A king with a bad attitude must change for his subjects or else face the rebellion. He thinks power can stop it all, little does he know power can become the reason for his fall.
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Book 1 | R...
"I call forth Prince Edward Cromwell II to join me on the stage."
The prince did not arrive. Murmurs filled the ceremonial ground at the prince's apparent ignorance. Only if they knew what the soldier knew.
Even from a distance, the commander could be seen whispering heated words with a few ministers from the royal court. Their brows were set higher than usual while they swept their eyes through the packed area.
Nothing exciting happened for a few moments except the king apologizing on behalf of the prince and going backstage.
Hidden in the shadows in a dimly lit corner, the prince saw his father turn his head left and right before whispering his name.
"Father, I am here."
"Are you fine?" King Adam did a once-over of his son as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light.
"Yes," The prince answered calmly before his face took over an irritated expression. "Are we doing this or not?"
"Patience, son. Your ceremony will be held today with the blessing of the Gods above. You step out a minute after I announce your refusal to join us."
"The best first impression for a king-to-be."
King Adam simply smiled and patted Edward's back before leaving for the stage.
"Ahem...I am deeply sorry, but the prince won't be joining us."
This time the murmurs were a notch louder, heads were shaking in disapproval, and sighs of disappointment can be heard. The crowd readied themselves for the dismissal that was sure to come, but what they got was the prince entering the scene. All the drama and the back and forth had their heads spinning. However, what happened next was so unpredictable and sudden that it took the security unit a few seconds to gather their bearings. A man was running full speed towards the stage. He was shouting but the words were inaudible due to the panicked shrieks of people. Their constant moving made it a tougher task than it was to catch the running man. At last, the soldiers who were disguised as commoners and were placed among the crowd restrained him.
A handful of soldiers already surrounded the royal family as soon as they saw the man, so they were safe.
The man was punched a few times and cuffed immediately after. An hour passed before a messenger from the cells arrived and delivered the news that the man was not a threat; he was simply trying to get to his five-year child who slipped away. The truth to the story was confirmed by a group of women who gave their statement that indeed the man has a child and his wife fainted as she saw the soldiers cuff him. The good news was that the small child as well as the big child was safe.
The ceremony began again, this time without any obstacles. The prince was able to reach the part of the ceremony where his father stood in front of him, ready to crown him as the king.
With a grace only a prince can hold, Edward slightly bowed his head.
The hundreds that were present were holding their breath.
Finally, Adam placed the crown on his son's head. Turning towards his people, he proudly stated -
"I, hereby, announce my son as the new king of Pigeoda."
There was a beat of silence, almost giving away the hesitation of the crowd. As if unfolding in slow motion - first, one person clapped, the sound resonating the area, and then the rest of the people followed suit. The large ground filled with the thunderous sound of applause.
King Edward was called forth to address his people. He stepped forward in all his glory – the red royal gown with details of royal blue, and a golden cloak. The three were the colors of the kingdom's royal flag. Grey eyes gazed around before he started. His cheekbones and sharp jawline moved with every word that escaped his pink lips.
By the time he was finished with his speech, people were starting to doubt their judgment. His words were downright magical and his tone determined. He looked like a fierce leader ready to die for his people. There was no paper in sight that he could be reading from. Where did all that come from, the apathetic Edward?
If you ask Edward, he would tell you - practice. Nights upon nights were spent learning emotional speech. No doubt his natural smartness helped. He was also good at memorizing. Conclusively, he aced it.
The ceremony proceeded and the celebration moved to the grand ballroom. Many of them were seeing the beautiful room for the first time as it only opened for the public when a new king sits on the throne. People gawked as they entered; the grandeur of the ballroom was worth a double-take, yet the grand feast laid on the sky-blue silk tablecloths took the cake.
The new king was busy mingling with royals and lords from neighboring kingdoms. All of them were allies, some were even friends. Fine wine was passed around as they all laughed and talked. Glasses were refilled and the chatter grew louder; inhibitions were gradually leaving their drunk mind.
Edward stopped a server and ordered him to refill his glass. The king inhaled the divine liquid and pushed it towards a snobbish lord so that he could take in their rich taste as well.
"Bastard!" The prince cursed as the glass was smacked out of his hand.
Many heads lifted hearing the king who was fiercely glaring at a man. Silas's head was one of those. As soon as he saw the soldier from earlier, he groaned. What is it now?
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