Make Believe

The royal castle was huge. Build on the wealth of the land and its people. It had thousands of different rooms all of which had a different purpose. The halls were barely ever lit except for the occasional candle light. It was obvious the place had seen better days.

Charles stormed in, sweat beading down his face. He through his sward and cape to the side of the door and let out an aggravated yell. He quickly began to rush through the halls, pushing servants out of the way and yelling at anyone that tried to talk to him.

He rushed into his fathers chamber and slammed the door loudly behind him.

"They took her father!" He rushed to his fathers side and started pouting like a young school girl.

The King sat up in his bed, his white night gown, hanging around his neck. "Slow down, Charles," he said, rubbing his eyes as he noticed the light soaking in through the curtains.

Charles stood before him, panting as his mind reeled. He opened his mouth a few times, expecting words to come out but he had no such luck. He was too caught up in his own head.

"The pirates took her."
"Who?"
"My lady."
"Since when do you have a lady?" His father asked, his eyes squinting.

King James understood that his son would eventually become king but he never had the highest expectations for him. As far as James was concerned, he would rule the kingdom with an iron fist until the end of time. During his time as king, James had raised taxes to pay for his rather extravagant wardrobe, beheaded many a conspirator in public to scare the people into submission, and married himself a fair amount of young wives to keep up with his lifestyle. Charles was the only child born from his late wife who mysteriously died in the night.

Charles's large pout only grew at his fathers words, "It's about time I find myself a woman, you know. I'm going to be king soon."

King James's brow furrowed when he heard his son speak. A rough growl escaped his lips as he restrained himself from screaming at the boy. He had to make sure that Charles felt comfortable and kept his mind off the throne. As he calmed himself down, a small smirk crossed his face. A fowl plan was hatching within his mind. One that even the villains of old wouldn't consider. The cogs were in motion.

What Charles did not know about his father was his relationship with the pirates of the land. Like a thorn jammed in his side, the pirates were the only group that stood against his strict rules and laws. He saw this as an opportunity to capture the one person who had eluded his grasp for years now; Archer.

"Pirates, you say?" He said coyly, trying his best to seem as concerned as possible. "Well, you know what you must do, my boy. You must save her before the pirates kill her or worse, brainwash her! They have that power you know. Take all the guards you need and search the lands. Knowing the local pirates, they shouldn't be far."

Charles was rather surprised at his father's acceptance and could not hide the smile that came with the idea of a heroic journey to save the woman he was to marry.

"Thank you father!" He shouted, spinning on his heals only to come face to face with the Royal Advisor, Nail. This ancient old man slipped into the room undetected, causing the prince to let out a loud gasp. When he recomposed himself, he let out a soft growl, "you bastard" slipping out. This was not the first time Nail had found joy in spooking the young prince.

"I apologize, your majesty," He said, a cryptic smile crawling across his face. "I must ask that you leave your father and I alone. We have much to discuss." The man crept to the side of Charles, his snake-like eyes darting past Charles as he stepped towards the king.

"Very well, I shall begin my journey today. I'll be back before you know it, father. I'll bring you the pirates head on a plate and my bride and I shall be married on my return. Please, begin the preparations." And with that final comment, Charles walked out the door, slamming it triumphantly behind him.

Nail stepped closer to the king, a keen smile on his face. Nail and the king had known each other for so long, it was sometimes hard to tell who hatched the dark plans first.

"Journey?" Nail questioned, turning to the king.

"Some maiden of his was kidnapped by pirates. Our pirates." He said, a horribly pleasant smile residing on his lips.

"Archer." Nail spoke, his smile disappearing.
"Exactly."
"Your plan?"
"The fool boy will run off with his guards and track them down. Two things may happen. One, the boy kills the pirates, solving our little problem or, two, Archer kills Charles, setting our plan in motion before we had planned."

The two men stared at each other, marveling in their own genius.

"Let's hope this girl is worth it," Nail said, a dark laugh escaping his dusty and broken lungs.