Broken

Chapter 69

Luckily, the area wasn't hurting for firewood; between the shattered buildings and Alex's magic we had a simple campfire started with a few dragged over timbers for the group to sit on. This had to be the absolute strangest camping experience of my life... and all of my 'camping experiences' had been inside monster filled instances, so I feel like that was a high bar. Scary necromancer stories as told by a death knight definitely was right at the top of the list.

Once it looked like we'd settle in, Prangarrel got started.

"The frozen realms have always been seen as a gateway, and a challenge to overcome by Climbers... though I have been out of the loop since my death, I assume that is still the case. But it's not an understatement to say that the royal line that had been established here was quite proud of that fact."

I saw the twins exchange a bored look. Apparently a history lesson hadn't been what they were counting on this evening. Though I also hadn't exspected an instance to need such an elaborate back story, we had already determined that this was an oddity of and instance anyways. Who was I to judge the system about it?

Argus and Nick also looked disinterested, though at least Nick seemed to have the decency to pretend to listen. Argus suddenly found tending to the fire a far greater priority. As for the others and myself, we all seemed pretty invested. I, personally, found the concept quite fascinating. Also, I wasn't stupid enough to think that a story from the past had nothing to do with the now. If Prangarrel was telling us this tale, then it must hold some kind of significance to our current situation.

"The kingdom was run by the eldest prince of each generation of the direct royal line, from the city situated at the lowest point of the realm." Prangarrel continued, oblivious tot he fact that he had lost the attention of a quarter of his audience in the first two sentences. "Many years ago, the king at the time had yet to choose a queen. Rather, he had several concubines. These woman were treated well by the king, as if they themselves held a goodly amount of power, even though the king at the time hadn't been all that picky over what family background his mistresses came from.

"This didn't seem to be an issue for the most part. The concubines seemed satisfied with their lot in life, and glad to be treated as royalty. However, as time wore on, many of the concubines bore him children... tensions began to rise. The woman began to argue over whose child was the rightful heir to the throne, given no proper queen had been selected among them." The fire snapped and crackled on the rotted wood it used as fuel, and Bryce added another timber to the pile.

"Amongst these feuding woman was a lady of simple birth, but grand ambitions. A lady with long raven hair, pale skin, and dazzling blue eyes that had captivated the king the moment he had laid eyes upon her. And, though she was but one of many, the woman believed that she was special. 

Eventually she bore the king a daughter. The young girl was gifted in magics, much as her mother was, and a beauty besides. The mother believed that this daughter, despite it being tradition for a son to inherit the throne, would surely become the new ruler of the frozen realms..." At this point Prangarrel sighed, his blue and black eyes locked on the dancing flames.

"Perhaps the king should have recognized the woman's madness then. It would have saved many lives if he had... But he was an ignorant royal, believing that all was well in his world. He didn't see the constant infighting of his concubines grow as the years went on, nor did he see that the beautiful woman who had caught his eye had much grander aspirations than simply being a concubine to the king."

"Aspirations, or delusions?" Carson asked and Kuro nodded, seated next to the guild leader.

At that Prangarrel smirked. "Both, I should think. Definitely the later." He laced his fingers together and continued his tale. "By the time the woman had born him another daughter, it was clear to many of the other concubines that she was not of sound mind. It became obvious that the woman was convincing herself that she was somehow superior to the others, that she was destined to become the true queen, and that her eldest would inherit the throne.