ACE OF HEARTS by PlutoDesire

Prologue

'The petals wither and fall from their flower. The leaves from the trees, once beautifully they danced in the wind, now fall to the earth as only dead waste. The grass once green and lush now fades away, covered by a blanket of frost. Another year has passed' the king said turning from the window in the study, 'and another year I am forced to endure life without her. You have a chance to do a good thing. Why not make it so?'

'There is nothing I can do' the woman repeated for the hundredth time. 'I think it's time to face reality. Come out of your grieving. You have to face the fact that she may never wake.'

'No' the king repeated. 'I will never stop trying to save her.'

'Then many will continue to suffer because of your unwillingness to face the truth.'

'If you will not help me' the king said. 'Perhaps there are others who can.'

'So what are you going to do? Continue to kidnap until you are so old and tired you've lost your mind?'

'I will do whatever is necessary' the king answered.

'This meaningless quest will drive you mad' the woman answered, 'if it hasn't already done so.'

'I will never be mad' the king answered simply, 'if I have her.'

'Then make the most of your sanity' the woman stared coolly. 'And I say for the last time. There is nothing I can do.'

The king glared, controlling his anger well despite his rage and despair.

'Then I have no need for you.'

The king approached the woman sitting in the chair, lifting his hands to grab her.

Instead of showing fear, the woman turned her head to look behind her, speaking to the figure that only she could see.

'This is my last chance isn't it? I won't ever come back again.'

'If there was anything I could do to save you...' the figure answered, not even trying to hold back his grief, 'then I would do it. But I can't help you this time……I'm sorry…'

The woman looked forwards to face the king again, but continued to speak to the figure behind her.

'Please' she said to the figure. 'Do not be sad for me. I've lived my life. Find someone younger and protect them. This is my final wish.'

She bowed her head with a smile, closing her eyes as if content. When she opened them again, she stared calmly at the king, and waited for his hands to close around her neck.

Many days later

The woman stood on the edge of the balcony. The wind this high up was cold and sharp, though not unpleasant on her skin. She had become flushed, exhausted from her trek running up the spiral stairs of the tower behind her. She had thought that she might escape this way, but her path had led only to this dead end.

But she did not despair. She could still escape.

'Mother…' she breathed. 'I will see you again.'

She took a step forward, standing at the very the edge of the wall-less balcony. She tilted, just as she did so, a male figure appeared behind her. He cried out, running forwards to try to stop her. But he was far too late.

She plummeted, head first towards the ground. The last thing she saw was the wall of the tower she had climbed shooting past.

She hit the ground, and was killed instantly.

Her body was found shortly after, fallen in a bush. The leaves had concealed her as the twisting green vines wrapped themselves around her body, entangling her.

The soldiers had found her. One of them fought through the thick thorns, lifting her lifeless form in his arms and resting her upon the stone ground nearby.

'I'm sorry' the soldier that had carried her said. 'She jumped. We could not reach her in time.'

The man he spoke to raised his head to the tower, seeing above him a row of soldiers standing at the edge, looking down to the scene below.

'My lord!' the soldier who had carried the women gasped. 'Her body. It's gone!'

'No' the man he spoke to said slowly, lifting his eyes to the darkening sky, watching as the thick black clouds rolled above the lands. 'She is still out there somewhere. I will find her.'

Part 1

Chapter One

Ambition

Arlen flicked back the fishing rod. The thin string attached sailed through the air as it was cast back into the water, this time a little further away than before. He leant forwards, holding the simple fishing rod with one hand and resting with his chin upon his knee. His other leg dangled above the water on the short wooden platform he sat on.

The fish were teasing him. Already he had thrown bread crumbs into the water, which they had snapped up in an instant, but they would not chase the lure. Arlen became ever more frustrated as he watched the small thin fish move in a shoal around the wriggling worm on the hook. Arlen moved the rod, trying to coax the fish. One came closer, looking as if it were about to bite.

But then came a noise. His brothers swung above the water of the pond on the rope swing they had made, letting go of the rope in mid swing and flying through the air. Their hollering was abruptly cut short as they hit the water, one after the other. Arlen alarmed looked back at the shoal of fish, they had scattered.

Losing his patience he threw the rod down into the water below him.

'You idiots' he shouted to his brothers when they surfaced. 'You scared the fish away!'

They weren't listening, instead continued to wrestle with each other in the water. Farrell, the youngest being eleven years old, broke free, swimming as fast as he could towards the platform Arlen sat on. He was swiftly being followed by Brice the eldest, who was sixteen.

'Did you hear what I said?' Arlen huffed when they reached him.