The Protagonists All Love Me

Chapter 4 The Red King

His sweaty red brows were scrunched together in a deep frown, asleep his pale and uncomfortable position suggested he was having a nightmare.

Not again.

Carmen was dreaming that he was submerged into a mass of writing centipedes, crawling over his skin and flesh. The sounds of them moving between the spaces of his body, lingering down his back and into his mouth. Biting down and chewing his eyelids that burned, he couldn't help amidst his trepidation but to feel angry for the current situation.

That's right he has been cursed, in place of his father no less.

The ruler of the Arcadius Empire is different to other  Empires in the way that the next monarch is chosen. Though stereotypically it's through conspiracy, schemes and rebellion. Eventually causing the death to all of the nobles and other royals that were your opposition.

A royal that reaches their coming of age, around the age of sixteen are to reveal their guardian beast to the holy church.

The royal family of the Arcadius Empire are known as the guardians of the Arcane soul, meaning that they are people with abilities superior to the average human. The Guardian Beast refers to the creature that contains the strength equivalent to the persons soul.

The strongest creature (signifying the strength of the soul) possessed by a member of the royal family will therefore be crowned successor. Opposition will sanction a fight between the heirs and a loss will therefore lead to a forfeit of death and the body being ousted on the walls of the palace for all to see.

***

When he was about to turn 15, Lady Amira one of his fathers beloved concubines, tried to poison her lover with a cruel poison referred to as "the devils eyes."

Born a princess in a desert country his concubine had an obsessive love for the king at first sight, for the pair it was a scheme to ruin me the only son of the deceased 'mad queen.'

Considered mad? After taking the heart of the most beautiful woman in the country and making her empress, he killed all of her family and closest relatives and made her pregnant with his child.

It was only mad of her not to commit suicide sooner.

The poison had a detrimental effect to the body, which without a doubt would ruin and cause a mutation on the guardian beast. Blackening the divine beast into a creature that would cause mass destruction not only to one's self but to the people.

However, what only the King knew about was 'root.'

It is said that upon the death of the former monarch in order to retain the divine power of the imperial family, like a parasite sucks the blood of its victim.

The King was able to do the opposite, giving Carmen his poison acting as a waste disposal for all of the shit in his blood and soul.

He had been forcefully been detained by the knights his wrist slit as the black blood running through his blood vessels, became his.

"Annette was useful for something I suppose." He sneered as he smiled refreshed with the feeling of vitality surging through him like a cool breeze.

His long blonde hair which which hung loosely over his dirty robes, stained with black blood after being purposely poisoned. He hugged the crying concubine and smiled at the sounds of his own sons wonderful screaming, the poison twisting and turning inside him.

Further making him lose his mind.

***

However, he didn't choose to attend his meeting with the holy church to reveal his guardian beast. Because the devils eyes was a poisonous plant that grew from the spilt blood of a djinn, a kind of man-eating beast like the orcs.

He confided in the old priest, a confident of his mother, who told him his blood was incredibly poisonous and that his guardian beast although alive and functional. If he couldn't find someone to purify him, he wouldn't even be able to last his 25th birthday.

Known for his madness throughout the Arcadius Empire, killing anyone who would cross his path.

He was sent to war by Empress Amira and returned 2 years later and became a war hero in his conquests of the destruction of nearing kingdoms, disregarding the peace treaty whilst secretly searching for someone to be able to heal him.

However, he couldn't control himself and summoned his divine beast the aurum lion, that surely would have awed people with its heavenly gold glow.

But its molting black fur and red bleeding eyes seem only able to roar in endless pain, pillaging the palace and killing anyone in sight.

Especially those from the very depth of his soul, who were the cause of all of its suffering. He killed his father in front of all of his courtiers, where he sat on his throne so proudly. 

"Helio, that's enough." Dressed slovenly before the rest of the nobles, his barefoot feet a bright red as his waist length hair.

His expressionless green eyes bore into those power greedy men into muteness, picking up the crown from the decapitated head of the former king.

"I'm the King now?" He whispered threateningly the white muscular chest like carved porcelain, hooking his finger around the crown disrespectfully.

"Your majesty!" They quickly bowed, their heads touching the marble floor with the ambition to survive.

Leaving the room with the kings seal, he left for them to clean up the bloodied palace. The loud agonising sound of the blackened Helio informed everyone that his majesty was not someone to be trifled with.