CREATIVE WRITING: EP 4 – THE DAGGER
Hey everyone,
This is Rae. This is the 4th chapter so hope you like it!
CHAPTER 4- THE DAGGER
While all these horrifying events were unfolding in the forest, the palace was rather peaceful. After sending his son off to the Hunt, the king had decided to call it a day and had retired to his private quarters. He laid down on the bed and gave a deep sigh. He was thinking of his son. The king was worried about him. What if he did catch the wolf and come back? What if Peter had to hear the whole story from him? No no, the king shook his head. At no cost could Peter know the truth because if he heard the whole tale, he would refuse to be crowned King and that would be the end of it- the marvellous empire that he had built for so many years would be destroyed with one small act. He couldn’t let that happen. King Rupert thought deeply about all this when a hand on his shoulder shook him out of his reverie. When he opened his eyes, he found the Queen standing in front of him. “Are you alright, your Majesty?’ she asked softly. “Ye-yes, just thinking about Peter, you know,” he responded. “He will be all right- he has to be because I know my son and he is the bravest soul I have ever met. Any moment now, he will return with the body of that wolf,’ the queen stated proudly. The king felt guilty when he heard his wife say and turned his head away. H couldn’t look at her and say that he had ordered Peter to not kill the wolf in exchange for an itty-bitty story.
So he kept quiet. Queen Celeste noticed his change in attitude. “Is something wrong, Rupert? You do not look too well.” “I am alright. Just leave me alone for some time,” the king pushed her away. The Queen was about to say something out of concern when a huge wailing noise was heard throughout the whole palace. Both king and queen were startled. They looked at each other and rushed out of the room. “What is going on in here?” the king shouted. In front of his eyes was a scene of chaos. The courtroom was filled with palace guards who were kneeling down and behind the pillars were palace servants wiping their eyes with handkerchiefs. “Will someone tell me what is wrong?” the king repeated. One guard quickly walked up them and whispered something in the king’s ear. His eyes grew wide and his body started to shake. Queen Celeste was alarmed. “What is it Rupert? What is happening?”she pressed him. “The prince-the prince is dead,” cried out one of the palace-maids. The Queen felt faint.
“What?” she managed she say weakly. “Forgive me your Royal Majesties but the Prince and his companions were ambushed by some burglars on the way. Four of our guards were found dead and a white wolf was found hit in the neck by an arrow,” said one of the guards. “Did you find the Prince’s body? Did you? Tell me, you fool!” screamed the Queen, almost hysterical. “Now, Now, Celeste, calm down,” her husband said. “No, your Majesty. But he was nowhere to be seen and evidences of his blood were seen on the ground. I’m sorry,” replied the guard. “No, no. I refuse to believe my son is dead. You do not have proof and so my son is very much ALIVE! I want the entire army to go and look for him right now! My son is alive and he needs to be brought back! Kill whoever- whoever,” the queen burst into tears. The king did not know what to do. He instructed her attendants to put her to sleep in her chamber and calm her with some tonics.
Then he returned to his own room where he sat down on his bed and closed his eyes. After some time, he opened them. His eyes flickered with realisation. He briskly walked to the queen’s chamber. She was resting on the bed. Her face showed agitation and shock but when the King entered, she opened her eyes and looked at him. “You did it, didn’t you? You performed the swap,” whispered the King. The Queen smirked. All evidence of her sadness and pain were long gone. “I’m not a fool, Rupert. I know what I am doing. I did the swap as the Master instructed.” The king was astonished. “The Master never told me about this. Why would he trust you with something so important and not tell me?” “Because you love your son too much. You would have ruined the plan. You need to be completely dedicated to your job and not get carried away by something so foolish as affection,” snapped the Queen.
The king hung his head. “I guess you are right,Celeste. I got too attached to him and would have ruined the entire mission.I’m sorry,’ he confessed. “But you are not, dear. In fact you wanted the mission yourself and you have hated it that the Master trusts me more than he trusts you. So much so that you are willing to well, murder me,” her hand suddenly went to her bedside drawer and as she opened it, her fingers closed around a small silver dagger, pointed and sharp. The king’s eyes widened and he backed away. “Did you think I didn’t smell the arsenic in my tea this morning? I know you too well, Rupert and you must know me well enough to know that I never start any fight but once it concerns me,” her voice lowered and her gaze sharpened as she looked straight at her husband- anger highlighted on her face. “I can be very dangerous. You have seen that quite a few times now. You know what I do to people who betray me-” she said, pointing the dagger straight at his heart. The king was frightened. He knew what Celeste was capable of. What had happened to old Kevin? She was the one who had beaten him to death.
“Ok, Ok I am sorry. I just felt jealous that the Master chose you over me. I promise to be not ruin the mission again. Please just keep the dagger and all will be resolved,” reasoned the king. The Queen didn’t say anything. She slowly relaxed and let the dagger rest on the bed. “Good…now let’s talk it out later. Let the Master handle with the Petrov,” he said. The Queen took a deep breath. “His Highness will be dealt with fairly. It’s this toxicity between us that I’m worried about. I’m not scared and definitely will not hesitate to stab you Rupert should you betray me again,” she warned. The king nodded. “Did you send him off with the note?” he asked. “Of course,” she replied. ” Or else how will we enter the castle?”, she had spoken too loudly. “Hush,” hissed the King, “Someone might hear us,”.
“Oh, they won’t, Rupert, don’t worry about them. I crept into the kitchens this morning and slipped some sleep potion into their tea. At least the guards right outside our door are fast asleep,”. The king smiled. That was Celeste- an evil mastermind. “Never mind what you did to them. As soon as word of the Prince’s death spreads, we will be in danger. We need to escape, tonight…”
well, this was the fourth chapter. Hope you liked it and I would love to know what you all thought of it! Stay safe and happy! More later…
Ciao,
~RAE
Musings of Rae 