The Bastard King

III. Heir No More

The great doors to the king's hall opened revealing a line on each side of clocked figures all facing both Hector and Elena. Down the hall opened another door revealing the grand throne room. The dark presence of a curse and the smile of death were ever so present in the keep nowadays. Skulls used for candles displayed the king's enemies who had crossed paths with him. Even locals who refused to submit to the twisted ways of their new king found themselves on the other end of the sword. The two slowly walked up to the throne room where their father sat slouched on his throne and pale as the sheet of a freshly made bed. On the right side of the throne stood champion Ayleth scared from battle known to be the very king's wrath sent out to destroy and strike fear in those who oppose him. And on the left side stood another clocked figure only this time welding a staff.

"Your majesty. I bring you the swords of your enemies."

Elena bowed before her father holding a cloth of two worn swords. The king sat up from his throne hard a seeing and hard at hearing. The clocked figure whispered into the king's ear telling him of what his daughter had done.

"You foolish child."

The king stood up in a fit of anger.

"You bring me their heads, not their swords."

Elena's fist clenched at the swords. She wanted to stand up and confront her father but she knew the consequences and instead lowered her head humbly.

"Forgive me my father for my foolishness. I have failed to listen to you."

The king stood there looking at his daughter grinning as she was nearly faced into the ground.

"You impress me with your failed attempt to act humble. Don't think I don't know you, Elena."

The doors burst open catching everyone's attention as a wheeled cage of captured peasants by Elena's hand was rolled in by strong men. The king seeing this smiled sinisterly the joy of suffering made everything a little better as the king's thirst for blood never could be quenched. The prisoners whaled begging for anyone to save them but not would listen. One by one the prisoners were let free from their cage to stand before the king. Hector watched in horror at the mistreatment of the prisoners. What made it worse was that they weren't prisoners of war but lowly citizens who did not choose to live in a rebel nation. They were mostly male from all ages some where female. They weren't the strongest of the bunch and were usually skinny often chosen as prime victims for the king himself. One by one each was lined up on their knees before the king. The king took out his sword lifting it high.

"Foul beast who betray me will be treated as such."

The sword came down each with a single swing the heads were separated from the victims ' bodies. Hector looked away from the gruesome scene. Elena turned her head and noticed the pale face of her brother sickened from what he had seen. He looked at her and shook his head.

"What have we become?"

He whispered. Elena had become numb to what she had witnessed. For the past few months, she had witnessed things far worse than today. She pushed away any feeling she had for her prisoners or what they would face it didn't concern her or even make her second guess. 'Has my heart been turned cold as stone?' She thought. It didn't take long for the king to finish as the very velvet carpet and been stained in crimson red. A servant brought a chalice made from a skull filled with the finest of wines in his honor. The king with his chalice raised it high as the hall bowed before him while his crazed smile crept on his face. The servants danced naked in the blood of the king's enemies as he laughed and sang. Hector locked eyes with the crazed king. Marcus's expression dropped when he saw his son. The crowd went quiet as they had noticed the king's sudden silences.
He pointed in his direction.

"Come here, my son."

He said. Hector approached bowing in respect to his majesty and father. The clocked figure with their staff whispered in the ear of the king as he stared into his son's very soul. The king frowns in a displeasing way.

"My son Hector. I can no longer keep this quiet as I have reached a very important decision over the past few months..."

The king put his hand on Hector's cheek trying to hold back his tears. It was almost like he, Hector could see the father that was hiding in all of the madness that shrouded him.

"It is by law that you my firstborn are to be the future of this nation my heir... no more."

Hector along with everyone else was taken back.

"Forgive me my son but you are no longer my heir to the throne, however..."

Hector pushed his father's hand from his cheek interrupting his father in a fit of anger.

"I should have known you were planning this. Everything's a game to you... what happened to my real father?"

Hector turned away and out from his father's sight Elena chased after him.

"Hector, stop!"

She yelled. She managed to stop him at the entrance of the keep. He turned to face her.

"So now what... he's going to just let anybody have that throne? Like who... those clocked cowards or the prostitutes that dance night and day in front of him?"

He froze realizing it as he looked at Elena trying her best to calm her brother down.

"You..."

He points.

"It's you he wants... I should have known all this time."

Elena shook her head grabbing ahold of his arm.

"Stop it, Hector. I would never go behind my brother's back for that throne or even anyone in my family for that matter."

Hector pulled away his arm.

"Enough of your lies. You desire the throne as much as I do don't play stupid."

Angry took over Elena as she raised her voice.

"I don't care for your stupid throne or that empty shell you call father!"

She turned around storming off followed by Hector in his fit of anger left for the mid-town inn in the lower city.