It was coming. The night was approaching.
Soon the destruction would begin again, with his hand commanding it.
* * *
He had left his tent, to take a walk in the fresh night air. The countryside was beautiful here, as was all of Meridisia.
Until they had come along, bringing evil with them.
The north was a spectacular place, with its great mountains and lakes. It was a land of rock and water, resonating with natural forces.
But he couldn’t see that beauty now. To him, it was just the location of his father’s seat of power. Where the Emperor issued tyrannic commands for the conquest of the world.
The prince liked it that his tent was always on the outskirts of the camp, where he was freer. Although in a sense, it proved just how much he was constrained by his own weakness.
But running away was not the answer. If he tried to run, he would be hunted across the land. And if he were not in the lead, then another pawn would be. Either way, it did not matter for the Meridisians.
This was his torture, and he would bear it.
His father didn’t need whips anymore. His father knew of his true mental weakness, and so he punished him with it.
* * *
He had heard talking amongst the priests, and he knew that this was going to be a special siege. They were going to fight a new kind of battle.
He shuddered. Not because he knew what sort of dark conjuring the priests were capable of, but because he had heard rumours about a girl. It made him tremble to think what they wanted with her.
But then, what had they wanted from his mother?