Letharia: Married By Tribute

Letharia's POV

I ran past the sun-struck buildings with a gun in my left hand and a bag of food in the right. I looked past my shoulder to see one man chasing me until his very last breath. I grabbed my gun, turned around, and shot 3 rounds of bullets, each one hitting his chest. I stopped running; I then walked back, taking the camera from my back pocket, taking a picture of the man I killed, innocent or not.

But no one is innocent in Xoria, not even the children; the kingdom has been corrupted for centuries, king after king, dictator after dictator. The rich kill the poor, and the poor kill those they get their hands on for revenge, or food. Crime runs rapidly through the streets, but who do the people blame? The King.

I reshot the man for the last time to make sure he was dead. The shots echoed through the streets. I noticed the television sets in the market and watched outside a local shop; they were broadcasting hangings of the rebellion again. I clenched my fists, and I had a feeling Father would be more than angry hearing the news.

As I started to run again, I placed the gun in my back pocket. I ran until I was out of range. I panted as I reached home. I entered the house; the rooms were pitch black. No signs of Jessi, or Lorelei; I walked further into the darkness until I felt a pair of arms around my neck; I struggled to get them off as I elbowed the man behind me. I heard a thump as he fell against a piece of furniture. I blindly put my hands in the air looking to pull the light switch; until I finally pulled the switch, I pointed my gun at him. I saw a man relying on the kitchen table to get up; that man just so happens to be Jessi, my brother. He stared at me then smiled. "You get better every day."

I smiled " I know. But enough of that, it's time for dinner".

I picked up the bag of food I had dropped during our fight. Setting the bag of food down on the table. Jessi had gotten his knife from his back pocket, as he was happy to chop the fruits and vegetables in the bag. I emptied the bag; raw fruits, and vegetables were all we ate occasionally, I'd sneak some candies, ones the rich would eat. "Lorelei! Father! It's supper time"!

From the dim corners of the room emerged, Father holding sweet Lorelei, Father with a smile on his face. He sat on the floor with Lorelei in his lap, feeding her chopped fruit as if she were his own baby. Father looked at me. "I thought I told you to let your brother steal today".

"We swapped places, it's no big deal really---

He slammed his fists onto the table " And have you been killed or worse have you been a female slave for little Prince Aven?!", He interrupted, causing little Lorelei to cry. Handing her into my brother's arms. "You know what happened to your mother, do I have to constantly remind you that she's gone", he had raised his voice at me.

"I know Father, I'm sorry". I replied. “But have you heard of the hangings going on, they’re hunting us…”

Father banged his hands on the table “Not in front of her”, he folded his lips. Lorelii had started to cry again.” Father put his hands on his forehead and sighed “What sector?” 

“B”, I whispered. 

“Damnit...Damnit!”, he banged his fists into the walls. “They most likely got most of our weaponry.. Whatever it’s fine we won’t have to deal with this any longer”.

"Nevermind that, Jessi, would you show her the map"?

"What map", I asked.

Jessi quickly grabbed the map from the other room and showed me hesitantly.

He laid the map on the table "We're going to kill him tomorrow".

"Who?" I looked up at Father seeing him grin. I gasped "Prince Aven", I whispered. "But do we even have enough manpower t-to do that?

"John Wilkes Booth Killed Lincoln with one gun, and he was one man", Jessi said.

"But that was 1860 it's 3055 dumbass", I said.

Father didn't laugh, he stared at me "You memorize this plan right, or you're getting yourself killed, Jessi and I already memorized every square inch of that arena".

"Arena?"

"An execution is taking place tomorrow, Lorelei will stay with someone I know, while I kill King Aven. You and your brother will shoot the guards at gates 5 and 7, now here's where the other rebels kill the guards at gates one, two, three, etc, later you will bomb the place, make sure to kill the rich".

"Why do I get to kill Prince Aven, Father, why I'm curious".

He turned to my brother "Those Bastards father scarred Letharia, and killed your mother,  and before that he shamed her, stripping her of her dignity, so you ask why, why is it that you've been living without a mother burdened by your Father instead. After I kill Prince Aven I'll go after Nero, we must eliminate the public prince and go after the sheltered king, do you understand your role in this? One screw up and it's over".

"Yes, Father", my brother and I repeated in unison.

He stood up with deep hatred and sadness in his eyes, for whenever he told the story of the day mother died, he'd silently cry in his room wishing he would have been the one that died.