15 minute read
The Traitor | Levi Wood
The Traitor
Levi Wood Fiction
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Bang! Bang! Dust stirred in the warm air as the front door rattled from someone knocking roughly.
“Open up!” a gruff-sounding voice yelled from outside.
“Open up by order of the king!” the voice yelled. Jacob leaped from his bed, dashed over, and opened the door. A uniformed guard stood in the doorway. “What can I help you with?” Jacob asked rather politely. The guard seemed startled when it was just Jacob who answered the door. He was clearly expecting someone older. He sighed. “The king wishes to see you. It’s about your tax debt,” the guard said, almost with real empathy. “He wants you and your younger sister.”
“Uh oh,” Jacob murmured.
“Why do we have to go to the king?” Lily asked.
“He says so,” Jacob replied with an extra serious expression.
“Just follow me,” the guard said with a stiff exhale. Then he began slowly walking towards the castle, with the children in tow.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jacob whispered hurriedly to his sister.
“Promise?” Lily asked, swatting away a nearby spider who was climbing down a tree.
“I promise,” Jacob agreed, with a shiver from the cold midnight air. Jacob followed the path all the way to the southren king’s castle. . The king was perched on top of a massive gold throne. It took little to no guessing to tell where all their tax money went.
“Jacob!” The king greeted Jacob and Lily in an unusually friendly manner. That king’s royal garb looked to be worth more than entire towns. Then he paused. “You’re Jacob the second, where is Jacob the first?” the king said almost mockingly, for he knew the answer quite well, but was an absolute jerk.
“Dead. Killed on his last mission,” Jacob admitted.
“But I need my best spy for this mission’s success! Alas, I must instead kill you two, for you have no way of repaying that debt.” The king clapped his hands. Jacob frowned as he was arrested. He knew this was coming from the start. He was getting the same punishment all the people who disobeyed the king got, instant execution.
“Unless– Jacob… your dad must’ve surely trained you. And who would ever suspect a child to be a spy. It’ s perfect,” the king declared with an evil grinchy grin. “What do I have to do?” Jacob asked with a serious tone. He 17
didn’t like where this was going, but he disliked a swift execution significantly more, as one does from time to time.
“I need Ralph and Bella, two of that insufferable Northern King’s kids, on a carriage to their death. It will be chucked off the mountain pass bridge, down a hundred-foot fall into a freezing lake infested with mutant piranhas we imported. You’re going to make sure they get on it. ” Jacob didn’t understand the reasoning but knew better than to directly question this king. That would be treason and mean a swift execution. “How?” “They’re children about your age. Think of something. Just get it done.” “And my debt will be gone?”
“Yep.” Jacob accepted, though not quite happy he would have to trick someone to their death, as one does from time to time. Within minutes the plan was active, and the message got sent to the people it needed to, if you know what I mean. Lily got to go back home, and Jacob was sent to the Northern Kingdom, undercover as a servant of some sort.
“Scrub those floors better!” Elizabeth yelled. “I can’t see my lovely reflection in them yet!”
“But it’s stone, milady!” Jacob complained as he continued unsuccessfully scrubbing the stone in an attempt to make it shinier. Stone isn’t very easy to get shiny. “DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE!?” Elizabeth yelled, putting her hands on her hips. “Yes, your majesty,” Jacob replied wearily. He had gotten a job in the palace easily. Jacob couldn’t believe how much stuff this snotty princess “needed.” Elizabeth had more makeup on than skin and wore expensive dresses.
“Message for one Jacob Goodyguy!” a messenger hollered up the massive palace stairs. Jacob began to get up and grab his mail, but was suddenly halted by the princess. “NO! These stupid, insolent peasants! You keep scrubbing the floor unless you want to be publicly executed! I’ll just read your mail to you while you work,” Elizabeth declared regally. “This urchin probably doesn’t even know how to read,” she mumbled but in such a way that it was easily heard by everyone. Jacob sagged and went back to scrubbing the stone floor. And I’ve failed already. Great. Jacob took his anger against life out on the floor. Why can’t something nice happen to me for once?
“JACOB! There is a speck over here! A speck! In your majesty's presence! This shall not be allowed!” the princess yelled from yet another room.
“Coming, your majesty,” Jacob agreed with a sigh. If this was the princess he was supposed to kill, he wouldn’t feel that bad about it. Jacob peered into the dimly lit room. Suddenly, Jacob was pinned against a wall.
“You’re a spy, huh?” the princess said quietly as she held Jacob against the stone. She was surprisingly strong and Jacob was surprisingly light. Because of the room’s positioning, the guards or the other servant couldn't hear them in there. “Trying to kill my two insufferable siblings? Don’t even try to deny it!”
“Yeah,” Jacob admitted.
“Good. I hate them. They’re really ugly. By the way, your mail says the carriage for their death is coming 18
tomorrow.” The princess left leaving Jacob bewildered. “Uh”
“Jacob!” the princess hollered as she left the room “This ceiling isn’t shiny!” Oh well. Later that day, it just got worse and worse.
“Mop the floor!”
“Make me a snack!”
“I dropped my snack! Make me another snack and mop the floor again!” Finally, there was an evening dance at midnight. Since the princess was attanding, her servants had to too. The dance had slow music played by violinists and some pianists. Jacob yawned audibly and sagged a little. A pretty lady in a dress walked up to Elizabeth. “Let your servants have a break, they look tired.”
“Fine. they were annoying me anyway.” Phew. Jacob walked up to the nice lady. She was thirteen or so. “Thanks for that.” “No problem. Elizabeth can be quite a jerk sometimes,” the nice lady replied with a yawn. A large guy walked up to them. If you had said that the two were sister and brother, I would have punched you in the face for lying (and would’ve apologized afterward).
“Hello.” This guy had a much deeper voice and had the body type of a Greek god. He wasn’t wearing expensive jewelry either. “Who are you?”
“I’m Jacob, nice to meet you,” Jacob said, extending his hand.
“I’m Ralph. If you fall in love with my sister, I will kill you,” Ralph said, crushing his hand in a firm handshake. Jacob could have sworn he heard his bones cracking. “Um-” Jacob stammered confusedly.
“He’s just kidding, don’t worry,” the pretty lady said with a nice smile. “I am not,” Ralph said so bluntly that it made Jacob realize he was completely serious.
“See? Such a jokester. I’m Bella. Nice to meet you, Jacob.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Jacob said with another yawn. “I haven’t been to a dance before. This is terrible. Why are people socializing at midnight, of all times?” “Well, rich people tend to be a little crazy. I prefer the gardens.”
“I’ve never seen any gardens.”
“I’ll have to show you some tomorrow.”
“Can’t. Elizabeth is going to want me to clean everything.”
“Don’t worry. I know how to deal with my snotty sister.”
“Thanks. I’m going to go to bed and get some shut-eye,” Jacob said as he left the dance before Elizabeth could change her mind. It was only when Jacob woke up that he realized who those people were. “Those people are Bella and Ralph!”
“Duh, you idiot,” Elizabeth said, as she had heard him talk to himself. “Get moving!”
“Sorry, your highness.” Jacob started to grab his cleaning stuff, which was essentially just a rag.
“No! You stupid peasant! You’re going to go to the park with my two siblings. Once there, tell them about the 19
glorious hills nearby they should see! So they get on that carriage and DIE!”
“You really don’t like them.”
“It’s personal. GET THEM IN THAT CARRIAGE OR-!” Elizabeth yelled. “I’ll get publicly executed. I know the drill!” Jacob yelled as he dashed out of the room, glad to be moving away from the crazy princess. By ten or so, Jacob had arrived at the park. He let out a whistle. “This place is gorgeous,” he whispered to no one in particular. There were rows of flowers and hedges and every kind of fruit you could imagine.
“Hello, Jacob!” Bella said with a smile. She was wearing a green dress. Ralph was nearby, sniffing flowers. “Isn’t this place cool?‘
“Oh, it’s great!” Then his stomach twisted. He knew what he had to say. If he didn’t, his little sister would die. If he did, his new friends would die. Not an easy choice. Now for the question you’ve been asking this entire story. Will Jacob trick his friends to their death or not?
“Are you feeling okay?” Ralph asked. “You look unwell.”
“Um. yeah. It… uh… must be the air…”
“The air is perfect out here,” Ralph replied suspiciously, giving Jacob a look and sniffing the fragrant air.
“It’s a little better at those mountains where I grew up,” Jacob lied. And he fails miserably! What a twist!
“Oh. I’ve never been to those mountains. What’s it like?” Bella asked curiously.
“I’ve heard it’s quite nice.”
“Oh, it’s great. I guess… you ’ll just have to see it for yourself,” Jacob said, feeling increasingly sick with guilt.
“I guess. But first, we need to get you to the hospital. You look like you’re going to throw up,” Ralph said.
“Of course not. I’m perfectly healthy-” Jacob started before falling flat on his face unconscious, as one does from time to time.
“That isn’t good,” Ralph bluntly replied. Soon, Jacob was in a hospital bed, unconscious. Whether he was actually sick, or not, Elizabeth took that it was all part of the plan.
“Poor guy,” Elizabeth, who had been notified, said. Naturally, it was soaked in false empathy as she herself was about twelve feet away from her servant. “He has a point. I’ll have a carriage to take him home, to those mountains. You can visit him when he wakes up.”
“Oh, alright,” Bella agreed. The carriage driver got a little confused at the change of plans but agreed. “I wouldn’t want you for a sibling,” he said.
“No you would not,” Elizabeth said with an evil grin. Jacob twitched. Suddenly, he was back home. The king greeted him and shook his hand, but he heard nothing. There were parties and he got a badge for going above and beyond the will of the king, yet they passed in a blur. Finally, Lily looked him hard in the eyes. “Why did our debt disappear? What have you done?”
“YAH!” Jacob said as he suddenly sat up, and bashed his head against the top of the room. He was in an inn.
Jacob wearily sat at one of the nearby tables. Though not entirely purposeful, he had beaten the odds and had successfully tricked two royals into a carriage. Despite the warmth of the inn, Jacob suddenly felt cold. He had betrayed his new friends, for what? He had saved his sister. But for how long? Taxes are taxes; they pop up again and again. What would happen when it’s time to pay his taxes the next time? What other job could he get? Had he truly saved anyone from anything?
“I’m the bad guy, aren’t I? No. It can’t be too late,” Jacob whispered to himself. Jacob checked out of the inn in a rush. He burst out of the front door into the frigid mountain air. Snow had begun falling, but he ignored it. With a worried expression, he scanned the horizon, getting his bearings. He spotted a massive stone bridge that a few carriages and people were crossing over. That bridge was The Mountain Pass, onto which the carriage was going. But Jacob saw no twisted, broken carriage. The carriage mustn’t have arrived yet.
“I’m not too late,” Jacob whispered. He started running. The snow had steadily been increasing, howling as it formed into a storm, and most of the people on the bridge went to get shelter, but Jacob ignored it. The winter blizzard gnawed at him like a hungry animal and continually shoved him back, but he still pressed on. “Maybe the snowstorm is slowing the carriage down as well,” Jacob whispered. BANG! A carriage up ahead shook wildly as if it was being held together with matchsticks, slamming repeatedly into the side walls of the bridge suddenly, with a violent swerve its front wheel snapped off. Its side doors were twisted shut as if it had hit something too hard, which it had. The driver leaped off and spirited away. He doubled his pace, which isn’t easy when you just regained consciousness from a self-induced sickness. Jacob leaped onto the now spinning carriage. The nearby stone was cracking from the consecutive blows. Jacob looked into the side of the carriage and unsuccessfully attempted to rip open the door. Bella and Ralph were panicking, wildly confused and scared.
“What is happening?!” Bella yelled from inside, though between the wall of glass between them and the snowstorm, Jacob heard only a muffled yell. “I’m sorry!” Jacob hollered, though his voice was hoarse.
“What?” Ralph yelled. KABOOM! With an ear-bursting sound, the once stable wall shattered completely into a million pieces. The carriage shot straight into the waters, with Jacob getting knocked off onto the bridge. BOOM! With the sound of flattening metal, the beautiful carriage slammed into the waters, exploding before sinking to never be seen again. Jacob leapt toward the river, tucked his limbs together, and put his jacket under them. He braced for impact.
“This is going to hurt,” Jacob muttered as the wind whipped around him. POW! The water exploded, with discarded metal ripping up the jacket and smaller sections of his leg. His left leg got the worst of it, landing at a perfectly terrible angle. “ARGH!” Jacob roared, both from shock and a broken leg. In truth, he actually said something slightly less nice, but let’s pretend he didn’t. Jacob broke the surface of the water, gasping for air. The river shoved him back down into the surging waters as if it were a hungry monster. Jacob 21
barely managed to get to shore. He stumbled a bit, before taking a deep breath and going back in, now ready. The water was murky and annoying. As he navigated the waters, he bumped up against Ralph, who had been knocked unconscious, as shown by a wound on his head. Jacob lifted him out of the water and set him down on a boulder above the shore. Ralph stirred further and coughed wearily. “Jacob?” Ralph was pretty banged up.
“Please don’t die,” Jacob said as he leaped back into the dark waters. Jacob swam for a long time, before finally spotting Bella. He delicately carried her to the shore. She quickly woke up. “Sorry about that. What happened?” she asked. Jacob was about to respond, but all that running in the snow and swimming one-legged in ice-cold wreckage filled with water suddenly caught up to him, and he collapsed into the sand, already half dead. THE END The enraged reader smacked the writer across the face so he would keep writing. Everything hurt. Jacob’ s vision cleared, revealing himself in a nice dainty hospital. When a nurse saw that he was awake, they ran out the door to grab someone. Bella rushed into the room, soon followed by Ralph and the northern king himself who wanted to meet the little hero.
“Jacob!” Bella yelled, excited that he was okay.
“Please don’t,” Jacob said wearily. “It’s all my fault anyway. I’m the one responsible for all this mess.”
“What?” Bella asked as she stopped suddenly.
“I’ll explain,” Jacob started with a deep sigh. “It’s a long story.” For the rest of that day and night, Jacob calmly explained his story. “You know what this means, right?” the king asked seriously. “This is treason.” “Yes,” Jacob answered equality seriously.
“We’re going to have to hold a trial,” the king said with a frown. “Did you really do all of this?.”
“Yes.”
“But-” Bella started.
“Rules are rules,” the king interrupted sternly. “There are no exceptions.” “I’ll get ready for my execution.”
“This isn’t the southern kingdom, Lad. here, the punishment for attempted treason is two years in jail. That is what you’ll get.” The two years passed quite quickly. Lily got sent over and Jacob was visited by the princess (the nice one) and prince. Afterwards, he was treated like a hero. Meanwhile…
“My liege!” a messenger hollered as he swung open the door leading to the throne room. The panicked look on their face told the entire story. “The carriage driver failed miserably, didn’t he?” the king questioned. “I’ll have to execute him later.”
“Errr. Actually, Jacob interfered. The king also refuses to declare war, and the people are revolting.”
“Arghh!” the Southern King exclaimed as he had a sudden heart attack from being such a grump for so long, as one does from time to time. Elizabeth got cancer and died. Suddenly the northern kingdom’s budget doubled.
Later, just in case you were curious, Jacob got a new job as a gardener. LAHLALOO THE END (But for realzies this time)
