Thankfully, the guard was being truthful as the tower was empty, but it won’t be for long. She runs down the seemingly endless hallway with the dimly lit torches being her only source of light. The hallway is thankfully silent, except for the sound of her footsteps and labored breathing. Zariah feels her speed picking up, not knowing where she’s going or when the guards will be back from their lunch break. Suddenly, Zariah almost trips over her gown, interrupting her hasty escape. She rushes to get back on her feet, dusting off her dress before noticing the obstacle.
“Finally.”
Zariah sighs in relief as she looks down at the spiral staircase before going down without hesitation. She holds up the bottom of her dusty gown as she sprints down the stairs towards her freedom, with the sound of her flats echoing throughout the walls. The more she felt the familiar cold weather, the faster she went. Zariah sees the door leading to the exit as she reaches the last of the stairs. She pushes the door open, running outside like a bat out of hell.
“Why do they always give us crappy food? Those royal snobs have more than enough money to give us something more edible.”
A guard complains, urging Zariah to run to the point of her lungs almost burning. At this point, she didn’t care how close they were, she’ll be damned If she waits around for her execution.
The barren area lacks any roads or pathways. For all she knows, she could be running around in circles. However, Zariah keeps going, she knows there’s a way back to civilization, or at least a suitable place to hide until she can come up with an actual plan to prove her innocence. The cold, whistling winds are unforgiving as it begins to slow her down. She stops in her tracks, finally starting to catch her breath. The wind becomes even more aggressive, almost screaming this time.
“No wonder no one has dared to escape. This place is almost impossible to navigate.” Zariah groans as she struggles to breathe, as the wind screams even louder.
“Zariah…”
She whips her head around, looking for the source of the voice. Is she hallucinating now? She shakes her head and prepares to continue her trek out of this hellscape.
The snow starts blowing around her, almost creating some sort of winter tornado. A figure manifests in the midst of this, forming into someone familiar.
“Mother?”
“Zariah, I don’t have long, so I need you to listen very carefully. You’re close to a nearby village. You must find some way to disguise yourself, as your father will soon learn of your escape.”
Isis explains. Zariah’s eyes widened as she questions if any of this was real.
“Mom, did he-“
“Yes, he and that witch conspired to use black magic to make himself immortal so that he could secure the throne for eternity. The rumors of their affair are also true, I just didn’t want you to be involved in this mess. When I confronted him, Yanina murdered me without a second thought. I didn’t realize he’d be sick enough to frame you.”
“How am I supposed to prove my innocence? I don’t have any evidence except for hearsay.”
“In the nearby village, you will meet a young woman of similar age. She will be your biggest ally when taking your father down. You’ll know who exactly she is when you see her.”
Isis briefs before disappearing into the wind.
Zariah expected a lot of things in her young life. Preparing to take the crown, finding a husband that’ll rule alongside her, and even producing an heir. Taking down her corrupt father was not on the list of things she expected to do. However, his selfishness and greed killed her mother and uprooted her life. For the first time in her life, Zariah will have to stand up and act before her father destroys the kingdom and her.
I hope everyone is having a good weekend, here's part 2!
Prologue
Tower of Grey
In the middle of a white forest, no humans or animals are to be seen. The only thing that stands is a grey tower made of old and cold stone. However, living beings are inside. One of them being Princess Zariah. The beautiful princess, known for her radiant dark skin and soft curly hair, is now considered a cold murderer. Tragedy struck the kingdom when her own mother was murdered, with black magic being the weapon of choice. Zariah, though with little evidence, was to blame for the Queen’s death. This being the scandal of the century, the kingdom couldn’t help but run their mouth.
“The queen, killed by her own daughter!”
“A travesty indeed…”
“I knew those royal goblins would eat each other alive.”
“Is this the downfall of the monarchy?!”
Not knowing her actual fate, Zariah assumes she’ll either die in this tower or meet the axe. She looks out the barred windows to see nothing but snow. The winter wonderland used to bring her comfort when she was at the palace, but all she sees now is death and despair. Brooding over her predicament, a loud bang at the door catches her off guard. Zariah turns around as the locked doors open, and she sees one of the guards with a tray full of less-than-appetizing food.
“Lunch has arrived, your highness.”
He sneers as he rudely drops the tray on the floor. His eyes roll as he stomps out while the princess glares holes into his back. She hesitantly picks up the tray, sighing in defeat. She knows that she didn’t kill her mother; she loved her dearly.
“My own father thinks of me a monster,”
Zariah whispers bitterly to herself. She once again sits by the barred window to look at the depressing view of barren trees clothed by snow and the general lack of life. The young princess is almost tempted to wallow in pity. She looks down at her ice blue gown, now covered in dust from when she was dragged to this prison. Why would her father, of all people, believe that she killed her mother? Especially since he knew her views on black magic.
The one thing the royal servants enjoyed most about the palace was the grand library. Millions of books neatly arranged in alphabetical order on freshly crafted mahogany shelves. The tan porcelain floors are so clean that you can see your own reflection. The walls covered with past members of the royal family from the start of the kingdom to now. In a secret room, little Zariah and Isis look at various kinds of history books.
“Mommy, why do I have to read this boring stuff?”
Zariah groans. At least once a week, the queen would take her daughter to the library and educate her on the history of the kingdom.
“As a princess, these are things you must know. One day, you’ll be crowned queen, and a good queen is educated.”
Isis explained, earning a huff from the 7-year-old.
Zariah looks over the books, none of them worth reading, until she comes across a black book. This particular black book had a lock restricting access. The cover is a rough leather with tiny thorns adorning the spine. Most children would be frightened by the book, but it only made Zariah curious
“What’s that?“
The young girl questions, pointing at the suspicious book. Iris follows her daughter’s finger to see the cursed book. She sighed, wondering if Zariah was ready to learn about the evils of this world. The queen didn’t even mean to pick up the book.
“Sweetheart, you’re too young to learn about what’s inside this book. When you’re older, I'll tell you.”
“But why? The book can’t be that bad.”
“It’s just, the things in there are a bit much for your-“
“Didn’t you just say that a good queen is educated? If I’m going to rule one day, there’s important stuff I need to learn, right? This book looks important!”
Zariah fires back. Iris pinches her nose bridge in frustration, knowing her curious child will not let this go if she continues to refuse.
“Well, if you insist, but the things in that book are quite dark. It explains the history of black magic.”
“Black magic? What’s that?
“It is a type of magic only practiced by the greedy, deceitful, and bloodthirsty. It is mostly used to harm others and for self-gratification. When it comes to its exact origins, it depends on who you ask. I’ve heard stories of people doing this practice to gain power or riches, and it will give you those things. However, it always comes at a price.
Our family has an interesting relationship with black magic. In the infant stages of the kingdom, King Ezra and Queen Fatima had a hard time asserting their authority, as the natives weren’t used to a monarchy. Their solution was to use black magic to gain power over their subjects. The spell did work, but the King and Queen started seeing spirits, and not the friendly kind. Six months later, they were both found dead in their chambers. Their bodies almost resembled mummies with thin, leathery skin and protruding bones. A century ago, the reigning king and queen at that time were extremely unpopular. For a while, the commoners grew to despise the royal family. The king at the time, Emry, imposed higher taxes on bread. This, unfortunately, created new enemies.
At the annual royal festival, a rogue witch tried to eradicate the royal family using black magic. Luckily, the royal guards took the brunt of the magic and were able to subdue him; a few of them still died, however. The witch in question was beheaded and burned for his crimes. From that day forward, King Emry passed a law that any black magic used against the royal family carried an automatic death sentence by beheading and burning.”
Iris explained.
That memory still burns in Zariah’s mind. Isis was never afraid of transparency, as the truth may be uncomfortable, but it will bring clarity and closure. Lost in her thoughts, hushed whispers invade her mind.
“What was that?”
She whispers to herself, eyes scanning the small room. She follows the whispers that lead to the other side of the locked door.
“He knows very well she didn’t kill Queen Isis. I knew the princess since she was an infant, wouldn’t hurt a bloody fly!”
“Let’s be honest, Ezekiel. It wouldn’t shock me if that whore was behind this.”
“What in the world are you talking about?
“You didn’t know? It’s common knowledge that the King has been having an affair with that witch Yanina. She even walked around the castle like she owned the damn place when the queen wasn’t around. My theory is that the king and his little mistress orchestrated Queen Isis’ death and framed the princess to save their skin.”
“That’s ludicrous, Rafael! The king would never betray his own daughter.”
Ezekiel gasps in disgust.
“The same king who barely acknowledges her? The same ruler who isn’t above murder to get what he wants? Think about it, they’re the only ones with clear motives.”
Zariah widened her eyes at the revelation. Like Ezekiel, she didn’t want to believe that her father would backstab her. However, Rafael has a point, as much as she hates to admit. Whenever her mother was absent, that woman was so damn off putting. It wasn’t a secret that her father enabled Yanina’s audacity. Zariah’s first meeting with the witch still leaves a bad taste in her mouth.
Victor rarely called his daughter into his study, as it was considered forbidden for anyone else to enter. So, when she was summoned, she knew that it must’ve been something important. The guard leads her into her father’s study, where she sees him at his desk with a strange woman beside him. The princess’s eyes darted to the suspicious, slim, pale woman with long silver hair and a defined jawline. Her height and the empty look in her icy blue eyes make her look even creepier to Zariah.
“Zariah, this is my new advisor, Yanina.”
Victor announced, gesturing to the woman next to him.
“Hello, child.”
Yanina greets coldly, keeping that same distant look in her eyes.
“Child? Did she seriously say that?”
Zariah thought to herself. She might’ve just met this advisor, but she already knows this woman is bad news.
“Father, for years, you refused to appoint an advisor, even when Mother asked. Why do you need one now? Don’t mistake this for malice, Yanina, but it’s Princess. I may be young, but I’m still your superior.”
Zariah said candidly, looking at the slender woman up and down. This causes the King to slam his hand on the desk, taking attention away from Yanina.
“Listen, girl, you will not disrespect my advisor in my quarters! Whether you like it or not, she’s here to stay, and you might as well get used to it. You may be a Princess, but you will stay in a child’s place. Your mother might’ve enabled your attitude, but it stops here.”
Victor scolded, earning a look of suspicion from his daughter before she stormed out of the study.
Zariah didn’t want to assume the worst of her father, but it’s no coincidence that he hiring an advisor caused this domino effect that resulted in her mother’s death. However, one thing she wants to know is, why frame her? He could’ve easily framed any of the servants, but he threw her, of all people, under the bus. Amid her racing thoughts, a creaking sound catches her attention. In the doorway, she sees Rafael, one of the gossiping guards.
“I really shouldn’t be doing this because it will cost me my life, but we both know you didn’t kill your mother. Being a good daughter and staying in this tower will only result in you meeting your mother in the afterlife. If you’re brave enough, get out of here and prove your innocence while the other guards are having lunch.”
He mutters before disappearing down the hallway. This was her only chance to escape, but what’s next? How would she prove her innocence? Where will she even hide?
“There’s no time for second thoughts; I won’t get this opportunity again.”
She mutters to herself as she runs out into the hallway.
I'm back from the dead, lol. This is a short story I wrote that I'm thinking about making into a novel (so, criticism is welcome!). It's only three parts, so I'll post the next part tomorrow.
Prologue
The Ice Kingdom was without a monarchy until a tribe from unknown origins appeared five hundred years ago. The people had skin tones of shades of brown and hair like wool. The pale natives had never seen anything so different and were enamored. After the two tribes agreed to coexist, the previously unknown tribe created a monarchy that would govern the kingdom for years to come. The current generation of royals — King Victor, Queen Isis, and Princess Zariah — have been working to end the centuries-long conflict with the Fire Kingdom since they ascended to the throne. However, King Victor’s tongue has caused many close calls with other rulers. This, however, was put to a halt when Isis was mysteriously murdered, and Zariah was blamed for her death.
For any comic book readers who know of The Marvels from 1994 illustrated by Alex Ross, I figured out its multiversal designation within the intricate web of comic book universes.
Because believe it or not, The Marvels(1994) does not canonically have a multiversal designation, unlike its poorly received successor Ruins(1995). Ruins' multiversal designation is Earth-9591, a simple anagram for 1995, the year of its creation. However, on the very first page of Ruins, it states that there exists an exactly opposite possibility for every action, and therefore, every universe naturally has its opposite as well. It also states that, in paraphrased terms, "If the world you know is one of Marvels...then only a misstep or a stopped heartbeat away is a world of ruins."
Now, at the bat of an eye, this can simply be written off as "one misstep away," and simply land yourself at some combination of the numbers that make up 1994. I, however, enlisted an accountant to find the exact opposite number of 9591, the designation of the Ruins Earth. After a short while, we wound up with the conclusion that the Marvels(1994) comic mini series takes place on Earth-1373.
It's been a while. I am going to get into writing again, but I want to ask a favor. I am still running my business, and if you guys can follow me on social media, I'd appreciate it! And if you know anyone who is into tarot or spiritual stuff, feel free to share my pages with them. Much appreciated 💜💜💜
At Luke’s age of 19, Uncle Owen established the longest record of holding back the tidal forces of Skywalker bullshit, besting the previous record of 22 minutes set by Obi Wan Kenobi
mysterious pink haired girl I'm playing games with at a friend's birthday party: I thought you'd be better at this when they hyped you up as such a good player. I'm not losing by that much
me, trying to find out what button combination leads to me licking her face in their bathroom: I'm not using my full power because I'm still analyzing your movements. you know, like Goku
ellievsbear
baratheonpilled
blakekathryn
kaledo-art
prguitarman
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
