SETH’S POV
*Flashback 21 years ago
“My king, this baby is a taboo. He cannot live. The gods forbid it.”
“The gods forbid nothing! This child will not be killed. Do something, my child will not die!” King Aldric screamed.
“The Queen!” “She’s dead.” One of the midwives shouted.
King Aldric froze.
My father looked at his wife’s cold body as my brother wails filled the room.
“We have to do something.” He said, pulling Queen mother Seraphine to a corner.
“Kill the child.”
“I will not. Don’t make me repeat myself, think of something.”
“I—I can’t be involved in this.” She whispered,her voice cracking. “He is the Silver Dragon. The bloodline the heavens erased five hundred years ago.”
“But you are. So it’s either we find a solution or we all die.”
The Queen mother looked at me on the bed.
Innocent.
Without a care in the world.
I didn’t cry, I just stared.
“Lock the doors. Do not let anyone leave here alive.”
*End flashback.
I closed my eyes as the sight of blood made my stomach turn. “What a mess.” I thought to myself as my eyes went back to her.
“PLEASE! PLEASE— I won’t tell anybody I saw you.”
The maid’s knees hit the floor.
“Of course you won’t.” I scoffed.
Her hands were shaking too hard to lie properly. “Please— I won’t tell anyone—” Her voice cracked.
“That’s why you shouldn’t poke around too much.” I said brushing strands of hairs behind her ear.
My voice was calm.
Steady.
“I promise please I won’t anymore.” She begged, rubbing her palms together, tears had begun to roll down her cheeks.
“I’ll leave this kingdom. I won’t tell them anything.”
I swallowed. There’s no mercy.
She had to die.
She saw my face. Nobody should see my face.
Begging didn’t matter.
“Kill her.” I ordered as I turned away.
“NO! I have a SON—pleae I’m sorry—PLEASE—” A lie people always offered when they realized truth had no stand.
Cassian didn’t hesitate.
The blade cut clean.
“Find out who sent her.”
Someone was digging too closely lately.That was a real problem.
“Yes, your highness.” Cassian bowed, already moving.
I rested two fingers against my temple, eyes closed. I could tell he had something else to say. “If this is about my brother’s decision in court, I have nothing to say. Knock it off.”
“The kingdom of Veyra has fallen.”
My hand stopped.
“Have the palace been alerted yet?” I asked.
“No. The news hasn't spread.” He replied firmly.
Good.
There’s time.
“Well then, get our disguises ready. We’re going for a walk.”
“Your highness, this is not the right time.” His face tightened. “The smell of blood is still fresh.”
“Even better. Now I want to see the one responsible for the fall of Tarn and Veyra.” I couldn’t hide the amusement in my voice. Something in me stirred.
This wasn’t a joke. This mysterious man has declared war on the four kingdoms and mine was next.
He frowned, “But..”
“But nothing.” I said.
If someone was destroying kingdoms this quickly, then they’re either reckless or confident enough not to fear consequences.
“We need to know who he is first to prepare a gift right?” My fingers trembled but not from fear but excitement.
“Yes, your highness.”
Time went by quickly and we were already at the border.
“Now this is why our supplies haven’t been coming in.” I whispered to myself
The border was wrong.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
Veyra soldiers lay scattered along the road like something had passed through them without resistance.
Cassian wasn’t lying. The smell of blood was still fresh.
Movement.
“Looks like our friends didn’t finish off the whole Veyra soldiers.” I said quietly, pointing towards the direction where the movement came from.
It was faint but I could feel it. One of the things that comes with being a curse. I hear the faintest noises.
“This is a trap.” Cassian leaned in slightly.
“Then things just got easy for us.”
“Fire!” A man shouted from the dark. Arrows came flying towards us, taking down our horses. Cassian tried to fight.
“Hold on.” I stopped him. They didn’t look like ordinary bandits.
The General looked like his boss was not an ordinary person. His armor wasn’t made of normal steel.
They weren’t ordinary soldiers.
“Who are you?” He asked.
“Just merchants.” I answered.
Taking them out wouldn’t even take a second but not now.
“Who are you?” He repeated, his voice icy and absolute.
“Merchants.” Cassian cut in.
“Tie them up.” The General commanded.
When we got to their base, I could see brighter lights coming from a bigger tent.
The deeper we walked into the camp, the stranger things looked.
No guards protecting the tent we approached, like the person inside had enough power to take down whoever tried to kill him.
No drunk soldiers celebrating their victory.
Just silence.
“Something’s wrong.” Cassian whispered as he brushed my hands.
As we got closer, I could hear something.
“MMPH…NGH!”
Torture?
But as we got more closer, I figured those weren’t torture. They were sounds of pleasure
Soft moans, low voices and heavy breathing. The sound of wet slaps and thrusts.
I already disliked where this was going. Just what kind of man is this?
“Well,” I whispered before I could stop myself. “That’s unexpected.”
The General glared at me.
He pushed the tent open.
Heat hit me first.
Wine.
Sweat.
Burning incense.
“Your Majesty, these men were found around the border.” The General continued, signaling his men to push us in.
My breath caught as I looked around. To the right two men were tangled to a chair. “I—I’M CUMMIN! PLEASE—HNNGH..” they were sucking each other off while to the left, a group of men were grunting, sinking into each other’s bodies.
Like starved animals.
At the center of it all sat a man looking almost bored while one man clinged to his shoulder, trembling while another sucked him off.
“I don’t care. Kill th—” He stopped before he could continue.
I knew that face. It just keeps getting worse.
“How could that be the face of a man.” I heard him say as he raised his head to look at me. He stood and walked around the table.
Slow.
Controlled steps.
Of course I’d remember him anywhere, I’ve seen too many drawings not to recognize him.
Those sharp golden eyes I’ve heard of.
The black dragon ring he wore.
Only one person wore it in the whole four kingdoms.
“Of course.” I said almost in a whisper. That’s how he was able to take down the two kingdoms.
They let their guard down because they didn’t expect it.
The mysterious conqueror turned out to be one of the kings of Astra.
Vaelor of Kael.
“Well who would have guessed that.” I turned to Cassian, raising an eyebrow.
