TYRION

Chapter 23

Tyrion strode into the grand hall of the palace, accompanied by Alaric and the princess. His gaze swept the room, locking first onto the priest, who was diligently attending to the king, before shifting to Aaron. Aaron's eyes, cold and startled, bore into him with stern intensity. A nearly imperceptible smirk tugged at Tyrion's lips before he turned his attention to the king whose eyes were, darting between Tyrion and his companions. As he approached the throne, Tyrion bowed his head in a gesture of respect, then straightened, meeting the king's gaze with an expression that hovered between defiance and anticipation, awaiting the king's judgment.

"You are supposed to be dead" Aaron lost his composure speaking but Tyrion didn't give him the attention he craved. Princess Matilda barreled forward and spoke instinctively before her father could.

"Father, we should be more concerned about the danger ahead and how to restore the safety of our kingdom. Tyrion here isn't our enemy, he's our ally"

"Hmm," the king grunted as he rose and walked past her, approaching Tyrion. He scrutinized him closely before speaking. "Who are you, young man?" Tyrion raised his head, poised to reply.

"I am Tyrion, son of the late Alexander O'Brien. I am on a mission to conquer evil and collaborate with those willing to safeguard our lands from malevolent acts." Aaron's laughter rang out mockingly, eliciting an angry glare from Princess Matilda.

"The boy is a joke," Aaron added, choking on his laughter dramatically.

"Why should I believe you? You had a big hole in your chest moments ago, and now it is no more. Isn't that suspicious?" King Ethan questioned, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I wouldn't have saved the princess if I were evil," Tyrion replied simply.

"That could be a performance. How did you heal? Where is the hole in your chest? Why are you here?" The king's voice was stern, causing Princess Matilda to shiver in fear.

"Where is Mother? She might understand," the princess asked, her tone tense as she walked past them to search inside for the queen.

"Don't be foolish, child. The queen holds no authority to countermand me," The King offered. Aaron laughed out again and Princess Matilda halted abruptly.

"Shut the fuck up Aaron, your laughs are unpleasant, no wonder your so-called girlfriend wanted nothing to do with you anymore. You are so shallow, aren't you ashamed? And father, aren't you going to question Aaron? Why are you so focused on Tyrion for God sake!"

"Watch your mouth!" The king shouted at her. Tyrion caught her gaze, signaling for her to not involve herself. Aaron on the other hand was fuming in despair.

"Ask the man you were kissing earlier why my woman turned against me," he said, pointing at Tyrion. "He has bewitched all of you. He's a sorcerer, and we don't allow sorcery in this kingdom. Why else would he be standing here now when he was supposed to be dead earlier with that hole in his chest? No one survives a poisonous arrow!" He screamed, drawing disapproving looks from the others in the room. Tyrion now realized that it was Aaron who had shot him with a poisonous arrow. Alaric observed the situation, while the princess appeared ready to confront Aaron.

The King had wanted his daughter and Tyrion engaged but not after the messy suspicions and events that had taken place in the past few days.

"You dared to kiss my daughter in the middle of all this?"

"I'm sorry" Tyrion replied, his demeanor not affected a bit.

"Oh my God, Aaron is a bastard. I kissed him father, he was unaware."

"Get inside"

"What?"

"I said, 'Get inside!'" King Ethan thundered, and Aaron smirked at the princess.

"Aaron is manipulating you, Father. Please, think. I can't help but feel he's the one with evil motives here," she pleaded.

"You are delusional," Aaron countered. Tyrion sensed that the princess was trying to divert the king's attention from him, so he decided to refocus it on himself.

"Yes, I'm a sorcerer. I healed myself with magic, my lord. But it was in self-defense. I don't use my magic unless absolutely necessary," his false confession earned him various reactions from the people in the room. Even Aaron looked surprised, sensing that Tyrion was up to something.

"No, he didn't. I healed him... with magic," Isolde's voice interrupted from the entrance as she walked inside. Tyrion's composure faltered for the first time since they entered the palace as he turned to face her.

"Isolde," Tyrion called, perplexed. "You're not supposed to be here," he said, trying to stop her from implicating herself instead of him.

"This is going to be a mess," Princess Matilda muttered to herself.

"Stay out of this if you don't want to regret it later," Aaron warned as he approached Isolde.

"Leave her alone. I can handle this," Tyrion said, stepping between Aaron and Isolde.

"I know you're trying to protect me by taking the blame, but trust me, I'll be fine. You don't have to lie, Isolde," he urged, hoping she would go along with his plan. But it seemed she had her own plan.

She walked past him and approached the king.

"My lord, I healed him. He was dying. He would have died if I hadn't intervened, and I know it's a sin to use magic in our land. I'm truly sorry, my lord, and I promise never to use it again. Please, let the young man live. He's foolish to think he could protect me by implicating himself. He doesn't understand what he's getting into. He already has enough to deal with," Isolde said, her voice trembling, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Damn it!" Aaron cursed.

"I will take her punishment, my lord," Tyrion declared before the king could respond. The king, now seated on his throne, looked between the two before calling for Ryan, his private guard. Ryan arrived, awaiting the king's orders.

"Lock these two in the dungeon. At daybreak, they shall be beheaded," the king commanded.