Into the End

By Mathomo L. Makgale

This war seemed as if it would forever be a part of their everyday lives. One man had caused the downfall of Ancora, and the remaining regions fought for independence and stability within their own kingdoms. With allegiances being birthed, and the return of a forgotten Queen, things are beginning to shift in favor of justice. That is until justice was turned against the good, and now the difference between right and wrong simply doesnt exist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524665937

Mathomo L. Makgale

I’d started writing this book at about fourteen years old. The idea to write it had popped up when I was thirteen but I’d only taken it seriously a year later. I wrote almost all of it, but sadly, I lost all my data in a computer swipe. Out of motivation, I let the story go, and didn’t think I’d ever rewrite it. A few months later, I began writing again; changing the story in ways I hadn’t dreamed of the first time around. My momentum faded steadily as school became more and more of a priority. After a move of towns, I ended up homeschooling. This, although lonely at first, had given me time to dedicate to my book. It was a tough and overly long journey, but the book would finally be complete.

Book preview

Prologue

The night was at its darkest. Dawn had not yet arisen to illuminate the terrified kingdom – the fallen Kingdom of Ancora. The once enviable kingdom was under siege, its own resources manipulated to its detriment.

Commanding the besieging army was King Norman of Metus. Norman had instructed that every last one of the Ancoran royal family was to be locked in the royal castle, and that castle, the heart of the kingdom, was to be burnt down.

As the four princesses of the desecrated kingdom met their fate alongside their parents, King Norman watched the Heart of Ancora burn to the ground. As he sat on his beastly stallion, his pitch-black hair danced wildly in the wind. His hair was blackened even more by a snow of ashes.

King Norman had pledged to wage war on the entire world. As unwise as it sounded, he was in the best position to do so, and he was dead set on fulfilling this pledge. There was some form of regret in his hazel eyes as he watched the castle burn. But eventually, as he led away what remained of his valiant army to the neighbouring kingdom that he called home, all the regret that had once been apparent died out.

Chapter 1

‘Charlie!’

My eyes shot open at the sound of my mistress calling me. I had a late night yesterday. I knew it was going to be a challenge to complete today’s activities.

I hurried out of bed to put my apron on. I only had two items of clothing. They were both part of my uniform: a black, short-sleeved dress and an apron, as simple as it gets. My chamber was scarce of space, and the only furniture was a small bed and a large bucket for a bath. I had little time to bathe, so I decided to do without it for the day.

I opened my door only to be greeted by cold winter air. I hunched my back against the cold and trudged on. My surroundings were coated in freshly fallen snow. On a warm summer’s day, the vibrant plant life of Virum’s royal garden would have been on display. Now, only untainted white was on the scene. My pump-like shoes were no match for the snow, and I seemed to sink deeper with each step I took.

It would be much warmer in the castle.

I knocked on the back door of the castle, waiting as patiently as I could for Jenna to open it. I rubbed my hands on my arms to conserve heat. Time slowly passed. I knocked again.

There was to be a royal ball in three days’ time. Things had to be done with haste lest we make fools of the royal family in front of the king, queen, and princess of Gratia.

This bejewelled kingdom inspired awe. Located on one of the many fruitful mountains in Gratia, it was sinking in wealth from precious stones and metals. Behind the tall gates of the walls that surrounded Gratia, gold and silver flooded the streets. Neither woman nor man was short of emeralds to parade around in.

King Hamilton and Queen Bird had given Princess Eileen’s hand in marriage to the only son of the royal family of our kingdom. She was all too happy to be married to the previously engaged Prince Valiant I. As a child, he had been betrothed to Princess Mona of Ancora. However, she had died, along with the rest of her family a long time ago.

The death of Ancora had meant the death of mass food production, since Ancora had cultivated from its fertile soil great crops that fed many a mouth. The late royalty of Ancora had supplied bountiful amounts of food for all five kingdoms.

The Kingdom of Virum was the second most established of the Five Regions, and they had the most valiant royalty ever known. This courage afforded Virumites great status in the way of sea voyages. Ships crafted by Virum hands never fell short of immaculacy. The strain of costs had caused the once-curious kingdom to delay expeditions for the last couple of centuries. The wealth acquired from these trips further enriched the coffers of the kingdom.

Each region had royalty with a greatly distinctive character trait that could not be mistaken for anything else. This was a genetic element, which only happened with royalty. The Gratians were extremely graceful, and as mentioned earlier, the Virumites had the most fearless hearts on the face of the planet.

The hinges on the door groaned with age as the door opened. My mistress’s icy-cold eyes greeted me.

‘Charlene,’ Mistress said, ‘start scrubbing the pots. Time is of the essence.’

‘Yes, Mistress,’ I said.

She walked back inside and I followed her quietly. I was always captivated by the beautiful decor of the castle. I had worked there for as long as I could remember. Yet still the elegantly arranged, blood-red curtains and large stone fireplaces were as breathtaking as ever.

As swiftly as I could, I entered the kitchen and made my way over to the dishes. Pushing past more maids than I could count, I filled one of the largest pots with water and began doing what I was meant to do – scrub.

‘Charlene!’ Mistress called me, and my head sprung up in her direction.

‘Yes, Mistress?’

She gave me those eyes, with a look that suggested something awful was about to be done. She would make it seem as if it were merely an unfortunate turn of events, when the reality was that she intended it.

‘There is simply no room at all in here for you and that blasted pot,’ she said. ‘Take it outside and scrub it thoroughly there.’

Outside? I thought. It’s freezing out there. I wouldn’t go out there for an extra few sovereigns, let alone to wash a pot!

‘Yes, Mistress, I shall,’ I said aloud.

And so I did. Carrying a pot that weighed no less than half my weight around the castle corridors, I waddled along, careful not to drop a single drop of its greasy insides on the floor. On my way outside, I almost ran into the man of honour himself, Prince Valiant.

I say almost, for I stopped dead in my tracks. The mixture of greases and soaps leaped out of the pot onto the young prince’s shirt. I shut my eyes and kept them shut; I didn’t want to look Prince Valiant in the eye.

Slowly, I decided that I would have to face reality sooner or later. So, one eye at a time, I opened them and looked at the prince.

His arms were extended on either side of him in disgust. He was in a somewhat shocked state as if it were completely impossible for him to be touched by anything other than what was ‘fit’. It was as if he expected there to be some kind of invisible barrier protecting him from all that was restricted. I found it hilarious and burst out cackling.

He gave me a look, the kind of look that I received often – a look of judgment. That was not quite it, though; it was a combination of judgment and fury. In any case, he wasn’t happy. Although I knew that it might be my undoing, I held my laughter to a snicker as I curved around him.

I eventually made my way outside with the prince’s eyes burning a hole in the back of my skull. I hoped I would get away with this.

Chapter 2

In the late hours of my day, around sunset, I was punished by Mistress. She had no intention of hearing me out, so I didn’t try. Whenever I tried my luck at explaining myself, she made my punishment even heavier. I knew a fair hearing was too much to hope for.

I was in the stables, cleaning out the results of the horses’ digestive systems. It was the most despised of chores. No maid ventured around the stable of a fully fed horse. I would do it, if only to see the magnificent creatures, but I was usually forbidden.

Shovel in hand, I held my breath as I scooped up the chocolate-coloured waste and tossed it into a bucket. There was some good to this task. I’d always been fond of the horses. Full of much pride they were, but they were also the most affectionate creatures in Virum that I knew of.

The one horse beside me was my favourite. He was a handsome fellow. I had named him Lake Seeker. This was the reason why I was not allowed to see the mares. I often named them, and they then only answered to those names, much to Mistress’s annoyance.

I finished shovelling Lake Seeker’s disposables and set the shovel in a corner. I made my way to his side and stroked his dark neck gently. ‘Beautiful creature,’ I breathed He reminded me of a brother, protective and compassionate. The stables were my area of safety. Mistress didn’t dare scold me when I stood next to Seeker.

He nudged his head against my shoulder. He was begging.

‘I didn’t bring anything today,’ I said with a fake smile. I regretted not bringing anything for Lake Seeker, but I barely had enough money to feed myself. I placed my hand between his eyes. ‘I’ll see if I can’t save to get you an apple.’

This time I put on a real smile. They fd the horses enough, but it was nice to be able to give the animals a treat. Each time Lake Seeker begged me, itreminded me of my poverty.

It made no sense. I worked in the house of the king, queen, and prince of Virum, but I always had to scrape for money. I had about a sovereign and a half in my savings, and that was all I had accumulated since I started saving. Sometimes Mistress forgot to pay me, but somehow I managed to get by.

With regret I left Seeker, not knowing when I’d be able to see him again.

Through the castle hallways I made my way to Mistress, to await the rest of my punishment. I assumed that I would be made to plough under the weeds in the queen’s indoor garden, or perhaps they’d put me to work in the ballroom. Only time would tell.

I entered the kitchen where Mistress was likely to be, and there she