"I want one, just one. I should not disrespect her by mating with every single maiden.

That's why I called you. Select the most worthy and appropriate woman to bare my child." The king said to the old witch doctor who smiled widely.

The witch doctor is an old eastern man, his skin, wrinkled, loose and almost transparently pale. His hair was long at the bottom but completely vacant at the top. Although he was one of the high bloods of the kingdom, what he wore resemble rags.

"A royal concubine, fitted to birth our king. That shouldn't be difficult your highness. After all it's already written in the prophecy." the witch doctor sounded smug.

This smugness was met with irritation from the king and his servants. it was an act of disrespect to place your intelligence above that of the king.

The king sat up on his throne, ignoring the witch doctor's tone.

"Why not choose one of the maids?" The witch doctor said before winking at the woman stood surrounding the king. The maids who surrounded the throne, in two straight lines, all looked away in disgust at the witch doctor gesture.

"They're from lowly blood ranks, they are not permitted royal blood." The king said although he knew this was common knowledge.

high bloods were members of the kingdom who served alongside the first king to defeat the dark savage creatures before the sun came down. They were the first people to grant alliance to the king. They paved the way for the nation and therefore were the only ones who were given the opportunity to marry into royalty.

"Ah, then perhaps you should mate with one of the moon's men." the witch doctor said with a smirk on his face. The king was used to the witch doctor's crude behavior, he knew it was useless to react.

"YOU DARE TO SAY SOMETHING SO GROTESQUE IN FRONT OF YOUR KING, I WILL HANG YOUR HEAD ON THE PALACE WALL." The personal guard yells angerly.

The witch doctor laughs loudly.

"What a lowly king he is to be unable to Give us our savior."

The king feels an angry rush go through him. A darkness fills his vision at the disrespect just targetted at him. The temper of the king was a terrible disease, a flood of complete rage that drowns even him.

It took the personal guard seconds to put a sword against the old man's neck.

"The punishment for insulting our king is an immediate death."

whether this punishment would be inflected by the king or a guard just depended on the mood of the king that day.

"Yes so why did you hesitate?" The old witch doctor laughs. The personal guard presses the sword hard enough to break skin. blood begins traveling down from the witch doctor's neck but the smug man doesn't even flinch.

"Stand down, no point threatening a lifeless man with death."

The king said, dismissing the personal guard.

The personal guard pulls the sword away from the old man. The old man looks him in the eyes as the guard walks further away from him. There's an unreadable expression on the man's face.

"There is a woman, a woman who can bare you kings." the witch doctor said holding on to the wound around his neck before tsking as the blood continues flowing despite his efforts. The king leans closer to him, eyes wide with interest.

"Where is this woman?"

The witch doctor leans back, his eyes glow a bright blue.

"She's in a garden, she's alone, dancing. a pretty little thing...just your type." the witch doctor says teasingly and the king leans back.

"bring her to me." He said and the witch doctor's eyes flash back to their ordinary brown color.

"I'm afraid that I cannot meddle in the prophecy your highness."

"What is her name?" The king asked sitting at the edge of his golden throne.

"She was born the same day as you, but you do not share the same year. That's all I can say your highness."

"Go to the generals, find me the date of birth of all their daughters." the king said, his powerful voice echos in the tall room.

"I shall not leave your presence your highness." The personal guard says confidence in his resistance.

However, the king was not having it.

"GO NOW, Leave your sword. I can handle myself."

The personal guard went to every high ranking officer And got birth certificates for their daughters. None collided with the king's much to his dismay. With slumped shoulders he returned to the kingdom to inform the king.

He named all the officers and recited the birthday of all their children and yet none was the same as the king's.

Panic strikes the maids surrounding the king's throne. They turned to whisper very quietly amongst themselves. One maiden with a heart made of stone spoke up.

"Your majesty, there is one member of the higher ranking officials whose daughters birthdays has yet to be inspected." The woman says, she had moved forward to kneel in front of the king.

"Who?" The king asked and the woman looks up to the personal guard who looks around confused, he was sure that he got all of them.

"The military's general. His daughters Akia Kenya and April Kenya." Juliet the maid said.

The personal guard stumbles backwards until his back hits the stone wall behind the throne's placement center. His heart beats like a new born's. Thumping against his rib cage, suffocating him.

The king was speechless as well, those two girls were his personal guard, Clast's younger sisters.

He was even present on the day the youngest, Akialine left her mother's womb. He remembers the day vividly because it was the day of celebration, His birthday celebration and coincidently the day of the moon's side first attack.

He remembers how dreadfully quick events had taken place that day, his 16 birthday. One moment his father and mother were throwing him a giant ball for the whole kingdom to celebrate his coming of age.

Before the guest even made it out of their houses. Letters came from General Kenya urging everyone to remain in their homes.

The maids under strict instructions to protect the young boy in a rush of panic had rushed the birthday boy over to the house of the bravest man they knew.

General Kenya himself.

Inside the house the king was flushed with anxiety at the blood curling screams coming from Mrs Kenya.

The king called upon the royal guards and 7 guards came rushing in. Heavy, freshly sharpened swords hanging from their holster on their armor.

"Inform the General of the military that I have decided to take his daughter as a concubine.

Tell him that I found out that she'll provide this nation with a very great gift. And then bring her to me." The king says to the guards.

"Yes Your highness." They said in perfect unity.

Clast was shaking at the thought of his youngest sister belonging to their king. His younger sister April was prepared for marriage, she was even passing the age of marriage now.

Although her lack of manners and feminine etiquette would make anyone interested take another look. She was the source of her family's bravery, she was Also known by everyone in their community to be tougher than leather from a bull. A fighter in every interpretation of the word. The king would never be able to break her or even simply, soil her fun.

On the other hand Akia, Their youngest was more fragile than glass itself. She was raised in the tight quarters of a small bedroom looking at life only through the eyes of her best friend and her sister's storytelling.

She was raised to remain at their parent's side.

Pretty, Docile and dumb, a perfect pet for when the end days of life became bleak. A care giver of sort.

In his presence they never even discussed having her wed, they just kept her locked in her room and gave her everything she wanted.

All the pastries, all the flowers, lavish dresses and scented oils.

The personal guard stopped in his tracks as he followed the other guards behind. Every step a another moment closer to the end of everything that was his sister.

He contemplated taking a short cut, running like he wanted to save her life. Running to warn her.. tell her in a quick raggedy breath that the king was going to rape her and take her away from everything she loved or hoped to ever love. He could run away with her, truly it'd be his only option. She wouldn't be able to survive on her own.

But where would they go?, He wonders. the moon side was no place for humans, especially not ones as pure as she was.

The water god, a selfish deity would never allow anyone to seek refuge in his glamours caves.

He decided then, he had no choice.

Heavy salty tears roll down his face, he swipes them off his dark cheeks before anyone saw them.

His sweet, beloved sister, with her bright kind smile was going to be stolen and used as an incubator. She will never know love or true happiness. not while her legs were open to the king.

This kingdom would rejoice with their sun king while she will die a long painful lonely death.

The guards came to a stop when the saw the personal guard's beautiful lemony colored wood house in the distance. With its many veins of green and patches of loud excited colors of red, blue and orange flowers, the house made the impression of tranquility.

They stand still cruelly expecting the personal guard to execute the king's order.

A prove of loyalty.

When Clast was initiated into the class of personal guardsmen-ship from being a palace guard, he was told that he would be expected to do more than to die for the king.

He was told every guard had once in their lifetime had to prove their loyalty to the king, whether it was to turn their backs to their fallen, sick families in favor of protecting the king against the same illnesses or to slit the throat of their families who dared to stand against the king.

This moment was his moment to turn against his family and prove his loyalty to his king.

The personal guard stumbled as he walked into his home. He had already started mourning the death of his sister's innocence, the only thing he could really do.

A tall, slender man with greying hair was sat on a leather high chair next to the fireplace reading. He rushed to the door and bowed in greeting to Clast.

"Please call Akia for me." Clast said to the older man who nods.

The man walks up to the long stairway and then clears his throat before screaming.

"LADY AKIA, your elder brother and The royal guard is here to visit you."

The head maid turns and smiles to Clast.

"She'll be down in a moment, Can I get you gentlemen something to eat?"

"I've heard the pastries here are divine-" a royal guard said and Clast frowned.

"Can we have some pastries?" Another guard said and Clast cleared his throat and sent them a sharp glare.

"We are fine Sheldon, don't mind us. Go back to your reading."

Akia appeared at the door, her long tightly curled hair had been braided and stood beautifully on top of her head. She was wearing her night gown. A long flow of pink tinted silk and fluffy white cotton finish on the neck line and on the end of the sleeve.

She looked so beautiful running down the stairway with the nightgown flowing behind her.

"Brother!" Akia squealed before jumping into her brother's awaiting arms.

She wrapped her arms around the dark skinned male who was covered in armor.

"You must come with me love." The personal guard said affectionately.

"Father said I couldn't leave the house until mother felt better. He said mother Was relaying on my company to become healthy again."

"You'll Be Right back. You'll be back to take care of mother so don't worry your self." It was a hot lie, a lie that burned the tip of his tongue.

Akia seemed to be thinking about it, her lips were slightly pouted but then she smiled, the holes on either side of her cheeks deepened.

"Only if it's for a moment big brother."

Akia said before letting her brother go.

"Should I get changed then?" Akia said and Clast shook his head.

"There's no time."

"Mother would be vexed if I went out under dressed." She said before turning around and attempting to go back up the stairs.

"Do not bother yourself with that, you'll be back before mother wakes." Clast saids taking her hand in his.

They walk passed the gate, then passed the grassland and into the woods where Akia holds her brother tightly with the frightening

sounds of nocturnal animals flooding her ears.

"Where are we going big brother?" Akia asked for the first time since they started their journey.

"The palace." Clast said nonchalantly and Akia's eyes widened pulling away from her brother.

"Then I'm distastefully undressed." Akia said shocked that her brother would even let her go to the palace in the condition she was in now.

Her brother took her hand more forcefully this time.

"Is father being awarded again?, oh Shouldn't we have brought April and mother?" Akia asked and her brother cleared his throat.

"It's not father it's the king. He sent for you."