The Purity of White Roses

A tall handsome figure stands hunched over in his usual way. His arms are crossed with his left index finger tapping gently on his chin while he reminisces about the world outside the castle. His strong facial features illuminate the reflection of the sun. His hair seems to flow naturally from the warm spring air. His choclate locks flowing down to his shoulders with highlights of golden sun beaming through the waves of curls. He was standing in a corridor looking out an arched window lost in thought.

A man comes rushing in. Taking quick strides, reaching the taller man as fast as he could with his small legs. Out of breath and panting the young older gentleman begins to tell of the news, "It is your mother, sir. I think you ought to see her right away." Taking every word to heart the tall man was not ready to become the king. He does not want everybody stooping low to prove he is higher in power. He is not ready to rule a while kingdom.

"Oh roses, is she in her chamber? Tell me where my mother is. No queen shall die alone. Go fetch my sister. Go, go!" The talk man yells. His voice deep and strong echoing throughout the corridor. The sunshine that once, not but just earlier that conversation, was beating on his face illuminating it with all happiness the world could offer. In that instance it is like the rays of the sun vanished from the galaxy. Taking his witty and gleeful soul with it.

The king takes no time in waiting around for the knight to return with his sister. Instead he turns and walks away, leaving only the echos from his boots before the the door shuts silencing it all. The prince rushes through the castle, his wavy hair disheveled from rushing through the castle. Not letting his mom remember him as weak, he stands up tall with his chest out and his right hand resting on his sword, with the cold silver handle warming at the contact. With his empty hand, the prince grabbed the steel door knob. With all the force he could find within himself, he slowly twists the steel knob and crosses over the threshold. The threshold is the only thing separating him from the harsh person, called by his well known name, death. Walking over to the queen's almost lifeless body, so pale and fragile, the only sounds in the room are her quick raspy breaths slowly fading out. When rushing through the door hastily, comes in the princess. The princess looks like she hit the big harsh man death, making her halt. She just stands at the doorway almost too weary to come in, like she does not deserve the chance to say her last goodbyes. Her brown hair knotted and in all directions, while her dress is wrinkled. It is evident that she just crawled out of bed and impetuously throwing something on. As she attempts to brush the wrinkles out the prince calls out to her to come stand next to him in silence. Weary of the thought, the princess crosses over the threshold and into the room with only the dim sunlight shining through the window above the ruler's bed. The queen speaks up, her voice raspy, "Why do you always carry that damn sword with you? You will end up killing a man with that thing. Take it off for my last minutes, please. And you," the queen points to her daughter, "Promise me one thing. Find one man and settle down. For I am the queen and that is a direct order. My loves, when I get where I am going, I promise to watch over all the kingdom." With these last whispers the queen takes her last breath slow and drawn out, pushing the limits of her time on this earth.

The prince is now the king and with a long yearn for his mother back he just stares out the window and weeps. The same window where just moments ago was casting the last light his mom ever saw. During his deep mourning there was a quiet knock on the door making the now king and his sister jump and turn to face the intruder. "Sir, It is time to meet in your chambers. Sorry for the loss." It is the noble knight informing him of being late. "Your majesty, the shutters are locked and all the doors stand guarded. This is no way for a king to grieve. For you are now expected to take over the throne. If you do not find yourself worthy your sister can take your spot if she is not sleeping with the enemy." The head knight speaks of all truth and loyalty to the new king in charge. The king takes this time to prove his worth.

"Only the purest of the white roses are picked and delicately brushed from the dew resting upon its petals. I will rise up and show my worth it is what my mother will, I mean would have expected from me." With that being said, the king picks up his sword and carefully places it back down on the table. Turning sharply back to the knight, the king begins to walk towards the short man speaking quite sharply, "If you think I am weak because I had you lock all the shutters and stand guard, you are wrong, I want to secure all of my mother's personal belongings." The king walks back to his chambers for the meeting. Leaving his sister alone with regret and despair.

———

The chambers of the king, holds the most important meeting in his whole ruling. In just a few short moments he will come before all the other nations and prove that he is emince enough to be held to the superior power of his kingdom above all other. He needs to prove that his mother's truce will live on through him. As he steps into his chamber all he hears is the moving of chairs. Fear seeps through him as all the rulers stand up to invite him into his own chamber. "Sit down, such men of power do not need to bow down to another man of power. I hold all of truces in my hand. All truces were signed and will be resigned to keep our promise. Before I do so, now will be the time to speak out against the bonds written in the papers below." After a short pause he shakes all the rulers hands except for one man who refuses. Without much hesitation the king moves on and pulls out his pen and looks at the grey marble design for a moment. He slowly turns the pen and resigns the papers after he is done he looks around at all the rulers keeping a keen eye on the one who refused. "If all of you men and women feel satisfied by our meeting, I will see you out of the room." With such force the king can muster up, he pushed himself out of the chair and  stands tall and broad. "All of you are pure white roses and is at any point you feel threatened of your security, please by all means come running to me. I am not saying I will fight your battles for you, although I do feel obligated as an alliance to assist you. Now on way, hurry up now. The meeting is dismissed. I waste no time. Why it is such a foolish of keeping you here and away from your kingdom." With that the king opens the door for all the others to walk out and mount their horses and enter their chariots. The king watches them all leave stirring up dust on the way out.

He turns to walk back into his chambers, when he hears whimpering from his sister's chambers. He goes rushing forth to his sister, bursting through her door. He looks around and finds her on the ground  in distraught. The loyal knight is next to her holding her in his arms trying to soothe her crying. He had succeeded in calming her down until the king arrived and she started crying again. The king also sits next to her trying to ease the pain of losing their mother.

————

The doctor knocks on the door making everyone aware of his presence. He patiently waits until given permission to enter the sorrow filled room. With the nod of his head the king gives the doctor the right to step through the doorway. "May I have a moment with with the king? I am sorry to intrude on your grieving process, however i feel like you ought to know something. Maybe it will even give you closure sir. If I may that is?" The king nods his head and steps outside of the room with curiosity filling his head. The doctor begins to wiggle uncomfortably under the king's gaze that is piercing him. "I would like you to know that your mother's death was not an natural cause. I do not like the words that are about to protrude my mouth. Your mother was murdered and being king I expect justice out of you."

"I will seek justice, as your king I will not let you down. Order my men to track down all suspicious men, including the ones that were here in my chambers just this morning. I expect all the men to do their jobs correctly. If not the dungeon has plenty of room to wait for their own ruling of death. Thank you doctor for all your work. Once you have fetched my men you are dismissed. Good day sir." The king speaks in all animosity to the one who has murdered his mother. The world is silent and all light has lost it's shine. The sun has even turned away from the kingdom. The king grabs the silver doorknob and quietly shuts the oak door. Walking with caution of the princess and her sorrow, he silently walks up to her and kneels down on one knee. The king speaks gently and considerate of the princess and the truth that is about to be told. Once the news is told the princess wraps her arms around his neck and rest her head in the crook between his shoulder and is neck. All she can do is cry out in agony.

Down the hall, all that can be heard is her screaming out, "Why? Why? Why?" It is a painful and distressful noise throughout the kingdom. The cold atmosphere seeps through all the walls and all the kingdom goes silent. The horses trotting in the distance is the only sound being made. The footsteps of men rushing through the corridors to fulfill the king's wishes. The whole kingdom turns silent at the thought of a man who murdered their ruler is standing in their kingdom again.

———

The king waltz down the stairs in the entryway and watches as his men bring in only three men. The princess and the noble knight stand on either side of him watching the three men be pushed harshly in their direction through the doors. The king's immediately widen as he remembers one of the men. The king's and the killer's eyes connect and the king knows that he is the one. Taking long and steady strides the king is now a foot away from the killer's face. It is the same man from earlier, who refused to shake the king's hand in his own  chambers. The king sticks out his hand once more. Without hesitation the man just smirks and knows this is the end.

The king takes the man by the arm and walks him out into the garden next to the roses and draws his sword. "In my mother's name I will rid not only the kingdom, but the whole world of this awful man. My mother said something to me right before she died that I should not carry such a sword for it will end up killing a man one day. I always take a woman's words to straight to the heart. This will be the only time i will ever break skin with my sword." The king finishes his speech and impales the murderer with his sword, staining the pure white roses with blood.  As the man falls to the ground the king lays his sword down next to the man.

With little hesitation the whole kingdom goes and lays their swords down next to the last man the kingdom will ever see killed. The princess grabs the hand of the knight and once again thanks him for not just sleeping with her, but making her find herself and see that she can truly love someone. The king walks up next to his sister and looks at his noble knight, "you have my blessing." With that the king walks back to his chambers and is glad to see that he punished the injustice in all of his kingdom.

For centuries to come of no violence nor any blood will ever tread this land. The noble night and the princess has the blessing of the king and plan to get married. As for the king well you can say he is doing alright.