Chapter 733 During the Purge
Another night passed for Amon as he forced himself up. He knew he had to get up early, but he still felt lethargic because of yet another sleepless night. He inwardly cursed as he lazily got up from bed. This was a common occurrence ever since his encounter with Bella. The woman was teasing and tormenting him to no end, and he didn't know when she'd ever get tired of him.
Still, he must stay focused on more important things than engaging in romantic escapades. That wasn't in his plans at all. And besides, he needed to follow the traditions and rules he approved for the selection of his Kingdom's new Queen. He had to uphold his word unless he wanted to be seen as an indecisive king.
Sitting up, Amon creased his forehead as yet another thing stopped him in his tracks. For some reason, something was tugging at his heart whenever he would think of Bella.
Nevertheless, he shook off that foreign feeling and promptly called for his squire Lauro.
"Your Majesty, your bath is ready," the boy informed.
Amon nodded with a smile as Lauro curtly bowed and stepped backward before preparing to leave.
"Ah, Sephiro, wait…"
Amon's face dimmed at his own words. He just realized that he had called the boy wrongly.
"Your Majesty, are you calling for me?" Lauro asked with a blink, his young sixteen year old visage looking baffled at what he just heard.
Amon shook his head. "Right, Lauro. Tell Mother's handservant to prepare breakfast in the meeting tent," he ordered. "Lucia and Rendon will be joining us there as well."
With that, Amon dismissed the boy. He then dipped himself in the bath and closed his eyes.
"Sephiro…" he hummed.
The name sounded so familiar to him for some reason. This boy brought joy to his heart... He was probably a part of his past then.
Amon let out an exasperated sigh as he delved deeper into his thoughts. Before long, the only thing he could only hear was a particular woman's voice… a voice that belonged to Bella.
Still, there was another woman coming to his thoughts lately, one that he could vaguely make a silhouette out of. She wasn't Bella because she obviously had wings, and she was sure he hadn't met her before.
He grumbled to himself. These flashes, and now this Sephiro... It looked like his memories were being forced to come back ever since Bella's arrival. That, and other people who knew him from his missing past was also coming back to him.
Shaking his head yet again, Amon did his best to relax. His thoughts in particular lingered on Bella's face, her smile, her frowning face, her pouting, her winking, and her body… her naked self…
He abruptly opened his eyes, cursing under his breath.
"She's trouble," he mumbled as he quickly finished preparing himself for the day. Ignoring his thoughts, he got dressed in his regalia with the help of Lauro, wearing his black crown decorated with spiky black crystals before then proceeding to the meeting tent to have breakfast with his mother and the rest.
"You look dashing, Amon," Lera, Amon's cousin, commented. They would all usually drop formalities whenever he was with family and close friends. After all, he felt more comfortable that way.
"Why, you too look so stunning, Lady Lera," Rendon interrupted with a casual compliment. "Although, how come you're looking extra beautiful today? Is it because of the prospects of finding suitors from foreign kingdoms?"
Amon chuckled as he sat on his seat. Watching the two bicker was often fun to watch.
Rendon would always get on Lera's nerves, but somehow, he could tell that it was his way of getting his cousin to notice him. Amon believed Rendon liked Lera, but according to the latter, he was vexing.
As such, Amon simply kept his mouth shut unless he was specifically asked for his opinion. He had no right to meddle in others' affairs anyway unless it would involve matters regarding the kingdom.
"The Gathering will start soon. For the first time, you'll be facing a lot of people from outside our kingdom. You are still you from the past, and I'm sure many that you've interacted with in the past will recognize you," Queen Mother Mona started as they began eating.
"Now that we confirmed that your identity before as Sullivan is legitimate, we can have a more proper and soothing introduction to avoid any commotion during the meetings."
Amon agreed. He had already thought of the same anyway.
"I made an introduction for you last night. I'll submit it to the speaker in charge of introductions of each kingdom and their rulers later so that it will be included," Lera informed him. "You should check on it first, however."
Amon nodded in affirmation. Lera was his appointed Chancellor, and she was a great help to him especially in regard to decision-making. She was a very wise woman, and he was glad to have her help.
"Also… This is just a reminder, but you do know that a lot of Helonians have fled from our country because of Devon's evil acts, right?" his mother reminded him. "We lost a lot of babies during the purge against anyone harboring the royal dark magic in them. I believe that this Global Summit would be a big help in trying to find them. As such, I plan to make some announcements regarding it. It's already time that we find them."
Amon took note of his mother's words. It was a heartbreaking story. During the purge, he wasn't the only one who was sent away for his safety. There were a lot more babies that had the blood of the demon in them that were sent away to live in other potential places. Some, like him, survived, but most of them probably did not. After all, Devon still hunted for them, making sure that nobody would be a threat to his throne regardless of gender and age. So long as they had the royal blood flowing in their veins, he made sure that they were dead.
"I will do what's needed, Mother. Don't worry," Amon reassured her. "I will address all these important things to everyone today."
"You can do this, Cousin," Lera encouraged. "Don't get nervous now."
Amon chuckled. Well, he was a bit nervous to be honest since it would be his first time mingling with others that weren't under his jurisdiction, but he was confident enough that he'll do fine.
"Don't worry, the Mount Sorel Guild is a very reputable organization, and they are well-known to be just and neutral," Queen Mother Rania reassured him. "I'm sure they'll be able to handle everything and prevent a commotion or any mishap from happening during this Global Summit."
"That's true, Queen Mother. I'm sure that everything will go on smoothly," Lucia chimed in with agreement. "They also have a lot of members patrolling the vicinity as well, all of them taking turns in overseeing each kingdom's designated areas to ensure peace and harmony during the event."
As Rendon nodded in agreement from the sidelines, Amon could only sigh as he hoped for the Global Summit's smooth success. Despite how bad their kingdom's reputation was in the past, he hoped that his fellow leaders would be able to see the effort they were putting to change that.
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