Kingdom of the Nine: The Princes (II)

Chapter 12

The throne room reveals itself, grand yet degraded, the shadows casting a sickly pall over every gilded surface. There, slouched on the Madium Throne, is Udis. He reclines, popping grapes into his mouth one by one, giggling with each bite like a child who's lost his grip on reality. He hasn't even noticed me.

I glance up, and there—suspended from the ceiling in a rusted iron cage—is Alyse. Her form is barely visible in the dim light, but the faint sound of her voice drifts down to me.

"Red?" she whispers, her voice hoarse but filled with a painful hope.

Udis snaps to attention, his gaze flicking up to her with annoyance. "Quiet, you! How many times must I tell you to keep your pathetic pleas to yourself? That brother of yours cannot hear you here." His voice is sharp and grating, the malice barely contained. He turns, and his eyes lock on me.

At first, he squints, almost as if I'm a mirage. Then his lips curl into a wide, unsettling smile. "Ah...a visitor. Have you come to seek mercy from the most just and honorable king in all the lands?" His voice is a mocking squeak as he tosses the bowl of grapes to the side and it clangs to the floor.

I glare at him, unflinching. "No. I've come for my sister."

His twisted smile falters, and he glances around to his guards, feigning surprise, his lips puckered in mock confusion. "Whom?"

I grit my teeth. "...my sister!"

Udis falls silent, his gaze sweeping over me, scrutinizing every inch, his mind racing. Then, his eyes drift upward to Alyse's cage, realization dawning on his face. "Wait... you're the boy from Valoria, aren't you?" He mutters, almost to himself, as though piecing together a puzzle. He touches his forehead as if in pain, squinting at me. "Oh, um... Reed, was it?"

I sigh. "It's Red..."

He suddenly snaps upright, cutting me off with exaggerated delight. "Red! It's Red, isn't it? Gods, what are we doing now—fucking naming children after colors?" His laugh is sharp, grating. "Hello Red, my name is Brown!" He mocks.

"It's short for Reginald," I mutter, feeling the heat of irritation rise.

"Regi—" He stops, unable to even finish the word before he doubles over, cackling like it's the funniest thing he's heard in centuries, his laughter echoing through the throne room. "Well dear Reginald, how did you even survive?" He tilts his head, the curiosity almost childlike, before his expression hardens into suspicion. "How are you even here?" His voice snaps, filled with irritation. "Well, go on, it's not rhetorical!"

I hold his gaze, the memory of battle burning in my mind. "I killed him..." A lie, but maybe it's enough to break him.

A flicker of shock crosses his face, his smile dropping as he stares at me, disbelieving. "You... you what?" His voice is filled with incredulity and rage as he points at me. "You killed Muthos, you insufferable—" He stops abruptly, his anger twisting into something else, something almost delighted. His finger falling ever so slowly as his eyes glimmer with a wicked curiosity.

He throws his hands up. "Well, well..." he breathes, a hint of admiration sneaking into his tone. "Was it grand?"

"Grand?" I say, raising a brow.

He leans forward, eyes gleaming. "Yes, killing my brother, of course! Don't be shy-tell me every little detail. It's the best news l've had in years!"

I swallow down the revulsion, keeping my face unreadable. He's baiting me.

"Muthos? Well, he put up a fight, I suppose," I say with a shrug. "But it was all rather... unremarkable. If you want memorable, that would be Galagon.
Now he went out with a little more fire."