Old Hatreds I

"Hail to the King and Queen!"

"Honor and joy into this kingdom, from now onto eternity!"

It was the day of the kingdom's great prosperity. Everybody's celebrating in behalf of it. Inside the king's hall, "I hereby declare that this meeting is adjourned!"

"Why's that your majesty?"

"I've got some things to do, I'll be requiring some few men to guard the entrance because outsiders shouldn't be here but I've got a bad feeling about being drawn closer to arguments."

"Yes, your highness."

"Ohh... and remember, tell my wife that i'll be leaving in the ninth hour. She might feel unwell without my presence."

"Yes, your highness... well about your exemplary your majesty... he wasn't here for about three days? past three days? Well, what are you going to do to him?"

"Well what about Lionheart? In actual, I've sent him—"

The crowd falls in silence as they hear the marching of the horses and the clanking of the swords and many more weapons made out of steel.

"Well, there he is... no need to worry that much Steve..."

"Yes. Your highness." Sighs the noble. All the people were fascinated by Lionheart and his glorious army coming home from the war, victorious. Lionheart leaped from his horse and walked in the path of the noble towards the King's majesty. He kneels in respect. "Your majesty, I've done what you have asked for."

"Rise, Lionheart."

Lionheart stands with honor and pride among the crowd.

"Today, I hereby give you the honor and authority among my armies and lead them to war with continuous victor. My gratitude, I've lain down on you. Our greatest warrior... Lionheart!"

Lionheart picks up his sword and raised it, shining in glory among the crowd. "For this kingdom, I will lay my life. I promise that I will protect and lead this kingdom to victor!"

The praising screams of the crowd filled the air and the whole kingdom.

When the night has come, silence and peace fills the whole kingdom. Inside the room of the royals slept Vexana, the Queen. "Oh, my love... wherefore art thou?" She took her small golden mirror staring at herself. "This beauty... how is this not enough for you my love?" She takes a comb out of her drawer filled with jewels and sophisticated things. "No, Vexana don't be like that. You're the most beautiful. He is only yours, and forever will be yours." Vexana laughed. Outside of the Queen's room, two nobles have been listening. "Shall we tell her what we just saw?"

"This is hard. I don't want to be involve with such undesirable things like this."

"You don't understand right? We two are onto this! We saw the King on our own eyes!"

"Well, I don't really know..." It also happened that Lionheart was also listening and got interested so he left and followed the King's caravan with his horse namely Barbiel. He followed the caravan throughout the path of the exile leading to the land of chaos.

At the distant, He notices a castle hued in pitch black and fiery flames coming out from its windows. He filled himself with great doubt of something paradoxical lurking through his skin. Upon getting closer, Lionheart felt the intensity of the power of chaos. "Where could he be going?" Still, Lionheart continues to follow the caravan.

The wagon stops in a nearby tree. Lionheart stops as well, maintained its distance and unnoticed. There he saw the king coming out of the wagon and he also notices a young woman holding the king's hand and the young woman kissed the king on the lips. Lionheart could not believe what he saw. The king took some of his precious necklaces made out of diamond, gold, ruby, and in all kinds of precious stone and gave it to the young woman. "What is the meaning of this?" Lionheart immediately fled off the scene and returned back into the kingdom. He didn't tell someone about what he had saw but still he could not believe it.

The next day, the king's caravan arrived in the high noon. Vexana waiting outside, immediately ran towards the caravan and hugs her husband as he got out of the wagon. "My love, I really miss you so much." Vexana hugs her husband tightly but he loosened her grip around him and left her without a word. Vexana chased him. "Are you okay? Is there anything wrong?"

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! LEAVE ME ALONE!" The king yelled at Vexana and continues to walk, leaving her. "Why?..." Vexana fell down on her knees, tears are flowing from her eyes. Lionheart was watching them at a distant.

A week passed and the king is nowhere to be found. All of the armies including Lionheart set out on a journey to find the king. The expedition occured in four groups. North, south, west, and east. Vexana stayed on its room started from the past week. Weak and depressed. Her appearance became horrible, her body became so slender because of not eating consistently. Lionheart pitied Vexana so much so he decided to form an expeditionary team to find the king and return him back into his kingdom. He told Vexana about it and Vexana filled herself with courage and hope. She decided to come along with Lionheart on finding her husband. They journeyed south in accordance to Lionheart's intuition. The southern path, the path of exile or the path towards the land of chaos is where they banish criminals, walking in a path filled with darkness and torment. Some say that the trees are alive and demons were lurking there and are waiting for their human victims. Lionheart remembered this path as the one whom the king had gone into so he decided to choose the path for their expedition.

The withered trees were waving at them and strange noises echoed among the trees. Lionheart felt the intense chaotic energy again as they go deeper in the woods. He saw the tree whom the king stopped and conversed with a young woman. He also thought that the king is cheating on his wife. Lionheart stopped the wagon and he leaped off his horse. He walk towards the tree. He stops in front of the tree and touches it. "Something's wrong..." Lioheart looked back and the wagon disappeared. Then strange, loud pitch voices roared on Lionheart's head and then he fainted.