Once Upon a Time a Long Time Ago....

Fair warning: mentions of death. 

Once upon a time a long time ago,

In a place far, far away,

There stood two kingdoms, much unlike our own.

They were two in name only,

Their queens were proud and fair and true.

Their people honest and kind.

Those who stood by each other in sorrow and joy.

The people revered their queens, who loved their people and wished their neighbours goodwill.

Once upon a time a long time ago,

In a place far, far away,

There stood two kingdoms, much unlike our own.

Where a madman became king.

He vowed and he pledged,

To destroy all, to kill all,

He vowed and pledged the destruction of all harmony.

And so he started a war.

He attacked and so the kingdoms fought.

They fought and fought and fought,

Never relenting, never stopping.

They fought.

Once upon a time, a long time ago.

In a place far, far way,

There stood two crumbling kingdoms, much unlike our own.

For there was barely anybody left.

The war they had fought,

The war for honour and glory, pride and victory had claimed them.

There were a precious, precious few left.

Once upon a time, a long time ago,

In a place far, far away,

There stood two flourishing towns, built on the ruins of two kingdoms, both nearly forgotten, much unlike our own.

The two towns thrived,

They flourished and grew.

Their people honest and kind and true.

But each town hated the other.

For in each town there was a myth, a lore, a song, a hymn that spoke of their ancient queen,

Kind and honest and true,

Beloved and loved by all.

Their ancient queen, who was taken down, backstabbed and destroyed by their neighbour.

Now both were lost, both were gone.

Now only ruins were left.

Each day the songs got louder, the myth stronger, the story longer.

The hatred deeper.

And then came war.

Once upon a time, a long time ago,

In place far, far away,

Stood the ruins of two kingdoms, in a world much unlike our own,

For there was no one left.

No one to grieve, to mourn, to gather the dead.

No one left to set fire to the crypt, no one left to cry,

To despair, to work.

There was no one left to live.

Those left over by the war fought for honour, for glory, for pride and for victory,

For the past.

All had died, hatred in their eyes and death in their midst.

Once upon a time, a long time ago,

In a place that once could be found, once where stood the remains of two kingdoms lost to time.

Where a madman’s laughter danced through the ruins, down to the silent street, past the abandoned homes into the ground full off bones.

The madman’s laughter echoed.