Darkthorn’s Blog

In the castle on the night the king was killed, Julia was awoken by soldiers running up and down the corridors. She was only 15, a gift to the king of Naxos as a treaty from the city of Wayland. She thought nothing of the soldiers until one burst into her room.

‘Get out! How dare you come into my room unannounced’, said Julia.

‘Sorry my lady but there has been an intruder and he has not yet been found.’

‘Has anything happened?’

‘Not that I know of my lady, but then I am only a guard and am told what to do.’

‘Well I’m going to see what is going on.’

‘No, my lady. Everyone has been ordered to stay in their rooms.’

‘By whom?’

‘By the General.’

‘I’ll see him now.’

And with that she got up and walked out into the corridor. The young guard tried to stop her without touching her, he would get a flogging for that. Once in the corridor, Julia went straight to the dining hall, down the stairs and though huge wooden doors. As she entered the hall she saw twenty or so guards running about looking all directions. In the middle of the hall stood the General of the castle guard, a tall heavy-set man of about forty.

Julia strode right up to him, and said with a cold tone, ‘What have you let happen here?’

‘What have I let happen here?’ he asked in disgusted tone.

‘This is a lot of men for just one intruder?’

‘If you must know the intruder managed to get into the kings bed chamber, and the king is dead!’

‘You mean that the king has been assassinated?’ She stopped. She thought about the situation a little. ‘How was he killed?’

The general looked at her suspiciously.

‘He was shot in the corridor just outside his camber with a crossbow dart!’

‘And the whole castle guard can’t find this killer?’ She asked sarcastically.

‘No, we aren’t even sure if the killer has left the castle yet. So get back to your room and let the guard look after you!’

Julia thought to say how rude he was, and ask if he had forgotten who he was talking to, but thought better of it. She left to go back to her room, where the young guard was sitting in the corner. He stood as she entered. She ignored him and stood in front of the fire, her mind racing. Was the king really dead? Why would anyone kill him? She was only young, and had not liked the king. He didn’t like her, it was only a marriage for political power. He hadn’t even taken advantage of his position and slept with her in the six months they were together.

Julia began to feel uneasy. What would happen to her now? The king’s other wife would take the throne, she didn’t like Julia. The queen was a very sour person, she would not forget the humiliation of the king taking another wife. The General did not like Julia either – she had hit him when he had started to come onto her in her room. The thought struck her like a brick, what if the Queen and General framed her for the king’s death? A shiver ran down her spine, but she climbed into bed anyway, trying to put the thought out of her mind. She was worried about what the morning would bring, and she didn’t get a wink of sleep. The young guard spent all night sitting in her room, it disturbed her and so it was about two hours before daybreak that she finally fell asleep.