Grays' Matter
The Last of the Steps
"How long have you been here?" William asked. There was no response. William crawled closer to the man, still trying to converse. "My name's William," he said as he neared the man. From here, it was clear that the man was dead. He was a decomposed body with only some flesh sticking to his bones. William gasped and fell back. He curled up and closed his eyes, only wanting to sleep into the next day. In the middle of the night, William was woken up by the dungeon door opening. It creaked as a masked figure slipped in quietly. William thought they were trying to sneak in and murder him, so he pretended to still be asleep. They came to William's cage and unlocked it.
"Leave now, boy," she said. To William's surprise, it was a girl.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Leave Grays now," she said sternly. She ran out as soon as William got up. He took this as his chance and began to chase her. She dashed up the stairs with William following. She looked back and noticed William chasing her, so she tried to shoo him away. They emerged from the stairs and ran around into the courtyard. Then, at the start of the main steps, they both stopped and stared at each other. William was about to say something, but she ran up the stairs. He started to follow, but stopped himself when he realized what had just happened. She went up the stairs, but she threw her mask behind her. William picked it up and contemplated his next move. He might as well go up the stairs, he was as good as dead for escaping anyways. He moved carefully up the stairs. He felt like each step was boobytrapped, so he slowly and gradually made his way up.
When he got to the gate, he noticed the lock was very advanced. As he tried to pick it, it wouldn't budge, but he noticed the castle had large stones sticking out all the way to the top. He started to climb for the window. Perhaps the King wasn't looking at him all those times. Perhaps it was the girl. Perhaps it was the Queen. His arms were still store, but he gripped the stones and pulled himself up as much as he could. The window was getting close but when he looked down, he got dizzy. At this point, he thought of letting go, but then he thought of his grandparents and their unfair treatment. The King constructed this kingdom in the name of fairness, what made them any different. This made him climb faster and as he reached the window sill, he gripped it and slowly climbed in. He saw two beds, each occupied with someone. A person was leaning over the farther bed, quietly crying.
"Are you the woman that saved me?" William asked as he climbed in.
She was startled and she turned around with a gasp. She tried to cover her face, but he had already seen her green eyes. "What are you doing here? I didn’t save you, I spared you."
"Good heavens. You're the princess aren't you?" William said as she put her head down.
She sighed, "I'm Giselle."
"My grandfather told me you hadn't left the castle since you were a baby," William said as
he looked at the beds. He saw a sickly old man and woman, both nearing the ends of their lives. They looked like they were in the same condition as his grandmother. "Are these-?”
“The King and Queen,” she nodded as a tear streamed down her face.
“Your parents,” William got on one knee and bowed to them. He was still confused. "So you command Fawkes?"
"No!" She snapped, sounding offended, "I despise him. He made my parents sick so he could take power. He's been locking me up here ever since and trying to force my hand in marriage."
"How did he make them sick?"
"Him and his alchemist poisoned the water with their new cleansing process. I only found out when it was too late." He knew he heard one of the hooded men's voices before. The alchemist was Oliver, he should have known he was up to no good. Suddenly, William remembered that they used to get their water from Oliver. That’s what must have made his grandmother ill. William felt that he needed to get the princess to safety and save the rest of the kingdom, but he heard someone stomping down the corridor. Giselle started to panic, “it’s Fawkes, hide!” William ducked behind a counter as Fawkes burst through the door, sniffing around like the dog that he was.
“Does my lady have company?” Fawkes said as he flipped furniture over.
“Stop, Fawkes! I’m not your lady,” Giselle replied.
“Oh yes you are.”
“I don’t find myself attracted to you nor are you worthy of royal blood,” she said as she crossed her arms.
“I care not of your interests, I just want your bloodline. And if I am not worthy of it, I have
plenty of scholarly nephews in Capital that you can choose from,” Fawkes teased with his evil grin.
“Perhaps I was not clear. I am not attracted to men,” she said standing up to Fawkes.
He glared at her. William sat behind the counter even more confused. “Don’t lie!” Fawkes yelled as he slapped her. William heard this and jumped out of hiding.
“Ah! There he is! The young hero! Our princess does not care for men, only boys! Haha!” Fawkes yelled, drawing his sword. “I should’ve burned you too when I had the chance.” William picked up a stool to shield himself, but Fawkes swiped it away with his blade. William picked up all kinds of furniture for protection, but they weren’t enough. Fawkes kept swiping away in his insanity, laughing as he taunted William with close swings. William found a piece of the broken stool, so he threw it at Fawkes face hitting him in the eye. Fawkes yelped as he covered his face. William dove for the sword but Fawkes stomped on his wrist just in time, crushing it under the weight of his metal plated boot. William’s arm was broken and limp and before he could reach out with his other one, Fawkes pulled him up by his hair. With rage in his teary, swollen eyes, he slammed William into the wall and began choking him. William could feel himself almost blacking out and there was nothing he could do. Just then Fawkes let out a cry of pain and William dropped down to the floor.
When he looked up, he saw Giselle holding Fawkes’ blade, and Fawkes was on his hands and knees weeping. William noticed blood oozing from behind Fawkes’ knees- that’s where she had sliced him. With the blade to his chin, Giselle lifted Fawkes’ head up and began to punish him. “As the heir to the throne, I sentence you to death for your treasonous acts and your abuse of power,” Giselle said courageously.
“Princess!” Fawkes wept, “please, have mercy.”
“It’s far too late for that,” Giselle said with her unrelenting stare.
“Make me your slave! Put me in the dungeon! Just please don’t hurt me,” he pleaded.
William called out from behind, “hey, Fucks.” Fawkes turned around, forgetting William was there. William was smirking, “you should consider yourself lucky to be the princess' first blood.” Fawkes turned back to Giselle as she impaled him through the back, sticking him into the ground. She went over and helped William up, then handed him a dagger. They both looked over to his body.
“For good measure?” asked William.
“For fairness,” replied the princess.
William proceeded to behead Fawkes, who was still alive. He thought of everything bad this man had done to their kingdom, everything he had done to their family, all the pain he made them suffer, and he was finally getting justice for everyone. When the deed was done, William held it up in victory with a proud, mad look on his face. Giselle had a stern look- she was neither pleased nor impressed.
“What seems to be the matter, your Highness?” William inquired.
“I simply asked you to finish the job, not be happy about it,” she replied quickly. William was giving it a second thought. “This was meant to separate you from Fawkes," she continued, "Fawkes’ true duty was to the throne, and he was to only use force in the face of danger. Instead, he got joy from hurting others. This is something you should not get used to as the newly appointed Watcher and Advisor.”
William bowed down to Giselle, “it would be my honor, your Fairness.” Giselle handed the sword to William. William looked up, “so you really are not attracted to men?” They both got quiet and then started laughing. Soon, when the King and Queen passed, Giselle assumed power as
Queen. Together, her and William mounted Fawkes’ head up as a warning and informed the people of what happened. They punished all of Fawkes’ henchmen with death, including Oliver, and restored the government to it’s natural order. They also managed to clean the water supply and find a cure for the disease. Giselle married the beautiful girl she had always looked at through the window those many times, and they, along with William, kept peace and fairness in Grays for many years to come.
"Leave now, boy," she said. To William's surprise, it was a girl.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Leave Grays now," she said sternly. She ran out as soon as William got up. He took this as his chance and began to chase her. She dashed up the stairs with William following. She looked back and noticed William chasing her, so she tried to shoo him away. They emerged from the stairs and ran around into the courtyard. Then, at the start of the main steps, they both stopped and stared at each other. William was about to say something, but she ran up the stairs. He started to follow, but stopped himself when he realized what had just happened. She went up the stairs, but she threw her mask behind her. William picked it up and contemplated his next move. He might as well go up the stairs, he was as good as dead for escaping anyways. He moved carefully up the stairs. He felt like each step was boobytrapped, so he slowly and gradually made his way up.
When he got to the gate, he noticed the lock was very advanced. As he tried to pick it, it wouldn't budge, but he noticed the castle had large stones sticking out all the way to the top. He started to climb for the window. Perhaps the King wasn't looking at him all those times. Perhaps it was the girl. Perhaps it was the Queen. His arms were still store, but he gripped the stones and pulled himself up as much as he could. The window was getting close but when he looked down, he got dizzy. At this point, he thought of letting go, but then he thought of his grandparents and their unfair treatment. The King constructed this kingdom in the name of fairness, what made them any different. This made him climb faster and as he reached the window sill, he gripped it and slowly climbed in. He saw two beds, each occupied with someone. A person was leaning over the farther bed, quietly crying.
"Are you the woman that saved me?" William asked as he climbed in.
She was startled and she turned around with a gasp. She tried to cover her face, but he had already seen her green eyes. "What are you doing here? I didn’t save you, I spared you."
"Good heavens. You're the princess aren't you?" William said as she put her head down.
She sighed, "I'm Giselle."
"My grandfather told me you hadn't left the castle since you were a baby," William said as
he looked at the beds. He saw a sickly old man and woman, both nearing the ends of their lives. They looked like they were in the same condition as his grandmother. "Are these-?”
“The King and Queen,” she nodded as a tear streamed down her face.
“Your parents,” William got on one knee and bowed to them. He was still confused. "So you command Fawkes?"
"No!" She snapped, sounding offended, "I despise him. He made my parents sick so he could take power. He's been locking me up here ever since and trying to force my hand in marriage."
"How did he make them sick?"
"Him and his alchemist poisoned the water with their new cleansing process. I only found out when it was too late." He knew he heard one of the hooded men's voices before. The alchemist was Oliver, he should have known he was up to no good. Suddenly, William remembered that they used to get their water from Oliver. That’s what must have made his grandmother ill. William felt that he needed to get the princess to safety and save the rest of the kingdom, but he heard someone stomping down the corridor. Giselle started to panic, “it’s Fawkes, hide!” William ducked behind a counter as Fawkes burst through the door, sniffing around like the dog that he was.
“Does my lady have company?” Fawkes said as he flipped furniture over.
“Stop, Fawkes! I’m not your lady,” Giselle replied.
“Oh yes you are.”
“I don’t find myself attracted to you nor are you worthy of royal blood,” she said as she crossed her arms.
“I care not of your interests, I just want your bloodline. And if I am not worthy of it, I have
plenty of scholarly nephews in Capital that you can choose from,” Fawkes teased with his evil grin.
“Perhaps I was not clear. I am not attracted to men,” she said standing up to Fawkes.
He glared at her. William sat behind the counter even more confused. “Don’t lie!” Fawkes yelled as he slapped her. William heard this and jumped out of hiding.
“Ah! There he is! The young hero! Our princess does not care for men, only boys! Haha!” Fawkes yelled, drawing his sword. “I should’ve burned you too when I had the chance.” William picked up a stool to shield himself, but Fawkes swiped it away with his blade. William picked up all kinds of furniture for protection, but they weren’t enough. Fawkes kept swiping away in his insanity, laughing as he taunted William with close swings. William found a piece of the broken stool, so he threw it at Fawkes face hitting him in the eye. Fawkes yelped as he covered his face. William dove for the sword but Fawkes stomped on his wrist just in time, crushing it under the weight of his metal plated boot. William’s arm was broken and limp and before he could reach out with his other one, Fawkes pulled him up by his hair. With rage in his teary, swollen eyes, he slammed William into the wall and began choking him. William could feel himself almost blacking out and there was nothing he could do. Just then Fawkes let out a cry of pain and William dropped down to the floor.
When he looked up, he saw Giselle holding Fawkes’ blade, and Fawkes was on his hands and knees weeping. William noticed blood oozing from behind Fawkes’ knees- that’s where she had sliced him. With the blade to his chin, Giselle lifted Fawkes’ head up and began to punish him. “As the heir to the throne, I sentence you to death for your treasonous acts and your abuse of power,” Giselle said courageously.
“Princess!” Fawkes wept, “please, have mercy.”
“It’s far too late for that,” Giselle said with her unrelenting stare.
“Make me your slave! Put me in the dungeon! Just please don’t hurt me,” he pleaded.
William called out from behind, “hey, Fucks.” Fawkes turned around, forgetting William was there. William was smirking, “you should consider yourself lucky to be the princess' first blood.” Fawkes turned back to Giselle as she impaled him through the back, sticking him into the ground. She went over and helped William up, then handed him a dagger. They both looked over to his body.
“For good measure?” asked William.
“For fairness,” replied the princess.
William proceeded to behead Fawkes, who was still alive. He thought of everything bad this man had done to their kingdom, everything he had done to their family, all the pain he made them suffer, and he was finally getting justice for everyone. When the deed was done, William held it up in victory with a proud, mad look on his face. Giselle had a stern look- she was neither pleased nor impressed.
“What seems to be the matter, your Highness?” William inquired.
“I simply asked you to finish the job, not be happy about it,” she replied quickly. William was giving it a second thought. “This was meant to separate you from Fawkes," she continued, "Fawkes’ true duty was to the throne, and he was to only use force in the face of danger. Instead, he got joy from hurting others. This is something you should not get used to as the newly appointed Watcher and Advisor.”
William bowed down to Giselle, “it would be my honor, your Fairness.” Giselle handed the sword to William. William looked up, “so you really are not attracted to men?” They both got quiet and then started laughing. Soon, when the King and Queen passed, Giselle assumed power as
Queen. Together, her and William mounted Fawkes’ head up as a warning and informed the people of what happened. They punished all of Fawkes’ henchmen with death, including Oliver, and restored the government to it’s natural order. They also managed to clean the water supply and find a cure for the disease. Giselle married the beautiful girl she had always looked at through the window those many times, and they, along with William, kept peace and fairness in Grays for many years to come.