Chapter 208: Karma
>>Aelin
The heavy doors to the throne room creaked open, and all conversation stilled as footsteps echoed against the marble floor.
Ariston- no Ari, stepped through first, though the title felt too formal now, her presence commanding even without a single word. But it wasn’t her who stole the air from the room.
It was the man she pushed before her
Gasps erupted instantly, sharp and disbelieving, sweeping through the gathered courtiers, nobles, and guards like a gust of wind through a field of tall grass. I felt my own breath hitch.
Reagen.
But not the Reagen who had once towered like a nightmare. This man was... diminished. Shrunken into himself. His once-golden hair, which had always caught the light like spun fire, was now ashen, dull, and lifeless, hanging in uneven strands over his brow. His face, once sharp and cruel, was hollowed out, the angles of his cheekbones more from starvation than any proud lineage. His skin was pale, almost gray, stretched thin over a frame that seemed to have lost all its former strength.
And the way he sat in the wheelchair... limp, almost crumpled, his back barely supported by the carved wooden rest. His arms lay useless at his sides, and when he tried to move, just a twitch of his fingers, a lift of his head, it was like watching a marionette with half its strings cut.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but the sound that came out was no voice at all, just a dry, broken rasp, air moving without form. His lips trembled, eyes glassy and unfocused, and for a fleeting second, there was something almost pitiful about him.
The man who was once the symbol of fear for me... now looked like a paralyzed patient clinging to life by the thinnest thread.
And every single person in the throne room felt the weight of it.
"What... happened to him?" King Orin spoke
"His final core is barely intact," I told him
"Core?" He looked at me in horror
I smiled, "Yes, CORE," I pointed at Reagen, "As you can see, Reagan has an abyssal core inside of him, meaning he’s no longer a human." I then folded my arms, "I heard you were looking for him, so I came to return him to you."
"You!" He got furious all of the sudden, "You did this?!" He stormed down the stairs but before he could reach me Draegon stepped in front of me to protect me.
Draegon towered over everyone in the room, and seeing the dragon king glare made Orin pause in fear.
"Human king- no," Draegon said, "You are no longer the king now that you have proof." Draegon’s voice was harsh
"What?" Orin said
"Father," Killian stepped forward, "You wanted proof of Reagen being a monster." He pointed at his older brother, "You have your proof." He stepped closer to him and took off his crown, "And you no longer have your title as king."
"WHAT!?!?" Orin flared up but Killian looked at the others present in the room, "A king should abide by his words, no?"
Orin’s face turned pale when the advisors and the noble men nodded their heads.
"That means," Killian brought the crown and placed it on his head, "I’m the King now," He smirked and took out his sword, then presented it to his father, "And you are going to kill the traitors."
!!!
"W-what are you saying?" Orin said, "I- I can’t actually-" Before Orin finished his sentence, the members of the cult made a dash for it.
"Close the doors," Killian commanded and before the cult members could escape, the doors were closed, "Arrest them." He said as he walked up the stairs.
The soldiers began to arrest them while Killian went and sat on the throne, then leisurely put one leg on top of the other.
Everyone stared at him. Draegon and I exchanged a glance and I nodded at him. Out of everyone else in his family, Killian was the better option.
The rest of the humans looked at him, until the duke bowed to him, "All hail the new king of Havenmoore, All hail King Killian!"
Looking at him, the rest felt a panic go through them. In human kingdoms, it was all about politics. If Killian really took the throne, the rest of the nobles had to appease him.
And soon, everyone else bowed, "All hail the new king of Havenmoore, All hail King Killian!"
"Killian!" Orin yelled, "What do you think you’re doing!?"
Killian smirked, "Following your word father," He answered, "You gave up the throne yourself."
Orin got so angry, his blood pressure shot up. I could see the veins on his forehead popping
Hmmm
That can’t be good-
And
Yep
It wasn’t good. His anger boiled so much of his blood his neck got cracked and he fell to the ground as he got a stroke.
"Guards," Killian called out, "Take my father to the doctor, now!"
The guards did as they were told and two of them came running to grab Orin. As they picked him up and were taking him out, the door opened and another familiar person entered the room.
Raya
My sister
She came in as Orin was carried out. She looked at her father in confusion, "What?" She froze and then looked inside, till she spotted Killian, sitting on the throne, "What in the-!?" Then her eyes came and landed on me, "You?"
"Raya," Killian smiled, "Just in time," He gestured for her to come in, "Come, you should be the first to know your brother is the new king."
She was so confused, she ended up walking inside in that confusion, "What are you saying?"
"Father abdicated the throne to me." Killain said
"What?!?" She yelled, "No way!" She glared at Killian, "Why would he give the throne to you, Reagan is still there-" And that’s when her eyes landed on the miserable man in the wheelchair.
She gasped out loud.
"What is that?" She pointed at Reagen, calling him as if he was a thing.
But well, it wasn’t wrong to say that now.
He wasn’t a human anymore
"That’s Reagen." Killian said, "Your most beloved sibling." He smiled.
