BLOODY VENGEANCE

The King summons the priestess to the palace.

The Crown Prince lifted up his dark eyes and looked at his father's angry expression, clearly unfazed by it. He saw his victim's twin brother from the corner of his eye gasp at the sight as he ran to his brother to attend to him. "I gave him an order and he did not obey me. Since he has no intention of challenging me, he was punished for his disrespect."

"You punished him for a mere servant!" The father of Elif, Ingouf walked forward and looked at the Crown Prince with undisguised rage. He was one of the men who had entered the room with the King and he was very irate of his first son's condition. 

"Commander." Gudmund turned his focus to the man whom he had been keeping his eyes on for a while. He could barely hold back his anger at the sight of him but he knew that his father would really punish him greatly if he touched on of his five commanders. "Are you questioning my actions?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Crown Prince." Ingouf did not back down from his stare but instead chastened him further. "Your actions....have been doing nothing but challenging your father's authority and power in his very house. If you have become so capable and strong, why don't you just issue a Rydahn* and save us all this bloodshed?"

The room suddenly fell as quiet like a graveyard when he finished his words. All the servants who were around suddenly felt that today was the last day they would live after hearing the serious forbidden words that the Commander had spoken. Gudmund on the other hand, suddenly lost all restraint when he heard the words that Ingouf had said to set him up. He raised his sword slowly. "You want me to challenge my father for the throne? HOW DARE YOU?!"

His father barely managed to intercept the sword that swung towards the Commander with his own as he stood in front of his son. He frowned when he felt the power that coursed through his son's blade. He had never seen anyone who had been able to make his blade crack since the day he had ascended the throne but it seemed like his son had finally grown. "Gudmund, that's enough!"

Hearing his father's reprimanding voice managed to clear the bloodthirsty haze that clouded his mind so the Crown Prince dropped his blade and fell on his knees. "Father, forgive me. You know I would never-"

"Your loyalty means nothing to me at this point of you cannot control your blade." The King's icy voice was like a whip when he spoke to his son. He looked around to survey the servants who had witnessed the scene. He was not one who liked to shed blood easily but the scene that his first son had just caused was not one that could leave the palace walls. He said to his head palace guard. "Get rid of all the servants here. Everyone."

"Yes, my King." The Head Palace Guard nodded and then signaled the guards to execute his master's orders. His eyes settled on the maid who was the cause of the situation and he immediately raised his weapon and aimed it at her. 

Gudmund blocked his sickle with his sword as soon as he heard her scream. His eyes darkened, not seeing his father and the commander narrow their eyes at his ungodly speed. "Not her, Father. She is my servant."

Sigurd, the King of Krudak sighed when he saw his son and his guard clash blades again. He lowered his eyes to the girl whom his son was stubbornly protecting and felt like striking him instead. He knew that she could not live since she was the reason why his son had acted so unreasonably. He opened his lips to order his son but a maid immediately rushed to his side and announced. "The Priestess has arrived, my King. She is waiting for you in your chambers."

"Alright." The King's heart lightened a bit at the news and immediately turned to his son who was still intending to fight with his guard. "Drop your sword, son for nothing would happen to her. Come with me now."

Gudmund dropped his sword at his father's sword and lowered his eyes to glance at the female servant who laid on the floor curled up like a ball in a defensive position. His cold eyes left her as he followed his father, leaving her there alone. The female servant opened her eyes to see his huge tall figure departing from her as he walked down the hallway, impervious to the blood that spilled across the walls when the guards killed the servants. 

She shuddered frighteningly and fainted. 

Gudmund followed his father to his chambers along with his brothers who saw an old woman accompanied by young maidens dressed in white. The old woman bowed in front of his father and smiled. "Greetings, My King. May the gods bless your reign."

"And may they make it peaceful." The King muttered under his breath as he sat on his bed, his mighty body occupying the bed as he pointed to his Crown Prince. "I need you to take a look at him. Help me ask the gods what has gotten into my son for I fear now fear the worst as the rumours say. He might have been possessed by Arul*.

"Father!" His two sons stepped up in protest. 

The old woman laughed and reached out to hold Gudmund's hand. "Your son has not been possessed by some demon, Sigurd. Let me see what kind of future he possesses so that we would know if he is worthy of being the future King."

She closed her eyes and spoke some words under her breath, not noticing that Gudmund's eyes has slowly started to change to dark blood red. Her body trembled and swayed the more her lips moved, repeating the same words again and again in the presence of the King and his other sons who frowned in worry. She suddenly opened her eyes with fright and awe all over her face as removed her hand from his own with lightening speed. She spoke in a slightly hysterical voice. "I see blood paved under your feet....reborn as a god! Hildr!"