Our Kingdom Come | KingdomCraft

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xxɪɪɪ - ᴅᴀʀᴋ ɴɪɢʜᴛ

"What is it, King Oli?" Scott clasped his hands together, glancing between Oli and the tent he exited from. He seemed anxious to get back to his activities.

"I came over to tell you about a plan me and some of the other monarchs devised." Oli explained. He wanted to get this done quick, have Scott on board, and see the results of Meghan's persuasion.

"Plan, whatever for?"

"To stop this war!" Oli gestured to the battlegrounds nearby. Scott trailed his eyes in that direction, as Oli continued.

"I came over to speak to you about it. We have Queen Meghan of the Swamp speaking to Queen Lauren about the pointless nature of this skirmish. I'm just here to deliver the good news: you will no longer need to keep fighting and the eleven kingdoms will be at peace once again." Oli announced with a wide smile. But Scott's face held a different expression. His lips pursed to a line while his face hardened. No sign of happiness or relief. It was something else.

Calculating. He was taking in the information and analyzing it in his mind. But he didn't appreciate the revelation as much as Oli thought he would.

"Scott?" Oli probed after a long pause. The Mesa King brought his attention back to him.

"If she refuses?" Scott asked. It was subtle, but Oli could sense that it wasn't a matter of if, to Scott, but when. "What happens then?"

Oli paled at the idea. "Well..."

"See, this is the same person who decided to frame your Kingdom, for a crime against my people," King Scott spoke through gritted teeth. He glowered at Oli, with his brows knit.

"The same woman who we suffered defeat under, twice at this point," Scott's voice grew louder with each word. He balled his hands into fists. "I am never losing to her again."

"And after everything she's done, she deserves all the Nether I'll raise her." Then there was silence once again. Scott faced away from him, lowering his head.

"If you are not with me, then you have chosen to stand against me."

Oli's eyes widened. "This is not what this is about. I am only trying to stop a war!" Oli protested. "I am neither with or against you, especially if you believe this mess should continue!"

"I'm not the one who started this!" He snapped. Twisting suddenly, face to face with Oli and digging a finger at his chest. His face softened from the angered Scott that flashed in the heated moment. He remained stoic, his emotions now hidden behind a mask.

"But I will be the one who ends it."

THE TROPICAL KINGDOM

The large room was covered in shadows. The main floor of the building had large amounts of scrap, massive pieces of black metallic material that were piled up and left there. Joey was unaware of this lurking in the hidden chambers of the palace but had no time to question nor investigate it. He would have to come back when everything settled down.

The ladder was a rusty red, it reached to the roof and fell short at a crevice on the ceiling where a trapdoor acted as a gateway. He cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. This was going to be a long climb.

Joey clutched each rung as he ascended the ladder. Each step brought him closer to the top. When he neared the trapdoor between the underwater chamber and the overground palace, he wrapped his left forearm around the railing to anchor himself to place.

He tugged on the ladder. While he knew the thing was stuck on the wall, he has this horrible thought that it would detach itself somehow and come toppling down. So much for frightening yourself with the improbable.