~*~The Battles of The Best~*~
Written by: Ashley McCubbin
�How do you feel this morning?� Dale Jr asked as he layed in bed beside Ashley.
�Good and you?� She answered.
�I feel good also,� he replied then kissed her. Then there was a knock on the bedroom door. �Hello. Who is it?�
�Emily,� Emily answers. �The king and queen told me to let you know breakfast is ready.�
�Thank you for telling us,� Ashley said. �Tell them we will be done in a minute.�
�Yes ma�am,� Emily said then headed downstairs.
Ashley, the princess of Summer Island, was a beauty queen. Everyone loved how her long hair blew in the wind and how pretty she looked in any dress. With her hazel colored eyes and her silky brown hair, it all combined to a beautiful look. She got married to Dale Jr on
At breakfast, everyone was quiet until Brenda said something. �So, how was your honeymoon since you never told us about that?� she asked.
�It was fun,� Jr answered. �I and Ashley had a fun time in Hawaii. Nothing really big happened except we saw Jimmie.�
�And?� Dale asked as he put his fork down. �What did he say or do?�
�He walked by us and gave me a dirty look,� replied Jr. �Nothing else dad.�
�Ok then,� Dale said. �If you see him again, stay far away ok?�
�Dad�are you not telling me something?� Jr questioned.
�No, I just don�t want anything happening to you,� Dale explained.
******************
�Jeff�come here,� Jimmie said.
�I am here,� Jeff said. �What would you like?�
�I have a plan to kill people,� Jimmie told Jeff.
�Ok, who are we killing?� Jeff asked.
�You get Martin Truex Jr,� Jimmie started. �And I get Dale Jr, deal?�
�Yep,� Jeff said.
�Then lets go,� Jimmie said. They then headed out the door.
�Sweetie, wake up,� Dale Jr said. �I have a surprise for you.�
�Tricked ya,� Ashley said. �I was awake.�
�Yeah�right!� Dale Jr said then climbed on top of her and gave her a big kiss. �Happy Valentines Day!�
�Oh thank you,� Ashley said. �That was a very nice present.�
�And here�s another little present,� Dale Jr said. He then gave her a rose. �Freshly picked for a sweet princess.�
�Ah�.your the best,� Ashley said then gave him a huge hug. �Now, let�s go get something to eat.�
So then they went down the stairs together. When they got down there, they saw that the dinning room table was filled with food. So they sat down and ate. Then partly through breakfast, there was a knock at the door.
�I�ll get it,� Dale said. He then went and answered the door. �Why hello Jimmie and Jeff. May I ask why you�re here?�
�I�m here to challenge Knight Martin to a duel against Jeff,� Jimmie said. �And I�d like to challenge Dale Jr to a duel also.�
�You may have your duel against Martin through not your duel against Dale Jr,� Dale said. �Princes are not allowed to duel�only knights. Perhaps you wouldn�t mind going against Tony Jr?�
�Certainly sir,� Jimmie said. �Time and place please?�
�Noon at Summer Island Courtyard,� Dale said. �And make the date February 20th. Do you accept?�
�Yes I do,� Jimmie said. He showed a smile and then left.
Dale then headed back to the table.
�Who was that Dale?� Brenda asked.
�Jimmie and Jeff,� Dale answered as he sat down.
�What did they want?� Jr questioned.
�They wanted to set-up a duel against you and Martin,� Dale explained. �I accepted with Martin yet not you due to the law about princes fighting. So instead of you and Martin, it�ll be Martin and Tony Jr. The battle will take place February 20th at the Summer Island Courtyard.�
�Time?� Jr asked.
�Noon son,� Dale answered.
Later on that day, Ashley was sitting outside with Jr. She was nervous about what would happen at the battle.
�Jr, are you going to the courtyard to see the battle on Tuesday?� Ashley asked.
�Yes,� Dale Jr answered. �Why did you ask?�
�I don�t want you to,� replied Ashley. �I�m scared they�ll try to hurt you.�
�But I have to go,� Dale Jr explained. �I have to go to support my two knights. They need me there to support them. I�m sorry but that�s the truth. Are you going?�
�I might as well,� Ashley said. �I wouldn�t want you there alone.�
�Ok,� Jr said. He then headed inside.
Ashley sat out there thinking till it got dark. Then she went inside
�Dad, why didn�t you let me?� Jr asked. �Now you�ve made me look like a chicken.�
�It�s against the law son,� Dale answered. �Now if you�ll please leave. I need to speak to Tony Jr and Martin.�
�Have you told them yet?� Jr questioned.
�Yes, I told them yet we 3 need to talk so can you go please?� Dale asked.
�Ok,� Jr said. He then left.
�Martin and Tony Jr, come in,� Dale instructed.
�Yes sir,� Lil Martin and Tony Jr said. They then come in and sat down.
�I have some things to tell you,� Dale started. �Martin, Jeff has no fight experience or at least very little so you should take him out easy. Tony Jr, Jimmie has none at all so you should win. Now, you boys ready for Tuesday?�
�Yes sir,� Lil Martin and Tony Jr said.
�Ok�you can go,� Dale said. �Good luck!�
The boys then went on their way. Dale then headed to the bedroom. When he got there, he saw that Brenda had already gone to sleep so he got in beside her and went to sleep also.
Everyone was at the courtyard, ready to see the duels.
�As soon as one of the people is injured and not able to right, the other must back off and that claims victory,� Ryan Newman said. �After both fights are over, the team of the injured can come out and help their person. 3�2�FIGHT!�
The duels then broke out. The fought real tough�hour after hour after hour. At one time one person winning and then the next moment, the other person winning. No one knew who was going to win until the fights were totally over. When they were over, the winners were Jeff and Jimmie.
�He killed my husband!� Amy screamed then cried and cried some more.
�Martin�,� Jr said as he ran down the hill to where Martin was. �Are you ok?�
�Yeah, I�m alive at least,� Lil Martin answered quietly. �My right leg, back and left arm hurt a lot.�
�We need a doctor here immediately!� Ryan Moore yelled.
The doctor hurries to Martin�s side. �I am Dr. Austin. I will be taking care of you,� the doctor said. �May the two of you carry this man to a bed in the hospital?�
�Yes sir,� the nurses said. They then took Martin to the hospital.
Jr looked up and saw Amy sitting there crying. He went up the hill and sat beside her. �Hey,� he said.
�Hi Jr,� Amy said putting her head on his shoulder. �Why did Jimmie have to kill him? I mean, he knew he won when Tony Jr went down like that so why�d he continue like that?�
�He used his anger in the wrong way,� Jr said. �He�s mad about losing the kingdom. He originally wanted to fight me and Martin. Through my dad said no because princes are not allowed to fight�it�s against the law. I�m sorry it turned out this way Amy. I mean, I feel as bad as you do since that should have been me. And also, I didn�t ever want to see Tony Jr be killed since we were just cousins but are relationship was as close as a brother-to-brother relationship.�
�I know�I understand how you feel Jr,� Amy said. �But promise me that you won�t do anything to yourself over this. Can you promise me that?�
�Yes I can,� Jr said. �Promise me the same thing?�
�Yes,� Amy answered.
�Ok,� Jr said. �Now, let�s go back to the palace.�
�Martin�I have results to tell you,� Dr. Austin says.
�Ok,� Lil Martin says.
�You fractured the bone connecting your elbow to your wrist, you sprained your ankle, and you fractured a bone in the upper part of your back,� Dr. Austin reported. �Now, it�ll take 1 and a half months for your arm to heal. Now the bone in your back will take 2 and a half months to heal and I�ll need to take a look at your neck due to there being a possible injury. Your ankle is going to be healed in 3 days. So tell me, does your neck hurt at all?�
�No,� Lil Martin answered.
�Ok,� Dr. Austin said. �First I�ll get Nurse Randy to put your arm in a cast then I�ll take some x-rays of your neck.�
�Ok,� Lil Martin said.
**********
�Jr�.,� Ashley said as she looked into the room Jr was in. �You ok?�
�Yeah I�ll be fine,� Jr said through his tears. �I�ll get through it.�
Ashley went and sat beside him. �Jr, everything will be fine,� Ashley said.
�No it won�t,� Jr said back. �How can things be fine after a death�after the death of my cousin? And now all I�m suppose to do is brush it off? That�s so not going to happen. How can I blow it off when I was the one requested to fight Jimmie? That should have been me fighting Jimmie!�
�I so under�,� Ashley started.
�No you don�t understand Ash,� Jr interrupted. �I know we believed we could always understand each other�s situation yet this one you won�t understand. The relationship me and Tony Jr had is one that nobody but us two knew.� Jr then left.
Ashley didn�t know what to expect next. She knew they were close and knew this would be hard on him but never knew it�d be this tough.
�Hey Martin,� Jr said as he entered the room where Martin was.
�Hello Jr,� Lil Martin said.
�How are you feeling?� Jr asked.
�Real sore,� replied Lil Martin.
The doctor then came in. �Hello Prince Jr,� the doctor greeted Jr. He then turned toward Martin. �Martin, the results on your neck is no injury. Through upon further evaluation on your back, I found that it will require surgery to fix it. So...you wanna have the surgery now?�
�It�ll still take 2 and half months to heal, correct?� Lil Martin double checked.
�Yes,� Dr. Austin said. �And Dr. Peach will be doing the surgery.�
�Ok,� Lil Martin said. �Prince Jr, I�ll see you later.�
�Ok,� Jr said. �Bye Knight Martin.�
�Bye,� Lil Martin said.
The surgeon then took Martin away to surgery. Jr then left and went to the king�s chambers to see his since his dad wanted to see him.
�Dad, you wanted to see me today?� Jr asked as he entered the room.
�Yes,� Dale said. �Jr�I and Tony Jr.�s dad want to talk to you about something.
�Ok,� Jr said, �What�s that?�
�You know that at funerals it usually the king who does the speech on his knight?� Dale asked.
�Yes,� Jr said unsure of where his dad was going with this.
�Well, I didn�t really know Tony Jr that well,� Dale started. �So I talked to Tony and he said he wouldn�t mind if you did it since you knew him the best.�
�No, Tony, you knew him the best,� Jr corrected.
�But I�d appreciate if you did the speech,� Tony said.
�But I�,� Jr started.
�You can Jr,� Dale interrupted.
�Ok,� Jr said. �I�ll do it but don�t be mad if I mess up.�
�We won�t,� Dale said. �Now, Tony, can you please go? I need to talk to Jr.�
�Yeah,� Tony said. He then left.
�How�s Lil Martin?� Dale asked.
�I went and saw him before I came here and asked him how he was and he said he�s real sore,� Jr said. �Actually, they were taking him into surgery.�
�Has anyone let his dad know?� Dale asked.
�No,� Jr answered.
�I�ll send a letter right away,� Dale said as he got a piece of paper out. �Now, did you tell Amy about you and Tony Jr and how you were suppose to be the one fighting Jimmie?�
�Yes,� replied Jr.
�Why?� Dale questioned.
�She has to know,� Jr answered. �I felt guilt inside of me and had to let it out. She had to know the whole story dad.�
�I understand,� Dale said. �I was just wondering if you did. Now, promise you won�t tell everybody on Tuesday?�
�I can�t,� replied Jr. �If I feel I should tell, I will. If not, I won�t.� On that note, Jr left.
Dale just sat there in silence. After thinking about it for awhile, he started to write the letter for Martin�s dad.
�We are gathered here to pay tribute to one of the brave knights at Summer Island,� the funeral director said. �Tony Eury Jr was a man who was truly loved by family and friends. Everybody knew he was perfect for the job on that tragic day a week ago today. That is why he was chosen by the king to duel Jimmie Johnson. Through everyone thought on Summer Island that he could win the duel, that was not meant to be. May I call upon the king of Summer Island to give a speech about Tony Eury Jr. The king I�m calling upon is King Dale Earnhardt.�
Dale went up there and said, �It has been tradition for the king to make this speech through Tony Jr was a man that I didn�t know well so I talked to Tony Eury and he agreed with me that Tony Jr.�s close cousin Dale Earnhardt Jr will do the speech today. May I ask that Prince Dale Jr please come up here and make the speech?
�Good luck,� Ashley whispered.
�Thanks,� Jr said. �I�ll need it.� Jr then went up there and took a deep breath. He then started. �Tony Jr was a man I knew personally. He was a man that you could trust with any secrets. He got a special nickname Stiffy to go with his character and who he was. To me, he was a great guy. I mean, he was that one person in the whole world that you could tell anything to and he�d be fine with it. And one thing I�ll remember is about him is, he was a person who could think the best out of you in the darkest situations.
�I went and talked to his partner, head knight Martin, before officially thinking of his speech. And as we were talking, Knight Martin asked if I could include a little quote from him and I said, �of course you can. You were his partner and are the head knight.� So since Knight Martin can�t be here�I�d like to pass on what he said.� Jr then got out a piece of paper and read it to everybody, � �I just wanted to mention a couple words on knight Tony Jr. Tony Jr was a man who could put a smile on my face even through the toughest mission. If we were stuck, he�d always try to pop this mini joke and I�d get all mad at him for it but inside I was laughing because those are the kind of things that kept me going after the mission. Well, that�s all I wanted to mention on Tony Jr so see ya later. Love, Knight Martin Truex Jr.� that is what he wrote and I personally got agree. Tony Jr put a smile on my face any day also. Thanks for the memories cuz�you will be missed. That�s all I have to say.�
Jr then went and sat down beside Ashley.
�Thanks for that great speech Prince Jr,� the funeral director said.
**********
�Linda�we got an important letter today,� Martin said.
�From who?� She asked.
�The king of Summer Island,� Martin said. �Ryan and Marcia, please come here.�
So they all meet in the front room and Martin opened up the letter.
Dear Martin Truex Sr. and family,
I have some news to pass on to you regarding your son. Head Knight Martin Truex Jr was injured in a duel on February 20. I�m sorry I didn�t let you know sooner it�s just I never thought of it until I was talking to the prince the other night. Martin has a broken arm and sprained foot (well that should be healed by now). He also had to get surgery on his back due to a big bone break in his back. Now Prince Jr said that he was talking to Martin and Martin said that he is real sore. I am sending you this note to let you know and also, I think Martin would love it if you come and saw him. That would probably make him feel a lot better so please come down here.
Thanks,
King Dale Earnhardt
�Dad�.can we please go see Lil Martin?� Marcia begged.
�Of course we can sweetie,� Martin said. �I was planning on saying that we can right after I finished reading this letter. Now, go get your stuff kids�make sure you grab what you need. Linda, are you ok?�
�I�m�I�m worried about the surgery that he had,� Linda said. �I mean�what if it didn�t go well?�
�Don�t think that,� Martin answered. �Think positive Linda�I�m sure everything will be fine.�
�Ok,� Linda said. �If you say so.�
�I know so,� Martin said.
�You two ready to go?� Linda asked as Marcia and Ryan came down the stairs.
�Yep,� Marcia and Ryan answered together.
Thursday February 27, 1883
�Jr�why are you so quiet?� Ashley asked as they sat in their room together.
�I�ve been thinking about what has happened this past month,� Jr answered. �First there is love�love that no one can break. Then there is a duel that kills and hurts 2 people. I just don�t get how love went to hate and how everything has changed with the course of one thing.�
�Jr�one thing always seems to affect the next thing in line,� Ashley began. �It has always been that way and it always will. I know that this is really hard on you and it has really made you sad and that but you got to try to get through it a better way.�
�I am trying Ashley,� Jr said. �But I have yet to find the light at the end of the tunnel. And until I find that light, this is the way I�ll be. I�m sorry. Now if you�ll excuse me, I need to go see Martin.�
�Ok,� Ashley said.
Jr then left. He went down the long hallway that led him pass everyone�s room until he got to Lil Martin�s room. Lil Martin had just come home and he had wanted to speak to him all day through hadn�t had the time or courage to speak to him till now. So he went to Martin�s room and walked in.
�Hey Jr,� Lil Martin said.
�Hey Martin,� Jr said. He then went and got a chair and sat beside him. �How are you?�
�Still real sore but feeling at least a little better,� Lil Martin said. �Jr�how are you taking this whole thing?�
�I�m taking it real tough Martin,� replied Jr. �I mean, I have yet to get over it even a bit and really, I don�t think I ever will. I just feel real down and feel so bad about what happened. I mean, there is more to this then you know and I am not suppose to tell anyone the rest of the story except Amy which she already knows. But I really want to tell you. So if I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone I told you?�
�Promise,� Lil Martin said. �Go ahead and take your time.�
�Alright, I�ll tell you the story right from the beginning then,� Jr said. �Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon came to the door on February 14th. They knocked like anyone does so my dad went and answered the door. Jimmie then requested that he have a duel against me and you on February 20th. My dad said yes to have Jeff duel you yet no to me dueling Jimmie. Why? Because it is against the law for princes to��
�Go in duels,� Lil Martin finished him off. �That is true. So are you saying that your dad suggested that Tony Jr goes against him instead? And now you�re saying that it is partly your fault that Tony Jr got killed?�
�Yes,� Jr said. �How did you know I was going there?�
�I know you too well Jr,� Lil Martin answered. �Now�tell me more about how your feeling and why did you want to tell me?�
�Well�I feel like upset and depressed over this,� Jr starts. �The only reason that I haven�t done anything yet is because of two reasons. The first being I promised Amy I wouldn�t do anything to myself and the second reason is Ashley. I don�t want her to get all this and that about it because as of right now, she is already starting to get that way. Now, I wanted to tell you because I felt that you had a right to know what all went down since you were part of it. And I hate for anything to go on behind any of our backs. Now, I came to tell you because I have an idea of doing something but I�m not sure if it�ll be allowed. I�m thinking of challenging Jimmie and then Jeff and killing both of them for this but I don�t know if I should.�
�Jr�that�s a good thing you promised her that,� Lil Martin said. �Because if anything happens to you, I�d kill myself since you�re the only reason that I really want to get better. You�re the only thing that is driving me on to get better because I know that you care about me so much. Now, I know it isn�t against the law for princes to fight when they challenge someone but Jr, are you ready to take this fight on? I mean, you have got no experience at fighting and they do now. And your also taking a chance at getting killed which if that happens that would be the worst thing to happen to this kingdom and would also break Ashley�s heart so much that she�d kill herself. Now do you want that happening?�
�Martin�I understand the risk I am taking of doing this,� Jr answers. �I know that going in but this is the only way that I can handle this. I mean, without knowing that I at least tried to hurt them for the crime they committed, I�ll feel that I did nothing about this. And that feeling I would hate to feel and you know that.�
�I know Jr,� Lil Martin said. �Ok�well�good luck; I�m 100% behind you. The only thing I�m not behind you if you do is try to kill yourself. Now, let�s stop talking about this because I see someone coming to the door.�
�Ok Martin,� Jr said.
Then Emily showed up at the door, �Knight Lil Martin, your family is here to see you. Would you like to see them now or after you finish your conversation with Prince Jr?�
�Send them in now Emily,� Lil Martin said.
�Yes sir,� Emily said. She then left to get them.
�Martin, you want me to leave?� Jr asked.
�No,� Lil Martin said. �Because if they ask anything and I don�t feel like answering it myself, I may get you to.�
�Ok,� Jr said. �That�s fine.�
Marcie and Ryan then ran in. They gave Lil Martin a big huge hug each.
�Hey bro,� Marcie said.
�Hey sis,� Lil Martin said. �Hey Ryan.�
�Hey my favourite brother,� Ryan said.
�How can you compare me to anyone when I�m your only brother?� Lil Martin joked.
�It sounded good saying it,� Ryan said. �Mom and dad will be here in a sec. They are talking to King Dale Earnhardt.�
�Ok,� Lil Martin said. �Have either one of you meet Prince Jr?�
�I remember meeting him a long time ago,� Marcie said. �Hello Prince Jr.�
�Hi Marcie,� Jr said. �And Ryan, it�s nice to put a name to a face now. Martin has talked about you sometimes.�
�Nice to meet you to sir,� Ryan said. �Has he talked anything bad about me?�
�No�it�s all been nice,� Jr said. �Oh�here come your parents.�
Laura and Martin Truex Sr. came in and gave Martin a hug each.
�Hi mom and dad,� Lil Martin said.
�Hi sweetie,� Laura said. �How are you feeling?�
�Sore,� Lil Martin said. �But I�m feeling better then I was yesterday.�
�Well that�s good at least,� Martin said.
�Yep�I agree with that dad,� Lil Martin agreed.
�So�how long until your better?� Laura asked.
�My arm is going to take about 1 and half months while my back will take 2 and half months,� Lil Martin answered. �So how are things at home?�
�Same as it was when you left,� Martin said. �Just everybody has been talking about what happened to you and Tony Jr. Sorry to hear the death about your cousin Prince.�
�Thanks for the gratitude,� Jr said. �Knight Lil Martin�I�m going to go. Is that ok with you?�
�Yeah,� Lil Martin said. �Bye Prince Jr.�
�Bye Knight Lil Martin,� Jr said. Jr then left.
�Did I mentioning that little message to him make him feel bad?� Martin asked worried that he made the Prince feel bad.
�No,� Lil Martin said. �He�s been like that ever since it happened which I can understand. Plus, he may have had some stuff to do since he�s always been the busy guy here.
Inside Lil Martin knew that had made Jr just a bit sadder with everything and made him think about it more. Lil Martin wanted to talk to Jr so badly right at that moment but he knew that if he told everyone that�they�d suspect something was up and he�d break his promise to Jr.
�Dad, can I talk to you please?� Jr asked.
�Why of course Jr,� Dale said.
Jr then came in and sat down. �Dad�I need to ask you something,� Jr started.
�What is that?� Dale asked.
�Would you be ok if I challenged Jeff to a duel?� Jr wondered.
�Well�no because I don�t want you getting hurt,� Dale answered. �But if you feel that it�s the right thing for you to do, then I�m behind you a 100%.�
�Ok,� Jr said. �I�m going to because I feel that is the only way I�ll get past this is if I beat him at a duel. I heard that he didn�t leave the island�he just found a hotel to stay in here on the island so I�m going to go to the nearest hotel and see if he�s there.�
�Ok then,� Dale said. �Bye Jr.�
�Bye Dad,� Jr said. He then left.
�Hello�is there a Jeff Gordon staying here,� Jr asked when he got to the desk at the hotel.
�Yes sir,� replied the secretary. �Would you like to know his room number?�
�Yes please,� Jr answered.
�He is room number 32,� the secretary reported. �The quickest way is to go down the hall to your right and the room will be on your left hand side.�
�Thank you,� Jr said.
�You�re welcome Prince Jr,� the secretary said.
Jr then headed down to Jeff�s room. When he got there, he knocked on the door. He was nervous on what Jeff would do when he saw him but knew this was the right thing to do.
Jeff opened the door. When he saw Jr, he was a little nervous but then managed to say hi.
�Hey Jeff,� Jr said. �I am here to challenge you to a duel tomorrow @ 10:30 in the morning at the Summer Island Courtyard. Do you accept?�
�Of course I do,� Jeff accepted. �I�d accept any time, any day since you got no fighting experience do you?�
�You�ll see tomorrow,� Jr said. He then left.
Jeff stood there thinking about what Jr said and then went inside and called Jimmie.
�Hello,� Jimmie said when he picked up the phone.
�Hey Jimmie,� Jeff said. �Ok�you won�t believe who stopped by.�
�Hey Jeff,� Jimmie said. �Who?�
�Jr!� Jeff said. �He challenged me to a duel tomorrow @ 10:30 in the morning. I mean, he doesn�t have any experience and he wants to challenge me right after I showed him I do by hurting their top knight? Like, come on.�
�Ok�I�m coming to see this one go down,� Jimmie said. �I�ll see you tomorrow and we�ll see how this one goes. Bye!�
�Bye!� Jeff said. He then hung up the phone
�Welcome to another duel at the Summer Island Courtyard,� Ryan Newman said. �This duel will be against Prince Jr and Jeff Gordon. Are you two ready?�
�Umm�I have a request to make,� Jeff starts. �Instead of a one-fall-injury duel can this be a fight-to-death duel?�
�Prince Jr, do you accept the request?� Ryan asked.
�Yes I do,� Jr answered. �I also want to request the following. If I beat Jeff Gordon then I get to battle Jimmie Johnson tomorrow�same time, same place.�
�Jimmie, do you accept?� Ryan asked Jimmie.
�Yes I do,� Jimmie accepted.
�Then let the battle begin in 3�2�1�FIGHT,� Ryan yelled.
They battled back and forth. At times people thought Jeff was going to win but then it looked as if Jr was going to win.
�This is your turn to die Jr,� Jeff whispered.
�Nope�not if I have anything to say about it,� Jr said. Jr then took his sword and stabbed Jeff in the chest. �Now�what were you saying?�
Jeff then fell down and stayed still.
�Jr�get yourself another sword,� Jimmie called. �How about we finish this now?�
�But we accepted to dueling each other tomorrow,� Jr answered.
�Yeah, but I don�t want to go home and have to come back tomorrow,� Jimmie said. �I�d rather just kill you now.�
�Fine,� Jr said. �You want to duel now? Let�s go�I�m not afraid of you and you best not be afraid of me Jimmie. Knight Mikey�pass me your sword please.�
�Yes sir,� Mikey said. He then brought his sword down and put it in Jr.�s hands. �This sword has yet to loose a battle. Good luck.�
�Thanks but I won�t need to the good luck or the charm of the sword,� Jr said. �Ready?�
�Let�s go,� Jimmie said.
They then battled back and forth�hitting each others sword....trying to hit each other in the chest yet neither could accomplish it. They were evenly matched and couldn�t get close. Then, Jimmie put his point toward but Jr turned and got Jimmie in the leg.
�Smart ass,� Jimmie said.
�Whatever,� Jr said. �Come on�try again�you�re never going to be able to do it.�
Jimmie then tried again and he hit Jr.�s arm. But as he was doing that, Jr got him right in the neck and pushed it in and killed Jimmie instantly.
�Jr�please go to the hospital right away and get that cut fixed,� Brenda said.
�I am going to go right now mom,� Jr said. He then headed to the hospital. When Jr got there, he went up to Nurse Randy and said, �Nurse, I need to see Dr. Austin please.�
�Yes sir,� Randy said. �Please follow me.� Nurse Randy took Jr to a room and said, �I�ll get Dr. Austin right away.� She then left to go get the doctor.
Soon after, the nurse came back with the doctor.
�Hello Prince Jr,� the doctor said. �Why do you need to see me?�
�I just had a duel against someone and in the duel, they hit the tip of their sword on my arm and caused this cut,� Jr answered pointing to the cut.
�Well�let me take a look at that,� Dr. Austin said. He looked and then said, �Well�it�s a deep cut and will need stitches and not just a bandage over it.�
�Ok,� Jr said.
�Nurse Randy!� Dr. Austin screamed.
Randy came running and said, �Yes sir.�
�Can you please stitch up this cut please?� Dr. Austin asked.
�Yes sir,� Nurse Randy said.
Then Dr. Austin left.
�Now�this�ll only take a minute so just stay still,� Nurse Randy said. She then stitched up the cut and said, �All done. Now just remember to be careful not to pull the stitches out.�
�Ok,� Jr said. �Thank you for fixing the cut.�
�Your welcome sir,� Nurse Randy said.
Jr then headed home.
�Jr�wake up please,� Ashley said.
�I don�t want to get up,� Jr complained. �I want to sleep in.�
�But its Monday,� Ashley said. �And you know that you�re not allowed to sleep in today. Plus, today is a special day for me and you aren�t it?�
�Yeah it is,� Jr answered. �And I guess that because it is a special day, you want me up early?�
�Duh!� replied Ashley. �I was told that we have to get up early last night. There�s a morning surprise for us since this is are one month anniversary.�
�Oooo�did you hear anymore about this surprise?� Jr wondered.
�No�I�m not one for spoiling surprises,� Ashley answered.
�Me neither,� Jr said.
Then there was a knock at the door.
�Who is it?� Jr asked.
�Your surprise,� the person at the door answered.
�Oh well�come in then,� Jr directed.
Then the person opened the door.
�Hey Emily,� Jr greeted Emily.
�Hello sir,� Emily greeted Jr. �Now, please do be quiet as with your special surprise comes a special thing for both of you. To start off, I want to congratulate you both, Prince Jr and Princess Ashley, on your one month anniversary. The month that you have both been together in has been full of love and tragedy but we have watched you both stay together no matter what. That is why we know that this marriage will never break and we will make it to a one year anniversary without any problems. Now, I ask that the king and queen please come in to say some words to you.�
The king and queen then came in.
�Hello to are dear prince and dear princess,� Brenda started. �You both are so perfect for each other and I couldn�t have asked for anything better.�
�The way you both meet was kind of different then a usual meeting of a prince and princess but at least you two meet each other after all,� Dale continued. �We didn�t know what to expect going into this marriage but we knew that are prince had made the right decision and were glad it�s paying off for both of you now because you are two lovers that we all are loyal to. We want to wish you a bright future full of happiness and love.�
�To celebrate the occasion, we are giving you a sweet breakfast in bed right now and the whole day to spend with each other alone,� Emily said. She then brought in their breakfast. �Oh behalf of everyone, congratulations on your one month anniversary.�
�Thank you to all of you for this,� Jr said.
�Yeah�thanks,� Ashley added. �We both appreciate this and we are also glad it worked out.�
�Ok�everyone leave now,� Dale directed. Everyone then left.
�Can we have more surprises please?� Ashley said as she giggled.
�Yeah I wish,� Jr agreed. �That was sweet of them. Well, what shall we do today?�
�Whatever we wish if you like the sounds of that,� Ashley answered.
�Oooo�.now your getting dirty sweetie,� Jr said.
�Yeah�you think?� Ashley kidded. �I didn�t mean that but I wouldn�t mind. What I was thinking is we put are wishes together and accomplish them all today.�
�Then what is there to live for?� Jr asked.
�Good point,� Ashley said. �Ok�one wish each.�
�Deal,� Jr said.
They then kissed and started eating.
*****************************
�How are you this morning son?� Martin asked.
�Still sore,� Lil Martin answered
�Is it at least feeling a little better?� Martin wondered.
�Yeah,� replied Lil Martin. �Dad�can you leave the room for awhile? I want to be alone.�
�Of course,� Martin said. He then left
Lil Martin sat there pondering everything. He watched the battle go down yesterday and he was totally scared the whole thing. He knew that Jr still hurt inside and now he�d get a worse feeling�the feeling of killing someone. And he knew that it was partly his fault for not winning that battle against Jeff or defending Tony Jr. He knew that he was part of the reason this went down the way it did. He took out a piece of paper and started to write�
I sit here
Laying here
Unsure of what to do
Knowing that no matter what I do
it�ll always be the wrong thing to do
No matter how I try to do
Something right,
It�ll never be right.
I don�t understand why everything turned out this way
...That�s my best attempt at a poem I guess. I don�t know. I know that the pain I am suffering is huge through the pain that Jr is suffering inside is bigger. I mean, nothing is going to replace his cousin�or the pain...the shock and rush he will feel after killing someone. Yet there will be something to replace the pain I�m feeling�there are ways to fix that. I shouldn�t even be here�I should be gone because I�m the one who caused almost all the pain that Jr is suffering due to me not making Jeff suffer and for not saving Tony Jr.�s life. Isn�t it a thing that the head knight is able to beat anyone no matter what? Isn�t it true that the head knight is to save his friends no matter what? Well�I didn�t live up to it and I don�t deserve to the head knight. Who does? I think I may as well pass the crown to Mikey. He has never lost a battle. Through I had never lost until I went against Jeff that day. But the point being is�I let this kingdom down and that is one thing that a knight never does. Mikey has yet to let the kingdom down and I�m sure he never will.
Maybe I should just make myself suffer nothing but pain�and then when the pain gets too a lot and I�ve suffered enough, say goodbye to this life so I never have to let them down again.
Well�that�s all I have to say. If I do follow through with this plan of making myself suffer, at least I�m going to make sure that Jr reads this and understand that I�m the bigger reason that his cousin died and not him. It was my duty to protect the kingdom and its people within the law and I didn�t follow that. What Jr did followed the law.
Thanks,
Head Knight Lil Martin
Martin then sat there the rest of day thinking about nothing until he finally fell asleep.
�Head Knight Lil Martin, would you like some food?� Emily asked as she walked into Lil Martin�s room.
�No,� Lil Martin said.
�But you haven�t eaten in days,� Emily stated.
�I know Emily,� Lil Martin said. �Now�can you please leave?�
�But�,� Emily started.
�Go Emily!� Martin interrupted. �Go before I get you in trouble.�
�Yes sir,� Emily said.
Emily then left his room. She then decided to report this to the Prince since she knew the Prince would be worried and probably change his mind. She also had a secret crush on him and cared for him to but knew that it was best not to tell anyone.
�Um excuse me�may I speak to you Prince Jr?� Emily asked.
�Yes Emily,� Jr answered. �You can speak to me.�
�Come out here please sir,� Emily directed. �I need to tell you this in private.�
�Ok,� Jr said. He then went outside his room and said, �Now�what do you want to tell me?�
�Sir�Lil Martin has not eaten in 3 days,� Emily started. �Nor has he drinked or had a bath. What should we do?�
�I�I�ll go talk to him,� Jr said unsure of what exactly to do. �Ashley�I need to go talk to Lil Martin. I�ll be back soon, ok?�
�Ok,� Ashley said.
Jr then ran down to Lil Martin�s room.
�Martin�why aren�t you eating or drinking?� Jr questioned.
�Jr�just go please,� Lil Martin answered. �You won�t understand.�
�Yes I will,� Jr countered. �Now tell me right now!�
�No,� Lil Martin said.
�Martin�,� Jr started.
�Jr�I said no,� Lil Martin yelled.
�Martin, please do not scream,� Jr said.
�Ok, I won�t scream,� Lil Martin said. �Now�I�m not telling you because you won�t understand. Now, can you please go?�
�I�m not going until you tell me,� Jr rejected.
�Will this change your mind?� Lil Martin asked as he took out his sword.
�You wouldn�t,� Jr said.
�Go�,� Lil Martin directed. �Go before I do.�
�Fine�bye,� Jr said as he left.
�Bye Jr,� Lil Martin said.
Lil Martin sat there thinking of what he almost done. He knew he was suffering this pain because of the pain he took part in making Jr suffer and couldn�t believer what he�d almost done. Through he knew that Jr would never stay in the room if he pushed on the threat and made him believe that he would kill him.
Meanwhile, Jr was on his way back to the bedroom when he decided otherwise. He took a small piece of paper, wrote a message on it and slipped it under the door for Ashley to read. He then headed out of the kingdom and to the courtyard. He went to the courtyard and sat on the hill.
�All the hell of the past couple weeks started here,� Jr started. �Why did it have to start? Why can�t things be peaceful like they use to be here on Summer Island? All I want back is the peacefulness. If you give me that back, then maybe I�ll be able to get through this pain of losing my cousin and everything. And why did everything have to start like it did with Martin? What turned him on that he�d really want to kill me for wondering why he wasn�t eating? Or drinking? Why did life have to turn so evil? Why did it have to take a turn for the worse? I can�t take it�I can�t stand it. And for one thing�I want it to be over. I understand that all you wanted to do was see if I could get through a moment like this�well�you see I can. So can we just bring back the peace?�
�Where is the love?� Ashley asked. �Where is the love that we use to have? Where is the peace and the love gone to?�
�Ash�when did you get here?� Jr asked as he looked toward Ashley.
�Just as you were finishing that up,� answered Ashley.
�You feel the same way I do?� Jr wondered. �You feel that this is too much and all you want is peace.�
�Yes Jr,� Ashley said. �Why�d you come here? Why did you originally come here?�
�I came here to try to let out all the pain and suffering,� Jr answered. �Try to let go of it and let it float away to somewhere else. There�s too much of it here and�� Jr then started to cry.
Ashley put her arm around him and said, �I know and I agree with you. I know that you and your cousin had the closest relationship that any pair could have. I�m sorry for the mess that we had before. I shouldn�t of been as hard as I was on you at the beginning.�
�Its ok Ash,� Jr said. �I know all you were trying to do was help and I wasn�t helping you do that.�
�Jr�you got nothing to be sorry about,� Ashley started. �Its ok that you weren�t trying to help. But at least we are here together right now helping one another.�
�Yeah�,� Jr said. �Now�wanna go back to the palace?�
�Why of course I do,� Ashley answered.
They then headed back hand-in-hand.
�Hello,� Dr. Austin said. �May I come in?�
�Yeah sure,� Lil Martin answered.
Dr. Austin then came in the room, �I�ve come to check up on you. How are you feeling?�
�Still sore but getting better,� Lil Martin replied.
�Martin, can I ask you something?� Dr. Austin wondered as he looked at him.
�Sure�go ahead,� Lil Martin answered.
�Have you ate anything these past days?� Dr. Austin questioned.
�No,� Lil Martin replied. �Nor have I drank or anything.�
�Why?� Dr. Austin asked.
�I am not telling,� Lil Martin answered. �Nobody but me would understand.�
�How do you know?� Dr. Austin wondered.
�Because of what the topic is about,� replied Lil Martin. �Now, may you please go?�
�Yes but I will be back if I find you are keeping this up,� Dr. Austin told him. He then left.
Jr was waiting for him outside. �What did you find out?� Jr asked.
�Nothing really,� Dr. Austin reported. �All I found is the reason he is not is something that he said nobody would understand.�
�Did you question more into it?� Jr wondered.
�Yes,� Dr. Austin answered. �He said that no one would understand because of what it is about. That�s all he told me. He then asked me to leave.�
�Is there anything you can do for him?� Jr asked.
�There is one thing,� replied Dr. Austin. �Through it�ll involve taking him to the hospital for it. We could feed him through tubes that are inserted into his stomach.�
�Do you think there is a way we could accomplish this?� Jr wondered.
�Well�first we�d have to get him to the hospital,� Dr. Austin started. �And considering the way he is Prince Jr, that could be impossible.�
�Is there anyway we can do it here?� Jr questioned.
�I�ll have to talk to Surgeon Peach but I will let you know right away, ok?� Dr. Austin answered.
�Ok,� Jr accepted. �Thanks for coming.�
�Anytime sir,� Dr. Austin said. �Good bye Prince Jr.�
�Good bye,� Jr said,
Dr. Austin then headed down to the door. Jr stood in the hall, unsure of what to do. He was thinking of all the possible things he could try yet none of them were working so far. He was hoping that Surgeon Peach would accept the proposal yet knew that was hard to do. He was worried that his parents would start stuff and everything would get worse. He knew that everything had a way of falling and he hoped that this fell correctly.
�Surgeon Peach, can you please come here?� Dr. Austin asked.
�Yes of course,� Georgia said. She then went to where Austin was.
�I need to ask you a question,� Dr. Austin started.
�What�s that?� Georgia questioned.
�There is a man that is not eating or drinking at all,� Dr. Austin explained. �He has not been for the past 4 or 5 past days. Now, do you know how to do the procedure where you insert the tube into the stomach and feed a person that way?�
�Yes I know how to do that,� Georgia answered. �If your asking if I�ll do that, the answer is yes. Just tell me what room he is in.�
�Problem is he is not in a room here,� Dr. Austin started. �This man is at Summer Island Kingdom and he does not want to come to the hospital. He wants to just stay in his room and not be bothered with anything. So can you do it at the kingdom?�
�Well it depends on what the king says,� replied Georgia. �If he is ok with it, then I�ll have to see the condition of the room and him. Has anyone asked the king about this yet?�
�No,� Austin answered. �We�ve only talked about it with Prince Jr.�
�Well then I say we go on Monday,� Georgia suggested. �We go and talk to the king about this.�
�Certainly,� Austin agreed. �I will be ready for you Monday Morning.�
�Martin�you haven�t had anything for a week now,� Emily said. �Can u please at least have a piece of toast?�
�No�,� Lil Martin answered.
�But you need to eat,� Emily interrupted.
�Emily, go away right now,� Lil Martin directed. �I can tell you care about me and you probably do have a crush on me. But I would perfer if you just leave me alone right now Emily.�
�But knight Martin�,� Emily started.
�Please Emily�we can talk about it later,� Lil Martin said trying to get her to leave.
�Ok sir,� Emily said then left.
*********
�Dad, Dr. Austin and Surgeon Peach need to talk to you about something,� Jr said.
�Ok,� Dale said. �Come in.�
Dr. Austin and Surgeon Peach came in
�Hello,� Dale said. �May I ask why you�re here?�
�It has come to us that Head Knight Lil Martin hasn�t eaten nor drank in the past week,� Dr. Austin started. �Surgeon Peach and I talked with Prince Jr. Prince Jr has said that he and Emily have been trying to convince him to eat something yet he has ignored them. So I tried and he ignored me. Now, Surgeon Peach and I discussed and said that it�d be hard to get him over to the hospital and that so we are thinking of inserting the tube to feed him into his stomach here through we need your permission.�
�Jr�has Martin�s parents tried?� Dale asked Jr.
�No they haven�t,� Jr answered.
�Do they know of this?� Dale wondered.
�No,� replied Jr.
�They shall be here tomorrow and I will tell them,� Dale started. �Then we will see if they can convince him. Then we�ll try Prince Jr and Servant Emily again. And then after maybe Mikey and myself. Then we will go through it if those things don�t work.�
�Ok sir,� Dr. Austin said. �But please hurry since he is getting worse each day.�
�I will since I want what�s best for Lil Martin,� Dale said. �Now, you two can go.�
So Dr. Austin and Surgeon Peach left.
�Jr�when did this start?� Dale wondered.
�Started Thursday as far as I know through we discovered he actually started this Monday,� replied Jr.
�How did you find out he started earlier then Thursday?� Dale asked.
�He wrote a little note saying when he would,� Jr answered. �There was more yet it was ripped up so nobody would read it.�
�Well�can you work on finding out what is bugging him and making him do this?� Dale asked.
�Yeah�I�ll work on it,� Jr accepted.
�Thank you,� Dale said.
�Your welcome,� Jr said. �I�d do anything for Lil Martin.�
Jr then left.
Dale sat there thinking about it. He realized that Jr was real sad and really wanted to see Lil Martin get better but was unsure of why Lil Martin would do such thing. Lil Martin was the type that would never get into stuff like trying to suffer this amount of pain. That�s why he was chosen to become the head knight. He was chosen because of his way to deal with pain in such a good matter and because of his talent.
�I�ve called you in here to tell you something,� Dale started.
�What is that?� Linda asked getting a little worried.
�Lil Martin hasn�t ate nor drank the past week,� Dale explained. �Now�we�ve tried to get him to but its not working. Were going to see if you guys can, if I can, if Knight Michael Waltrip can, and try to see if Emily or Prince Jr can convince him to eat or drink something before we got to are last resource. That is getting a tube inserted into his stomach that injects the food that way.�
�Oh my gosh!� Marcia screamed.
�Its ok,� Martin said. �I�m sure your brother will be ok, I�m sure of it.�
�Ok daddy,� Marcia said.
********
Jr peaked into the room and saw that Lil Martin was asleep. He then snuck in and opened the drawer and pulled out Lil Martin�s pad of paper. He searched through the pad for info on why Martin was the way he was.
�What are you doing looking through my pad?� Lil Martin asked as he woke up due to the sudden noise.
�I�I�,� Jr stuttered.
�Looking for something?� Lil Martin questioned.
�Yes,� Jr answered. �I was looking for info on why you are acting like this Martin.�
�So are you saying to find out why, you�d go looking in my personal stuff?� Lil Martin questioned.
�Well when it comes to this, yes,� replied Jr.
�Jr�I thought we were friends,� Lil Martin said.
�We are�I�m doing this cuz I�m worried about you,� Jr explained.
�Yeah�well�I�ll tell you later,� Lil Martin said. �Right now is not a good time.�
�Why?� Jr asked. �Anytime would be a right time.�
�Not for me,� Lil Martin countered.
�When are you going to tell me then?� Jr asked.
�Another time like I said,� Lil Martin answered. �Now its late. Go get some sleep or else you won�t get up in the morning.�
�My dad doesn�t care if I don�t get up early tomorrow,� Jr countered. �All he cares is that I find out why you are doing this.�
�Well, the only way I will allow you to find out is by me telling you,� Lil Martin said.
�Well, tell me,� Jr directed. �That�s a direct order from the Prince to the head knight.�
�No,� Lil Martin said. He then pulled out his sword. �I�m committed to what I�m doing Jr and I will never tell.�
�When I give you a direct order mister, you call Prince Jr,� Jr yelled.
�Sorry Prince Jr,� Lil Martin yelled back. �Now�what do you have to say?�
�Give me that sword right now!� Jr ordered.
�No sir,� Lil Martin said back.
�Fine,� Jr said. He then grabbed it out of Lil Martin�s hands. �Now�tell me right now or I will be talking to the king about removing your crown jewel as head knight.�
�Go ahead,� Martin said. �I don�t care.�
Jr stands there thinking about it curiously for a minute. Lil Martin would usually not be like that. He knew he was getting close to what was bothering him so he kept at it.
�Why don�t you care?� Jr asked.
�Because Mikey should be Jr,� Lil Martin said.
�Why?� Jr questioned.
�Because�.,� Lil Martin was about to say why but stopped. He knew Jr was trying to set him up to say it. �Alright�that�s it for tonight. Can u go now?�
�Sure,� replied Jr. He then left and headed to his room. He knew that Lil Martin probably figured out what he was up to yet he knew that he figured at least a little something out.
�Martin�.,� Martin said.
�Yes dad,� Lil Martin said.
�Can I talk to you please?� Martin asked.
�About what?� Lil Martin questioned.
�I am curious about why your not eating son,� Martin answered. �You know it would break me, Marcia, Ryan and mom�s heart if you don�t start eating Martin.�
�I know that this is,� Lil Martin said. �But I have to do it this way�I�m sorry.�
�But�,� Martin started.
�Dad, stop,� Lil Martin directed. �No matter what, nothing will change my mind. My mind is set on this. Now, can you go?�
�No,� replied Martin. �I am not going until you eat something.�
�Well then you�ll be stuck there all day,� Lil Martin said. �Dad�please. I�m begging you to leave.
�Fine, but were not done,� Martin said and then left.
**************
�Dad, I got something out of him,� Jr reported as he went into the king�s chamber.
�What is that Jr?� Dale asked.
�I mentioned that if he didn�t tell me why that I would tell the king to give the head knight badge to Mikey,� Jr started. �He said go with that. I don�t care.�
�That�s not like Martin,� Dale said. �Something is up.�
�Could it be about the duel?� Jr wondered.
�It possibly could,� Dale answered. �What if we get Mikey to talk to him?�
�Good idea,� replied Jr.
�Mikey!� Dale yelled.
Mikey came running in and said, �Yes sir.�
�I need you to do something for me,� Dale started. �I need you to go talk to Martin.�
�Why sir?� Mikey asked.
�Mikey, Martin hasn�t ate or drank or done much of anything since last Monday,� Jr starts. �When I went to talk to him last night, he wouldn�t tell me. So I mentioned that if he didn�t tell me why that I would tell the king to give the head knight badge to you. He then said he doesn�t care which is not like him. So we want you to go talk to him. We want you to try to get the reason he is not or at least get him to eat or drink something, ok? And don�t mention I told you about last night.�
�Yes sir,� Mikey said. �What if he tells me to leave?�
�First don�t�second time do,� Dale answered.
�Ok sir,� Mikey said. He then headed down to Lil Martin�s room. �Sir, can I talk you please?�
�Yeah of course,� Lil Martin answered. �Come on it.�
Mikey then walked in and said, �I�ve heard you haven�t ate or drank anything in the last week and I am wondering why. I mean, I have a good relationship with you and I don�t want you to do anything bad to yourself.�
�Mikey, I have to something to tell you,� Lil Martin started. �What I am doing has a purpose�a purpose that nobody will understand except Prince Jr. And I�m not telling him until I feel its right�which that may take till next Monday, ok?�
�Yes sir I understand,� Mikey answered. �Is there anymore?�
�Yes of course there is,� replied Lil Martin. �I was wondering if you would like to be the head knight of the kingdom instead of me. I feel that you deserve the right to be.�
�Is this until your feeling better or forever?� Mikey wondered.
�Forever Mikey,� Lil Martin answered.
�Why?� Mikey questioned. �I couldn�t have got through that mission to save Jr if it wasn�t for you being there leading us.�
�Yes you could have,� Lil Martin countered. �You got the ability to lead people and defend this kingdom better then me. Now since that�s all I have to tell you, can you please go?�
�Martin, can you at least eat something small before I go?� Mikey asked. �Well now that I�m head knight, I can order you to do that so do it now.�
�Actually your not officially yet Mikey,� Martin countered. �You will be after the king crowns you as head knight. Now, leave right now Mikey.�
�Yes sir,� Mikey said. He then left. He headed straight to the king�s chamber. �King, I have news for you.�
�Please tell me its good,� Dale said.
�Not exactly,� Mikey reports. �Yet its more into why he is not eating. He said he�d tell Prince Jr next Monday sir. He also said that he wants me to be the head knight because that crown fits me.�
�Anything else?� Jr wondered.
�Yes sir,� Mikey answered. �When I directed him to tell me more after he told me to leave, I used the head knight deal. He then said that I cannot use that until the king crowns me.
�Hmmm�interesting,� Jr said. �Wonder if I could convince him to tell me earlier.�
�That would be a great thing if you can,� Dale said. �The sooner we know the better.�
�I�ll sleep on it tonight,� Jr said.
�In the meantime, lets check you, Mikey, and Martin�s close family off are list,� Dale said. �All we have left is Emily and Me.�
�Lets hope one of them works,� Jr commented.
�Couldn�t agree more,� Dale agreed.
�Martin�can we talk please?� Jr asked.
�Yeah ok,� Lil Martin answered. �I know why you�re here. Mikey told you what was said yesterday. I heard.�
�Yes that is true,� Jr admitted. �We are only doing this because we care about you Martin. That�s the only reason. Now, can you please tell me earlier then Monday?�
�There is only one way I can Jr,� replied Lil Martin. �And that will have to wait till this weekend or Monday. I�m sorry.�
�But�,� Jr started.
�Jr, don�t push it,� Lil Martin said. �I really am sorry but it�s the only way.�
�No its not!� Jr yelled. �The only way is now. Because if you tell me now, I can find a way to fix it.�
�No you can�t,� Lil Martin countered. �Nothing about this can fixed Jr. Deep down inside, I know it can�t. And when you find out, you will agree with me.�
�Not true,� Jr said. �Martin, why are you doing this? I beg you to tell me now?�
�No Jr,� Lil Martin answered. �Leave�I can�t stand it anymore. I need to go. Right now!�
�I�m not this time no matter what,� Jr said. �I�m committed to finding out why your doing this to yourself. Heck, even Emily spent the time making your favourite dish for you.�
�I know she did but I�m not eating it,� Lil Martin replied. �Jr, go now please.�
�No!� Jr yelled. �I�m here on a mission and I�m not going to quit. You taught me that and I�m not going to back down now.�
�Jr, your making this even more tough on me,� Lil Martin explained.
�Well then tell me and it�ll be all over,� Jr said. �That�s the only way to end it Martin.�
�No�.there�s another way,� Martin countered. �Now, go right now!�
�You can�t make me,� Jr said.
Martin then put his hand up and slapped Jr. �Anyone who bugs me is going to get a slap like that,� Martin said. �Leave�I�ll do it again.�
�You bastard,� Jr said. �I thought we were friends. We cared for one another. That�s why I�m here. That slap has showed me your not showing anymore of this friendship.�
�Well this is the way it�s got to end,� Martin said. �Leave right now!�
Jr then left and headed straight for the king�s chambers.
�Dad, we need to talk.� Jr said.
�What�s wrong Jr?� Dale asked.
�Martin just slapped me,� Jr answered. �He said this is the only way its got to end. Now he could be meaning just are friendship or everything.� Jr then started to cry.
�Emily, can you get Prince Jr some ice please?� Dale asked Emily as he saw her walking by.
�Yes sir,� replied Emily. She then headed down to get some ice.
�That�s it,� Dale began. �I�m going to talk him and he is going to learn something today. Something that he should have learnt before.�
�Dad�don�t,� Jr said.
�Its not anything bad Jr,� Dale said. �It�s a lesson that you learned when u first learned the whole potential of your power.�
�Ok,� Jr said.
Emily then came back with the ice. �Do you want me to tell Princess Ashley about this sir?� Emily asked.
�No Emily,� Jr answered. �Its better if she didn�t know.�
�Yes sir,� Emily said then left.
�Dad�good luck,� Jr said.
�Thanks Jr,� Dale said. He then went down to Lil Martin�s room. �Head Knight Martin Truex Jr, you know how much trouble your in now?�
�Yes sir I know,� Lil Martin answered. �But its not the worse thing that has happened in my life here at the kingdom.�
�What is that Martin?� Dale asked.
�These past few months sir,� replied Lil Martin.
�Why is that Martin?� Dale questioned.
�Because of the events that have happened sir,� Lil Martin answered.
�Lil Martin, look at me please,� Dale directed. Lil Martin turned around and looked at Dale. �Every knight has a bad fight in his time. The fight on February 20th was your bad fight. Now, you will get better from that and grow into a even stronger knight because you will want to protect your kingdom even more. And one thing, you don�t have to call sir every sentence.�
�But King, a head knight is not suppose to make a mistake,� Lil Martin began. �They are suppose to always be the one that protects the kingdom when others fall and also protect them.�
�But there is always one fight that they don�t,� Dale explained. �That is one thing I should have told you along with other things. The other thing I should have told you is with the prince and the king be the only things in the kingdom higher then you, you have to pay respect to them. That means no hitting or tough cookie talk which is what has been going on between you and Prince Jr.�
�What happens to people who do this?� Lil Martin questioned.
�Whatever the king and prince decide,� Dale answered. �I myself don�t want to punish you but next time I will. I right now understand this is tough on you but you have to try and get through Martin. Without you, lots of people will change dramatically and those changes I don�t need. Martin, I�d like you to reconsider what your doing and eat something. If you don�t, I have only one choice. And that choice will go because of all I have told you today, you understand?�
�Yes sir,� replied Lil Martin.
�I�ll let you sleep on it and then I want your decision tomorrow,� Dale directed.
�Yes, my decision will be made tomorrow sir,� Lil Martin said.
Dale then left and headed back to his chamber.
Lil Martin sat there thinking�unsure of what to do. He knew if he said no that the king would go through with it. And that he didn�t want. Inside, the pain was burning him so much he felt like he was in a fire pit. He wanted it all to go away�.and knew there was only one way. He got out his pad and started to write a letter. A letter that he would leave for Prince Jr to read.
Later that night, when the letter was done, he grabbed a sword.
�Good bye to this life that is full of nothing now but pain,� Lil Martin started. �May god be with these people as they get through this. I know I don�t want to this but I have to. It�s the only way.�
He then took the sword and stabbed it slowly in his chest. Letting himself feel every inch so he�d suffer every little bit of pain he deserved for what he done. As it got deeper, the pain increased. He felt like screaming but knew not to do none of that. He�d have to suffer the pain in silence. He then shoved it all the way in.
�Hello Jr,� Dale waked Jr up. �How is it feeling today?�
�Better dad,� Jr answered. �Thanks for convincing Ashley about this.�
�Anytime Jr,� Dale said. �Well, I am going to go find out what Martin decided. Do you want to come?�
�No I perfer to stay here,� replied Jr.
�Ok,� Dale said.
Dale then went down to Martin�s room. When he got in the room, he couldn�t believe what he saw. �Jr!� Dale yelled.
�What�s wrong?� Jr screamed back as he ran down the hallway.
�He�he killed himself,� Dale started. �That was his decision. That�s what he was planning to do the whole time.�
�No,� Jr yelled. �This is got to be a dream.�
�Jr, its not,� Dale said. �Its reality.�
�Oh my god!� Emily screamed. �Sir�what should we do?�
�We should call Ryan Moore,� Dale answered. �He�s in charge of getting the dead bodies to the funeral services. Emily, can you please call him?�
�Yes sir,� Emily said as she went to the telephone.
�He what?� Linda said.
�Killed himself,� Ashley repeated.
�No�that�s not like my brother,� Marcia said.
�It�s the truth guys,� Dale said. �Now, I know were all sad but we have to try to work through this.
A hour later, Ryan Moore showed up.
�Hello,� Ryan said. �I was called by Emily to come here to pick up a dead body.�
�Yes,� Dale said. �Head Knight Martin Truex Jr killed himself.�
�Ok,� Ryan said. �I�ll take him to the church for you.�
Ryan then went in the room. He was getting Lil Martin ready to be carried out when he saw something. He saw a letter addressed to Prince Jr.
�Prince Jr, there is a letter addressed to you,� Ryan said. �Its sitting right here.�
Jr went and got the letter. �Thank you Ryan,� Jr said. He then went and sat down in his room. �Well, guess this is your way of telling me Martin.� He then opened the letter.
Dear Prince Dale Earnhardt Jr,
Before I kill myself I must write this letter to you. You must read this alone. No one is allowed to find out what is written here due to the fact this is something that I only want to share with you.
I have a reason for what I am doing Jr. And you must find out. Please read this carefully and understand me thoroughly.
The reason I am killing myself is your not to blame for the death of your cousin, knight Tony Eury Jr. I am to blame Jr. Why do I say this? Easy! My job as head knight was to protect the kingdom the most�more then anyone else. Also my job was to protect the other knights because I had the most experience. Well in the duel on
My biggest point I have to make to myself is your not to blame Jr; I am. You were following the law by not being in that fight. And you can�t change the law to protect someone. You and your dad did what was right. I did the wrong. I should have protected Tony Jr for you and I�m sorry Jr.
Inside, the pain was so bad for me to handle. I had to make sure I suffered the most and then killed myself. I know it�s not what you want but its what�s right Jr. And I�m sorry I slapped you like that. I had no business of doing that. I hope that you�ll be ok.
Now, I�m coming to the end. Please don�t hurt yourself or do the same. You have a right to live and rule this kingdom. You have what it takes Jr. So don�t change that because of me. And please Jr, don�t feel bad because of this. I did it because I wanted to show you the truth and now you know why.
Tell everyone part of this�the truth yet not the pain. Just tell them the letter said I did it because I didn�t want to face the truth that I let the kingdom down by letting Tony Jr get killed.
Good luck in the future Jr. You will be the best ever.
Thanks,
Martin Truex Jr
P.S: Tell Emily I found out the truth about the crush. Hehehe she can�t hide that from me any day.
Jr sat there thinking for a second. He then ran out the door and ran to the courtyard.
�Because of a stupid battle, life has turned from heaven to hell,� Jr started. �I can�t put up with this shit for any longer. I�ve had enough. What�s next? Another person feels real mad so they kill someone and then it works out I become king? No! I don�t want to have things fall like this. I want everything to fall in place nicely and peacefully. Why can�t life be the same as it was before? Someone tell me why this has to happen this way?
�I mean, you could teach us a hard lesson like this another way. I will never forgive anyone for this.�
�Where is love?� Ashley yelled. �This is the 4th death in about one month. Why can�t people learn to love one another instead of kill and hurt? God bless us and get all this shit and erase it.�
�Yea�send it to where it belongs,� Jr continued. �To a vault that will never be opened up again. Send the devils there and end this shit right there.�
Jr then sat down and started to cry. The tears poured out so fast and so much, you�d think he was crying a waterfall. Ashley went and sat down beside him and hugged him. She knew that this was just the beginning to a roller coaster.
�What did the letter say?� Ashley asked.
�A lot of things,� Jr started. �Most of it he doesn�t want me to tell anyone. All he wants me to tell about the letter is he did it because he didn�t want to face the truth that he let the kingdom down by letting Tony Jr get killed. The rest he wants me to keep between me and him which I am ok with.�
�Ok that�s fine,� Ashley said. �Want me to tell everyone what you told me or are you going to tell them?�
�I�ll tell them,� Jr answered. �Its better if I do.�
�Ok,� Ashley said.
�Lets head back now,� Jr said. �Lets get this over with.�
So they headed back to the palace. Jr went to where everyone was standing since they had moved away from Martin�s room.
�Um, I have something to tell you all,� Jr started. Everyone then turned and looked at Jr. �Martin said why he did it in the letter and more. Now, he asked that I didn�t tell you the other parts because they are between me and him so all I�m telling you is what he said to tell. All he wants me to tell about the letter is he did it because he didn�t want to face the truth that he let the kingdom down by letting Tony Jr get killed. That�s all I�m telling. Well, he has something he wanted me to tell Emily but that�ll stay between me, Martin and Emily.� Jr then went over to Emily and whispered, �He said he found out the truth about the crush you had on him. You can�t hide that from him any day.�
�Figured he would,� Emily said. �Thanks for telling me sir.�
�Your welcome,� Jr said. He then left.
�Everyone listen,� Dale started. �No one is to bug anyone today unless you have their permission. This is tough on us all and we will have important things to come in the future. Now, that�s it. Good bye.�
Everyone knew the announcements that were coming and knew that there would be a whole sale of changes happening in the kingdom. Yet no one knew what exactly.
~*~The End~*~