The execution field hums with muffled whispers. Faces of Ironvale's people twist in confusion, their murmurs clashing with the heavy silence suffocating the air.
Kael kneels in the heart of the crowd, his head bowed, awaiting the fate that was rewritten this morning.
His wrists burn where the chains bite into his skin, but the pain is nothing compared to the hollowness in his chest.
Two guards stand on either side of him, their swords drawn, ready to bring the execution to completion.
King Elias steps forward, each step slow, deliberate, his fury rolling off him in waves. "How dare you! I cannot believe... no, I refuse to believe that a man like you has lived in my kingdom! Where do you find the audacity to entice my son?! Of all people, my son! A fellow man!" His voice thunders across the silent field. "It is a shame that one of our best young warriors could do something so despicable."
His voice thunders through the square, sending shivers through the crowd.
A sharp intake of breath ripples through them, realization washing over their faces, their expressions twisting from confusion to disgust.
A hollow chuckle rumbles from Kael's throat, bitter and sharp. 'Entice? Seduce his untainted son?!'
Inside his mind, words tear through the silence of his thoughts.
Why the fuck don't you end me already? He wants to scream. He wants to laugh at the absurdity.
Eryx, I swear on my ending life, I will never forgive you for using me to satisfy your hidden desires, only to make everyone believe I forced myself on you. I cannot believe even for a second that I wasted my entire life loving a heartless creature like you. If only I had a chance, I would show them who you really are. I would humiliate you to the point where you'd wish for death..."
Before he can finish the thought, his world plunges into darkness.
King Elias turns away from the lifeless body, his voice cold. "Let this serve as a lesson to you all! This kingdom does not harbor the lost, nor the weak! Any rule broken, be it small or great, shall be met with the same fate! If you wish to live among the weak, then go! Leave this kingdom for places like Eldoria Kingdom, where cowards and degenerates thrive!" His voice is final, laced with warning.
With that, he turns on his heel, storming back to the palace. The queen and his two daughters follow, silent shadows behind his towering figure.
-
Moments later, Eryx storms into the great hall, his breath uneven.
The sight of his father, seated at the head of the room, does little to ease the storm brewing inside him. His mother sits beside the king, a quiet pillar of support.
When King Elias spots him, his face brightens with pride. "There he is! My moonlight. Like father, like son. Tell me, did our weakest warriors put those Eldorian weaklings in their place? I will continue to challenge them, force them to send their best warriors against ours weakest, so they never forget where they belong!"
Eryx barely hears him. His stomach twists violently. "Father, what am I hearing?"
The king frowns. "What are you talking about?"
Eryx's fingers curl into trembling fists. "You executed him! I only wanted you to send him away! Why did you kill him?! He didn't do anything to me! I told you that he only tried to seduce me. Why on earth would you execute him for that?!"
Panic clutches his chest like an iron fist. He tries to steady himself, but the ground beneath him feels unsteady.
This is not him. He does not panic. He is strong- ruthless, like his father. Nothing should shake him.
Yet the thought of Kael's execution makes his insides twist with unbearable dread.
"Enough!" King Elias snaps. "We do not entertain such shamelessness in this kingdom. He is gone. He is the past. I will not speak of him again! Now tell me, did you handle the Eldorian accordingly?"
Eryx sways where he stands. His mind screams. What have I done? What did I do?!
Images flash before his eyes, Kael beneath him, breathless, lost in pleasure. The warmth of his touch. The way his name fell from Kael's lips in the dark, soft, reverent. The taste of his lips, the way their bodies moved as one.
It had been intoxicating.
Until he woke up.
Until the weight of what he had done crashed down on him like a boulder.
Sleeping with a man, loving a man, was against everything his kingdom stood for. He couldn't stand the thought even himself, a man being with a man romantically! It disgusted even himself.
But he knew it all along even when he tried to push it away- he knew that Kael affected him in ways he was unable to control.
And last night... the control had thinned to nothing. He let himself feel his desires.
But in the morning, the shame burned hotter than fire.
He had lashed out, thrown accusations like daggers, desperate to erase the sin from his skin. It was a mistake. A disgusting, unforgivable mistake.
So he lied.
He had accused Kael.
He had wanted Kael gone, out of sight, out of reach, so he could forget what had happened between them.
So he could erase the failure, the weakness, the disgrace.
He thought Kael would simply be exiled. That his problem would vanish into the wind, and he could move on, untouched, untainted.
But Kael was not exiled.
Kael was dead.
Eryx's stomach churns violently
"Eryx!" King Elias's sharp tone snaps him back. "I asked you a question!"
He swallows. "Prince Darien was gravely injured, he was on the verge of dying. He must be dead by now."
The king scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. "Perfect. Who cares? That weakling was a disgrace even to his own kingdom. His death is nothing but good news! We must have helped them." He lets out a short laugh. "Tell me, is there anyone foolish enough to mourn such a useless existence?"
--
MEANWHILE,
ON THE HEART OF ELDORIA, the air inside the palace is thick with tension.
Prince Darien's chambers are eerily silent, save for the desperate murmurs of a summoned witch doctor.
She works tirelessly, her magic weaving through the dying body before her.
Prince Darien had been slipping away, caught between life and death.
His body lie still, pale, with the wounds from the war. His breaths shallow. The scent of incense and herbs fill the dimly lit chamber, masking the underlying stench of death.
His bodyguard, the only one who seemed to care, had brought the witch doctor in a last attempt to save him.
But the moment has stretched too long, the energy in the room growing heavier.
Outside the chamber, in the grand hall, King Aldric sit lazily on his throne, his fingers tapping against the armrest in mild irritation. "Why are we still entertaining this? If he is meant to die, let him die. It is no loss to this kingdom. He has always been frail, a disappointment. Save your strength, and let fate take its course."
The words cut through the air like a blade, cold and final.
But then... Prince Darien's body jolts violently.
Gasps fill the chamber as Darien's body arch off the bed before crashing back down.
The attendants stumble back, eyes wide with shock. The witch's breath hitch, her chants faltering. No! What just happened, he was already dead!
The witch wonders,
something has gone wrong. She must have used the magic in a way she doesn't understand.
The prince's eyes snap open. He sits up, looking around.
Immediately, Confusion cloud his gaze. His breaths sharp, erratic. Faces blur in front of him, unfamiliar yet strangely familiar.
His heart pounds violently against his ribs as he take in his surroundings.
Something is wrong.
Or rather… he is wrong.
"Darien? Oh God! Thank goodness!" His bodyguard calls out.
...What does he mean by Darien?! My name is Kael!
Kael.
Wait, what?! Wasn't I supposed to be dea...