The Ruler's Grudge

by Christine Williams

Noah smiled and blew out the candles to his birthday cake. The candles counted to 15, his 15th birthday. His mom rubbed

his back and his dad began to cut the cake.

“Happy birthday, Noah,” his dad's eyes sparkled in pride, wrapping paper was messily laid on the table, his new presents opened and aching to be admired.

“The Emperor, he’s stopping by today, says he has a present for you, I wonder what it could be?” His mother pond

ered, informing Noah.

Noah was taken aback, why would The Emperor, supreme leader of all the land, be coming to see him on his birthday? He sat on the chair, eating his cake. Noah had made a wish when he blew out the candle, it was a very important wish indeed.

Noah wanted, with every part of his body, to be Emperor.

The Emperor had it all, all the peasants worshiped him. Of course Noah and his family had not been peasants. Noah’s father is a noble man, working as Royal Duke, right below The Emperor. He imagined t

he throne, the crown, the pride, the pleasure, the success of one day becoming Emperor.

Just then, the grand door swung open. The Emperor stalked into Noah's house, surrounded by a dozen military men, lined around him, guns up, and backs straight. The Emperor was a burly, tall man. He had eyes colder than frost and his hair was gray and coarse. His presence was suffocating, Noah swallowed back the urge to show respect.

Noah's parents on the other hand rushed toward his presence, bowing and curtsying. Noah stood upright, he didn’t

acknowledge The Emperor at all.

“Ryan, last I had known your boy had manners,” The Emperor's voice was heavy in distaste and amusement.

His father smacked Noah's head with his hand, forcing Noah to bow low to the ground. He rolled his eyes.

The Emperor smiled, a malicious grin that tainted the atmosphere with fear and grief, “So, Noah, 15?” Noah nodded slowly.

“I remember being 1

5,” he smiled and beckoned him to the door “I have a present for you.”

Noah glanced back at his parents for approval, who nodded encouragingly. He stepped out into the dry heat, cicadas sung through the brittle grass. The Emperor’s feet crunched over the gravel, a large car sat with the engine running. Noah had left his house for mere seconds and was already feeling uncomfortably hot in his clothes.

Noah followed The Emperor into the car and they sat in a large limo. The driver closed the window and Noah sat

across from the Emperor, knees touching.

They sat in silence for quite a while, Noah's palms sweat and his leg bounced. Suddenly The Emperor cleared his throat, pulled a gum packet out of his pocket, and offered Noah one, which he accepted.

“Noah, I’ve always admired your ambition. You’ve always been top of your class. A first in the line, strike when the iron is hot, type of person,” The Emperor slowly nodded and stared out the window, as if he were pondering some deeper idea. Noah wasn’t sure how to reply, so he didn’t. Noah waited for him to continue, his sentence felt unfinished, but he was silent.

The limo pulled into the massive palace where The Emperor lived.

“Noah, do you know why I brought you here?” Noah shook his head. “As generations before you, once your father dies you take his place as Royal Duke. I thought it would be good to take a look around and familiarize yourself with the palace, as when you become duke I’ll have you live here with me. You won’t have a family as your father had, of course. I’ll choose your bride so the Duke's lineage doesn’t end, but your fathers family made him vulnerable and weak. I can't have that again,” The Emperor was more talking to himself then to Noah.

A bad taste began to sour Noah's mouth as he thought of his future life, no family, alone, only purpose to serve The

Emperor.

Of course at least he’d still have his mom.

Noah hadn’t wanted such a life. Noah wanted so badly to be Emperor, it ached his muscles and rattled his core. But he was too afraid to pursue his wishes and no one would listen to him anyway.

They walked along the cobbles

tone entryway, past the beautiful garden and into the palace. Noah was taken aback from its size, but was expecting it. The Emperor led him through a hallway, ancient paintings covered the walls, and all the long windows had even longer silky curtains, but they were still and the windows were closed due to the heat. Noah walked on a long thin red velvet carpet that split into each massive doorway.

The Emperor began giving the tour. The tour lasted an hour. For someone so old, Noah was surprised he remembered each room.

Noah looked off a balco

ny in the grand masquerade room, fancy architecture lined the windows, he set his hands on the smooth, lightly colored windowsill. The sun had begun to set over the ocean, and the air had cooled into a reasonable temperature. The sun shook over the horizon, and beautiful pink skies accented the lapping waves.

“Noah?” The Emperor ask

ed, coming to the windowsill on light feet.

“Yes?” Noah didn’t look away, he stared at the sun and the ocean intently, not wanting to meet eyes with The Emperor.

“Is everything okay? I’d expect you to be more excited,” Noah didn’t understand The Emperor's tone. He sounded almost like he was being told to be excited, but also he sounded sad Noah wasn’t. Noah turned to look for answers in his eyes, but they revealed nothing and Noah only thought they resembled black holes.

Noah sighed and looked back to the ocean, “My mother told this children's story way back when time was ruled by m

any countries instead of one, and people had free will and didn’t scavenge the forest floors for their next meals,” The Emperor's eyes narrowed and Noah felt fear prickle his spine,

he continued bravely, “She had called it, The Giving Tree, and it was basically a story of a young boy visiting a tree frequently and taking its goods, he took and took and took until the tree had no more to offer, and the tree was dead and the boy sad.”

The Emperor looked at Noah as if he had three heads.

“That will never happen, we have all the resources in the world, we just get another tree.” The Emperor said as if Noah were stupid. But Noah was not.

Noah shook his head.

“Come, Noah, I shall show you to your room. You’ll feel better with sleep,” The Emperor put his arm around Noah and le

d him down the hall into a bedroom.

The Emperor felt tense and practically shoved Noah into the room.

“Goodnight, Noah,” The Emperor said and paused at the door, “Happy birthday,” with that it shut behind him and Noah was alone.

He drifted off to the balcony and watched t

he gray sky rise. His thoughts were confused and loud in his head from the busy day, his eyelids had felt tired, and he lay in bed and watched the unfamiliar ceiling as the purr of the ocean lulled him to sleep.