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2024-10-29 19:42:56“But you would have to come up with a plan for what to do with the bastard son,” Tarquin said to Queen Regina. “I don't think that boy is going to just stand by and watch you use the throne however you like.”
“You are right,” the Queen said as she thought about it. “The young boy will be 21 years old in less than two years, and when he reaches that age, according to customs, he will be old enough to ascend to the throne if he wishes to. And I don't see any reason why he would decline the offer.”“Yes, your Majesty,” Tarquin replied, “he would have the right to demand the throne from you if he wishes to, and you would be bound by law to oblige. He would have no reason to refuse to rule as king, as it seems that is what he aspires to be. It might have been a different case if you had a male child of your own, but so far, you haven't had any.”The Queen smiled after he said this, looking down at her somewhat flat tummy before proceeding to ask him a question.“Tarquin,” she called him, and he answered before she went on to ask, “Do you remember that night over a month ago when my husband went out for a long walk and then returned to the palace drunk?”Tarquin stared at the roof, thinking deeply until he was able to remember. “Yes, my Queen,” he replied. “I do recall that night.”“That was the night when I managed to sneak into his quarters and get him to sleep with me,” she said to him. “Getting past the guards was not easy, though. It also didn't help that I have been unable to give him children. Seeing me in bed was like a plague to him.”Tarquin widened his eyes as he noticed where she was going with this: “Your Majesty, you don't mean...?”“I mean what you think, Tarquin,” Queen Regina said as she stood up, placing a hand on her tummy with pride in her eyes. “I am with child.”“This might change a lot of things,” Tarquin said as a smile came to his face. “Congratulations, my Queen! I will gladly serve as your witness when the time comes! I swear on my life!”Queen Regina nodded and replied, “While I am not certain if the child I carry will be male or female, what I am sure of is that the nobles and elders of the kingdom will certainly not wait for twenty-one years before getting a king—especially with the bastard around.”Then she made a suggestion. “I suggest we kill the bastard discreetly and frame his death; that way, I would be queen indefinitely until my child reaches the ripe age of being crowned king.”“I don't mean to kill the joy of the moment, your Majesty,” Tarquin said. “But what if the child you carry turns out to be female? Would you be satisfied with ruling perpetually as Queen?”“While that would be a bad situation, I wouldn't treat it as such,” the Queen replied. “I would love and cherish my daughter with everything within me and raise her to become the crowned queen in my stead. Wouldn't that be possible?”“Yes, it would,” Tarquin replied. “As far as I know, there should be nothing stopping your daughter from taking the throne after you, so long as there are no royal male successors next in line.”“If that is God's will, then I will settle for that,” she said as she rubbed her hand over her belly. “Nothing would please me more than keeping that bastard away from the throne. I can barely stand looking at him, let alone having him rule in my presence.”She then stared outside, far into the sky, reminiscing about her marriage with the late king.“It's quite shameful that in over ten years of being married to that man, I only had sex with him a handful of times,” she said. “And the last time was only because he was drunk. Nonetheless, at least I'm grateful to him for giving me a legitimate heir to the throne in place of that bastard.”She took a deep breath, wondering why she had just said that. She feared that her time spent with her advisor was becoming too informal. What was his business concerning her sex life?Then she stared back at Tarquin. “Speaking of the bastard, what is he up to these days?”“The usual -- spending several hours in the library, poring through multiple books each day, enduring countless sparring sessions with as many elite soldiers as he can afford to relieve from duty, learning the fundamental art of magic from the best persons outside the kingdom, plus multiple visits from the continent's best philosophers to teach him wisdom -- nothing different from his usual routine from the last six years if I'm being honest.”“How old is he now?” asked Queen Regina.“Your Majesty, he is 19 years old,” Tarquin answered.“I see,” Queen Regina responded calmly, even though deep down she was furious.All the things Tarquin had described in the bastard prince's daily routine were the qualities the ruling council would want in a king before coming of age.As far as she was concerned, the only thing holding him back from gaining the trust and favor of some members of the ruling council was his unearned reputation as "the King's bastard", which didn't sit well with the more conservative members of the senate. Also, his reputation for always having integrity preceeded him, which didn't sit well with the corrupt politicians of the Kingdom's Senate.“So, that gives us less than two years to get rid of him, doesn't it?” Queen Regina asked calmly but with clear venom in her voice.“You mentioned killing him, didn't you?” Tarquin said to her. “Yes, I did,” said Queen Regina unapologetically. “But I cannot let someone without my blood rule this kingdom while I'm alive. You know what happens to people without legitimate rights to the throne, don't you? The bastard will kill us all to prevent a civil war from occurring.”Tarquin wanted to reply but waited for the Queen to express herself fully.“You told me so yourself, didn't you?” she asked.“It's either we kill or we get killed; that is the reality. Even though the bastard turns out to be soft and pure of heart, his subordinates would advise him otherwise, and if he refuses, it would be to his detriment, as the people would see him as frail. So he would have to do that to protect the integrity of his kingship,” she replied.“I understand that, Your Majesty,” Tarquin replied. “But hear me out; this is a period relatively close to the day when he is to be crowned as the new King of Griffindale. While killing him might be considered legal by bending the fabric of the law, it would also be devastating for the people who look up to him.”“What do you mean by that?” asked the Queen. “He is a bastard; how could he possibly gain favor from anyone?”Then Tarquin went on to explain, “Like it or not, there are several people who look up to him, more than we both know. It would be naive to think that nobody believes in someone just because they don't talk about them openly. It was a similar case to this that caused the Civil War over a century ago, and it could happen again if care isn't taken.”“Then what do you suggest?” asked the Queen.“I suggest you send the bastard prince on an impossible mission, a quest that would either kill him by natural aging or great danger, one that would either take a lifetime to execute or outright cost him his life within moments. Something someone would never come back alive from. You would have the power to do so as the Crowned Queen, and no legal reasons are stopping you from doing so,” Tarquin said to her.“I can get away with giving him an outrageous mission,” asked the Queen. “But won't people object to it? Won't there be murmuring among the members of the council about it?”“I don't think that would be much of a problem,” Tarquin replied, “But if it still bothers you, you could preface the instruction by telling him that he would need to do something to prove that he is more than a bastard. He would have to prove to everyone that he was fit for the throne, despite his illegitimate birth.”Then he explained further; “Make it sound like it is something necessary for his supposed role as a future king. It is all he wants to do, so you can easily use that against him. He will go; he can't help himself. I could write out a script for the instructions if you wish.” “An excellent idea,” Queen Regina commended with a smile on her face, impressed by the suggestion. She pondered for a moment what task she could give the bastard and suddenly came up with a great idea—one that she thought would not only sound good to the others but also be motivating to the illegitimate son as well. That illegitimate son, known as 'the King's Bastard,' was none other than Cyrus Theodore.The young Prince aspired to become more than just an 'illegitimate son' and sought to better himself despite the odds stacked against him.
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King of Griffindale Chapter 3 - King Theodore's Death
The next day was one of mourning and silence in Griffindale, as it was announced that the King had died the previous night, giving in to his fever. As the customs demanded, everyone in the kingdom mourned for him from that morning until the next daybreak. It was a sudden edict, and a warning bell was rung to make sure everyone's attention was drawn to it, as violators of the rules stated in the edict would be highly prosecuted. On that day, all the restaurants and shops were closed, and everyone observed the mourn for the late King. All the bustling streets were now quiet, and barely any sounds could he heard from any of the businesses as they were all shut down. Back in the Palace, the body specialists in charge of taking care of the King's dead body had embalmed it so that it wouldn't rot and stink before the day of cremation. As the custom demanded, every member of the royal family was expected to come pay their respects by dropping flowers on his deathbed and taking a bow. Q
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It was time to cremate the body of the late king, as the customs demanded. His body was set on a platform covered in straw and light splinters of wood. And by contact from a fiery torch, the whole structure was set ablaze with the King's body in the middle of it. Cyrus and his mother watched, along with everyone else present, with pain in their hearts as the King's body began eviscerating. The event was held at the main town square within the walls of the capital city. It was the largest open area available, able to host several standing attendees who wanted to witness the king's cremation. All of them held lanterns and candles, singing a sad dirge in unison as they watched their king's body burn away. Cyrus watched everything, and though it sickened him to see it, he forced himself to do so, with his mother standing right behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Somehow, from watching his father's body get reduced to ashes, an unlikely memory came to his mind. But unlike all
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Earlier on that same day, Somewhere not too far from the capital city... Felix, a young boy living on the outskirts of the Highlands of Griffindale, in a region that was not considered part of the Kingdom, sat outside his house with both hands joined together as he stared at the skies. His eyes were red, and huge bags could be spotted beneath each of them even under the dim light of the moon. He was in a small village about a day's distance on horseback from the capital city of Griffindale, with a large forest acting as a natural demarcation between the jurisdiction of the Kingdom [of which it was not a part] and the other territories. That was where Felix lived as a young boy, surviving with his mother, who was now terribly sick, giving the impression that it would not be long before she kicks the bucket. She was barely in her early forties, so she was not dying of old age. He wondered what sort of sickness had taken hold of his mother, drastically reducing her from an actively
King of Griffindale Chapter 6 - A Queen's Proposal
The young boy took a deep breath, knowing that there was no way he could say “no” to his mother's dying wish. “Yes, mother” he said to her. “I promise.” “Thank you, my son,” she said to him with a smile. “If not for the blood on my lips, I would have kissed you.” “You never stop saying weird things, do you, Mother?” asked Felix, and she laughed briefly, but it triggered a slight cough, one that almost made him regret saying that to her. Then she rested her back completely on the mat, with her eyes on the ceiling. “Though I may have instructed you to endeavor to meet them, I have a very strong feeling that they would meet you instead,” she said to him. “There hasn't been any attempt to visit us in over 15 years, Mother,” Felix said. “It's highly unlikely now.” “Stop being so pessimistic,” she said to him. “Says the old lady who wanted to kick the bucket not long ago,” he teased her with a slight chuckle. “Who are you calling old? I'm still in my forties, you know?” she said to h
King of Griffindale Chapter 7 - The Thorn In Your Flesh
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The young prince chose to follow the elite knight to the knight's academy, where most of the experienced knights and children in training lived and grew. It would be the prince's first time getting there, and he was excited about it. They both walked out of the king's residence and eventually exited the castle as a whole. They got to the next fortress after the castle of the king, and there was the knight's academy. It was a well-constructed castle, but it was also a lot smaller than the King's Palace. The young prince had only seen the place from afar as it had been introduced to him by his father; he had never thought of going there before. They walked through the bridge leading from the King's Castle to the Knight's Academy, a path on which Cyrus had never walked. Then they got to the gates of their destination, and sitting right next to them was an elderly man in silver armor, the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper, upon recognizing the Elite Knight approaching, stood
King of Griffindale Chapter 10 - I Will Return
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Three years later... Back at Frostfall, Faora sensed a disturbance coming from the cave at the other side of the village. She came out of her house, looking around with a worried frown on her face, expecting to see obvious threats like she and her husband did the night that Dorcas and the other two dragon Slayers attacked. But there was nothing noteworthy going on outdoors. The weather was wonderful, and the mood was serene. That's why, just past midnight, everyone was still sound sleeping despite the strange feeling in her gut. The only strange thing was that she wasn't alone. At the far end if the village, right where the entrance was, beyond the barricade, she could see Nebula's blue eyes staring back at her. Though they couldn't communicate telepathically at that moment, Faora instinctively knew that they were sensing the same thing. There was trouble, and were sure of it. But Nebula wasn't getting the same sense of fear that Asherah was giving off. It was like Faora was
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Chapter 136 - King of Griffindale III: Welcome Home
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Chapter 135 - King of Griffindale II: Killing the Senators
It was almost noon when everyone had gotten out of their slumber, ready to take on the rest of the day. The Emperor's soldiers who at first tried to remain sober and disciplined at the start of the feast the previous night ended up being the most wasted. The generals and commanders assembled all their men, and they were all ready to leave. However, the 25 veteran soldiers were to stay behind to help Cyrus maintain order until the city could reestablish its military, as most of its fighting force had been eliminated during the war. The time for war and victory celebrations was over. Now was the time to rebuild. Cyrus and the Warlord, Jin Tsung bid each other farewell as they each went their separate ways, with the great Legionnaire taking his soldiers with him, along with all his captains and commanders. Frederick and the young men from the village were about to bid the acting King farewell also, but Cyrus was not going to allow it. He insisted that they stay behind with him to take
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Chapter 134 - King of Griffindale: Mercy Over Judgement
While Cyrus was still speaking, Kamala sent a message back to him. “I am with your mother”, she said. “Should I bring her to you?” “She's dying” Cyrus sent back. “Get her something to eat. Take her to Wayne. He must be outside the city. Let him see to it that she has everything she needs. I don't want to see her looking like that again.” “Understood” Kamala sent back. While he was still sending, he looked at his stepmother. And after communicating with Kamala, he picked up his sword and walked toward Regina. The Queen braced herself, lifting her son towards Cyrus, who raised a brow, wondering what this was all about. “I know this is too selfish of me to ask, but before you kill me, promise to take care of my son”, Regina said. “He has done nothing wrong. You can raise him without telling him anything about me, you can even tell him made-up things to make him grow up to hate me. Just give him a chance to live. I beg you.” Cyrus sighed, taking the son in his hand, but not for th
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Chapter 133 - Attack On Griffindale IV: Feigning Evil, Conquering the City
“My mother” Cyrus cried out towards her. “Where is she?” Then all of a sudden, the Queen's look of desperation turned to quick sadism. “What is so funny about what I asked?”, asked Cyrus. “I am not the same naive young man you sent on exile. I have killed a lot more people than you think to get to get here. So don't think I can't just run my sword through this child if I want to.” Then to make things worse, the Queen began to laugh. The laughter was so hysterical that she almost choked on her saliva, coughing profusely after a few cracks. She held on to her chest as she gave the last cough, struggling to regain her composure while looking back up at him. “WHERE IS MY MOTHER?!” Cyrus yelled out as loud as he could. “When my nightmares of you doing exactly this became worse, I knew you would soon come back for me. So I thought of the best collateral through which I could make you do as I want, which would be by putting your mother in misery, putting her close enough to the point o
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Chapter 132 - Attack On Griffindale III: Cyrus & Cletus
She looked around, but it seemed all the Knights around her were dead. She was ready to meet her fate, but she didn't want any harm to come to her child. At a time when she was expected to cover up her shame with pride and charisma, she was not ashamed to show that she wanted to protect her child. The look on Cyrus's face didn't suggest he wanted to spare any of them. After all, if he truly came back to get the throne and her head, there would be no point in leaving any of them alive. Why would he let the son of the woman he killed remain alive only to enact revenge decades later? There was nothing to gain in keeping any of them alive, so she prepared her mind for the worst. Clutching onto the child in her arms, she prayed hard that their killer would make things quick and painless, especially for her child. But as she heard the footsteps approaching, her heart sank with fear. This was it. All her nightmares were coming true this very minute. Cyrus would take her head, just as h
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Chapter 131 - Attack On Griffindale II: Assault On The Palace
While the fierce battle took place behind him, Cletus kept his sight on the higher provinces, particularly the Queen's residence, where his comrades were guarding Regina, the sovereign ruler. The next move the dragon made confirmed his suspicions that an attack on the Queen was imminent, as the beast landed on the pinnacle of the highest point of the castle, where the rider jumped off and went in through one of the large windows. “Cyrus”, Cletus said as he gestured for the horse to run even faster as it sprinted towards the palace. “I have to protect the Queen, no matter what.” ********* Cyrus got down from his dragon, swinging himself by the ropes connected to the dragon's saddle to break through the tainted glass of the nearest large window. As he got inside, he was assaulted by multiple guards who were alerted by the noise. He brought forth his self-defense skills and managed to take down the guards, hacking and
