chapter 1

His fat wrists were tied up in front of his belly. His size prohibited them from being tied behind him. Blood dripped from the cut over his eye and he blinked through the darkness, looking for any sign of life or movement. He had been tied up for the better part of the day. What he assumed were guards came in a few times to make sure he was still restrained, but he had yet to glimpse upon whoever’s idea it was to kidnap him in the first place. Whoever they were, it was a brave move capturing Roderick. He weighed well over four hundred pounds, and men as fat as him were not too easy to kidnap. His belly spilled to his knees, so his tied-up hands were secure and tight up against his rotund stomach.
Alone – he smirked to himself. He was royalty and knew that a much worse fate awaited his captor than whatever could be done to him. Roderick had only recently found out about his relation to the royal family of Leondia. He was a cousin of the King. And while in this dark, dank room… he knew it was his relation that prompted this kidnapping.
The door squeaked open and he looked up expecting to see a guard through the blood dripping down his eyes; instead it was a well dressed man who paused at the door. He whispered something to another fellow by the doorway and then slowly walked towards Roderick. He pulled up a table and leaned forward – his face an inch away from Roderick’s. An evil smile came across his face as he said, “Do you know why you are here?”
Roderick shook his head.
“Can you guess?”
He sighed and said, “Because I’m a Leonhart?”
The smirk displayed a hint of satisfaction as the man replied, “Correct.”
He continued, “Your cousins are the only people in this world who can help you now.”
Roderick replied, “I don’t know my cousins.”
“Well – from what I hear, that isn’t true. In fact – we intercepted communications between you and the royal family.”
“Then you would know that I haven’t even had the opportunity to meet them yet.”
“It won’t matter. They would never let one of their own suffer. And that is exactly what you are here for.”
He paused. Walking away from Roderick, he said, “I’m going to make a point. A point emphasizing the disgusting habits of the gluttonous family you are a part of.”
Roderick, weighing quite a bit himself, replied, “And what exactly will this point you’re about to make do? What do you want?”
The man waited a few seconds before replying, “It’s your family that started the war. A war that killed all of my kin.”
Roderick commented, “I wasn’t even born when the war began. I was only a child when it ended. I didn’t even know my family then.”
He said, “And that is why you were easier to acquire than one of the Leonhart brothers. But you are just as valuable to me.”
Roderick tried to pull on the ties holding his hands together to no avail. They were tied quite tight. The man noticed and said, “You’re not going to break out of those.”
Then the door opened. The light flooded the room and Roderick had to squint his eyes in order to see. A tray was rolled into the room. Roderick could only guess what was on it – sharp instruments? Torture devices?
The tray was rolled up to the table and that is when he saw cans and cans of food were piled on it, along with a metal bucket. His mind wondered for only a second before he knew what was about to happen. The man put the bucket on the floor by Roderick’s side, then opened one of the cans. He grabbed a gigantic spoon and scooped out a huge amount of what looked like beans. He leaned down to make direct eye contact with Roderick again. Holding the food-filled spoon, he said, “And now… you are going to eat.”
He was expecting a look of panic on Roderick’s face; instead he got a blank stare. Standing up again, he forcefully shoved the spoon in Roderick’s mouth. A little sauce spilled from between his fat lips, but he swallowed the spoonful. The man was expecting more resistance from Roderick. He grabbed another spoonful and forced it down Roderick’s throat. This time no sauce dripped down his face. Roderick gave him a sly smile and said, muffled with the spoonful he was still chewing, “Is this it? This is your plan?”
Stepping back, the man replied, “You won’t be so jovial after a few days of this.”
Roderick coughed out a laugh and said, “How do you know?”
Angrily, the man replied, “Because I’m going to feed you until your stomach bursts, you ***.”
“Let’s get on with it then…” Roderick said.
The man paused and for a second a look of surprise came across his face. Roderick’s joviality towards what was supposed to be a terrifying situation only angered him more and he dove into the can again, forcing another spoonful.