Xander's POV:
After two days of journey, we finally reached the estate of Daven. The house was based in the southernmost of Anthreal and was filled with greenery. It made me glad to see how the recent occurring in the capital hadn't affected the entire kingdom.
Since it had been a while since I had traveled around, it gave me a foreign feeling. The last time I ventured to Anthreal was when I was crowned King, that too ton order to know the situation of the people more adequately.
Along with Nathaniel, I also brought six other guards. Two were to further assure my safety, two were due to the nagging and the last two were because of Catheline. Seeing how much she cares for me was adorable. It was hard to get her out of my mind. Though a part of me was afraid for her safety, I had to believe that she would be fine.
The mansion was grand and huge and yet, so solemn. There were no guards or anyone around. Desolated. Devasted.
"How imprudent. Shall I go and announce your arrival, Your Majesty?" Nathaniel asked me, as he approached me.
"There is no need for that," I told him calmly. Knowing the influence of grief, forgiving such a blunder was the least I could do.
I ordered the others to stay outside and wait for me while I went inside with Nathaniel. This should be quick. No dinners, no chatting, or anything else. I wanted to talk with the dying man and listen to what he had to say.
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After being greeted formally by the guards, I finally approached the main hall. The people there looked very depressed and I offered my condolences. It seems that the old man was a well-adored figure in his family.
There was Reed Daven, his son, who was supposedly taking over his title. But for now, he seemed to be quite sad to discuss anything about the future. After a few exchanges, I was finally escorted to meet the elderly Duke.
When the door opened, I quickly noticed how dark the room was. Today wasn't exactly a sunny day and the closed curtains made it even darker. I asked Nathaniel to stay outside and closed the door.
I turned around to see an aged and frail man lying on the bed, with his eyes closed. There was a chair beside the bed, which I assumed was for me. I took a deep breath and approached him.
The last time I saw him, he was all fine and healthy. How did things escalate so far? Even if I shared no connection with this man, I still cared for my people. It was enough to find loyalty in men and Aris Davan had proved himself wrong in every assumption. He had been loyal from the beginning.
"Your Majesty?..." A calm voice brought my attention back to reality.
The man looked at me, his eyes squinting. I hurriedly approached him and sat down on the chair. He seemed to have no more energy left to move. That was a sign of his end.
I saw death many times but seeing a man dying of an old age naturally amazed me. Especially in a world like this, no one knew what would happen next.
"My apologies for...asking you to ride down south..." He spoke, breathing deeply.
"I don't blame you, Duke Daven..."
"Please call me Aris...It would make a glad," he requested.
I paused before nodding in agreement. I was near someone's deathbed and had no idea what to do. I have never been in such a kind of situation. But it was expected of me to be as fulfilling and considerable as possible. That much, I knew.
"You grew up, Your Majesty...You're no longer that boy who played along in the gardens..." Aris said, smiling faintly.
I stared at him, wondering how my past had been. After toiling through years of hard work and unease, it was hard for me to imagine myself as a carefree and happy child.
"I had served both your Grandfather and Father...You turned out to be neither of them..." Aris continued.
"Is that so?... How?"
For a moment, I was curious about my predecessors. Even if Daraa had also served in both of their regimes, she wasn't involved in politics like she was now. I wanted to know how the times were when others ruled this kingdom.
"Your father...was the kindest. He had a pure heart even at a young age and held a desire to help others," He started saying in a daze. "Not to mention, he was brave. And he was good, impossible to corrupt. That was what earned him enemies."
My body went stiff after hearing that. Daraa paraded my father like others and I never knew what his disadvantages were. If I didn't know about his mistakes, how can I avoid making them as he did?
There was always the other side of the coin.
"Your Grandfather, he was different. Anthreal was at war against Sealore at that time. He was ruthless because battles made him that way. He was a fearless king...but a terrible husband," Aris said, his expression turning sour.
Sealore was a nearby kingdom that, at the moment, was at peace with Anthreal. I grew up, learning about his battles. He seemed to be a great war strategist. As always, everything has its other side of the view.
"Queen Lorraine was one of the bravest women I had ever seen," he said, talking of my grandmother. "She knew of her husband's infidelity and made sure he was reminded of it every day. She never said a word out of place but kept him under control..."
Daraa had always talked about my father and mother but never about her. All I knew was her name and how her stern practices played a major role in the servants. The same went for my grandfather. All I knew about him was how much of an extraordinary king he was.
"After winning the war, he came back victorious. But victory and peace weren't the only things brought back. In his arms...was a child...a son," Aris said, looking me in the eyes.
"My uncle?..." I asked slowly.
He nodded curtly. And then, he sighed heavily. "The then King had very few illegitimate children and he was his very first child. He loved him and fought off everyone who said anything against him..."
"He was five years old when your father was born. And ever since his birth, your grandfather shifted his attention and care for him. This had made...his first son envious. His position and the respect he had from others began fading away. And hence, his attention to fighting. Fighting for Anthreal and earning his father's love back..."
"Lady Daraa told me my father and he had a good relationship," I said. "At the beginning,"
"We didn't know whether he genuinely cared for his younger half-brother or not..."
So, this man knew more than Daraa. He saw what she didn't.
"And then, an incident happened..." He said in a dark tone. "When he was fifteen, he led a group of soldiers to a nearby town where it was rumored to house a party of traitors..."
His voice changed deeply. I listened to him intently, not wishing to miss a single point or event. I knew the man was using the remnants of his energy to convey a message and I didn't wish to waste his efforts.
"He arrived at a house...which didn't have any men. But a big group of women and children..." He said and looked at me reluctantly.
"At that point, he thought his father had no more love for him. He wanted to get it back at any cost. So...he...he committed a grave sin..."
I never could've anticipated what happened next.
"Twenty-six women and nineteen children were beaten and slaughtered that night..." he stated in a grieving voice.
I looked away, filled with shock and disgust. He had done such a horrible deed at such a young age. If that was achievable for him, he truly had no heart. Only a monster was capable of doing that. He was a creature who would do anything and everything to reach his goals.
"He then presented their corpses in front of the King and the then council. The King was...utterly horrified. He couldn't believe that his son was able to exhibit such brutality. All those people he had killed were innocent. They had no relation to the matter he was pursuing,"
"But only the council knew how much he loved his son...Your grandfather had great plans for Elest Simion..."
"What?..." I said in alarm.
"Elest Simion had no remorse for what he had done...Seeing how cruel his son truly was, your grandfather banished him from Anthreal. For years, your father grew up without him. For some reason...his father ordered everyone to never inform his son of what his older brother had done..."
"Your father came out different from his father. When your father was seventeen, he lost his mother. The King swore to never remarry...making Prince Aren...the heir..."
The man suddenly coughed violently which started me. I helped him with the glass of water to calm him down. After he drank it, he sighed.
"We...we thought everything would be fine... But then, Elest Simion returned one day..." He spoke, slightly faster. My mind was only focused on words.
"At that point, Prine Aren was twenty. He had already met your mother and they fell in love. Your grandfather agreed to the proposal since...she was from a powerful family. The marriage benefitted Anthreal."
My mother was a princess of Dalia, a kingdom quite far away. It has always been on good terms with Anthreal. Now, Julius, my mother's older brother, and my uncle reigned. He had begun ruling at a very young age since my paternal grandfather had perished.
"Your grandfather was on his deathbed...and so, he summoned his first son...to see him one last time...And then, he..."
"He did what?" I asked him slowly in anticipation.
"The worst mistake of his life." Arises punctuated."Your grandfather, like any other man, made mistakes. But this was the worst of them all,"
"What had he done?"
"He legitimized Elest Simion."
At that moment, I felt a large stone drop in my stomach. What I heard left me speechless. I almost wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't for the man, who had said it, was nearing his end. I heard enough lies to discern them from the truth.
"Your grandfather still declared Prince Aren as his heir. Learning that, Elest Simion left in fury..." Aris spoke and his voice was getting weaker by the passing moment. But what shocked me was the tears falling from his eyes.
"Only through five years of his reign, King Aren and his Queen were killed...killed by him. The event which orphaned you...But in his short reign, your father proved himself as a kind king..."
"Most of the old council ministers were dead when your father came to the throne...In the end, I was the only one left. We all were shocked hearing your grandfather's decision..."
"King Aren's blunder...was that he was too innocent and soft-hearted. He never dwelled deeply in politics... All he wished for was to live happily with his wife and children. A mindset that had cost him his life."
Aris looked at me and extended his arm weakly. Without hesitation, I leaped in and grabbed it gently. I could feel his pulse beating faintly.
"Many of the people who betrayed your father...they wanted a ruthless leader... And hence, they supported Elest Simion. He had a claim to the throne and hence, the men persuaded themselves to betray you..."
"Duke Sunster was doubtful but when you...refused to wed his daughter...he turned sides...William was known for his cruelty towards everyone except his family...it wasn't long until he preferred your uncle over you..."
Now I knew what had happened. Every time someone betrayed me, I wondered why they chose to do so. This was the reason. They thought that I was going to end up like my father.
"Your father's short reign was one of the most peaceful in the history of Anthreal...I loved him both as a subject and as a close man...I was present at his wedding, your birth, his funeral, your coronation, and your wedding..."
He nudged me to come closer and I did so. I wanted to hear more. Hear more about the past. But I knew my chances were low.
"Your life was taken from you...Your grief and loss are fueling you now... Elest Simion...he must not inherit the throne..."
"I know..." I replied, my voice feeling raw in my throat.
"If he does...Anthreal will fall...He killed those women and their children for no proper reason...Imagine what he would do to the Queen and your unborn child..."
My heart began beating wildly. The man sighed and slowly turned to the window.
"You must win, boy...Let them underestimate you and then, show your power to them...Because you have a reason to fight for yourself...Protect the ones who you love..."
And then, he stopped speaking. I didn't push him to speak further. Every word I heard was imprinted in my brain. Every word formed a scene, recreating what must have happened back then. It burned a fiery scar in my heart permanently.
Suddenly, the hand I had been holding went limp and cold. I looked at the man who remained unresponsive. I didn't move from his side for a few minutes before realizing that others had to mourn for him. I took his hand and rested it on my forehead.
"Thank you..."
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"Your Majesty?..."
I didn't respond. The house was echoing in cries while the sky was dark and thunder was roaring in the sky. I stayed near a window, hearing no other sound in my mind.
I didn't even speak a single word after the conversation between me and Duke Daven. From this moment, I felt like a part of me had been lost and replaced.
Sympathy.
And now, a new emotion was burning through every part of my body. From the blood to the nerves and the very heart which was beating calmly.
Vengeance.
All this time, I ignored all the assassination attempts. I ignored them because I did not want to start a war and ruin the peace of Anthreal. Now I knew what I had to do. I have to fight to protect that peace.
To keep what I loved safe.
I was being ripped apart between being a kind king and a wise one.
Sometimes the kindest people were the most foolish. My father was an example. I don't blame him for what he did. All he wanted was peace. And yet, he let people step all over him and deceive him.
I was not going to be him. I will be me. I must do what my father failed to do. This time, I will let people know who I truly was.
At the same time, I was too heartbroken at the truth. I never really had the chance to know my parents but all my youthful years were spent wishing for them to come back. I knew it was foolish. But Darra's words only made that fire grow stronger.
He was great.
He was good.
He was generous.
He was honorable.
But I was not going to be like him. I was done playing the ignorant. I was done being blind to what was eventually about to happen.
Now, I shall have the fear of the traitors.
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Author's note:
I honestly cried while writing this chapter.
I hope you enjoyed it 😁
One more thing. Guys, can I please get more comments? It's okay if I don't have any votes but I love to interact with other readers ^^
Thank you so much for reading this chapter ;)
Edit: Thank you so much for a thousand-plus reads! I am on cloud nine :)
My story also topped the #onesidedlove tag and it was epic! Thank you so much again, loves 💕