Untitled
Suspicion
While walking the tavern where she worked, Selene wondered what life would be like if it there were no king. Would there be anarchy? Would the world fall into depression? In all the books she'd read about the history of Shearfall, she never read about a time when no one ruled.
"Isn't that odd?", she said to herself. "I thought that during the 500 years of life on this world, we would have had at least a year without a ruler. At least some amount of time when we ruled ourselves."
She saw on of the king's patrol's approaching and quickly stumbled to the side of the dirt road. She watched them come with a look of pure hatred blurring her vision. She'd heard so many stories of the Great King's Patrols and how they raped innocent women. It was horrible, but it would never spark this kind of reaction in a subtle, careful woman like Selene. No, this look was born out of sorrow for her mother and hatred for the one who rode above them all.
Selene's mother was taken by one of the king's patrols many years ago. They said she would be taken in front of the king and would be rewarded richly if she cooperated. She did for the sake of her starving family.
She left for the castle caged in a wagon with 3 other women. Selene knew she wouldn't be coming back. Once the king was done raping and torturing her, he would kill her.
Shortly after her mother was taken, Selene's brother fell ill. She got a job as a barmaid at the Shining Lion to help pay for food for her brother. She could not save him. He died one night in his sleep, the only mercy the gods gave him.
With no one and nothing left, Selene felt all alone. She kept her job as it was the only way to avoid suspicion. She had to find out about some loophole or even some minute reason that the king should not be sitting on his throne. Enough people despised him that, if given a vote, he would be stripped of his title and made to work in the fields like a peasant.
"Isn't that odd?", she said to herself. "I thought that during the 500 years of life on this world, we would have had at least a year without a ruler. At least some amount of time when we ruled ourselves."
She saw on of the king's patrol's approaching and quickly stumbled to the side of the dirt road. She watched them come with a look of pure hatred blurring her vision. She'd heard so many stories of the Great King's Patrols and how they raped innocent women. It was horrible, but it would never spark this kind of reaction in a subtle, careful woman like Selene. No, this look was born out of sorrow for her mother and hatred for the one who rode above them all.
Selene's mother was taken by one of the king's patrols many years ago. They said she would be taken in front of the king and would be rewarded richly if she cooperated. She did for the sake of her starving family.
She left for the castle caged in a wagon with 3 other women. Selene knew she wouldn't be coming back. Once the king was done raping and torturing her, he would kill her.
Shortly after her mother was taken, Selene's brother fell ill. She got a job as a barmaid at the Shining Lion to help pay for food for her brother. She could not save him. He died one night in his sleep, the only mercy the gods gave him.
With no one and nothing left, Selene felt all alone. She kept her job as it was the only way to avoid suspicion. She had to find out about some loophole or even some minute reason that the king should not be sitting on his throne. Enough people despised him that, if given a vote, he would be stripped of his title and made to work in the fields like a peasant.