Golden Diamonds

The Two Kings

After the King's announcement, shocked and confused murmurs broke throughout the whole place. But before Evelyn could piece together what they were saying, she found herself being escorted out of the room by the King.

"So Your Maj-"

"Evelyn, please." She interrupted the old man, turning to face him with a smile. "You are still the King at the moment."

To her surprise, the other threw his head back and laughed loudly, placing a hand on the low of her back as they both started to walk along the castle halls.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, my dear. The moment the mark appeared on your arm you were already the King." He pointed on tattoo.

She gave him a confused stare. "What do you mean? Don't I still need to be crowned?"

The King laughed again and shook his head, hand on her back steering her slightly as they took a left turn and continued to walk. "The coronation is merely a formality. It doesn't have any other purpose other than to inform and introduce the people to their new rulers."

"Ohhh..." Evelyn replied, nodding slightly in understanding. The King smiled slightly at her.

"Since we're in that note, I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by my name, Your Majesty." Then a playful wink, "That is if you remember."

A loud snort was her reply. "As if anyone could forget your name, Your Ma- Ah!" She gasped, a sheepish smile on her face as the other gave her a pointed stare. "I-I mean George."

George gave her a pleased nod, but she narrowed her eyes at him.

"And...?"

George scrunched his face in confusion. "And what, your Majesty?"

She couldn't help but frown. "Didn't I tell you to just call me Evelyn? We're both Kings anyways — albeit you the previous and me the current."

The old man clucked his tongue and snapped his fingers. "Damn! And here I thought you already forgot." She couldn't help but laugh loudly at that.

It was worrying, the way she was comfortably talking at the other man, but she found she doesn't really care either way. The important thing was that the previous King had made her forgot about her current predicament — as the current King and how she calmly walked along the castle hallways like she had lived there her whole life.

"By the way," she spoke, now finally noticing that they were not just mindlessly walking but were actually headed to a destination. "Where are we headed?"

The previous King glanced at her. "The King's study, it's where we'll discuss the situation — along with the other monarchs."

She gulped, her previous nervousness coming back with vengeance. Damn, there really was no way out of this.

They both stopped in front of a huge gold painted double door and George reached to open it, motioning over to her.

"Welcome to the King's study, or how I fondly call it, The Nightmare Room." The previous King winked, like it was some inside joke only they understood. What was supposed to be a smile turned into a grimace when Evelyn attempted it, thankfully the old man didn't noticed it.

Nightmare indeed.