Thy Kingdom Come

[brokenbarrier]

There was ~once~ *upon* a time when happiness didn't seem sO far away...

******
♥So I had some fun in the writing contests subforum, and I thought maybe you peoples might like this story. It is rather long (nine pages), but that is what makes a good story; I think. So read it, or don't. It's up to you♥
******

...but ~once~ *upon* a time was pRoBaBlY just a dream.

 

[brokenbarrier]

"Somehow, I imagined the results to be different," Creek said as his voice began to falter. Rivers limped towards Creek. "We are not victorious; our humble kingdom has fallen…" he could barely spat out. Creek's head drooped. "Worse than that, my brother. It has succumbed to the hands of the dark lord, Vicimus..."  

[brokenbarrier]

A great war was waged decades earlier, between two neighboring countries. They were once peaceful with one another, and all citizens between the countries were honest and pure. The kingdom of Silthin had been blessed with great harvests across the lands, and the kingdom of Vythrinia was blessed with great manufacturing industries. Both countries agreed to help one another out, and the monarchs of each country had an idea to merge the countries. Silthin's heir was Prince Lisvarg, and the heiress to Vythrinia was Princess Kirosa. It was a grand plan at the time! Unfortunately, neither of the young heirs' parents knew they despised one another. But they marched on with their wedding. As soon as they were bound in holy matrimony, they moved away from their little charade to please their parents.
Lisvarg began to oversee all of the crops of Silthin and took inventory of each crop; Kirosa took all orders in for each manufactured product, but she was never as devoted to her kingdom as was Prince Lisvarg. In fact, due to her ignorance and sloth, she would always go back to the scum streets of the merged country and commit such crimes that were never expected of any heir to a kingdom. Even though Lisvarg and Kirosa were not in love with each other, jealousy was still high in their blood.  

[brokenbarrier]

One late night, Lisvarg had come home tired from his hearty work in the fields on a hot summer day, and all he wanted to do was to have one glass of his special red wine and doze the rest of the night away. Well, that was quite impossible as he opened the door to his wife on the dining room table under a muscular, scruffy-looking man; both were scantily clad. "What in the bowels of Gehenna is going on here?!" Lisvarg demanded. The two caught red-handed were speechless. Lisvarg threw the stranger out of his home and demanded all sorts of answers from Kirosa.
"It is not as if we love each other, Lisvarg," Kirosa finally answered. "No, we are not lovers! But we are married, do you understand that? Our parents would never approve, and certainly, I do not approve! What honorable wife goes after disease-ridden men while her husband is out in the fields?" he demanded. "The kind who gets bored and has realized her husband is a pathetic man still following his father's law and not his," she retorted. He flinched. "That is it, Kirosa... I cannot take this. My father would certainly disapprove, but so would yours... I will bet you anything there is an heir-in-waiting for your kingdom; possibly a distant relative, but--"
Kirosa fled to him and held onto his shirt in fear. "Don't do this, Lisvarg! I need to be in power! Don't you dare take it away from me!!!" she cried out. Lisvarg stood still as his cheating wife held onto him begging without any decent clothing on. "What would you have me do then? Let you break all your promises, tear down this steadfast wall...? I will not let you ruin our perfect country, Kirosa... I refuse to see you as my wife." With that, he tore away from her grasp and walked out into the night.  

[brokenbarrier]

"No, no..." Kirosa began to sob hysterically. "This can't be happening to me... I am the queen of the merged countries Silthin and Vythrinia! He cannot do this to me!!!" she began to cry out. A rustle was heard outside. "Who's there?! State your name!"
"Oh, and here I thought you, of all people, would know what it sounds like when I move..." Kirosa's lover had returned. He moved toward her and held onto her. "It's over, Vicimus... I am no longer queen..." Vicimus kissed her shoulder. "And who has made that decree...?" he asked her whispering in her left ear. "Lisvarg... Lisvarg has demanded so. And he is the king of Silthin and Vythrinia. He has absolute power..." Vicimus chuckled. "For now; besides, you are queen! You, in truth, have absolute power. You have it, why not use it? And I think I know of a way to take out Lisvarg..." he said even softer. Kirosa picked her head up. "What did you have in mind...?"  

[brokenbarrier]

"Extra, extra! The to-be king of Silthin and Vythrinia, Lisvarg, has died! Extra, extra! The daily Kingdom Herald has it all!" a small paperboy announced to the dreary streets. But it was not needed whatsoever. Everyone in Silthin knew about their dear prince's death. He was crucified on a scarecrow out in the kingdom's central fields. There lay a hole where his heart should be, and his heart was missing. Kirosa and Vicimus planned it well. She acted as if it was natural, tears falling and whatnot, whenever Lisvarg's named was mentioned. Vicimus played a dear friend to both her and her husband and "coaxed her back to sanity." It was a great plan, and it was accomplished without a hitch... so they thought. What Vicimus never knew the night he murdered Lisvarg was that Lisvarg had already told someone of his cheating wife: Khinthems.
Khinthems was Lisvarg's friend, albeit he was a commoner. They grew up together, and Khinthems was the one who showed him all of Silthin's fields.  

[brokenbarrier]

"Khinthems, my wife... That harlot, Kirosa... I found some strange man lying on top of her on the dining room table! She wore nothing but a garter...!"
"Aren't you the one who said your love would never flourish with her, though?"
"Yes, but I would have at least thought we could rule together as intimate acquaintances if we could never fall in love..."
"'Intimate acquaintances...?' Do you mean you wanted to lose your virginity to Her Highness?"
"Pahaha, no, Khinthems! Of course not! It doesn't matter what I thought, but I thought we would have grown together as friends at the least... But now, divorce seems like the only answer."
"Now, now, Lord Lisvarg... Do not be so rash; so she has deceived you with your relationship. But you cannot blame her for that. You said it yourself; there is no love in this marriage. That type of affection was probably something she longed for. You have only been her husband for merely three months. Those who are 'madly in love' have not even shown their love towards each other until the sixth month, so I hear."
"And where did you hear that from? Your old biddy of an aunt at the brothel?"
"Haha, Lord Lisvarg. But you get my point. Forgive her, and be her friend for now. The trust and love will grow. I promise you, Sire."
"Thank you, Khinthems. I shall return to my wife and apologize."
"Anytime, Sire, anytime."  

[brokenbarrier]

Four months had passed since Lisvarg's death, and it had been considered appropriate for Princess Kirosa to remarry; she chose Vicimus of the humble village, Shessent in Vythrinia.
"How unpredictable," Khinthems muttered sarcastically under his breath at their wedding. As soon as they said their, "I do's," their after party commenced. Kirosa had faked smiles at all the guests her parents invited and had moved to a table where there was only one guest at it.
"Oh...? Sir, are you even on this list? And if so, where is the rest of your family?" Khinthems looked up to meet her murderous face. "Oh! You are... Khinthems of Highchyre in Silthin! You are... ...were my late husband's best man at our wedding... You were invited..?" she asked a bit hesitantly. "Yes, Your Highness, I received an invite. If you do not want me here, I may leave..."
She raised her delicately gloved hands. "No, please do excuse my rude behavior. Um, so where is your family?" Khinthems returned his gaze back to his unfinished tureen. "My mother finally passed away only a mere month after Lord Lisvarg's death; she loved him as he was her second son... He was certainly similar a brother to me... My father had died two years ago, Your Highness, and I have not married the girl of my dreams as of yet, or will ever..."
Kirosa's head tilted. "Why not? You're a good-looking man! Why have you not married her?" He began to chuckle half-heartedly. "I haven't the money to ask for her hand... I offered to pay for Lord Lisvarg's funeral... His parents could only oblige to a dear friend's wish..."
Kirosa gasped lightly. "You paid for it...? Even with the knowledge that his parents could have and with your love in mind?" Khinthems stared at her with his emerald green eyes. "Your Highness, I am but a fieldworker in Silthin. I have no connections to the kingdom whatsoever other than having befriended Lord Lisvarg. If anything, he was the one who was merely a commoner with many benefits. He fit right in and became part of my family. I still have the love of my dearest Brianna; I no longer have my brother, Your Highness. His honor was at stake; I simply returned it to him." She stared at the sullen man. "That doesn't explain why you did not take your beloved here to celebrate my wedding," she replied and had hoped to change the subject.
Khinthems smiled sadly. "She refused to accompany me... She told me as I was on my way here, 'If I have yet to have my own wedding, why should I go with you, of all people, to someone else's wedding?' She threw her ring at me as well..." He was fingering over his beloved's silver ring with her birthstone, September Sapphire. "She also threatened that if I do not give her a wedding, she will leave me for a knight at your court. Sir Vicimus' brother, I presume?" Kirosa gasped. "Brianna of Highchyre is your lover? Premus was going on about her at dinner last night... Saying how he would sweep her off her feet away from her frump of a lover... Oh, I do apologize! I should have used a few euphemisms in there..." Khinthems raised his calloused hands. "It is okay, Your Highness. You are the only one who can be so blatantly honest that I will and should accept at any cost. That is one thing you have that reminds me of Lord Lisvarg."
They were silent for a few minutes before Khinthems broke the silence. "My leave is due, Your Highness. Methinks I have upset you enough on your grandeur celebration."  

[brokenbarrier]

"Oh no, please do not leave, kind Khinthems. Please do stay!" She put her delicate hands on his shoulder. At first instinct, he swatted her hand away. She was taken aback. "Do not put your bloody hands on me, woman... You have no right to!" Khinthems barked out at her. "I do beg your pardon! Have you lost your sanity, man?!" she demanded.
He stared at her with bloodlust. "No, I certainly have not. But you did that fateful night. Or was it "Lord" Vicimus that tore my dear brother's heart out...? Is it cased in glass on the dining room table as you were...? Or has Vicimus eaten it?"
Kirosa's eyes widened and her heart began to race. "Y-you... I-I... I haven't the faintest idea of what you are spouting at me!" Khinthem's eyes returned to normalcy to his regular passive state. "I see... I apologize, Your Highness. Have a wonderful celebration." He stood up and started walking towards the exit. "By the by, it is disrespectful to the dead by carving a wedding cake with the dead's own knife. I would ask for it back, but I don't know what other perverse crimes were committed with it." With that, he left.  

[brokenbarrier]

"My beloved, you have seemed so hesitant tonight," Vicimus said as he kissed her passionately on her neck. "Not now, Vicimus!" Vicimus stepped away from her. "What is it now, dear? You can even be you on your own wedding day?" She sighed exasperatingly. "I'm so sorry, dear... But that.... that Lisvarg even bothers me to this day, and he's dead!"
"What exactly is going on?" Kirosa began to tremble. "He... He must have said something to that, that commoner! Khinthems of Highchyre! He was beguiling me with his tragic stories, and he suddenly burst out saying how we murdered Lisvarg!" Vicimus put his hand over her mouth. "Shush, woman! The walls have ears, too. You must be careful of what you say. Citizens of Silthin were already wary of us to begin with; no reason for those feelings to emerge again, especially when they are almost healed..." She nodded as tears began to fall. He took his hand off.
"Well, what are we to do, Vicimus? Soon enough, extortion will be something he could have in play against us!" Vicimus smiled his devious smile, the exact same one he had the night he killed Lisvarg. "My brother, Premus, is courting that Brianna of his, correct? Once Premus acquires her, it will be the most perfect of all times to murder him and stage it as suicide! No one would question it! His parents are dead, his beloved Lisvarg is gone, and he will have lost his only love and his only reason for living..."
Kirosa's eyes began to shine. "Great! Vicimus, you amaze me each time...!!!" Vicimus smiled and began to caress Kirosa... Their fondles and sweet moans dissipated into the night.  

[brokenbarrier]

The next morning, as the murderous couple were in the nude under bed sheets, three knights had their swords to their necks. "Wh-what is this?" Kirosa demanded. "My sincerest apologies, Your Highness, but the King and Queen of Silthin demands your incarceration," the first knight announced. The second added, "And that goes the same for you, handsome," directed at Vicimus. Vicimus growled and barked at the knights, "By my orders, I command you to let me go!"
"We do not work for you, so keep quiet," the first knight said. "Well, you regarded me as Your Highness, so by my command--" The third knight interrupted. "That is why I am here, mistress." He brought forth a royal scroll, the parchment easily recognized as parchment paper only special at the Castle of Silthin. "So my King and Queen of Silthin decrees, 'Princess Kirosa of Vythrinia and Had-been-to-be-successor of the late Prince Lisvarg--may his soul rest in peace--Vicimus of Shessent of Vythrinia are to be arrested and taken to the highly-secured prison in Silthin for the crime of murder and treason. There, our newly-crowned king will give you your sentence.' That is all. Are there any questions?" the third Silthinian knight asked sarcastically.
"Yes, one," Vicimus growled out. "Exactly who is the 'newly-crowned' king?" The knights smiled and uttered without malice, "Why, Lord Khinthems of Highchyre, Lord Lisvarg's honorable friend."  

[brokenbarrier]

The two were in shackles and were brought before the royal court. Lisvarg's parents sat on the opposite side of Khinthems. "Well, well... The dearest commoner has been brought to honor!" Vicimus taunted. "Restrain him," the head guard ordered the knights.
The knights all gathered round and thrashed Vicimus a few rounds. He was finally silent.
Khinthems began to speak. "Kirosa of Vythrinia, Vicimus of Vythrinia, you are accused of the crime of murdering our beloved, former prince, Lisvarg of Silthin. How do you plead?"  

[brokenbarrier]

"Not guilty," the two said in unison, not even thinking before answering. "I see," Khinthems answered. "Well, I see restraints are useless here. I found this in your home, Kirosa." He revealed a jewelry box. "That is merely my box I keep my valuables in."
"Well, I'll say. There's something very valuable in here." Kirosa began to tremble. Vicimus steadied her. "She recently lost that; but I see you do not have the key. So you stole it without thinking--" Khinthems stared at Vicimus with his dark, emerald-green eyes. "Who said I didn't have the key?" He revealed a necklace with the box's golden key dangling from his neck. Kirosa began to hyperventilate. "And I've already opened it..." He opened the box to show the entire royal court. It was a dried-out heart, horribly mangled as if someone had ripped it out while its body was still living. Lisvarg's mother began to shriek and buried her head into her husband’s arms as if she had suffered a second time of losing her only son.
"I hereby sentence you two to death. Court adjourned." As Khinthems started to grab his gavel, Vicimus burst out laughing. "You certainly underestimated me, Khinthems! Did you think I did not conceive the notion that you would come to this kingdom and tell Lisvarg's old mum and dad? You are by far more of an idiot than old Lisvarg himself! May his soul decay such as his corpse under the mulch that it is in!"
Khinthems did not flinch. "So what are you saying, Vicimus?" he said stoically. "I'm saying... 'It begins.'"  

[brokenbarrier]

The glass in the court broke in as packs of men and assassins of the Vythrinian court began to fill in. They murdered everyone in sight, and Khinthems, with his knights and the former king and queen of Silthin made their escape. Vicimus and Kirosa's chains were removed. "Vicimus, he escaped."
"I know that, woman... It just means I now have an interesting game to play." Kirosa stared at him wildly. "A game?? If they catch us, Vicimus, we will die!" Vicimus held her by the throat with his bare hands. "Do not chastise me, woman... You have already proven your worthlessness ages ago; I have only kept you around for your beauty. Do not make me kill you as well..." He let go of her. "I will soon have Silthin and Vythrinia again. But for now, I shall accept Vythrinia by itself."
Kirosa stared at him in contempt. "You are not the ruler of Vythrinia just yet, Vicimus! Without my authority, you will never become king, and my father will certainly not--"
"Your father? Your father is dead, my dear. Those assassins today took him out for me. Your mother hung herself by means of persuasion... You are the only one living, and I think you will like it to stay that way, correct?" he said to her as he played with a strand of her hair. Oh God, what have I done? she thought wildly to herself.  

[brokenbarrier]

The following day, Vicimus and Kirosa waged war against Khinthems and all of Silthin. The Vythrinians were hesitant at first, but the assassins were already under the rule of Vicimus, and they followed suit. For the next two decades, Vicimus and Khinthems had fought with all their might in battle never knowing who would win that day.
Kirosa sat at the windowsill in her bedroom in her castle every day. "Lisvarg, is this revenge on me...? For having deceived our relationship...? For never giving you a chance...? I apologize with all that is left of my heart... I know I will burn in Gehenna, so you needn't cry for anyone other than that honorable Khinthems of Highchyre in Heaven. May'st you rest in peace..."
Vicimus walked into the room. "Vicimus, you have returned so soon. What brought you home?"
"Ah, both camps were delayed due to the weather. No army of knights would fight in these conditions; no matter what the cost. I would have entrusted the upcoming battle plans to a young knight, but alas, I have yet to find one with my thinking. If it were not for that flaming spiral maneuver by that b*****d, Khinthems, Premus--may his soul rest in peace--would be with us now and would have the plans already..."
Kirosa moved over to him and wrapped her elegant arms around his neck. "It is okay...You will manage with or without obstacles... Come to bed and relax for a bit." He pushed her off. "For what? Passion? Pah! I desire an heir, but no! You cannot give me one! Would you not have liked to have told me that you were barren twenty one years ago?"
"I did not know that then," she replied softly. He stared at her in contempt. "Whatever the matter is with you lately?"
"This ongoing war has aged me greatly, Vicimus. I have realized not long after we waged war against Silthin that I no longer had anything to live for..." Vicimus growled softly. "Stow that thinking, Kirosa, or by Vythrinia's kingdom, I'll--"
"You'll what? Kill me? I've been wishing for death for so long now... My want is to rush up to dear, old Khinthems... And surrender."
"Are you mad, woman??!! After so long now, you want to give up?!!"
"But that's just it, Vicimus! It's been so long!" she yelled out. Her eyes were becoming wet now, and her voice began to falter. "I am in my thirty eighth year of age, Vicimus. Were it not for me being barren, this year would surely have marked me as of aging greatly now. Khinthems' sons have grown already... I refuse his heirs to have become men under such dire restrictions and sorrow..."
Vicimus slapped her across her left cheek. "I am not giving up on Vythrinia not yet, not ever. I will win... I promise you that... Tasting salvation's near..." he seethed out.