Long Live The King (UnOrdinary Fanfiction)

Chapter 17

If a king tries to start a war, a mother should go to him and forbid it. - Henri Rousseau

Arlo's POV

"Get your hand off me!" John shouts in rage. I don't want to let him go. I can't let him think that he's the one with more power. I'm King! I don't take orders!

"I'll dethrone you." 

I am I truly King though? I'm not Rei's heir and John is more powerful. He could destroy me if he wanted to.

I reluctantly let him go. John glares at me with his antagonizing golden eyes. He turns to Elaine with utter hatred. But for some reason, John holds back. He goes over to unconscious Seraphina and emits a black glow around her. What is he doing?

He moves his hand back and forth. Is he scanning for other injuries? He moves his hand above her head and he suddenly looks surprised. Did he find something?

John tilts her head to reveal a small puncture mark. Is that from some sort of needle? Was she spelled? Potions are seriously getting out of hand these days!

"What the heck is this?" John asks in his usual angry tone. "Um... I don't know! My ability couldn't even sense that!" Elaine squeaks. She's a royal! She needs to present herself better around the Kin- John! I meant to think John! Not King!

I sigh and say, "It's from some sort of needle. Some could have injected a potion into her." John looks at me confused. "That's why she's not waking up." I clarify. 

"I don't care about that." John says as he healed Seraphina. "All I care about is who did this to her!"

With that, John lays a blanket over her and kneels by her side. He must really care about her. How could someone so heartless care? I motion Elaine to leave the room with me. 

In the tiny living room, I sit down on the rundown couch. 

How could this have happened? In years I've known Seraphina, she has never needed any sort of medical attention. Yet, after she renounces her title, she's completely unconscious? It's unsettling, to say the least. Someone powerful enough to harm Seraphina could be a huge threat to the Kingdom. What is their motive? Why would they want to hurt a royal? 

"Arlo? I brought you some water." Elaine says, handing me a glass. "Thank you." I say gulping it down. All this drama has exhausted me!

Elaine sits down next to me. "Um... Arlo? Is everything okay?" She asks. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be." I say, not wanting to worry her. 

"It's just that you seem kinda out of it. You used to be so assertive, but now you're cowering whenever John is involved." She says. "What happened in that battle? Is he that much stronger than you?"

Where is she going with this? "Didn't John marry into the New Boston throne? He used to from here, and he was the heir to Rei's throne. Now that John is no longer New Boston royalty, does that make him King of Wellston?" she continues. "Is that why you listen to him?"

I turn away from her. She's right. People make think I'm King, but it's a lie. I'm a living lie. John is the rightful King. I know Rei would have wanted fairness and would've crowned John. But he's a tyrant! He brought his kingdom to the ground! I will not allow such a guy to take over Rei's throne. Not on m watch. 

"I told you, Elaine. Everything stays the same." I say. "As long as no one provokes him or pushes him into royalty, nothing changes." 

"Um... okay." Elaine says nervously. I don't think she believes me. I sigh and look out the small window. What would Rei have done?

"Jack Arlo!" I hear someone call me. "I turn around to see King Rei and his usual goofy smile. "I'm back!" he says. I run up to hug him. "How was the banquet at Agwins?" I ask. 

"Same old same old." He says with a shrug. "We made the trade deal but the royals there are as boring as ever." he says. I hear someone's footsteps coming from down the hall. "Rei!" I hear Duchess Remi shout. 

She rushes forward and jumps into his arms. "I missed you!" she says hugging him. Remi is 17 but she acts like she's 10 sometimes. She's like a little sister to me.

"Excuse me your majesties." I servant says. "I just received word that there has been vigilante activity in the south of the capital. More rogue knights." 

Rei sighs and says, "They're helping, aren't they?  Why should I take action to arrest someone doing the right thing?"

Remi jumps up in excitement. "You like rogue knights too?!" she says. Rei nods proudly. "You could say that I feel a personal connection with them." he says. 

"They're pretty cool!" I say. 

I was only 19 at the time and I was very naive. I thought that kindness and fairness was the right way to rule a kingdom. I thought that if you did nice things, the world will be nice to you too. 

I was wrong. I discovered that 4 years later. 

Thunder booms outside my window. Where's Rei? All high royals had to be at a meeting in a few minutes. He said he was leaving yesterday for a few hours, but he still hasn't returned. 

I wait for a few minutes. Still no Rei. Well, I guess I'll go to the meeting without him. 

I meet up with Remi and we walk down the hall past the main entrance. Suddenly we hear loud bangs against the door. As if someone was knocking. 

"Who could that be?" Remi asks. I shrug and we walk towards the grand door cautiously. I pull the heavy door open. To my surprise, it's Rei. Why is he out in the rain without a carriage or a horse?

Then I notice what he's wearing. He's wearing heavy duty iron armor. Not just any armor. Armor that the rogue knights wear. No way. He couldn't be!

I notice something even more important. He's bleeding. There's blood trickling out of holes in the armor, and burn marks all over him. He collapses.

"Rei!" Remi shouts crouching to his side. I stand there in shock. I need to get him to a medic, but my legs don't move. 

"I'm sorry." Rei chocks out. I kneel down with Remi, unsure of what to do. "Forgive me." he says. Then he closes his eyes. 

"Rei?" says hugging his body. "Wake up. Wake up please!" Tears flood down her face. 

I cry and say, "He won't wake up. He joined them, only to die." I clench my fists tightly. Why did he do this? He had so many people that loved him and he decided to the riskiest job alive. And for what!?

He didn't deserve this. So why did it happen? Why?

That's when I realized that the world isn't just a place where kind actions are appreciated and rewarded. You need order to stop chaos. To have order, you can't be nice. You have to take the people down that are unorderly, unless you want the people around you to live. 

I enforced order as soon as I took the throne. So why is Seraphina hurt under my rule? Why is the kingdom Rei worked so hard to rule, crumbling? Why is the world at war with me?

Why?