is dragged into the arena, or at least what remains of him; the Evilans certainly did a number on him; he had his skin, and in some places muscles flayed off of him leaving only bone, and connective tissue behind; his silent screams coming from his now voice boxless throat in which echos non silently in my mind the only thing keeping my him alive being a healing crystal embedded in his chest. If it hadn’t been for the brutality of it I would have called this a mercy killing. I have to wonder if he will even feel what I am going to be doing to him, or if he is too far gone in his own pain to even notice any more.

Alf is dragged out in front of me by a couple of guards, taking a knife offered to me; I cut the remaining muscle and connective tissue holding in his guts. His guts spill out of him, and land on my feet; reminding me sickenly of a time my youngest brother Rafael dropped a wet rag on my feet to see if my ambient magic would freeze it. Pulling myself together, I pull out his stomach, cutting his throat and several veins at the same time, causing blood to gush out and cover me head to toe in the velvet red liquid effectively soaking me with the stuff. I cut the rectem in half and do the same to the base of his bladder; freeing the rest of the innards all the while; taking one last swipe at the man's breast done cutting it in half. I move out of the spray and take the towel offered to me by somebody, it wasn’t a guard, their hands are way too small; like those of a small child's. After wiping my face clear of blood I look to see five year old Katie; Margrits’ youngest child; why is she here? Did Margrit want Katie traumatized for the rest of her life? And why in the living hell did the guards allow her up here? I don't have time to question it at the moment; however I do cover her with my cloak so that she doesn't have to see anything more. Turning to face Alf's back, I reach around his chest, force my fingers between the two halves of the breast bone, and one swift movement I thrust them apart breaking all of his ribs exposing his lungs and heart to the air. The man dies in less than a second after I remove the healing crystal.

Turning away from the gruesome scene, I lead Katie out of the arena; upon entering the hallway, I lifted my blood soaked cloak off of her, and she looked upon me with terrified eyes as the blood dried and dripped off of her onto the growing pool of blood at my feet. To terrified to do anything but stare as she look into the face of death I have become. I wonder if my children will look upon me the same way; fear to be in my very presence like all of those that surround me while I stare at them my face void of any emotion, for I no longer have the ability to express any. Could I care for my children with the way I am? Will my children look up to me, as a role model or as an object of fear? Will I even be able to find a wife to have my children, or will the Evilans assign me a wife like they did with my mother when she didn't find one by the time she was twenty?

I'm not sure I want to know the answers or not.

Anyway, that is of little matter. My loyalty is solely towards my family, my country and, my people; I will treat any family I have or will have with as much love and affection my nearly frozen heart will allow and no less.

Pain. It shoots up my left side from the gunshot that says there, my hastily made bandage is quickly becoming saturated and soon won’t stop the blood flow at all, but I have to keep going, if I don’t I’ll die. Shit, why couldn’t the base be closer? I’m not even sure how far away it is anymore, the blood loss making me disoriented, I’m only following the path in front of me, the way too defined path. Shit, I’m off track, please where ever this is taking me be safe.

I think back to how I even got into this situation, It was a lucky shot on the bastards side, it was completely dark and he couldn’t have seen me under the brush. Anyway, I was sent to see if the reports of the entry way we used to enter the encampment were closed off now, and they were, however, we weren’t told of the guard that was sanctioned there. Damn them, without that entry point how are we going to hold rescue missions? The culling is only in a month but yet without that entry point, we can’t get people out. Fuck slave trade for executing the slaves that haven’t been sold in a year, fuck King Frederick for declaring all orphans slaves, fuck Lloyd for running away when we needed him the most, fuck the civil war for existing, fuck Little Evila for using child slaves as their front line, fuck everything!

Shit, I’m losing my temper I can’t afford to do that. I look around trying to find out where I am, to see a clearing with a house in it. I wonder if the owners know that they live near an execution camp. What am I talking about? Of course, they do, why else would they live so far out in the middle of one of the most dangerous forests on Evila? It’s more than likely owned by one of the people that live in the camp and couldn’t stand the smell of thousands of innocent children being be kept there, only to be killed off. Then again there is that small chance that the people living in the house don’t know about the execution camp nearby. Either way, it was my only hope of living, and so I shamble on. Upon getting closer I notice a little girl playing in the clearing, playing alone that is. This just proves my point that almost all adults are idiots. “Oh, we live in the most dangerous place in the world that is packed full of man-eating creatures. It’ll be completely safe to leave my six-year-old outside without supervision, she’ll just scream if she needs help. So what if she is dead by the time we got out there to help, she needs her fresh air.” Fucking idiots. A scream alerts me that she has seen me. I look up to see the girl having trouble opening the door and eventually just starts pounding on it, the bastards had locked her out. Note to self-rescue little girl when escaping later. At least it doesn’t take long for them to open the door for her, but she would have been dead several times over if I was a monster. The girl points to me and the man who answered the door double take after seeing my condition and pushes the girl inside. At least he is considerate in that way.

The last of my strength leaves me and I fall face first onto the tall grass unable to even bring myself to put out my arms to catch myself. I feel myself being turned over where I come face to face with the Prince of Little Evila himself.

“You conscience?” I glare at him and spit in his face.

“Fuck off,” I say before blackness takes me.

I'm surrounded by people, all of which are under the age of sixteen. Unbathed, dead-eyed, and gazed unseeing looking at nothing, they look dead, no they are dead. However in front of me is a sixteen year old, with long red-brown hair that falls in limp waves from the grease that is in it, her skin was covered head to toe in dirt so dense that it blotted out her skin entirely in places, her brown eyes were dead just like the others, except they were glaring at me. I know this girl, she haunts my dreams frequently, she was the girl that took me in when I first arrived at the slave camp five years ago, when I was just four years old myself, she was also the person I stole my name from. Rose, the girl I killed in order to escape the jaws of death myself.

“Was it not enough to kill me?” Rose says and all the dead eyes turn to glare at me. The eyes of those I could not save. “You had to steal my name?” I hear the grinder turn on, it’s squealing faintly for now. “Why did you kill me?” Death curdling screams are accompanied by wet crunches as the grinder starts coming closer, but yet everyone continues staring, judging me, and yet expecting to be saved. “So that you could live another day?” By now the grinder is just feet from us and the death curdling screams are deafening, but yet still people refused to move. “What about me? Did I deserve to die?” Rose grabs my arm as she falls backward into the grinder taking me with her, but I grabbed on to the rim if the grinder preventing us from falling into the grip of the blades. This close I can see the red and white chunks that were previously humans. “What’s wrong?” Another person fell into the grinder and I’m forced to watch as the person was pulverized into nothing more than paste. “Why don’t you just kick me off once again?” My grip slips a little, the blood on the rim making it slippery to hold onto. “You had no problem doing so before.” My grip slips once again, now I’m only holding onto the ledge with the edge of my fingers “Come join me in Hell Rose.” No! I kick her again and again. “So you finally show your true colors. You murderer.” With one last kick she falls off and I’m able to grab onto the rim once again. “I will haunt you for the rest of your life,” Rose said as she was ground into a paste. Suddenly people flood the grinder making me lose grip of the ledge and fall into the grinder.

But as I was about to feel the bite of metal I wake up with a jump and instantly regret it as pain once again flares out from my side. I instantly flop back down onto the bed.

“Calm down. It’s ok, you’re safe here.” A soft voice says from my left side. I look over and see the little girl from earlier. Her appearance is unique, but at the same time she could be mistaken for my younger sister, with her white hair and green eyes, but while my eyes hold nothing but bitterness and mistrust, hers are innocent, full of wonder and worry. What truly catches my eye, however, is her collar making her a slave. “My master and I healed you as much as we could but it still won’t be fully healed for at least another week even with constant upkeep. If you keep moving it’ll take longer.” Damn, I really fucked myself over this time haven’t I? At least I’ll live. “It’ll leave a scar but seeing as you have so many already I highly doubt that you will notice it that much.” My scars are my pride each and every one of them tells of a struggle I have survived and are proof that I am getting stronger every day. Something bothers me about her, she looks too much like you younger sister for it to have been a coincidence, but that is impossible, my sister is dead. It doesn’t hurt to ask though.

“Your name, it wouldn’t happen to be Alaza would it?” She turns to me in shock. I must have struck something.

“No, it’s Lily.” But then why did she looked shocked? She’s not telling me the full story. “I’m going to go meet my master. Please stay still while I’m gone.” I don’t think I can move much anyway so I nod my head in acceptance. As she leaves, she leaves the door open and I can tell that the small bedroom that I was occupying was connected to a hallway with another door right across from mine. I hear the girl knock on a door not so far from my own, and a mumbled reply from whoever was in the room. I take the free moment to look around the bedroom, it’s small barely enough room for both the bed and the dresser inside of the room, and it distinctly lacked personality in terms of decorations but what few there were I could tell that this room is the girl's room. Luckily there is a window large enough to sneak out of when the time comes for me to leave. I just hope Second and Raphaela, haven’t sent out search teams yet. Who am I kidding? Of course, they have. I need to send out a signal flare to tell them I’m safe and my location even if I can’t leave at this moment.

A man with long black hair that reached mid-back, and black eyes, entered to room and looks at me. “So you are awake.” Was there any doubt? “I’m quite surprised I cast a sleep spell that was supposed to last a week at least, you must have the same type of magic resistance as Lily then.” I jump up once again this time ignoring the pain in my side as I do so.

“What the fuck!? What the Hell is wrong with you!? You don’t just put someone in a coma without their permission! And don’t pull that bull shit about it was a medical emergency, I’ve have had bullet wounds before, and in no way was I required to go into a coma! Bedrest sure but not a coma!” I back away from him so that I was close to the window in case I needed a quick getaway. I vaguely realize that my side has started bleeding once again but don’t think too much about it.

“It was for your own good after all look at what you have just done! You’ve opened up your side once again, I and knew that this would happen as patients like you refuse to stay down and do as I order!” He must not be a real doctor then, even Raphaela who’s healing training mostly consists of her own experimentation knows not to yell at a panicking patent. With a deep sigh, he continues. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotten no sleep trying to save you that my temper is less than ideal.”

“Still, Fuck off. I just need to get home and they can heal me there.” I would much rather prefer any one of our self-trained healers help me than this asshole.

“You lost more blood than any person that I have ever treated before has, It’s a miracle that you're alive at all, and now you’re bleeding out once again, at this rate you really will die from pure stubbornness.”

“It’s my stubbornness that got me here so I am willing to bet I’ll survive the trip.” or die trying, I think to myself.

“I cannot let you do that. Besides don’t think me a foul, other than the slave camp some ways away there are no other settlements.” That you know of. I have it on good authority; aka me living there; that there is a city hidden in the treetops full of children. Then again what good is a hidden city if you just blurt out that there is a hidden city at all? “And if do try to run away, you're likely to be eaten by the monsters in the forest itself.” I’ll concede that point, it’s a miracle that I didn’t run into any last night.

“Fine, but I will need to send out a series of signal flares, only then will play good little patient for you.”

“I don’t believe that for a second but fine. Now lay down so that I can heal your side back up.” I reluctantly do as he says, and I can feel his magic wash over me. Fuck, I will never get used to that. “Now come on, I’ll let you send your flares but I want to know what they mean.” I roll my eyes but comply, if only for the fact that I need to send those flares.

“Green for safe, red for injured, blue for I’ll get myself back.” That is not a hundred percent honest Blue really means do not come, will go to retrieval unit at later date.

“Fine.” He leads me out into the front yard, where I look at the tree line to see Second hiding behind a tree. I send out my flares and watch her reactions, namely a grimace. She must realize how bad of a shape I am in if I can’t leave even if she was right there. She lets out a purple flare, asking me how many days until a retrieval unit will be needed. I look over to the man to see his confusion about the fact a return flare was actually sent. “How many days until you will release me?”

“Is that what that flare meant? A week at least, maybe longer if you're stubborn.” I send off an orange flare meaning three days and get a green flare in ok in return.

“What now doctor?” I say mockingly. And he frowns at me.

“Bedrest. As sleep spells don’t last longer than a day on you and they don’t stack, I’m just going to have to trust you that you won’t just run away once you wake up, but I will be putting you back under after you have had something to eat.”

“Fine.” I spit out, and enter the house and go back to my room where I see Lily standing there looking nervous. Properly because I disappeared and she doesn’t know where to put the food she was carrying on a tray that looks way too big for her to carry.

“Lily make sure this girl eats, and eat yourself, once the two of you are done come get me and I will put her back to sleep.”

“Yes, master.” Thinking about it I didn’t get the man's name, and I’m half sure it wasn’t because he was purposely avoiding letting him know my name. I guess I’m just going to have to do a little bit of info gathering from the girl; Lily I remind myself. Not that I wasn’t going to do that in the first place.

“So Lily, do you and your master live here?” Hey, I never said I was subtle. Besides with children her age, it’s better to ask directly or else they will not give full answers.

“No, we are just here to spy on the slave camp nearby and try to find out is King Seph’s and Prince Lloyd’s daughter is in this encampment.” Wait, Seph’s and Lloyd’s? It must be one of those weird one father is the child’s real father while the other is adopted. Also where the fucking hell is Seph the king of? Little Evila’s king is named Frederick, not Seph. Could Lloyd have been married off and that is why he disappeared? Or am I just giving him too much of a benefit of the doubt?

“You wouldn't happen to know why Lloyd is back, would you? Or even why he disappeared in the first place?” It just dawned on me that Lloyd could not even be here, and even if so why would this girl know things like that?

“From what I’ve overheard, Prince Lloyd’s eldest daughter and two grandchildren went missing one day, and he and an army of other Evilans went looking for them on the other planets Evila controls.” Lloyd’s elder daughter? Wasn’t that the one that married the emperor of Evila Azleid? “It wasn’t until he had already left that the civil war broke out and by then he couldn’t come back until they found Prince Lloyd’s daughter or grandchildren. I think the fact that he is here now and we haven’t heard any good news so far means that all three of them are dead.” Not all three of them, I have it on good authority that there is at least one granddaughter still living; namely, she lives in the tree top city and wouldn’t leave after seeing the horrors that she witnessed having been done. Even if she did decide she wanted to return she wouldn’t know if she would be capable of living that kind of life anymore after everything she has suffered through. Now the question is if I let Lloyd know that his granddaughter is alive or not. Also damn, I guess he didn’t disappear for no reason what’s so ever, still hate him though. “Prince Lloyd did join the rebel army after he came back though.”

“What about King Seph? Where is Seph king of and why was his daughter in Evila in the first place?”

“Don’t know the full story, something about retrieving Prince Lloyd and her being kidnapped.” I guess that makes sense but it just doesn’t feel right to me. Besides, why would they send the girl to a slave camp and not just keep her for ransom? It’s not like Azla’s; aka Lloyd’s granddaughter that lives in the tree top city; a story where assassins tried to kill her and her sister, only for the sister to accidentally teleported somewhere and Azla was saved by a random passer dyer. Since Azla’s existence had been hidden away from the public they didn’t recognize her and she didn’t understand what they were saying so they sent her to an orphanage and later that day orphans were declared slaves and sent to slave camps. I should move onto lighter topics now so that if asked later her mind will be on those rather than the ones I asked before. Though she has been to the point so far.

“Why were you outside earlier? And doesn’t your master know that it is dangerous for you to be outside here?” She flinches as if guilty of something.

“I wasn’t supposed to be outside. I was actually supposed to be in the kitchen helping Kyle and Jack cook.” What type of punishment did she have for that? She isn’t shuffling in her seat so it wasn’t a spanking at least.

“Who all is staying here? Also missed the name of your master.”

“King Seph, Prince Lloyd, master Rafael; my master by the way; Mr. Jack, and Kyle.” So we have a king, a prince, a noble, a commoner, and two slaves staying here? Someone from each social level living here, I wonder why. And where are all of the guards for the royalty? “Though Kyle is treated more like Mr. Jack's lover than a slave really. I know that fact bugs Master Rafael though, he’s unused to slaves talking freely, and having as much freedom as Kyle.” So Lily has been trained to answer when asked and be to the point, but otherwise be silent? I guess that solves that mystery. “Can I ask a question now?” I blink in surprise but nod my head, while answering.

“Ask away.” That doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be completely honest.

“What’s your name?” Fuck what to answer? My name won't reveal anything and since it’s not my real name they can’t put a curse on me but still...

“Rose.” Lily giggles about something.

“We both have Flower names!” Huh, I guess that’s true, in a way at least. “How did you know the name Alaza?” Now that is something I’m not answering in full truth.

“You look like a person I know who is missing a sister named Alaza.” Alaza being Azla’s sister's name alongside my own sister's name.

“Really! That person wouldn’t happen to be named Azla would she?” Damn! I didn’t think of that. Evasion, evasion!

“You’re asking for Lloyd aren't you? And he is sitting behind that door at the moment as well isn’t he?” I spit out, thankful that I have already finished eating.

“Prince Lloyd.” Lily corrects me but I pay her no mind as my theory of Lloyd’s placement was confirmed. Thankfully I didn’t ask anything that could incriminate me or something.

“How long have you known.” That he was there? Honestly, I didn’t, I was just saying whatever comes into my mind, but like hell, I’m going to tell him that.

“Depends, how long have you been there?” I tease, while Lily bows to him. I’m not one to bow, I’m one to give the King of the Universe the middle finger while everyone else bowed.

“Since you came back in.” Wait, he actually answered my question? What does he want? “Now then, is your friend named Azla?”

“If she is what would you want from her? To run back into your arms, call you grampy and act as if she hasn’t seen five years of bloody hell, where she will never be sure if the person next to her will return every time they leave the safety of our hideaway? We live a bloody precarious existence that doesn’t even allows for schooling. We live to save others, we kill so that someone else can live, we fight so that we can continue living, and we die for our freedom hard won. And I will not allow anyone prince, king, or emperor to take anyone away if they do not want to, and I don’t care if I have to kill every one of you to do so.” Admittedly the threat might not have been as successful as it would have been if I had been actually able to do any of that at this moment in time, but that was no reason to laugh. But yet at the same time, he is crying, I’ve seen this before; experienced it as well. A deep overjoying relief that makes you forget everything else. Tch. fine I’ll let him have his moment, for now.

“I’m just happy to hear the fact that she is alive! At least one of my grandchildren is alive! I don’t even care that you threatened me. You could kill me now and I would die a happy man. Tell me what will it take for you to take me to her?” I kinda want to deny him outright just to see his face, but I’m not THAT cruel.

“Not now. For one I’m injured, for two you have to prove yourself worthy. If you can complete nine of my challenges I will more than willingly take you to meet her, and after each challenge, I will tell you about Azla’s life, and how that daily challenge has changed her life.” Now, what trials should I put him through? They have to be both doable and yet still also show him exactly what we have to go through on daily basis. “The first will be to find the secret base where all of those rescued from the slave camp live. And for that, I will tell you about daily life in the city.” Lloyd hugs me and I freeze, unused to touch from an adult. Sure there are a few adults in our city but they are at most twenty-one.

“Thank you. I need to start looking now, I’ll send Rafael.” And so he leaves before I can even get out of my stupor, and lay down the first condition, no touching me. Oh well, I hope I didn’t just make a mistake by doing this.