\

4th Day of June 134 R.A.

“Damn it! Get back here!” King Philip called into the dark hallway as stumbled toward the doorway. His right hand pressed tightly, trying to stop the over flow of blood spilling out of him. He tried to take another step forward into the abyss of the hall, causing him to fall to his knees. Four bodies laid on the ground in front of him, which were likely his personal guards. He couldn’t tell if they were dead or alive. The shock had kept the pain at bay as he tried to chase his attacker out of his bedroom. He scrambled across the floor on his knees toward the wall where the phone sat in its cradle.

The King pulled the chord of the phone, causing the phone to fall into his lap. He heard a voice call to him through the phone. His breathing was becoming shallow as he managed to speak into the phone. “Attack…Royal Suite…emergency…doctor for…the queen…”

“King Philip? Was there an attack on the King and Queen? Where are the-” the voice tried to ask.

“Help…” King Philip whispered into the phone.

“Of course, your highness. Help is on the way.” The voice answered before hanging up.

The king dropped the phone and pressed his back against the wall. He had lived thirty-two wonderful years with his wife, and they had never had an attacker make it to their bedroom before. How had someone managed to get into the royal suite without anyone noticing? Were guards on the ground dead? What was his attacker after, and did they achieve their goal? No, there was only one thing they could have wanted, and it was locked away. The king could only speculate the hows and whys of the situation, but none of that mattered now.

His white nightshirt had turned a crimson red under his hand. The bleeding was only worsening the more he tried to stop it. His vision blurred and his head felt numb. He looked back at his wife who couldn’t move from the bed. She had been poisoned some time earlier and was in a state of paralysis. The king could only imagine what would have happened had he come home the next morning as he originally planned to. He had stopped the intruder from violating his wife, but he was pretty sure she was living in her own internal hell since she couldn’t move.

King Philip would likely be dead the next time his wife could see his face or move a muscle. The poison wouldn’t stop her from hearing everything that went on in that room. She heard the king wrestle with the attacker. He had groaned in pain when the attacker stabbed him. He didn’t want that to be the last thing she heard from him. “My…beloved,” he murmured. “I’m not..long for this…world. Know that…I…love…you…above all else…Thank you…for the joy…you brought…just being my…wife.” He coughed, spitting blood out onto the carpet. “Help is…coming…my love…I would die…to save you… any day…No re…grets.” More coughing, more blood sprayed out of his mouth. “Find…a daughter…of…Ash…land…heir…” The king felt his body numb from the blood loss. “Love…you.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Love…you…Phil..ip,” the queen forced her mouth to move. Her face was soaked with tears. Fear, desperation, and heartbreak filled her mind. She couldn't see her husband’s face, but she heard a thump on the floor. She knew at that moment that her darling Philip had returned to the Creator’s Paradise where she hoped to see him again one day.

10th Day of June 134 R.A.

After nearly a week since the murder of King Philip Ash and attempted murder of Queen Reia Ash. The Royal Inspector, Ian Stocklan, isn’t any closer to catching the king’s murderer. Stocklan is fresh out of leads, leaving the heartbroken queen and nation without answers. Rumors and speculation point to the murder being an inside job in the palace, but an anonymous source points to another kingdom’s involvement. Is the king’s murder an international plot?

12th Day of June 134 R.A.

Queen Reia Ash buries her beloved husband, King Philip Ash, in the Roseberry Chapel just outside of the Mortar Palace where the last two generations of royals have been laid to rest. The queen appears stoic in all of her public appearances of late. The citizens of Ashland feel her pain, and the great loss of their king.

23rd Day of June 134 R.A.

Royal Inspector, Ian Stocklan, is still stumped as to who is behind the murder of King Philip. No one seems capable of solving the mystery of who attacked the royals and why. What was the murderer trying to accomplish with the death of the King and Queen? Were the royals not the benevolent rulers Ashlanders know them to be?

2nd Day of September 134 R.A.

The Queen’s Ministers have called for the retirement of Royal Inspector Ian Stocklan after months of failed progress in the case of the King’s murder. District Governors are set to gather in District Horizon to discuss the matter and possible nominations for a new Royal Inspector. The queen has refused to comment on the situation, but an anonymous source says the queen is dissatisfied with the investigation. The queen appears to be in grief counseling for her loss. Ashlanders stand with the queen in her darkest hour.

9th Day of December 135 R.A.

After Ian Stocklan was replaced twice with new Royal Inspectors by the Queen’s Ministers and District Governors to find the murderer of King Philip Ash, there has been no progress on the case. Queen Reia Ash returned to the normal royal routines at the start of this year, and she has asked that Ashlanders leave King Philip’s case in the hands of our Creator. Instead the queen has announced a competition to find an heir to her throne called the Queen’s Challenge. King Philip had always wanted a daughter, so to honor him, the queen will find a daughter of Ashland to be her successor. Although Ashlanders are excited for the upcoming competition, most of the citizens are still hoping for justice for the late king.

1st Day of January 136 R.A.

Queen Reia Ash has begun her monthly goodwill and announcement tour across the districts. She will travel by rail car to each district this month to open the entry portion of the Queen’s Challenge. She is expected to make her first speech in District Foundry this evening.

2nd Day of January 136 R.A.

Queen Reia Ash was greeted with union protests in District Foundry. The queen in all her grace quelled the crowd with meetings from the district union leaders. Hiked prices on steel have led to pay cuts throughout the district factories. The queen promises to address the issues at the next assembly. In addition 43 young women will begin taking tests to qualify for the district competition to enter the Queen’s Challenge.

15th Day of January 136 R.A.

Queen Reia Ash has been met with more of the same in each district. Protests and riots have spurred her into action to quell the public’s out cry of neglect. Although the queen had been in mourning for the last year, Ashlanders have had no voice in the assembly. Elected officials and nobles have failed the people of Ashland with policies and proclamations. The queen is the people’s last hope for relief from over population, pay cuts, and bans across immigration into other districts. The question has been raised if the Queen’s Challenge is nothing more than a stunt to distract Ashlanders from their problems. Queen Reia Ash arrives in White Sands tomorrow to kick off another district competition to select the representative to compete in her challenge.

----------------------------------------