Long Suffer the King

Prologue

The Morsteins were cursed the moment the queen gave birth to twins.

It was a scene that practically screamed bad omen. There was a storm outside, the rain pelting the windows, lightning shaking the castle. Screaming fills the castle as the queen of Anivard gives birth to her children.

The king sits on his throne, fingers to his lips in anxiousness. The doors to the throne room are wide open so that a guard could run in at any moment and tell him the sex of his child. When a guard does run in, completely breathless, and tells him the sex of the two children, the king is shocked. "Send for my brother."

The guard bows and runs out of the throne room. He comes back minutes later with an older looking lord at his side. "You called, Sebastian?"

The king turns on his heels and smiles grimly. "Twins."

His brother looks away, nodding. "I suspected."

"You should've warned me!" Sebastian snaps. His voice echoes against the marble walls. His brother flinches slightly, Sebastian had always intimidated him. "I told you it's not wise to mess with fate. You would've tried everything in your power to prevent it."

"A son and a daughter. You told me years ago that they would have to rule together in order for the kingdom, for our bloodline, to remain in tack. Is this still true?" Sebastian waves his hand to the guard who leaves immediately, closing the wooden doors behind him.

"I told you, Bast, not to mess with fate-"

"Is it?!" Sebastian steps down the stairs and gets in his brother's face. "I need to know, Viktor, if your prophecy is still going to come true."

Viktor looked away and sighed, bored. "Yes, yes." he looks back as his brother walks away in anger. "Look, you know we cannot change fate, we are just men."

"Men descended from the gods! I won't let my kingdom, my name, fall because of your goddamn prophecy. You know what I feel about women ruling."

Viktor laughs harshly. "You're too cruel."

"As are you."

"I told you, I don't control fate. It's been set in stone since before our ancestors were born." Viktor tells him. His brother shakes his head. "Not this, not my family."

Viktor crosses his arms. "Then what are you going to do, dear brother? You upset the balance and it will be the last thing you do."

"That sounds like a threat." Sebastian glares at him. Viktor shrugs and looks around. "Merely the messenger. You're my brother, I would never do that to you."

Nonetheless, his brother remains suspicious. "If I upset this balance... would you tear down the kingdom with your own power?"

Viktor holds his hands out and laughs. "Me? I'm merely a prophet. These hands ravage books not countries."

"Power doesn't necessarily come from one man." Sebastian stands on the steps to the throne, suddenly looking very large and menacing. Viktor, time gracing his once handsome features, looks nothing more than a frail man in king's clothes. "Are you accusing me of treason?"

"You've always wanted the throne, you've always been jealous father put the crown on my head and not yours because you would wield too much power. And now you're trying to get rid of me. I will stop the fate of the line from happening. My kingdom will not fall to a woman and power corruption." he yells for the guards and they run in, grabbing Viktor.

"Brother, don't do this." Viktor gasps, the guards holding him down. Sebastian turns away. "Prepare him for execution for treason against his Majesty." his voice is strong and clear, echoing and mocking Viktor.

Viktor bows his head and doesn't protest as the guards drag him out. What was the use? His brother had made his decision. He knew he couldn't save anyone now.