Intermission 1. We.

They each pulled on a red cloak, clasping them with a golden pair of antlers. They adjusted their belongings underneath and pulled up their hoods. They had something to tell the king. The hurried by, names and insignias and coins passing through their hands and into that of the guards. What they had to tell the king was very important. They even managed to get into the castle, with enough gold from one, and a few words and names and titles from the other. They were a boy and a girl, and they were on a mission.

Their words were the most important the king would hear.
Inside the castle, they drew off their hoods. Guards nodded to the young man, and bowed slightly for the woman. Their words alone weren’t important, after all. They didn’t even have to say a word or pass a coin, inside the castle. This was good, coins only went so far. Two big doors barred entry to the main hall. There was a big golden pair of antlers scribed into the door. A halberd wielding guard was posted on either side of the door. Seeing the pair was all they needed, and the halberds were moved out of the way, and the doors pushed open.

In the hall now, the pair walked quickly and purposefully down the thick line of carpet that ran from the door to the king’s throne. The walls were lined with the king’s personal guard. Red armor and stag helmets and big, heavy swords and axes. A fast look told the young man that there were eight in all. The king himself had a sword leaned against his throne. He smiled when he saw the pair, proudly. The king was getting old. He had used to be a warrior. Over the course of his rule, he had done many bad, bad things.

The pair of youths knew this. They had something important to tell him about this very thing. The boy spoke first as the pair went to one knee.

“Father, we have something very important to tell you. I pray you have the time?” The prince looked up plaintively, chewing his lip.

“I always have time for you, Roan. Your bride as well, of course,” the king smiled proudly. His son was to be married.

“There are members of your kingdom who do not support your actions, father.” Roan, the prince, looked up worriedly, glancing at the guards and then locking eyes with his father. “You are not safe here.”

“My guard will protect me, Roan. Know how paranoid you get, but it is unwarranted.” The king followed his sons gaze to one of the elite guard, who gave a prompt salute. The king looked down at his son. He’ll be a ruler yet. If only he could deal with the blood. Nothing to be done of it but hope his son was ready when he himself died. The king knew this for a certainty.

“You may do well to look beyond your guards, father. Perhaps over your shoulder?” The prince looked up, eyes narrowed. The king did not like this. He did not like this at all. Wait, where was the girl? The king, fearful now, stood from his throne and made a theatrical show of looking over his shoulder. Behind him,in the air was the princess. His son’s fiancé. No, not in the air, she was on his throne. The woman was on his damn throne with a… a bow? Where was the arrow? The king watched long enough to see the feathered end of the missing arrow sprout from his shoulder, before he pitched forward into the waiting arms of his son. Something warm and wet was pouring onto his stomach. The king felt dizzy. His son lay him down on the carpet. Where did it come from? A bounty from a brutal campaign in the north; the king’s first war. That was it. The king nodded, looking up at his son. Prince Roan held a bloody dagger in his hands.

“I’m sorry, father. The country cannot take another year in your hands,” The prince leaned down, plucked the crown from his father’s head. The elites approached weapons ready. The king turned to them, smiling beatifically. “Will two of you dispose of this corpse, for me?” The king’s elite guard moved to obey.