TROY MATTHEWS
Once there lived a gallant knight with hairs as dark as the moonless night and eyes a glittering innocent shade of green. He served the noble empire of Craviola ruled by The Great King Reed, whose story of courage and strategies built sky high towers.
One fine day when the grass and leaves were of soft green colour and one could hear the song of pixies flowing through the air with the golden sun playing hide and seek with the people of the earth, King Reed allowed the knight to plunge into the depths of grief.
“Knight Troy Mathews ” He boomed ”I command you to leave my empire at once for your show of treachery could help blossom a cloud of falseness in the minds of fellow people residing peacefully in my noble empire”
Troy tried to justify his innocence but oh,everything he tried went in vain.
He couldn't fathom the idea of not being trusted and rode upon his noble steed into the forest of creatures, but the destiny had decided to weave something more into his tapestry of life.
On the fortnight of his banishment from the kingdom, he came across a rather bizarre creature.
Troy was caressing his beloved horse when he saw a silhouette of a creature pacing in his direction. He drew his sword which was no longer an object of honor to him and spoke boldly,
“Who this might?”
The creature said nothing, and kept floating towards him.
There was something strange about it. It was gloomy and was absolutely helping in densing the eeriness of the forest but Troy knew that everything would be fine again.
The creature grew closer to him and through the feeble little web of moonlight he could see a figure of a women ,as dark as the darkness itself but Troy couldn’t miss the aura of silver light illuminating her.
The women’s face was twisted into an expression of grief with a hint of hope behind the glossy blue eyes.
Though that wasn't it there was something else about her that made her more intimidating.
A dagger covered with fresh ,warm, dripping blood was coming out of her chest, piercing her heart and stealing away her breath.
“Pacify down dear knight, i mean no harm to you” she whispered softly into the night.
“Who are you?”Questioned Troy, panic laced through his voice.
“I am The Ghost Of Gratis” she said.”and i can help you with whatever is bothering you.”
Knight looked at her with confused eyes and was out of words,but to his relief she opened her mouth again.
“Follow me oh noble knight for i can release you from the shackles of the past that is haunting you .“
With the burgundy horse on their heels she led the knight into the heart of the forest. Just like the past events of the day the place was unusual to him.There in the distance he could see an apple tree,the only difference that it wasn’t wearing it’s usual red,brown or green colour but was draped by silver.
It was throwing all its shine towards the icy blue lake on the banks of which it stood.
Gratis dived into the lake of blue and returned a moment later with a glittering red stone in her hands.
“This the stone of veracitaid....Take a bite” she said handing the stone to Troy.
“I can’t have it!”Exclaimed the knight.”It’s a stone!”
“It’ll show you the truth....it won’t sting”She looked into the knight’s fearful eyes and said,”I promise.”
Troy closed his eyes and prepared himself for the sting he would suffer from biting the stone.....but nothing happened...it was soft and didn't sting him just like Gratis promised.
He suddenly felt as he was being sucked into void.Smokes of Gray,Red and purple passed him .He thought he was falling down a giant hole but couldn't fathom the idea.
Moments later Troy felt a sharp blow of pain in his back and groaned . In front of him lines were coming out of nowhere.The lines all joined together and different colours started flowing from everywhere.A room,a familiar room formed in front of him
“It’s the castle!...The kings chamber!”Troy whispered to himself.
Like a shot,the carved heavy wooden door boomed open and he scrambled towards the heavy brilliant red curtains to conceal himself.His jaws dropped to the floor when he took in the view in front of him.
Knight Vince entered the chambers with the minister draped over his shoulders. The minister had the nastiest of gash across his shoulders and his robes were drenched with blood. He could barely open his eyes.
Vince threw him on the floor next to the kings bed and whispered into his ears.
“I beg your pardon sir but it wasn’t Troy who attacked you from behind but me!”said Vince with pure disgust entangled through his voice.
Troys blood boiled at this .Expression of clear horror imprinted minister’s face and before he could even whimper Vince charged his dagger at minister’s chest and pierced it, twisting it, seizing away his breath.
Troy wanted to run and help the poor guy but suddenly the room started swirling again beneath his feet .It kept swirling for several moments making the knight dizzy .At last the swirling slowed down and came to a halt. This time Troy was standing in front of his former Quarter.
Troy heard some ruffling behind him and turned his head. Troy noticed the familiar face of Vince whose hand was now wrapped around two glass goblets filled with bubbling purple liquid.
Vince passed straight through Troy and knocked at the door of his quarter. Minutes later somebody opened the door from inside. That ‘somebody’ was none other than Troy himself.He saw himself let Vince and rushed towards the door before it was shut again.
Troy saw himself take the goblet from Vince and take a sip from it.They both shared a few things and had hearty laugh together.Suddenly the Troy’s head-who was with Vince-started pounding.He grabbed his head in his head and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell upon the floor.
Vince took this opportunity and cleaned his dagger's handle, placing it in unconscious Troy’s hands.He then pulled out the passed out Troy’s pin that had a golden feather stuck to it and ran out.Troy followed him to the kings chambers again and saw him drop his pin near the ministers body. Vince was smarter than Troy thought.
Troy wanted to launch himself at Vince when he was pulled off the floor and being sucked into the tunnel of void again. Smokes of green,silver and blue rushed past him forming the silver tree, the ice blue lake and the forest floor and trees.
He was yet again thrown onto the damp forest floor.Gratis hovered over him and pulled him up straight with invisible hands.
“It was Vince!”, Troy rushed,”I can’t imagine that he must use our friendship against me like this! I must return back to the palace at once.....Thank you for helping me!” he breathed.
“Go back knight and write down your own destiny....You must not let others to pull out a dark thread and weave it through your tapestry of life...”
He once nodded and smiled at her settling himself upon his steed and rushed back to the castle.
“I am Knight Troy Matthews and wish to see the king. An urgent notice needs to be passed on.Their is a slayer lurking under the roof of the castle.”
The guards exchanged a few confused glances at each other clearly trying to deliberate the news Troy just passed onto them.
And to Troy’s surprise the guards let him in and in no time he reached the great hall.
Troy noticed Vince standing near king and without having a second thought he screamed,”TRAITOR.”
“TROY”,King Reed booms,”I believe I ordered you to leave my empire.”
“TRAITOR” Troy shouted again,staring at Vince as blood left his face and made him look as pale as ghost.
“I’ll handle him sire!”Vince spoke up finally.He drew his sword and ran towards Troy. Troy mimicked Vince’s actions and ran towards him,the sound of clashing of blade filled the hall,echoing through the cloisters.
“You betrayed me!”Troy says through his teeth.
“You were not supposed to be the only one who gets all the wooing, while poor Vince just kept lurking under Great Troy’s shadows ....i believe you were too wrapped up in your glamorous life to notice the hint of jealousy behind my eyes that grew stronger day by day.” he whispered to Troy, sure that the blade clashing would muffle their voices.
“You could’ve told me.”
“I’m not in a habit of running around begging people.”
“I never asked you to beg....you could’ve explained it to me.”
Instead of receiving a comeback Troy felt a sharp blow in his stomach and was hurled down to the floor, gasping.
Vince launched himself at him and tried to pin him down but at precise moment Troy raises his legs into the air and pushing Vince back and causing him to fall on the floor. Without wasting a second he pinned Vince down and brought his sword near Vince’s throat.
“TELL ‘EM HOW YOU KILLED HIM....TELL ‘EM HOW YOU LOOKED HIM IN THE EYES AND SEIZED AWAY HIS BREATH....THE MAN WHO TRUSTED YOU!” Troy shouted in his face,but he didn’t say a word.Troy brought his sword more closer to his throat,touching his skin now and screamed again,”TELL ‘EM!”
“Yes...Yes i murdered the minister...”Vince said struggling under Troy’s grip.
The crowd gasped.
“Tell me it’s not true Vince!”said King Reed.
“Yes that is the truth REED for it is your fault....you did this...you always praised him...you loaded all your appraisals on HIS shoulders...and forgot that there were others around you..serving you....serving your noble empire...well guess what this isn’t the end....it’s just a beggining!” The crowd gasped again.
The twinkling light that was prominently present behind the king's eyes seemed to leave them and with a raspy voice he ordered the guards to head him to the borstal.”Lead him to the borstal so that he can confront the fate that is starving for him.”
“Oh how could I be so blind...how could I suspect you Troy...he was right though....right about everything....our beloved minister is dead...because I built it for him.”King Reed finally spoke up after Vince was led to borstal with a little smirk of victory playing on his face
“It was the fear sire...fear of not being approved...fear of having to do away with his position...and fear can make people do terrible things your majesty...”
The king walked over to Troy and put his hands on his shoulders.”You may as well want to fill up your former position.”he said smiling at Troy.
For now Troy paced over to a pillar and stood next to it.
The king settled himself upon his seat and raised his goblet.”I would like to prepare a toast in honor of knight Troy and his bravery.....”But Everything faded away for Troy when he noticed the familiar bubbling purple liquid in kings goblet,panic coursed through him.
“Sire i believe that today’s drinks were served by Knight Vince”
Everybody nodded around him looking confused.
“I beg your pardon but i would rather appreciate it if you all would do away with your drinks....i hope that no one would fancy blacking out in the great hall itself.”
People stared at him wide eyed.The King broke the silence by bursting into a laughter.
“Troy I can witness that you still own that edge of yours.”
“Maybe i was dismissed sire...but i was the same person all along...before coming to Craviola...While serving the Craviola and while leaving my home! I’m not in a habit of letting the harsh situations change me “Troy states boldly.
The king nodded and smiles at him.
The lost sparkling hint returned to Troy’s green eyes and he joined in everybody with the celebrations. At last he was at peace again.