Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Kastav Pov

The time was right, there is discord between the king and the queen. Now was the best time for me to act. To bring myself closer to the throne. My blood was better than his, Yet he remained my father’s favorite, I had the best marks in everything we did.

I was better than him and yet just because of the love for his mother, he became king while I was stuck as a prince. We were born the same day but I was cursed not to reach the king’s post. I was meant to only see it.

Even curses can be changed.

I formed out of the shadows of my father’s room as I watched while he struggled to breathe. Give it a few more weeks and he would be no more. That was the position, I place him in. To be slowly wasting away while not be able to do anything and knowing that there was no salvation coming, just death.

Well death was here, in form of his younger heir to the throne. I needed to remove this Yama and cause havoc between my brother and his wife more. Then, maybe then. I will gain control of the throne and the empire as it is my birthright.

I approached my father frail frame on the bed. “Hello Father.” I said and waited as he took in the entire image I presented, including the sword in my arms. Tears fell out of the side of his eyes.

“Are you not wishing you could go back and prevent all these from happening?” I asked the old man who was crying. “All you had to do was announce me as the heir and let me take my place after you, instead. You made me want to take my place after my brother. Don’t worry father, he will soon come and join you too, in the afterlife that is.”

“No, Kastav.” My father struggled to speak. “Even if I could do it again, I would never want you to be the king, I would still pick him…” He breathed heavily as sweat gathered on his head. He always didn’t talk because it weakened him, it seemed like he wanted to say his last piece before dying and if that was his wish, who was I not to grant it?

“You will never be king Kastav.” He added wheezing hard.

“No father, you are wrong. I will never be king while you are alive and that is why you need to die before he does. Good bye father.” I whispered as I plunge the sword through his stomach, he took a huge intake of air as I drew out the sword and blood started staining his sheets. That was the way for him to die, he deserved it.

I heard a chuckle in my head. Well done, the time is almost upon us.

“Who are you?” I asked, glancing around the room.

“Not yet time for you to know, when it is time, I will tell you the location and if you are worthy, this world and the forgotten one will be the starting point of worlds you will claim.”

The voice gave an off laughter as it rang in my head. The handle of the door for my father’s room turned, I barely had time to turn to mist before it swung open. I Nisse came in, saw the scene and let out a shrill noise. The call of demise.

More people poured in and the call was being echoed. I hurried to my room so I will be there before I was being woken to be told the news. In my haste, I bumped into Sorens.

I froze as he stumbled, he looked at me in my mist, knowing it was someone but unable to tell who and the blood dripping from the sword, he shrugged it off as he continued his way towards where Gwenn room was. When the cry echoed to him and he heard of the king’s demise, I had already retired to my room and was waiting for it to reach this quarters.

It wasn’t the cry that made me stand, it was Catia stumbling into my room with tears streaks evident on her face.

“Brother. Father is dead.” She stated as I shook my head in pretend shock.

“No!” I screamed and Catia ran into my hand, hugging me while she cried.

*******

Arius Pov

This time, I didn’t let Gwenn go back to her room and she didn’t cry either. She might not have shed a tear but it didn’t diminish the guilt I felt, not when she looked at me with dead eyes and no matter how much she tried to hide it, she couldn’t.

That was also another reason why I didn’t want her to go to her room that night, I didn’t want her to do something which would not be reversible. She was never herself after she spends some time with me and I wanted her to regain herself before tomorrow.

This time I paid attention to her and after making sure she had slept, I closed my eyes to do the same only for my eyes to open in what felt like a few minutes later because of the wailing.

“What is going on?” Gwenn asked as she adjusted her posture.

“I don’t know.” I replied confused and Gwenn body froze at the sound of my word and sprang up from her place on my chest, almost colliding her forehead with my jaw.

“It seems like mourning.” Gwenn answered with her head tilted to the side like she could actually hear the reason why people were crying and screaming but that was not possible, not even for us because it was too far.

When someone banged on my door, I stood up to get dressed while Gwenn did the same too, for the king to be called means that it was serious.

I opened the door to see my sisters crying while my brothers trying to console them, the person standing in front of my door froze, staring at Gwenn who was standing just behind me.

“Faye what is going on?” I asked her, my voice jolting her out of her frozen state.

“My king, You father is dead.” She said in a low tone as I felt the rug underneath my feet swept out.

“What?’ I asked in a harsh voice. Vala was still crying noisily and I could not gather my thoughts together because of the sound.

“If you want to cry, I suggest that you do that in your room.” I roared at her, as she used her hand to cover her mouth.

“What is wrong with you people, why are you trying to pull the elaborate joke on me?” I asked them.

Gwenn placed her hand in the middle of my back. “Arius…” She started softly but I shrugged her hold away from me.

“You don’t know anything so stay out of it.” I thundered at her as she flinched t the harshness of my voice but my mind was still reeling.

No my father could not be dead, not someone who was seriously healthy, or someone who I had always imagined in my life. He just couldn’t be gone. It was not possible!

“Arius.” Silana said as she walked to me.

“No.” I already started shaking my head but she just held my head close to hers and whispered. “He is gone brother, we are orphans now.”

And that was when I let out an angry shout filled with my rage and grief and when I faced down back, two women were offering me comfort. The only two people whom I still had in my life. My sister and my wife.