A Dance with Darkness and Light: Re-Origination

18: No Honor, No Face

King Varanur watched his son intensely for a while as if he was looking for something. Bazuul, on the other hand, simply smirked in an easy going way as he looked at his father. After a while, the messenger started struggling and Bazuul realized he still held him by the neck, "Ah, of course, I almost forgot about you!" he noted while chuckling and threw him to the side.

The messenger, unprepared, landed harshly on the floor a couple of meters away. As he lifted himself up a vicious glint shone in his eyes and he thought, "These two, they are completely unbearable! Don't they know anything about decorum?" Of course, he didn't have the guts to say that out loud, he recovered, put on a smile on his face and said, "Thank you, young man!"

Then a jolt ran through his spine as he realized what this young man called the king. "Didn't he just now call the king father?" If he did not hear wrong then that should really be the case. After all, who could just walk into the throne room without permission from the king, and most of all, behave the way this young man did?

"Son, this one here is a messenger from the Kingdom of Ibera. Apparently, the crown prince sends us news that the second princess, your fiancée, is unwilling to uphold her late father's promises..." At this moment Varanur stopped and gritted his teeth in anger. "They want to break off the marriage!"

At this, the messenger was shocked for a moment and thought to himself. "Hold on! THIS is the good-for-nothing prince and number one silkpants of the Ralunian Kingdom? Wha-whaaat?!"

"Really?!" Bazuul asked in shock. Varanur nodded and wanted to comfort his son, but at this moment he could suddenly hear his son chuckle, and soon laugh out loud. "These are great news, aren't they?" He then asked leaving both the messenger and the king in shock for a second. Then Bazuul started again, "My brothers in the tavern just reminded me that I had a fiancée and now this...perfect, as if I would want to marry a trash princess such as her!"

Varanur sharpened his gaze as he looked at his son as if he was trying to understand the meaning behind his words. Because even though they sounded like a young teenager trying to stay calm on the surface but erupting in a tantrum with his words. He thought differently, at least he hoped there was more to his son.

The messenger, on the other hand, erupted. "Outrageous! How dare you! A silkpants prince dares to call my princess, heaven's proud daughter, trash?! You better..."

"Shut your mouth little thing or I'll stitch it shut! Heaven's proud daughter? You must be kidding! My father mentioned late king, didn't he? That means the Iberan king, her father, died. Isn't that the case? Then how dare she, and that trash crown prince don't intend to uphold their father's promises. How dare they don't try to protect his honor even in death?! Disgusting!!!" Bazuul hissed.

At this the messenger mind blanked. He hadn't even thought so far, and even if he wanted to rebuke, how could he? This was obviously a fact, but for the face of the kingdom, he could never admit that this was the truth.

"Why would I want to marry such a disgusting individual? With this sort of bearing she isn't even fit to be my concubine, much less my wife...hell, she isn't even fit to carry my shoes!" Bazuul once again let out another tirade, ending with a deep chuckle and a smirk on his face as he looked the messenger in the eyes.

As Varanur sat on his throne and listened he finally understood what his son meant earlier. He nodded his head with deep satisfaction and then broke out in laughter. He laughed so hard that the vibration shook the throne room, and the messenger once again fell to the floor. After all that happened, the weight in his heart was shaken off by his laughter. He looked toward the messenger and said, "You heard my son, people that don't respect their ancestors have no place in our family! You may leave now!"

As for the messenger, drenched in sweat, he finally managed to stand up again from the shock and walked toward the door. Intending to finally return home.

Before he could leave the throne room though, the kings voice rose once more, "Tell that boy, your crown prince, that we will not follow up on this matter in honor of my friend, his father. Yet, we will not be lenient if he even so much as once dares to cross us again!"

The messenger shuddered, answered with a resounding yes, and left for good.

"That was really a good display, son! Well done." Varanur couldn't help chuckling from time to time. "I was quite angry, but now I feel like the last couple years of stress have been relieved from my heart."

Bazuul breathed out and watched his father with a wry smile. Varanur naturally noticed this and looked at him in askance.

"Well father, trouble is everlasting, we struggle until we die. You see, I think you should send someone to the Tavern of Unending Springs and make them search the alleys in the area." He said with a chuckle.

Varanur frowned at this. Bazuul then explained everything that happened to his father. More and more black lines formed on Varanur's face before erupting and slamming his fist onto the handle of his throne, breaking it. "This...this piece of shit!!!"

"Now, now father!" Bazuul said whilst waving his hand, attempting to calm him. "I suspect he, with some help, was also behind my supposed death by poisoning. To be completely honest though, there is no need to punish him, I clearly took care of that, as you will see. Moreover, I'm not the same as I was before. Someone as petty and short-sighted as Aurelius is not someone that can contend with me anymore. He is like a puppy to me, one that might occasionally try to hump my leg. One kick is enough to end his life, though. Of course..." Bazuul then said with a meaningful smile. "All good things are three, I've shown mercy this time, the next time, I'll relieve him of his head!!" He concluded with light, but dark laughter.

"Now if you excuse myself father, this night has been long enough and I have to rest," Bazuul said with a bow and left the throne room.

Varanur was left there alone on his throne, his face in his hands, frowning and rubbing his temples. There was a new headache incoming!

~~~

A week had passed since all this took place. The royal court had spread out the news of what had happened on this day. More precisely, they tarnished the name of the crown prince and second princess of Ibera, thoroughly slapping their faces. They also found Aurelius and treated his wounds. Yet, even though Bazuul asked him, Varanur was not able to contain his anger and slapped Aurelius' bum until it doubled in size.

Now he wasn't able to walk, talk, sit, or lay on his bed comfortably. Well...if one gave, there surely would be someone that would take. In his case he got both.

Bazuul, on the other hand, secluded himself all this time in cultivation, unaware of all the things that happened this week. He effortlessly reached the fifth stage of the true qi realm. To be honest, Bazuul couldn't really understand why other people had so much trouble progressing in cultivation. Apart from the qi storage that increased with each breakthrough, what use was there actually? To use some fancy skills and techniques? That little bit it actually strengthened his body?

To be honest, apart from the techniques he knew of now, and found useful, he felt that the darkness on his plate helped a lot more to strengthen his body than qi did.

Either way, he hoped that maybe the later stages would prove to be more...well, more than that.