Chronicles of Arya

Dawn of a Journey

Isaac waited for a good few seconds for the Knight to say that he was just messing with him.

After a minute or so of silence, he felt nervous.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"Exactly what I said." The Knight said. "The Lunar Empress has picked you to be the King of White Kingdom."

"Me. A handyman."

"Exactly."

"Someone who she has never met in her life."

"Yes."

"Someone who has literally no amount of royalty or nobility in his blood."

"Yes."

"Might I remind you, I'm a handyman."

"The point is," the Knight stopped him. "The Empress has chosen you and I will not question her decision."

"But why me?" Isaac asked. This was a lot to take in. Isaac wishes the Knight was pulling a prank on him, but Sovereign Knights don't do pranks. They're trained to have no sense of humor. He learned this the hard way. "I'm no one. I just helped for the sake of helping. I'm no saint myself. I've done bad things in my life."

"Again, I have no opinion on the matter. It's what the Empress wants." The Knight seemed to empathize with Isaac. Being told you're suddenly responsible for a whole nation? That could drive anyone insane. "Maybe she sees something in you that you don't."

Whatever it is that she sees, she's wrong. Isaac was not fit to run a kingdom. He was never a leader. He helped people, he does what he's told. Those are not kingship qualities.

"What of the White Witch?" Isaac asked. "If she made me King of the White Kingdom, what happens to Scarlet? She's the head of the White Kingdom, right? Surely she doesn't deserve to have her position-"

"It was the White Witch's idea." The Knight said. "The Lunar Empress and the White Witch are sisters. Well, half-sisters."

Isaac was speechless. He wasn't going to worm his way out of this.

"What if I say no?" Isaac asked.

The Knight regarded him with his steely glare. "Then I would have to bring you to the Empress." The Knight said. "You currently know way too much and are going against the Empress's order. That calls for treason. And I doubt the White Witch feels too good about that since she spoke highly of you."

Isaac gulped. "So what you're saying is either I become king, or I'll probably be executed."

"Precisely."

He felt like passing out. Normally, that wouldn't be a hard choice to make for anyone. Who doesn't want to become king? You can have wealth, power, land, and everything in between. Anyone would've picked being a king instead of a nobody.

But Isaac saw the opposite of that. The responsibilities he has to bear, the lives he has to think of, and the people he has to care for. Being called a king is one thing, being a king is entirely different.

Isaac has seen more than enough examples of terrible kings and queens in his lifetime. A terrible ruler could lead to the downfall of a kingdom. That means the ones that suffer are the people. If he became king, hundreds - even thousands - of people now put their faith in him to lead them into prosperity.

And Isaac was afraid of that responsibility. He'd have no problems if his actions were his own to bear, but when it concerns other people is when he gets afraid.

But then again, Isaac didn't want to die.

"Can I at least think about it?" Isaac asked. "Or consult anyone?"