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War of the Roses: The Red Book 'Chapter 1'

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War of the Roses:
The Red Book
By: B.T. Smith

‘Chapter 1: Father of Mine’

“If you won’t take the crown outright then you should wait and let them fight it out. Support both sides from the shadows and th-“ the old man gasped for air clutching his chest and shifting in bed to sit up more. “Then… grab the crown for yourself when the moments right.” The old man started into a coughing fit for a minute before the young man in the room turned around to stare down at him.

“No.”

The old man’s head tweaked at the words and his one eye widened. “What do you mean no?” he said in a raspy losing voice.

“I care not for the crown, it matters not a thing to me but worrying woes. I would rather be rid of it and make safe my sanity, besides the safety of the people is paramount, I would but cause more damage.” The young man messed with his short dark hair.

“You fool the crown…” the old man drew breath harder before setting into another coughing fit. “The crown, it means everything. Power, that is what it is, and safety of the people too. All that matters is..”

The young man stepped closer to the crippled ailing life aged man before shaking his head. He then turned abruptly around and started to walk away towards the door.

The old man again coughs, as blood trickles out the corner of his mouth and nose. “Where are you going; that crown is your birth right! That right which the hands of fate from your house stole.  Whisked away by death of your great grandfather the King, lost to your grandfather by design and taken from your father, from me!”

“With your death, Father; is it freed from the hands of a tyrant?” The old man’s face boiled red as blood leaked more.

“Truth be told Father, our forefathers weep in the heavens above at how low you stooped; without provocation and only of wanton avarice. I rejoice the sad fallen nature of our house. The honor of our forbearers is lost on you even now at death’s door. Your shady backstabbing dealings in the dark have left us naught but barren estates. Our name once glorious is now tainted due to all the deceit and death bringing only ire and distrust."

The ailing father coughs up blood onto the bed sheets. “How dare you be so insulting, it’s because of those dark dealings you will have any power once I die. Because of that you will have estates and land at all. Be more grateful to the dead.”

“I’ll be more gracious when you’ve taken your last embrace with breath and are truly dead… Father.” The son leaves the room before closing the door.
So War of the Roses story is something I have just been playing around with while doing everything thing else that I have been working on and since I haven't posted anything on here or on my personal writing site I decided to post this here and there. Now the story as far as im taking it goes that the son here is part of the family that has fallen its symbol like the two main families of both the red book and the white book is a rose

[ daresmithcreations.deviantart.… ]

And the story it self is loosely based on well the English War of the Roses in some aspects besides the name, though it is completely fictional even the world which this war takes place.

Is this any good? I don't know I cant tell though it is chapter 1 of a zero draft so... I'm leaning on its a no.

But let me know what you all think. I loosely have chapters two and three written just not typed in addition to this.


If you cant tell whats going on here, the son is refusing to take the crown, which his father would have done had he not been crippled. His father was Lord of Lords but not actually King, of which there hasn't been a king for 30 years (since the son's father was a small child)  The son is a true heir as he is the the King's great grandson where as the two families in this story trying to sit on the throne legitimately are great great grandsons of the King due to general age gap of heirs being born by both the sons father and his father's father.  Strange yes, that the son is technique-ly younger by the lords that lead the other two houses.
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b1sharp's avatar
This is amazing....love the storyline and the characters so far :)