Born For The Crown

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER I: DEAD

CLAYTON'S P.O.V.

Her eyes twinkled like ice under the night's light. Lips spread in a smile, tinted with a bright rouge lipstick. She's the most astonishing woman in my life. The view outside the balcony stretch across the whole island, showing the lights of a thousand lanterns below, never-ending number of houses. But no view can ever compare to my mother.

Tears started cascading down her cheeks. "I'm.. so proud of you, Clayton." She grinned, reaching her hand out toward my cheek. I lean in to her touch, a surge of warmth from her palm and fingertips. "Thank you, mother. I'll always do everything to make you proud."

"A delightsome evening, Your Majesty. The event is now starting." A butler reported, answered by my mother's nod. "To you too. Now, we can't leave them waiting, can we?"

"I'm pretty sure we can." I joked, a chuckle came out from her rouge lips. The butler in a very gallant way, held the door open, ushering us towards the hallway.

Extending out an arm, my mother gripped tightly and wrapped her arms around mine. We very much had been waiting for this event of our lives. Avidity is an understatement to what I have been feeling.

My mind's been busy thinking about today, that I didn't even sleep for a couple of days.

Hands trembling, cold sweat running down my forehead. I mustered out my strength to amble down the marble floor. Heads turned our direction, the busy and noisy place became eerie quiet. We followed the butler towards a big grand wooden door.

Guards in heavy steel armor reached for the door slowly opening it for our entrance. Too exaggerated for my taste if you ask me, but my mother said it's necessary.

"Here comes the Queen of Averdal, and the prince of Averdal, gracing us with their presence." Once announced, we gracefully sauntered by the red carpet, splitting ways.

Until it hit me.

The table where I was supposed to be the only one to sit, was shared by two other men. The one on my left sat with a rather bad posture, fidgeting with his fingers, biting his nails, he looks doltish. The other one on my right was the opposite, he sat with elegance and smirked proudly at me, he looks cocky.

I sat at the empty, sumptuous chair, racing with thoughts. Who are they? Why are they here? Why are they sharing a table with me?

Don't tell me.. are they the heir?

But the rules consists of only having the oldest child to reign the kingdom if the king was deceased; or passed the certain age of 60.

My brow knitted together. Who are they? If they are my siblings, why didn't I see them for the past 23 years of my life? It can't be.. It would be an insult to drag along a bastard in this vital event.

Who the hell are they?

A lasting tintinnabulation rung on every ears among the people inside the ballroom. Everyone started to heed the king, as a bell signifies the start of the king's communique.

"Thank you, my greatest friends and nobles, for joining us tonight, for a new King will reign our venerated land." He dictated, hands spreading freely with a large simper plastered on his face.

"My reign over this land was quite.. short-lived. Although it was only 15 years, as I was already on a womb when my mother was only fifteen..." He paused for a bit. "But I believe that I had brought peace over this whole land during my reign, of course, with the help of my dear wife. I couldn't have done anything without her." He smiled sweetly at my mother. It made my blood boil at his two-sided remarks. The fact that I hear coos about him being 'sweet' to his wife makes me furious.

"Although the war was quite pyrrhic, it was needed. If not the war, we could have lost all of the population, living in this land. Of course, the sacrifice was no small feat. We continue to grieve for the loss of precious souls." Claps scattered all around the ballroom.

The king stood from his large, opulent red chair. "Let's go to the main event now, shall we? This is what we all have been waiting and came for."

"I, Leon Harrison, step down as a king, in the day of my official age of 60." He stepped down a step, getting far from the ostentatious chair.

"And gleefully give my heavy crown, to my heir, to represent the heavy responsibility of being a King." He started sauntering towards the table. My eyes met to those of my mother, her eyes expressing something, wanting to tell something I can not decipher.

"To guide and respectfully counsel the next King, for a bountiful and peaceful reign. I hereby..." He stops by our table, eyeing us three in the table. As his russet eyes stared into my soul, his eyes stuck to mine like glue, I clenched my teeth almost subconsciously.

"...declare that prince Cassius is to become King!"

The ballroom regained soft mutters, I felt a sharp gaze behind my back. With brows furrowed, I shifted my gaze, only to be met with a pair of mysterious dark eyes of a woman. She has quite the soft features, a pair of black eyes, black hair and tanned skin.

I abruptly shifted my gaze to my father, about to place the adorned crown to the smirking, conceited looking man. His toffee-nosed eyes stared into mine   superciliously. Furious tears filled my eyes, threatening to burst out of anger. My hands wrapped into fists, trying my best not to vent out my anger because the publicity.

I want to scream my lungs out of anger. I am to be the new king today! Who the hell is Cassius?! I just met him today! The audacity of him acting snobbishly makes me feel so aggravated.

Suddenly, an arrow pierced through the previous king. The dark liquid seeped onto his extravagant attire. Before I even knew it, people had been flailing and running towards the exit. I remained on my seat, still processing what happened.

My eyes went wide open, not moving a finger. The former king fell to his back with his blank eyes staring at nothing. The clangor from the dropped crown remained as nobles ran for their lives. My gaze immediately went to my mother. Staring at me dead in the eyes.

The timid-looking guy seemed to leave, as there was not a living thing on his once were seat. Panic bloomed from my mind. Standing from my seat, I dashed towards the bleeding man.

I shoved my fingers toward the man's pulse; trying to find that beating pulse.

But I was just answered by his warm flesh, the normal beating of heart long gone.