End War

Chapter 14 : Tragedies Part I

King James was walking in the castle's corridor that night. He liked to spend his night to enjoy the silence and the reflect on his past. He looked up at the moon then took a deep breath.

"Thanks God, you didn't took what precious to me," King James was grateful that Jeanne was safe. He was grateful that it wasn't the time for his punishment yet.

After enjoying some fresh air, the King went back to his bedroom. The room was empty because the Queen slept with her daughter to let her longing go away. His room was decorated with a big picture of his family, a wooden statue of eagle, and serene candles. The carpet was white, made from sheep's wool. Then he realized something was wrong.

His room used to be decorated by iron swords and shields. There were some iron braziers too. But they were gone that night. He became alert. When he was about to call the guards, suddenly the window opened. The candles goes out in the wind.

Three wooden arrows were shotted from outside the window. King James changed the shape of the crown on his head into small iron plate. He stretched his right arm forward so that the iron plate protected his chest. The iron plate floated in front of him as if King James controlled its magnetic force. His left hand is used to cover his head. The iron plate blocked two arrows but an arrow stuck in the King's left hand. Blood could be seen flowing from the palm of his hand.

"Guards!!!" The King shouted but no one enter his room. Five assassins wearing red hoods entered through the window. Two of them brought sharp bamboo swords and the rest brought a wooden bow also wooden arrows. They were circling the King.

"Do you think you can kill me , the King of Ivra, with just five of you?" The King taunted them. He did not ask any question because he know they would not answer. One of the assassin opened his hood.

"What???" The King was surprised. Then he realized that he would hardly stand a chance to fought the assassins. He raised his right hand and clenched his fists. Suddenly the room was shaking.

"Iron Spike!!!"

"You may remove iron objects from this room but this room was made especially for me," the King said to them. Many iron pillars came out of the walls, roof and floor of the room. His bedroom was made from iron pillars that been covered by walls. It was made special for King James to deal with intruders. Just he and the room builder who knew that.

The leader of assassin was surprised and he pointed the King giving the other assassins a signal to kill him. The iron pillars targeted the assassins. The room was collapsed because of it.

The accident woke up the whole White Palace. The Queen and her children, the nobles, Julius and the other commanders, and guardsmen were approaching the King's room. They didn't believes what they'd seen.

"What in the world, Darling!!" The queen shouted. King James was unconscious. There were three corpses of the assassins with the iron pillars stuck in their body. It seemed the rest of the assassins were able to escape. The King was evacuated.

On the next morning, the King was still unconscious.

"As we know, your father had been sick since he became the King because he overused his Gift when he was a commander. Sometimes he felt chest tightness and vomits blood. He shouldn't use his Gift anymore. But last night, he was attacked by strangers so it seemed he had no choices except using it. I just hope he can regain consciousness," the Queen said to her sons and daughter.

Prince Julian and Johan were beside the King. They grit their teeth. Jeanne was beside him too holding his hand. She shed tears because she loved him so much. The King had raised her since she was baby. She know that the King love her. She used to be carried over his father's shoulder walking around a castle although he was sick. Although sometimes Jeanne was mad to his father because he forbid her to go outside the city, but she know her father did this to protect her.

"The assassins wore red hoods, they must be the Exovians", Prince Julian guessed who the intruders were.

"I don't think so, they weren't elves, they were human. I think it were done by the royal traitor who urged the King to attack Exovia. They must use them to pit Ivra and Exovia against each other", Prince Johan said his thought.

"You don't know the Exovians, Johan! They don't hesitate to use dirty ways to attack us. They have done it to Jeanne at Ygdrassil," Prince Julian spoke curtly.

"It could've been the traitor who gave the order to the bandits to harm Jeanne while she was outside," Prince Johan obejcted Prince Julian.

"You've always been inside this city, you know nothing about the Exovians and their war outside, Johan!" Prince Julian snapped.

"You've spent your whole day recently dealing with the nobles, you should know better our kingdom's threat better than me, brother. The betrayal of nobles became the main problem of this kingdom!", Prince Johan still objected.

"Be quite, you two! There was a sick man in front of you. This is not where you can speak loudly. Continue your debate outside with the other nobles!" Queen Alice was mad. It was unusual for her. Maybe it because she was worried with her husband. Jeanne just remained silent, pensive, not daring to interrupt them.

Prince Julian went outside the room. He slammed the door showing his madness. Prince Johan just exhaled, he already know his brother's behavior. Jeanne calmed him. She didn't know what she must said.

"I hope the accident will end here," prince Johan said. Will it come true or will there another accident, nobodies there knew it. They could only hoped.

To be continued...