So just why was Zachary in such a place ?...

He stopped at a run down building that was once a Gainili sanctuary, but trees had subdued it and all it was, was a cave of bricks and leaves.

He looked around and let out a loud, sonorous whistle and the door creaked open, a man in his fifties peered out.

"Master, you're here" the man called out and moved to lead the horse inside

"Manuel, are you drunk?"

"No, the heavens forbid it" he answered whilst nodding

"Have someone else take your place. You need all your senses to guard"

"Booze put my senses on guard, master"

Zachary shook his head. And watched as the man led the horse away.

What seemed to be a rundown building outside, was a completely different story inside.

Rows of ornamental and medicinal plants lined at the wall of the building, the vines of the trees that crawled into the building and onto the ceilings even made the place look more mythic.

The place was well lit with lanterns lining the walls and a chandelier beautifying the whole room.

This was the reality of guilt land, a beautiful and humane place masked with a ghostly facade.

A young girl ran past almost bumping into Zachary, he held her up, steadying her.

"Be careful" he said in a cold but endearing manner

She shrugged "I'm happy to see you, it's too bad that I have to return home"

"Cara be careful" another voice called from a distance running after her, Zachary's right hand man, Luciuz.

He was of average height but an impressive build and his immaculate dress sense increased his attractiveness. His blond hair was in a buzz cut and with his beard, he was the most attractive man in a room....that Zachary wasn't in.

"Forgive the child, she's late for dinner"

Zachary turned to his friend and drew him in a hug "what's she doing here in the first place?"

"She likes coming here, administrative work interests her and she's also a good assistant"

"Do you pay her?" Zachary asked as they walked through the hallway and into the main building, people greeting them on the way.

"Luciuz?" Zachary asked again as he watched his friend try to dodge the question.

"Exposure is all the range" he joked "and that's ignoring the perquisites she enjoys by staying here all day"

"By the way, why are you here? You certainly did not come to see me, your overworked assistant... also did you know that an assistant assists, not take over the whole workload..."

"How has the cash flow been recently?" Zachary cut the other off, Luciuz frowned

"It's been flat recently and we had to actually dip into the Treasury but why are you here?"

"The capital suffocates me"

"Or do you mean your benefactor? The king? I don't understand why you're still with him"

"I am indebted tohim and I stick to my promises no matter how troublesome it may be"

"This will teach you to not to trust anyone you see, just giving out promises left and right"

Zachary was quiet for a while, they were in his office and he took his seat "what if I became king?"

Luciuz shot his head up from the desk "what? How?"

"I mean the king of Occident Coast*"

"But you abdicated..."

"I met with father, he wanted to reinstate me"

Luciuz gasped "and when was this? And you were there being that idiot's lackey"

"Mind your language"

"You can't blame me. You knew you could potentially be king and let yourself work for..." Luciuz shook his head and kept quiet, he could not find words to express his surprise and anger.

"As I said, I want to fulfill my promise"

"Zachary, you can't say one thing and do the other, if you're so loyal to Awin then why ask this question? Why consider being king?"

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Because of...her" Zachary thought to himself.

He ruffled his ginger hair and sighed, Luciuz on the other hand gave up and tended to the work on his desk.

***

Zachary had met Awin when they were both teenagers.

He was what people referred to as a cowardly wimp.

His whole life people had tied his worth his gender. Everyone didn't even bother to hide their disdain for him. They made it clear that he was incompetent and was only made heir because he was the only male child, his relationship with his half sisters had also strained because they all felt like he'd stolen from them.

And being the child of a mistress did not help matters, the queen hated him to the bone.

The day he was made archduke, the queen called him to her chamber.

"How are you enjoying the ceremony?"

His timid eyes strayed from her piercing gaze "I don't know"

She scoffed "is that question too hard for you?"

He kept quiet and looked around the room, everywhere was dark because the room was dimly lit.

"Tell me is this question too hard? Do you wish to live a normal life?"

The statement made him turn in shock to his adopted mother.

"I spoke to the king to make our eldest daughter archduke but he said there'll be no need for that because you're here-and I see that as a problem"

Zachary gulped and subconsciously distanced himself from her, she noticed and smiled.

"I will do you no harm, at least not the kind that will threaten your life. As much as I despise you, I am still sane enough to know you're not at fault, so that's why I'm accessing the problem from the root"

She brought out a lock of ginger hair from her dress pocket "when last have you seen your mother? I heard she's staying in the countryside in a manor MY husband pays for" she kept quiet again and abruptly spoke again, eerily admiring the thick lock of hair

"Not many people are blessed with such pretty looking hair"

She said as she waved the lock around and placed it in the boys hand.

She stooped down to whisper to his ears, a bone chilling aura emanated from her words

"I might be too generous and not just give you a lock of hair but the whole head from which it grows"

Zachary stumbled and fell, his face contorted in fear, his head felt light and his insides churned.

"Stand up" the queen yelled but as much as he wanted to oblige her, his legs would not move.

She crouched down this time and caressed his hair "Do you wish to live a normal life? I believe the answer is yes"

The boy nodded.

"Zachary, an archduke cannot live a normal life"

That night he hurried to his father's room, the man's face lit up at the sight of his son.

"Where were you? I was looking for you during the party?"

"I don't want to be archduke" he cut in

"What?"

"I'm much too young, can't you make sister the archduke"

The king was quiet for a while and then motioned for his son to sit by his side. "I want you to be king, I can't live a long life because of my illness so I want you to be prepared, so you aren't caught unawares"

Zachary shook his head "why me? Why can't you give it to someone capable"

"Because..." the man kept quiet, what he was about to say was something too horrible for a parent to say. He was about to admit that he loved him more, he couldn't help himself, Zachary was the son of the love of his life, he loved his other children but things seemed to rigid between them became of their mother's uptightness and the fact that they never loved each other.

Was he wrong to do what he did? He asked himself and Zachary confirmed his fears.

"If you're doing this because you love me, then you failed. I can't breath here, everyone hates me. You used your love to pit me against my sisters. Why did you do this to me?"

The king looked alarmed as he saw his son violently shaking and crying. He took hold of him "Zachary calm down, calm down"

"Please I don't want to be archduke, I don't want to stay here"

The king drew him in a hug "I've been a horrible father without knowing, forgive me. I hope my daughters can forgive this foolish man"

"Just...I want....let me...I want to live a normal life"

The old man sighed and looked Zachary in the eye "I understand you, I really do. But I will also not totally erase the chance of you being king. In my heart I know you will be a better king"

"Father" the boy whined

"Calm down, you can relinquish your title... temporarily, I will let everyone know that you gave up your title but I still want you to have that window of possibilities. You should also have a fair chance and right to the throne. All my children should have a fair chance at the throne"

Young Zach was quiet, though he was young, he knew his father well.

the man would not give up so easily, he couldn't even tell him the real reason why he so badly wanted to get the title behind him.

"Can you not let anyone know that it's a temporary arrangement, I might never compete for the throne after all"

The king sighed "I will do that much for you"

When Zachary left the the palace and the kingdom all together, he had a bitter sweet feeling.

He was thrilled and nervous to just delve into the big world.

Maybe it was his naivety or recklessness but just as he left his kingdom, he had managed to lose all his money and was now working odd jobs.

His closed up personality didn't help matters, that was when he met young Awin.

He'd spent a year and a few months away from home and was working his fifth job as a delivery boy.

The bourgeois and Gentry class were inhumane and didn't care that he was a child they would find fault and report his excesses and adequacies alike to his superiors threateningly to stop patronage.

This would usually end in him being beat to a pulp, it was so sad and he regretted leaving the palace, he hated the queen so much but would always be content with the hope that his mother remained unharmed.

That day, Awin had returned from finalizing a contract in the Occident Coast, his home country and stopped at an inn to rest, that is when they met.

Zachary was supposed to be executed that day for beating the county head's son and stealing. All these allegations; he was guilty of, but Awin stepped in and stopped them from killing him, he offered to send him back to the Occident Coast but Zachary would not break his promise so he followed the king home.

Even if he was a secluded type, he did his best and became the King's confidant but as time went by and Awin grew greatly fond of him and opened up to him, he found out Awin was a person of questionable character.

He(Awin) would often manipulate and frame people and corruption was the blood that flowed through his veins.

Many a time, Zachary would secretly go and puke because of how disgusted he would be with himself aiding such a horrible man in horrible deeds.

One day, he could no longer tolerate it.

A county lord under the jurisdiction of the King's ally made a complaint against the ally and moved for his resignation from the viscountdom and so Awin sent Zachary to wipe the man's entire family and his supporters.

That was the limit of Zachary, he instead moved them to a safe place and lied about their deaths.

This was also when their relationship began to strain, Awin came under reasonable suspicion that Zachary didn't carry out his order and started investigating the latter.

Thus Zachary had no choice but to hide them somewhere he was certain the king would never fathom... guilt land

With secret support from his father and assistance from his childhood friend during his odd job days, Luciuz, Zachary was able to turn Guilt land into an asylum for people that had suffered the King's wickedness.

He duly made a grave sanctuary for the initial inhabitants and made sure to keep the charade that the place was not inhabited.

Zachary understood the mere meaning of his actions and the consequences, the people in the town were growing rapidly, having an economy and government....did this not count as rebellion? Was this treason?

***

The two women stared at the thick book before them.

"How did you come about Ms. Wright's diary" Rachel scrunched her nose.

"I have no ties to Ms wright whatsoever" she lied, this is what she had to do, what she promised Jaslin.

"But I have a deep hatred for Ms. Charmale, I cannot share the reason. It was in attempt to find evidence against her that I went to the home she shared with the victim, I only took it because it seemed an interesting article"

"So why didn't you present this and refute the claims his majesty made?"

"It seemed wise not to submit it because at the end of the day, everything would end in Melinda's favour and it's not wise drawing the King's attention to me"

"You must be obsessed with bringing Melinda down"

"What?!!" Qaya exclaimed stupefied

"The state you were after the hearing, made me think you were quite close to Qaya Wright but now that you say it's all for Melinda's downfall, I say it's a rather unhealthy obsession"

Qaya nervously chuckled "as it is I just want to focus on my studies" "...and bring Harbinger down" she said the second part in her mind.

"You easily give up your obsessions" Rachel Quipped

"What would you have me do, Esquire?. I just want nothing to do with Qaya Wright, I mustn't"

The person that she was, did so many bad things because she was blinded by money. So now, that she'd been given a new unsolicited chance at life, she had to do away with anything that concerned the old her.

"Give up finding my parents" she somberly thought but pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Anyway,I might have to put our lessons on hold" Rachel commented "that's why I dropped off these documents and notes for you to read"

"Why...why are our classes on hold?"

"Oh there's an annual event that takes place in the countryside, majority of the nobles attend it, I have to meet up with a client who will be in attendance"

Qaya rubbed her eyebrows.

"Oh the king will most likely invite your family but I still implore you to read the document, after all you plan to write the induction exam this year"

Qaya shook her head "I might not attend..." she paused and thought to herself for a while.

"Where do you say the event will be held again"

"The King's countryside Palace in Cralville"

"Forgive my foolishness, I will definitely be attendance" she declared, a bright smile on her face and a brilliant idea in her mind.

Well an idea...not much can be said about it's brilliance.