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","writing":"Demitrio sat in his highbacked chair, listening to his councilors. He was a turtle of many years but a relatively new king, only recently inheriting the kingdom from his father.\n \nTurtles live for well over a hundred years. Some have been known to live to see two hundred. So, by turtle standards, Demitrio was still young at sixty.\n \nIt’s what made them ideal for the role of king. Their long lives mean that they had patience and their children had time to learn before taking over. Despite being new to the throne, Demitrio had sat by his father’s side for longer than his councilors had been alive.\n \nThey had been discussing the situation to the east. King Benvolio was expanding his borders again, swallowing up a smaller kingdom and setting one of his many sons to rule.\n \nHe had been slowly expanding his borders for decades. His goal was to unify all the kingdoms under one family, with him as the emperor, whether the other kingdoms liked it or not. He was well over a century old and cunning.\n \n“This puts him right at our borders,” Oroku Saki, the army commander stated. “I need more resources if I am going to keep his armies at bay. We need to raise taxes.”\n \n“Our kingdom is naturally fortified,” Hamato Yoshi, the trade guild leader argued. “The location of the river and the mountains provide a barrier. Our city is built in a way that makes invasion nearly impossible. You don’t need any more resources. Your job is practically done for you.”\n \nHe was human, like Saki, and approximately the same age. His family has been serving the king for generations. They oversaw the construction of the city. Which was why he had such confidence in it keeping them safe.\n \nWhile the design was ingenious, it would not protect them from a massive invading army for long. \n \n“Not to mention that our gods protect us,” Tang Shen, the high priestess, added.\n \nShe was the most beautiful woman Saki had ever seen. Her long, black hair flowed freely down her back and nearly reached the floor. Flawless, ivory skin and a grace in her stride that looked as if she was floating, made it seem as if she had been plucked from the astral plane. And, she was engaged to Yoshi. \n \nSaki scoffed. “The gods. So, it was because King Stephan’s people weren’t praying hard enough that King Benvolio’s armies were able to prevail.”\n \n“King Stephan’s kingdom was on the brink of ruin anyway,” Splinter, the king’s ambassador said. He was a brown rat about the same age and height as Saki.\n \nAlthough he was a diplomat, he was also a seasoned fighter. He knew how to move without being heard. Saki hated it. It meant that Splinter could appear, seemingly out of nowhere at any time.\n \nSaki had to be careful when making his dealings.\n \n“Then why didn’t we invade it first,” Saki wanted to know.\n \n“I am not a conqueror,” Demitrio stated. “I have no desire to expand my borders. We have more than we need here.”\n \n“King Stephan’s people would have done better under your rule,” Saki argued “and benefited greatly from our resources. You are a good and just king. King Benvolio is far from it. Who knows what atrocities those people are facing now. And, never mind trade agreements. They might have been on the brink of ruin but they were our main source for salt.”\n \n“We will find another source,” Yoshi said. “Stretching ourselves thin, by conquering another kingdom, would not better our situation.”\n \n“It doesn’t matter now,” Saki snapped, with a wave of his hand. “What matters is our own safety. If Benvolio attacks now, he would win.”\n \n“Then it seems that the problem lies with you, Commander.” Demitrio said, his voice deep with anger and a not so veiled threat.\n \n“I am the best,” Saki hissed. “But, even I will fail if my hands are tied.”\n \n“I will not tax my people more,” Demitrio said in such a way that expressed any further discussion on the topic would not be tolerated. “You are all dismissed.”\n \nSaki turned on his heel and stomped out of the council chambers. His trusted general, Hun was waiting for him in the hallway.\n \n“How did it go?”\n \nHun was a large man and one of Saki’s best fighters. Young and eager to please his commanding officer, Hun was willing to do anything that was asked of him. Like most of the army, Hun was loyal to Saki.\n \n“Our king has refused my request,” Saki answered.\n \nHe didn’t need to say anymore. Hun knew what to do next. Without a word he set off down another corridor to follow through with the next part of their plan.\n \nThey were one of the richest kingdoms in all of the land and yet the ruling class lived like paupers when compared to those under Benvolio’s rule.\n \nNot anymore. It was time for a new king.\n \n…..\n \nSaki stood on the high wall surrounding the city and looked out over the horizon. People from the east had been fleeing into the city for weeks, seeking protection. Benvolio’s army, led by one of his sons had started their push into the kingdom. Now they were at the city’s gates.\n \nIt was an impressive sight to see. Now that it was standing in front of him, Saki had no doubt in his mind that, even with the added resources, there was no way he would have been able to hold them off for long.\n \nWhat was about to happen was inevitable, fighting them would lead to bloodshed. Too bad the others didn’t see it that way. He never really liked them anyway.\n \nYoshi stood at his side, having insisted on seeing it for himself. “What do we do now?”\n \nSaki scoffed in response, glaring at the councilor. Now he was willing to listen to what Saki had to say. Too little too late. The army was loyal to him and would do as he commanded. His command was for them to stand aside and do nothing.\n \n“Open the gates.” Saki climbed down the steps to meet their soon to be king and Yoshi followed.\n \n“What are you doing,” Yoshi demanded. “I don’t think you can reason with them.”\n \nThe massive turtle entered the city and stood in front of Saki. He was larger than Demitrio, meaning that, since turtles never stop growing, he was a few decades older. He wore leather, studded armor and a metal helmet, and carried a large sword that Hun, despite his massive size, would have a hard time wielding. The straps on his arms were barely big enough to fit over the bulging muscles and looked ready to snap at any moment.\n \n“I am Prince Arigio. Son of Emperor Benvolio. I am told that we have an arrangement.”\n \n“An arrangement?” Yoshi turned to Saki. “What does he mean?”\n \nSaki took a knee. “My men will not try to stop you but that does not mean that you will not be met with some resistance.”\n \n“You are a traitor,” Yoshi yelled.\n \nIn one fluid motion, Saki stood and drove his dagger up into Yoshi’s gut. “And, you are a fool. There is no way we could win against an army this size. Yielding to him will save the lives of many. I do this for the greater good.”\n \nBlood seeped from Yoshi’s mouth as he desperately clung to Saki. He tried to speak but choked on his blood.\n \nTaking a step back, Saki allowed Yoshi to fall before turning back to Arigio. “I apologize for that, my lord.” He cleaned his blade on Yoshi’s back. “He was one who would have given you the most resistance.”\n \nArigio considered Saki for a moment. “You will lead me through the city?”\n \n“I will, my king,” Saki said, lowering his head. “All that I ask in return is that I remain commander over the army so that I can continue to protect my people.”\n \n“Having you and your men loyal to me will free this army to continue in my father’s conquest,” Arigio said. “Though I will keep a few personal guards,” he gestured to the large turtle warriors by his side. “I will allow you to remain.”\n \nSaki bowed. “Then allow me to show you to your throne.”\n \nThe city streets, that Yoshi was sure could stop an army, were built like a maze, meant to confuse any outsider. Having grown up in the city, Saki knew them well and led the army on the most direct path to the castle.\n \nThey were met with little resistance. Saki’s men kept the people off the main roads and out of the way of the invading army. When they entered the castle, it wasn’t until they entered the throne room that they encountered Demitrio’s personal guards.\n \nMost of the guards were also Demitrio’s mates and fought hard to protect their king who fought beside them. Arigio’s guards met them head on. Determined to be the one to end Demitrio, Arigio joined in the fighting.\n \nOne by one, Demitrio’s guards fell and Demitrio was subdued. He struggled against his captures but to no avail. “How can you betray me like this?” he yelled, glaring at Saki.\n \n“I do this to save lives,” Saki replied. “My duty is to protecting the people. I will not sacrifice them in a futile attempt of saving your crown.”\n \nArigio knelt beside the body of his one fallen guard. Tears filled his eyes as he closed those of the dead turtle.\n \nThe turtle family structure was a unique one. To help prevent them from producing too many children in their long lives, male turtles take several other males as their mates and they live in family units with a few females. A king will have his queen as the only female, who only mates with him and his male mates serve as his personal guard.\n \nSaki found the whole situation to be unsavory. The thought of bedding another male was repulsive to him. But, at least it kept the turtle population under control.\n \nSome say that it was because Benvolio preferred the company of his queen that he ended up with more sons than he knew what to do with and so decided to expand his kingdom to accommodate them instead of allowing them to fight for his kingdom.\n \nGetting to his feet, Arigio addressed Saki. “Is there a prince?”\n \n“Would you like me to kill him for you?” Saki offered.\n \nArigio shook his head. “Bring him to me. You can kill the queen and anyone else who stands in your way.”\n \n“As you command,” Saki replied with a slight bow and then signaled for Hun to follow.\n \nIn the back of the throne room was a secret door that led to a hidden chamber. As expected, the queen was hiding with her child. Shen was with her, praying.\n \nWhen Saki and Hun entered the room, Shen stood to face them. “Saki, stop.”\n \nSaki laughed. “Where are your gods?” Pulling his dagger, he stalked closer to Shen. “Will they save you?” Like with Yoshi, Saki shoved the dagger just below Shen’s ribs, piercing the lung. “Maybe you weren’t praying hard enough.”\n \nShoving Shen aside, Saki approached the queen.\n \nThe young queen held the small prince to her chest. “Please.”\n \nIt was the first time Saki had seen the prince, or any baby turtle. As large as turtles tend to get, they start out so small, about half the size of a human baby. It made sense given the fact that the unyielding plastron would not expand to accommodate anything larger.\n \n“I’m not going to kill him,” Saki assured her. “Our new king wants me to bring him to him alive.” He reached out for the baby. “Give him to me.”\n \n“Why are you doing this?” she whimpered. She was not a fighter, having been a priestess before she had been selected to be Demitrio’s queen. “Why would you betray your king?”\n \nSaki glanced down at Shen and shrugged. “Must be the will of the gods.” Turning back towards the queen, Saki plunged his dagger into her neck. Her eyes were fixed on Saki in a state of shock and she let out a small whimper.\n \nSaki shushed her as if soothing a frightened child. “Give me the baby before you drop him.” He reached down and lifted the small bundle with one hand as the queen’s arms went slack. “This is going to be a mess to clean up later,” he said to Hun as he pulled the dagger from the queen’s neck.\n \n“That’s what the servants are for,” Hun replied flatly as they turned to leave the room. “Below me.”\n\nOnce they were back in the throne room, Saki wasted not time presenting the baby to Arigio. “The prince.”\n\nArigio considered the baby, it looked even smaller in his large hand. “Did you kill the queen?”\n\n“I did,” Saki said, nodding his head. \n\nHe was expecting the new king to kill the child by simply crushing it in his hand. But, instead, he knelt next to Demitrio and showed the baby to him. “I want you to know that your son will live,” Arigio stated. “He looks to be about the same age as my son. He will make a good play companion and whipping boy. My son might even take him as a lover, unless he loses interest in him. Then, I will have to kill him.”\n\nKnowing his end was near, Demitrio stared intently at the ground and gave no reply. Arigio pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it into Demitrio’s neck, moving it and twisting it slightly. “Have we taken care of all who might resist,” he asked Saki. \n\n“All but one,” Saki replied. “A rat, named Splinter is unaccounted for. He held the position of ambassador. It’s possible that he is away.”\n\n“A rat was your ambassador?” This surprised Arigio, which was to be expected. Rats were usually assassins, utilizing their natural stealth and flexibility. To have one as a public and political figure was unheard of. \n\n“He is dangerous,” Saki warned, “like any rat. I would highly recommend that your guards say alert.”\n\n“Noted.” Arigio nodded and then turned his attention to the baby in his hand. “I forgot to ask the child’s name.”\n\nSaki shrugged. “They hadn’t had the naming ceremony for him yet. I was never told.”\n\n“I’ll call him Donatello,” Arigio said and handed the baby over to one of his mates. “Get the staff in here to clean up,” he said to Saki. “My queen has been with us on this campaign, sleeping in a tent and I’m sure she is eager to see her new home and a proper bed.” He waved his hand around to indicate the bodies. “She doesn’t need to see this when she arrives.”\n\n“I will make sure that it is done quickly,” Saki promised. \n\n“My men will take care of the one that is ours,” Arigio said, looking down at the body. \n\n“Of course,” Saki replied with a bow. \n\n“Tomorrow, the people will meet their new king and queen,” Arigio said. \n\n“I will do all that I can to insure that the transition goes smoothly,” Saki said before leaving the king to oversee the cleanup. \n\n……\n\nSplinter stood on a balcony that overlooked the city and saw the army approaching. It was no surprise to him that Saki had betrayed them. There wasn’t much time. \n\nRunning back inside, Splinter made his way down to the temple, where they kept the orphans. There he found the turtle baby that had been abandoned on the doorstep of the castle.\n\nIt wasn’t uncommon for the poor to abandon their babies at the castle. The temple priestesses would raise them to be servants. Often it was a better life than being raised poor, on the streets. \n\nUnfortunately for this little one, his life could be coming to an end. He was approximately the same age as the prince and Splinter intended on switching them out and escaping with the prince. \n\nIt didn’t take much to convince the young queen to hand over her child. “Cradle this one as if he were your son,” Splinter instructed her. “They must believe it is the prince if this is going to work. I will do all that I can to see that you and the king are avenged.”\n\nEscaping with the child proved to be a greater challenge that he had originally thought. Saki’s men surrounded the castle to prevent anyone from leaving. Splinter’s skills were put to the test as he stalked through the shadows to safety. \n\nHe knew Saki would look for him so he couldn’t hide anywhere in the city. Even the surrounding country was not safe. \n\nHe followed the river north until he reached the forest at the foot of the mountains. Hidden among the dense growth and rocky terrain there was a small village that even the king was unaware existed. \n\nIt was the village of Splinter’s birth and it was there that he intended on raising and training the prince. He will be the first ever non-rat to be trained by one. \n\nSplinter entered the village without challenge, though he knew he was being watched. Despite its vast size and many occupants, it looked like nothing more than a patch of overgrowth. The homes could only be seen if one knew what to look for. \n\nSplinter shared his home with his brother Gravel. Since they both tended to travel, the home was hardly ever occupied. When he entered he found that his brother had been there no less than three months ago. It would be a while before he returned. \n\nSettling into his favorite chair, Splinter looked down at the baby. “I am forever your loyal servant, Prince Leonardo.”\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Demitrio sat in his highbacked chair, listening to his councilors. He was a turtle of many years but a relatively new king, only recently inheriting the kingdom from his father.
Turtles live for well over a hundred years. Some have been known to live to see two hundred. So, by turtle standards, Demitrio was still young at sixty.
It’s what made them ideal for the role of king. Their long lives mean that they had patience and their children had time to learn before taking over. Despite being new to the throne, Demitrio had sat by his father’s side for longer than his councilors had been alive.
They had been discussing the situation to the east. King Benvolio was expanding his borders again, swallowing up a smaller kingdom and setting one of his many sons to rule.
He had been slowly expanding his borders for decades. His goal was to unify all the kingdoms under one family, with him as the emperor, whether the other kingdoms liked it or not. He was well over a century old and cunning.
“This puts him right at our borders,” Oroku Saki, the army commander stated. “I need more resources if I am going to keep his armies at bay. We need to raise taxes.”
“Our kingdom is naturally fortified,” Hamato Yoshi, the trade guild leader argued. “The location of the river and the mountains provide a barrier. Our city is built in a way that makes invasion nearly impossible. You don’t need any more resources. Your job is practically done for you.”
He was human, like Saki, and approximately the same age. His family has been serving the king for generations. They oversaw the construction of the city. Which was why he had such confidence in it keeping them safe.
While the design was ingenious, it would not protect them from a massive invading army for long.
“Not to mention that our gods protect us,” Tang Shen, the high priestess, added.
She was the most beautiful woman Saki had ever seen. Her long, black hair flowed freely down her back and nearly reached the floor. Flawless, ivory skin and a grace in her stride that looked as if she was floating, made it seem as if she had been plucked from the astral plane. And, she was engaged to Yoshi.
Saki scoffed. “The gods. So, it was because King Stephan’s people weren’t praying hard enough that King Benvolio’s armies were able to prevail.”
“King Stephan’s kingdom was on the brink of ruin anyway,” Splinter, the king’s ambassador said. He was a brown rat about the same age and height as Saki.
Although he was a diplomat, he was also a seasoned fighter. He knew how to move without being heard. Saki hated it. It meant that Splinter could appear, seemingly out of nowhere at any time.
Saki had to be careful when making his dealings.
“Then why didn’t we invade it first,” Saki wanted to know.
“I am not a conqueror,” Demitrio stated. “I have no desire to expand my borders. We have more than we need here.”
“King Stephan’s people would have done better under your rule,” Saki argued “and benefited greatly from our resources. You are a good and just king. King Benvolio is far from it. Who knows what atrocities those people are facing now. And, never mind trade agreements. They might have been on the brink of ruin but they were our main source for salt.”
“We will find another source,” Yoshi said. “Stretching ourselves thin, by conquering another kingdom, would not better our situation.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Saki snapped, with a wave of his hand. “What matters is our own safety. If Benvolio attacks now, he would win.”
“Then it seems that the problem lies with you, Commander.” Demitrio said, his voice deep with anger and a not so veiled threat.
“I am the best,” Saki hissed. “But, even I will fail if my hands are tied.”
“I will not tax my people more,” Demitrio said in such a way that expressed any further discussion on the topic would not be tolerated. “You are all dismissed.”
Saki turned on his heel and stomped out of the council chambers. His trusted general, Hun was waiting for him in the hallway.
“How did it go?”
Hun was a large man and one of Saki’s best fighters. Young and eager to please his commanding officer, Hun was willing to do anything that was asked of him. Like most of the army, Hun was loyal to Saki.
“Our king has refused my request,” Saki answered.
He didn’t need to say anymore. Hun knew what to do next. Without a word he set off down another corridor to follow through with the next part of their plan.
They were one of the richest kingdoms in all of the land and yet the ruling class lived like paupers when compared to those under Benvolio’s rule.
Not anymore. It was time for a new king.
…..
Saki stood on the high wall surrounding the city and looked out over the horizon. People from the east had been fleeing into the city for weeks, seeking protection. Benvolio’s army, led by one of his sons had started their push into the kingdom. Now they were at the city’s gates.
It was an impressive sight to see. Now that it was standing in front of him, Saki had no doubt in his mind that, even with the added resources, there was no way he would have been able to hold them off for long.
What was about to happen was inevitable, fighting them would lead to bloodshed. Too bad the others didn’t see it that way. He never really liked them anyway.
Yoshi stood at his side, having insisted on seeing it for himself. “What do we do now?”
Saki scoffed in response, glaring at the councilor. Now he was willing to listen to what Saki had to say. Too little too late. The army was loyal to him and would do as he commanded. His command was for them to stand aside and do nothing.
“Open the gates.” Saki climbed down the steps to meet their soon to be king and Yoshi followed.
“What are you doing,” Yoshi demanded. “I don’t think you can reason with them.”
The massive turtle entered the city and stood in front of Saki. He was larger than Demitrio, meaning that, since turtles never stop growing, he was a few decades older. He wore leather, studded armor and a metal helmet, and carried a large sword that Hun, despite his massive size, would have a hard time wielding. The straps on his arms were barely big enough to fit over the bulging muscles and looked ready to snap at any moment.
“I am Prince Arigio. Son of Emperor Benvolio. I am told that we have an arrangement.”
“An arrangement?” Yoshi turned to Saki. “What does he mean?”
Saki took a knee. “My men will not try to stop you but that does not mean that you will not be met with some resistance.”
“You are a traitor,” Yoshi yelled.
In one fluid motion, Saki stood and drove his dagger up into Yoshi’s gut. “And, you are a fool. There is no way we could win against an army this size. Yielding to him will save the lives of many. I do this for the greater good.”
Blood seeped from Yoshi’s mouth as he desperately clung to Saki. He tried to speak but choked on his blood.
Taking a step back, Saki allowed Yoshi to fall before turning back to Arigio. “I apologize for that, my lord.” He cleaned his blade on Yoshi’s back. “He was one who would have given you the most resistance.”
Arigio considered Saki for a moment. “You will lead me through the city?”
“I will, my king,” Saki said, lowering his head. “All that I ask in return is that I remain commander over the army so that I can continue to protect my people.”
“Having you and your men loyal to me will free this army to continue in my father’s conquest,” Arigio said. “Though I will keep a few personal guards,” he gestured to the large turtle warriors by his side. “I will allow you to remain.”
Saki bowed. “Then allow me to show you to your throne.”
The city streets, that Yoshi was sure could stop an army, were built like a maze, meant to confuse any outsider. Having grown up in the city, Saki knew them well and led the army on the most direct path to the castle.
They were met with little resistance. Saki’s men kept the people off the main roads and out of the way of the invading army. When they entered the castle, it wasn’t until they entered the throne room that they encountered Demitrio’s personal guards.
Most of the guards were also Demitrio’s mates and fought hard to protect their king who fought beside them. Arigio’s guards met them head on. Determined to be the one to end Demitrio, Arigio joined in the fighting.
One by one, Demitrio’s guards fell and Demitrio was subdued. He struggled against his captures but to no avail. “How can you betray me like this?” he yelled, glaring at Saki.
“I do this to save lives,” Saki replied. “My duty is to protecting the people. I will not sacrifice them in a futile attempt of saving your crown.”
Arigio knelt beside the body of his one fallen guard. Tears filled his eyes as he closed those of the dead turtle.
The turtle family structure was a unique one. To help prevent them from producing too many children in their long lives, male turtles take several other males as their mates and they live in family units with a few females. A king will have his queen as the only female, who only mates with him and his male mates serve as his personal guard.
Saki found the whole situation to be unsavory. The thought of bedding another male was repulsive to him. But, at least it kept the turtle population under control.
Some say that it was because Benvolio preferred the company of his queen that he ended up with more sons than he knew what to do with and so decided to expand his kingdom to accommodate them instead of allowing them to fight for his kingdom.
Getting to his feet, Arigio addressed Saki. “Is there a prince?”
“Would you like me to kill him for you?” Saki offered.
Arigio shook his head. “Bring him to me. You can kill the queen and anyone else who stands in your way.”
“As you command,” Saki replied with a slight bow and then signaled for Hun to follow.
In the back of the throne room was a secret door that led to a hidden chamber. As expected, the queen was hiding with her child. Shen was with her, praying.
When Saki and Hun entered the room, Shen stood to face them. “Saki, stop.”
Saki laughed. “Where are your gods?” Pulling his dagger, he stalked closer to Shen. “Will they save you?” Like with Yoshi, Saki shoved the dagger just below Shen’s ribs, piercing the lung. “Maybe you weren’t praying hard enough.”
Shoving Shen aside, Saki approached the queen.
The young queen held the small prince to her chest. “Please.”
It was the first time Saki had seen the prince, or any baby turtle. As large as turtles tend to get, they start out so small, about half the size of a human baby. It made sense given the fact that the unyielding plastron would not expand to accommodate anything larger.
“I’m not going to kill him,” Saki assured her. “Our new king wants me to bring him to him alive.” He reached out for the baby. “Give him to me.”
“Why are you doing this?” she whimpered. She was not a fighter, having been a priestess before she had been selected to be Demitrio’s queen. “Why would you betray your king?”
Saki glanced down at Shen and shrugged. “Must be the will of the gods.” Turning back towards the queen, Saki plunged his dagger into her neck. Her eyes were fixed on Saki in a state of shock and she let out a small whimper.
Saki shushed her as if soothing a frightened child. “Give me the baby before you drop him.” He reached down and lifted the small bundle with one hand as the queen’s arms went slack. “This is going to be a mess to clean up later,” he said to Hun as he pulled the dagger from the queen’s neck.
“That’s what the servants are for,” Hun replied flatly as they turned to leave the room. “Below me.”
Once they were back in the throne room, Saki wasted not time presenting the baby to Arigio. “The prince.”
Arigio considered the baby, it looked even smaller in his large hand. “Did you kill the queen?”
“I did,” Saki said, nodding his head.
He was expecting the new king to kill the child by simply crushing it in his hand. But, instead, he knelt next to Demitrio and showed the baby to him. “I want you to know that your son will live,” Arigio stated. “He looks to be about the same age as my son. He will make a good play companion and whipping boy. My son might even take him as a lover, unless he loses interest in him. Then, I will have to kill him.”
Knowing his end was near, Demitrio stared intently at the ground and gave no reply. Arigio pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it into Demitrio’s neck, moving it and twisting it slightly. “Have we taken care of all who might resist,” he asked Saki.
“All but one,” Saki replied. “A rat, named Splinter is unaccounted for. He held the position of ambassador. It’s possible that he is away.”
“A rat was your ambassador?” This surprised Arigio, which was to be expected. Rats were usually assassins, utilizing their natural stealth and flexibility. To have one as a public and political figure was unheard of.
“He is dangerous,” Saki warned, “like any rat. I would highly recommend that your guards say alert.”
“Noted.” Arigio nodded and then turned his attention to the baby in his hand. “I forgot to ask the child’s name.”
Saki shrugged. “They hadn’t had the naming ceremony for him yet. I was never told.”
“I’ll call him Donatello,” Arigio said and handed the baby over to one of his mates. “Get the staff in here to clean up,” he said to Saki. “My queen has been with us on this campaign, sleeping in a tent and I’m sure she is eager to see her new home and a proper bed.” He waved his hand around to indicate the bodies. “She doesn’t need to see this when she arrives.”
“I will make sure that it is done quickly,” Saki promised.
“My men will take care of the one that is ours,” Arigio said, looking down at the body.
“Of course,” Saki replied with a bow.
“Tomorrow, the people will meet their new king and queen,” Arigio said.
“I will do all that I can to insure that the transition goes smoothly,” Saki said before leaving the king to oversee the cleanup.
……
Splinter stood on a balcony that overlooked the city and saw the army approaching. It was no surprise to him that Saki had betrayed them. There wasn’t much time.
Running back inside, Splinter made his way down to the temple, where they kept the orphans. There he found the turtle baby that had been abandoned on the doorstep of the castle.
It wasn’t uncommon for the poor to abandon their babies at the castle. The temple priestesses would raise them to be servants. Often it was a better life than being raised poor, on the streets.
Unfortunately for this little one, his life could be coming to an end. He was approximately the same age as the prince and Splinter intended on switching them out and escaping with the prince.
It didn’t take much to convince the young queen to hand over her child. “Cradle this one as if he were your son,” Splinter instructed her. “They must believe it is the prince if this is going to work. I will do all that I can to see that you and the king are avenged.”
Escaping with the child proved to be a greater challenge that he had originally thought. Saki’s men surrounded the castle to prevent anyone from leaving. Splinter’s skills were put to the test as he stalked through the shadows to safety.
He knew Saki would look for him so he couldn’t hide anywhere in the city. Even the surrounding country was not safe.
He followed the river north until he reached the forest at the foot of the mountains. Hidden among the dense growth and rocky terrain there was a small village that even the king was unaware existed.
It was the village of Splinter’s birth and it was there that he intended on raising and training the prince. He will be the first ever non-rat to be trained by one.
Splinter entered the village without challenge, though he knew he was being watched. Despite its vast size and many occupants, it looked like nothing more than a patch of overgrowth. The homes could only be seen if one knew what to look for.
Splinter shared his home with his brother Gravel. Since they both tended to travel, the home was hardly ever occupied. When he entered he found that his brother had been there no less than three months ago. It would be a while before he returned.
Settling into his favorite chair, Splinter looked down at the baby. “I am forever your loyal servant, Prince Leonardo.”
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