Hero King
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The Hero King, the man who had defeated an ancient god and become a symbol of justice for all mankind. His name was known across every nation on earth…and even some beyond it.
But what if he wasn’t? What would happen to him then?
“It’s about time!” The Hero King sat up with a start as his servant entered the room. “What is it?”
“I have a message from Lady Maria.” Her servant held out her palm to show him a small device that resembled an old-fashioned walkie-talkie. It was encased in a metal box shaped like a teardrop, and she wore it on the chain around her neck.
She took it from him and pressed a button; the device buzzed and crackled softly, then suddenly fell silent. A few seconds passed, and she looked back at it.
“Yes…that’s all.”
“Very well. I shall take care of this right away.”
The Hero King stood up, straightening his cape before heading toward the door. His servant hurriedly followed behind him, leaving the room, and shutting its double doors silently after them.
“Lady Maria has been waiting outside your door for almost an hour now,” her servant said, looking apologetically into his master’s eyes as they waited for their ride.
“An hour? She didn’t tell me anything, did she?” He glanced down at himself, then back up again. “Oh, I’m sorry…”
His servant smiled at him kindly. “That’s quite alright, sir. She merely asked how you were doing.”
The Hero King sighed. “I suppose I’d better head off then…”
He walked over to the side of the room where another door stood, opening it slowly and stepping through. As soon as he closed the door behind him, however, someone else stepped forward.
“You called for me, my king?”
It was a young girl. A beautiful girl with long red hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a simple black dress that left much of her slender body exposed and was accompanied by a man standing beside her.
Her name was Maria; the Hero King’s daughter. Although she hadn’t inherited his title or powers, she had grown up among heroes and heroines, learning their ways and honing her abilities. In fact, she was one of the strongest people alive—and one of the few who could stand against him should they ever face each other in battle.
As he watched her move gracefully towards him, he wondered what her mother thought when she heard he’d taken a new wife, and why he felt compelled to go and see her now. But he knew better than to ask; he didn’t want to know what her answer might be.
Maria stopped in front of him and curtsied deeply, bowing her head respectfully to him. “Hello, father. How are you today?”
The Hero King looked at her with a slight smile on his lips. “I am fine, thank you.”
His daughter smiled brightly back at him, but something about her expression seemed a little off. It was a look he couldn’t place, so he simply turned and started walking past her.
“Father! Wait!” He froze halfway across the room at the sound of her voice; turning around slowly to find his daughter holding out a piece of paper for him.
“What is it?”
“A letter, Father.”
He looked at it curiously before taking it from her fingers. He opened it and scanned its contents quickly before smiling at her.
“Thank you, Maria.”
“Anything for you, Father.”
He waved the paper back at her dismissively before turning and heading deeper into the castle. She watched him leave before following after him silently.
The Hero King walked down a long hallway towards an enormous set of doors, and then into a large meeting chamber where many heroes and heroines gathered to speak with him, usually discussing matters of state and affairs that concerned them.
They parted as he walked toward a long table in the center of the room, which was occupied by several men wearing elaborate costumes. They all bowed low in reverence as he approached before standing up again once he sat down at the head of the table.
One of the older gentlemen sitting there stood up and cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking to the Hero King.
“Excuse me, sir.”
The Hero King turned around to regard him. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ve recently received word that—”
“Hold on, let me hear this first…” the Hero King interrupted him. His tone softened considerably as he listened quietly while the man read through the note, and then nodded his approval. Once he was finished reading, however, he spoke again.
“Good work.”
He handed the letter back to the messenger and returned it to the pile. The Hero King looked at everyone seated at the table expectantly, and the others nodded in reply. One of them got to his feet and began explaining what they’d just learned.
“Our scouts have discovered a new enemy force in the Northern Region of the continent, sir. We believe they’re planning to invade the capital soon.”
He paused, waiting for a further explanation before continuing.
“Their forces number roughly six thousand…and that’s only if they send every man, woman, and child they have available.”
He looked to the Hero King expectantly, but he shook his head firmly. “No, that won’t do. Send a message to the Eastern Region and Western Region asking for reinforcements. Tell them to gather five hundred thousand troops together and prepare for an assault on our enemies.”
He looked back at the man who’d reported the news. “Did you make sure they understood?”
The man nodded vigorously. “Yes sir.”
“And tell them we will provide them with whatever they need, within reason. Let them know that no expense will be spared to defeat these invaders. I want them ready for battle within two weeks’ time. Have them prepared for an all-out war…”
***
“What is the meaning of this?!”
The Hero King shouted angrily as he glared at Maria, who was standing calmly next to him. The room had gone silent, everyone watching the two of them as they faced off.
“How dare you come here like this?! You are not welcome here!”
“I don’t think so.” The Hero King retorted angrily. “You are banished from the Castle immediately!”
Maria narrowed her eyes and gave him an icy glare. “Is that so? Then I will go.” And with that, she turned on her heels and left the room without another word.
***
The Hero King’s voice echoed throughout the hallway behind her as Maria walked quickly towards the stairs leading to the outside.
“You insolent whore!”
She didn’t slow down until she reached the bottom of the staircase. She pushed past a few guards on her way out, ignoring their pleas to stop or wait until morning; and finally disappeared from sight as she walked into the courtyard.
She took a deep breath as she stared up at the blue sky, enjoying the cool breeze coming off the ocean. As she breathed deeply, she could smell the salty air of the sea; it felt so good in her lungs that she almost cried. It was as if some of the tension inside her were leaving with each breath that she took.
She sighed softly and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of the wind caressing her skin gently, letting her mind wander for a moment. When she opened her eyes again she found herself staring out over a small cliff.
On top of it stood the Hero Queen’s castle, looking beautiful in the afternoon sun. She thought about how much easier everything would be if she was living here instead of in the Castle.
But that thought faded quickly, replaced by worry when she realized that she didn’t even know where the Hero King lived, never mind his home address. He could be anywhere on the island. Even worse, he might have already heard her arrival and been waiting for her all day, ready to arrest her at any given second.
The thought made her stomach drop sickeningly as she stood there frozen in place for several moments.
“Oh, gods…” she whispered, knowing that she couldn’t stay here forever. She had to return to the Castle, no matter what. If the Hero King wasn’t waiting for her inside, then she had to get help from one of his soldiers and find her way back inside.
But how was she supposed to do that? How was she going to find her way around an entirely new city? Her brain raced as she tried desperately to come up with a solution. What else could she possibly do? She was trapped on an unfamiliar island, surrounded by a horde of monsters.
Suddenly, she remembered the letter from earlier. If the Hero King hadn’t wanted her to know his true intentions, why would he bother sending her such a detailed, well written, personal letter?
Her mouth curled into a sly grin as she looked out across the horizon. That meant there must be some hope after all.
Maria turned sharply on her heel and headed back towards the castle, smiling brightly.
The End