Blood Royals Book #4: Long Live The King!

Chapter Forty Two: The Dukes

King Relian's POV
"I don't get it." I forced myself to swallow. "I had a choice of ten others and I picked this..." I dropped the half eaten apple. "This is exactly why I don't like apples, pears and anything of the sort. It's always the spongy ones."

Stephen chuckled. "I hate apples too."

"The funny thing is how Renée picks the crunchy ones. Her hand hovers and she picks the best. It's a skill."

Our laughter faded as I heard footsteps in the dimly lit hallway of the dungeons. I'm right below the palace. Th dungeons have an eerie feeling to them. The gloomy stone walls and wrought iron bars clearly assure anyone who walks down this hallway that there will be no freedom. Hey haven't been in use since my grandfather. He had many guests down here.

"Benson!" I exclaimed. "Good morning."

"Your majesty." He bowed.

"Think fast." I threw him an apple. He didn't catch it. "I'm guessing you never played any sports."

"I wasn't exactly athletic." He picked it up.

"Here." I offered him a paring knife. "It's okay. It's for peeling the apple. I can never eat it with the skin."

He hesitantly reached out and took it. "Thank you, your majesty."

"Have a seat." I pointed to a metal bucket turned upside down. I'm in a chair. When he sat he seemed much shorter. "It's about time we have that conversation."

"I believe so."

"I won. Feel free to clap for me."

He clapped. It made me laugh. "I was just joking Benson. Relax." I gripped his tense shoulder. "Seriously, relax. I feel friendly today."

"Adair..."

"Already decomposing six feet under in an unmarked grave somewhere I know not where because I don't care. Hey Stephen! I rhymed!"

"Good work your majesty. Will you consider a career in poetry?" He teased me.

"Benson it's okay to laugh. Anyway, what happens to you?"

"I believe I'm at your mercy your majesty."

"What changed? Weren't you threatening me a few days ago?"

"I was clearly mistaken about the situation."

Putting him in this bleak situation,in a dungeon without any natural light had helped him think. He has reconsidered. I'm aware of the repurcussions on imprisoning the diplomats. I honestly don't care but CN will suffer, not just me. For their sake, I have to settle this.

"Hmmm... Are you saying you have had a change of mind?"

He looked into my eyes.

"Yes your majesty. Adair was clearly fuelling this and stalling to start a war. You clearly entered Daa Haan with sincere intentions to restore order but you were faced with aggression from Adair. That is what I have come to realize."

I smiled at him.

"Do your fellow diplomats agree with you?"

"Yes your majesty they do."

"And will there be another version of this story, say... when you outside the borders of CN?"

"This is the only version that will be repeated."

"Remember that. My reach goes beyond CN. Do you hear me Benson?"

"Yes your majesty."

"You will be shown out of CN. I want you gone in the next two hours or this may become your permanent residence." I opened my palm. "My knife please."