I gazed upon the sky of a land not

forgotten as I walked the path

toward being incarcerated. My

plan to infiltrate your castle . . .

well, hadn't gone so well. As you

know, since you saw me.



We had met eyes as I whispered

your name and I extended my

hand . . . yet, you could only curse

and holler for your guards. The

ones that had been all too excited

to pursue their newest intruder.

An intruder that at one point in

time had been betrothed to you.



--



I sat within my cell and stared at

the moldy walls. The humidity

made the environment grossly

intolerable. Yet, there I sat,

disgusted, and trapped between

the walls that I had once called

"home".



I knew these cells, as I had once

explored them as a child. My time

here? Extensive considering my

entire childhood consisted of

sharing your parents. I recalled

calling Queen Melinosa, Mother.

As was customary for those who

were betrothed. Each of us was

integrated into the mind frame

that each family was their own for

the good of the two nations. My

home of Desmonia and your

home of Neroki, a not- so-close

ally.



For nearly two decades I awaited

the moment when you and I

would be able to unite our

rebelling fronts and create peace

for our people. Yet, there I found

myself sitting in the dungeons

designed for martyrs and

fiends . . . those who rebelled

against our royal families . . .

sentenced to death.



I never would have fathomed

that -- after two decades -- that

the choice to tear us apart could

be made upon a whim. Then, your

desire to defend your Father's

ignorance. Even though he was

the King would ultimately prove

just how ignorant everyone was in

dealing with our dire situation.



. . . because your Father decided

to declare war upon my homeland

when we had created no issues,

you were forced into the decision

of choosing your betrothed

friend, or the woman from the

very powerful province of

Enrodan. The province that only

sought even more power. Power

that, ultimately would divide our

six provinces to create more war

within our otherwise peaceful

region.



We all wanted peace, that is why

the last endeavor to universal

peace was for my Father to unite

the two regions of Desmonia and

Neroki. However, your Father,

King Urekeye, at the last moment,

had refused to settle his

differences with my Father, King

Ansimo.



Their differences were irrelevant

as I sat and stared at stone walls.

The same ones I had met my first

friend within.



--



"Oh, Child." The voice had once

whispered from afar as I had

wandered my way among the

cells of your castle. "Won't you

ease the mind of a troubled

man?" The voice came from deep

in the shadows, ushering me in as

I explored.



"How might I ease the mind of a

troubled man?" Young, naive, me

asked as I ventured deeper into

the cells that were not supposed

to have been accessed by me.



"In only the way a child may . . .

with the darkness in this

blackened room . . . Your laughter,

Child. I desire your laughter as I

waste away in these shadows.

Your laughter is all I desire as I

wither in this darkness . . ." The

man, though, disoriented and

hidden in the shadows of the

dungeon was skeletal. Wasting, as

he said, away as the guards

refused to tend to his needs.



--



I kept recalling that man. How he

had been as skeletal as he was. I

couldn't help but wonder if that

was now my destiny. I had

traversed hundreds of miles to

get to your home. I had wondered

long if I would not meet the same

demise as many prior prisoners.



Yet, as I dozed in my cell, I found

little rest. I was awoken by the

presence before me as it erupted

in rage . . .



". . . I cannot believe you would

risk your life to be HERE!" Your

bellow startled me from the

numbness I felt. The long days

leading up to my arrival combined

with the treatment I had received

since then? I was famished and

disoriented. I could scarcely

connect the dots of your words.

All I could feel in my moment

with you was despair.



Agony seized my heart as tears

swelled up in my eyes at your

disappointment in my actions.

Why was it I "couldn't give up" on

the future I had been promised.

The future that I had for so long,

longed for . . .



"Don't you get it? It's over! We

will never see another day

together, we will never see a time

when we will bare our own

children! It does not matter what

once we talked of! Our dreams

are no more because of the

ignorance of my father . . ."



The truth was ever soul crushing

as I sat in my shackles being

charged with the capital

punishment of 'Conspiring against

the King and Queen'.



I stared at you for a long moment,

my eyes dark and stark, "I

believed at one point that you

were one to fight for the rights of

our people and our equalities . . ."

I uttered within my disorientation

I willed for you to understand that

I had not come to this place to

usurp your throne. Rather to

reunite our two houses that were

so tragically being ripped apart

after nearly two decades of

careful planning.



Yet, this other woman was a

standing issue . . . filling your

head with lies of a false union and

peace. All that would come from

unifying Neroki with Enrodan

would be the destruction of

Desmonia.



"As I sit within this dungeon

awaiting my demise, I realize that

life is but a facade. One in which

you must face with those you

think to be, then one you must

face for those who you know to

be . . . I cannot differentiate the

two as I wither away alongside all

the other lost souls of this

dungeon. I am but another one

among the many to soon be

lost . . ."



My utterance came as I sat up

among the chains that bound me

to the wall like an animal. "I will

not forget the days I spent with

you and yours. The ones who no

longer grace us with their

presence. The ones I loved and

those who blessed us as I loved

them as my own. I will never

forget the loved ones I have also

lost in this great war of despair

and agony. Remember that when I

am gone, I will still never forget.

My soul may never rest after this

betrayal." I spoke among my

chains and strained against them

as I never had before.



It was then that I saw your will to

defy the woman who had helped

to ruin our lives. "I never wanted

to break our bond . . ." Your voice

was broken as you crumpled

before my bars. "I had always

intended on you as my wife, but

after my Father's decree that I

marry the Bride of his

choosing . . ." Your voice cracked,

"I've had no choice in this

decision. You must believe

me . . ." You spoke as you knelt

before my imprisonment. You

grasped the bars of my cage and

stared whole-heartedly at me. "I

always wanted you as my wife . . .

Desmonia was my home, too."



I did not have an opportunity to

fully comprehend what it was that

you had said as my mind was so

clouded.



That was when she stepped into

the dungeon.



Her gaze was heavy and ice cold.

Those blue orbs locked onto you

as though you had broken some

sacred vow that warranted

punishment. "You dare visit with

this traitor upon our wedding's

eve?" Her voice has so harsh --

disgusted with you. I could do

nothing but hang my head and

weep.



It was up to you to stand up for

yourself against this woman. I was

nothing but a trapped prisoner. I

could no more take action against

her, than I could free myself from

my bindings. "You do not

understand --" You muttered as

you sat knelt. You stared up at her

from your side of my cage,

desperation on your face.



"I do not understand?" She spat

vehemently. "As I see things, you

are breaking your solemn vow

made to me and my people!" She

declared with absoluteness. "You

see this woman among our

dungeon and declare I am

unworthy? How DARE you declare

such idiotic sentiments! I am but

the most worthy for your

desecrated Kingdom! The only

woman alive that may bring forth

great riches and fortune to your

people that suffer beneath your

disgraceful reign!" Her words

were so cutting, even to me, as I

listened and gawked in awe.



Speechless, I could do nothing but

sink back against the wall behind

me. I watched as you, the man I

loved, fell short of words and

dared not defend your own

ideals.



It was a depressing moment as I

realized you would not defend us.

The two of us that had been

chosen long before now. The two

destined to bring our two worlds

into prosperity and greatness by

being unified after having been at

war for so long . . .



I stared at you and you stared at

me in despair. I knew it was all

over. We, together, could not

compete against the will of the

woman before us, and the will of

your father.



"I see." I uttered, defeated. "So,

this is the end for you and I." I met

your gaze as I announced the truth

of our situation. Everything we

had been born to do was for

nothing. The war between our

two homes would continue long

after my demise . . .



This woman before us had won.

She would claim the husband that

I had loved since childhood, and

she would do so without remorse.

She would reign over the people I

had grown to love since

childhood.



Just because the reward of her

hand would exceed any reward

you and I could ever have

dreamed to reap in our future.