William's eye brows raised to discover Kian just in front of his room.
Larrith still felt dizzy. He touched his head.
Tory and Rafael went near Kian.
Rafael asked, "what's happening?"
Tory asked the same.
Kian said in frustration, "Larrith thinks that he can be the king.. He can do anything he wants…He was questioning me where I was going.."
Tory said, "Why did the fight start?"
No response came..
Larrith said, "I was just asking him where he was going because it's already evening and he behaved rudely and cast spell on me"
Tory's voice softened. He said, "Why, Kian?"
Kian said standing straight again, "I warn you Tory, don't trust Larrith and Rafael.. They will kill all of us.. Just like Larrith killed Tirian.. He was just in front of him but still he didn't cast any spell to protect him."
Larrith's voice cracked.
"I tried to but I couldn't.. There was a sound… I tried my best."
Kian took the flight of stairs..
Tory asked, "Where are you going, Kian?"
Kian said with a smirk on his face, "Wow, now you are also questioning me.. These too Rafael and Larrith will kill you… leave this castle before that happens"
Kian said before going, "Tirian was far better than you, Larrith… At least he would not have let anyone die in front of his eyes.. Tirian trusted you, Larrith and you left him devastated.."
Larrith felt a thorn in his throat.. His eyes softened.. He pressed his upper jaw with the lower jaw to prevent the tears from coming..
Elaris kept her hand on Larrith's shoulder and said, "It wasn't your fault.."
Rafael looked at Larrith… He found out that his eyes were hiding the tears..
Larrith went to his room..
Scott and Elaris banged at his door..
Larrith said, "please leave me alone for a few hours."
Irene, William, Tory and Rafael felt bad for him..
They all went to their rooms..
Rafael went to the balcony of the fourth floor.
He tried to spot Kian.. But he couldn't spot him.
An hour passed.
Rafael went to the first floor's hallway and stood in front of Larrith's room.
He knocked on the door and said, "Larrith, open the door.. I have to talk to you."
Larrith tightened his lips to face another criticism. He then wiped his eyes and opened the door.
Rafael sat on his bed. He found Larrith's Cheeks to be pale and his face for be reddish.
The room was silent for a minute..
Rafael said, "You see… I fell bad for what happened… I am also sorry for my behaviour."
His eyes widened. He was shocked at his apologies.
Larrith said, "I should be sorry rather.. Sorry for breaking the law.."
Rafael said, "I kept the law for a reason.. Because.."
Larrith said, "Because?"
Rafael said, "Whatever you read from that book in the library was partially true.. I didn't defeat the prince of dark.. In fact, he was never the prince of dark.. He… he was my son.."
Larrith's pupils dilated in shock..
Larrith said, "Your son?"
The moon light entered the room through the window.
Rafael's eyes burst with tears but he stood straight as tears tolled down his eyes, "Yes, he was my son.. The dark queen is none but my own sister… It's a long story and nothing is written in any of the book about her… She… She also killed our Father and my wife and captivated my son.. I thought he was dead.. Until I faced him in that war..
She manipulated him and made him think that I abandoned him.
He was screaming in the battlefield that it was his time to avenge a father who abandoned him. My heart shattered that day...I tried to make him understand that I never abandoned him…. But he never believed me.. I still regret that he would never know that….I didn't do it…..In reality I, Hailey, my wife and my son who was just born were visiting the prison where my sister was kept. She wasn't sweeping that day. we didn't even know that it was all her plan… When we came near her cell… we found her to be captivated by the metal chains…Hailey was holding our son… A dark light encloses the entire prison… The metal chains cracked open setting her free.. A dark thick mist made it impossible for us to cast magic.. I was unconscious.. When I woke up, I found Hailey… .. .
Hailey… she was lying dead and our son wasn't there…I was so weak that I couldn't even save my family.. They were my everything.. I lost them in just a moment.. We should have never visited the prison that day. .When I reached the castle, heart broken with Hailey on my hands….I heard that she also killed our father and went to the forest and never showed again after ten years.. I had to be the king at that time.. I was reluctant because of the same guilt that you faced after losing Tirian.. Ten years later, being the king, I had to face the dark forces again.. I asked Elise, my sister in the battle about my son even with a little hope that he might be alive… she pointed towards a dark assistant… his face had changed.. His eyes.. His eyes were black…The softness… the softness vanished, his body was covered by a black cloak..
He killed many of our soldiers…
My hope got destroyed in a second.. My eyes hurt like a thorn.. I couldn't believe that he was my son.. His power was almost the same as mine…
I was torn by the dilemma of hurting my own son and about the safety of our kingdom..
I either had to kill my son since his power exceeded most of our powers or I had to surrender to prevent hurting my own son..
I chose the safety of our kingdom over my son and killed him.. I won't forget the day..
My green beam dispersed his red beam and went straight through his heart..
He laid down on the battle field saying that I was the worst father he had ever seen..
And Elise stood there laughing…
They retreated after his death and I realised her revenge extended in such a way that she didn't even spare me and my son who had no fault..
They retreated.. All they wanted is my son's doom in my own hands..
They wanted to crack my confidence..
They never came back in the last twenty two years and now that they are returning back, it won't be a revenge, they are trying to wake someone up whom we might never defeat.."
The room got filled with the fragrance of tears.
Larrith's eyes got filled with tears again..
He asked, "Why did she kill your father and your family?"
Rafael said with a calm voice, "It was all because of our father..
Our mother wanted Elise, my sister to be the next queen after our father.. But our father was conservative… he always thought that only a king could rule a kingdom..Even she was way more powerful than me.. He came up with an evil plan to eliminate her as an heir to the kingdom.. As she became twenty years old, she was sent to a distant village of Arcanthys to protect the villagers..
Before leaving for the village, she said to me with a happy smile that she would prove her worth and be the next queen while me even after knowing the truth I held back due to fear..
She reached the village but at night… .
the entire village was burnt in a fire by the soldiers of my father as instructed by my father and she was accused to be the arsonist, the villagers were also instructed by our father to accuse her of the arson..
After she returned to the castle, she cried and screamed that she didn't do it. My father screamed back at her. I hid behind the pillars of the castle..
And she was exiled in the forest…for her sin that she never did.. Hopefully I heard our father saying the plan to a soldier when we were just fifteen and he executed the plan seven years later…
If I hadn't heard the plan, I would have never known that it wasn't her fault.. She was innocent..
If someone was actually guilty.. It was me who held back like an absolute coward.
I was way too afraid to tell it to everyone…
I thought my father would also punish me in the same way if I tell it to everyone.. Even though he never knew that I heard the plan that night…
I didn't help my sister when she needed it..
It was also my fault…
Brothers are meant to protect their sisters while I threw her in danger..
I still remember her scream telling our father to not send her to exile
After she was exiled, none knows what happened to her…She suddenly came back after a month and destroyed many villages of our kingdom with a black fire...
We had never seen such a colour of fire ever before..
She was imprisoned and then… When we visited.. She killed all of us…
After killing my own son, I resigned as the king… I didn't want to hurt my own family in battles again.. I didn't want to take any further decision of killing another member of my family.. That's why I never became the king since then..
I knew that she might come back again and I never want to hurt my sister even though she destroyed my life..
It was only because of me.. She turned this way..
That's why I made it a law that none should visit the prison in such a condition..
I don't want the same thing to happen again…
I don't want others' life to get destroyed just like my life got destroyed..
Can feel the guilt that you faced after failing to protect Tirian..
Don't take Kian's words seriously..
That mystical sound actually hinted at something darker..
It wasn't your fault.."
Larrith said, "Why did you hide this from others?"
Rafael's voice cracked further..
"I never wanted to degrade the fame of my father..
Even though I feel guilty.. I still love my family and Elise… I would never defame my father but in that way… I let my father defame my sister.."
Larrith said, "That's why nothing is written about them in the book?"
Rafael said, "Yes.. None saw the dark queen in fact.. She was wearing a cloak all along.. I recognised her…She only saw her face to me and none... They named her the dark queen and I didn't say anything… . I never wanted to tell them that she was my sister…
But I think the time has come…"
Larrith replied, "So… does anyone else know about her?"
Rafael said, "No, Just you and me.. I want you to… . To tell them today during the dinner…"
Larrith exclaimed with utter confusion, "Me? Why don't you tell them?"
Rafael replied, "I don't have the courage… It's my request to you..
Today in my meditation, I saw that there's no threat currently in the kingdom… I didn't feel any presence of darkness…So it's currently safe to go anywhere.. Even in the prison…Did you get any information from him?"
Larrith's voice deepened. His tears began to dry out.
"He was talking about the gates… some kind of gates that will open … which will bring the doom of us."
Rafael looked up and began thinking.
Rafael said, "Gates?
Larrith asked, "Is there any kind of gate that opens the door to darkness."
Rafael replied, "No, I don't think he was talking about a literal gate.. He could be but I don't think… they are definitely trying to summon something darker.. I have no idea about it… .even though, the dark didn't attack us in the last twenty years… One year before they attacked the old school and ransacked it… they definitely took out a few books that were only available there.."
Larrith said, "Oh….It was also our school. Elaris, I and Scott graduated from it the year before it was invaded…All memories got destroyed when I first got the news.. By the way, What did those books contain?"
Rafael replied, "I have no idea. But I am pretty sure they were important… There's only one person who might know what those books are…"
Larrith said, "Who?"
Rafael looked outside the window and said, "The great sorcerer, your teacher"
Larrith nodded.
Larrith said, "So, should I visit him in the new school..
I guess the new school is now closer to our castle.."
Rafael replied, "Yes.. It's closer indeed.. I think we really don't have time.. If she's preparing to summon someone… it might end the world… You do a thing.. You, Scott, Elaris, William, Irene.. Take them to the new school and find out as fast as possible about the books that she stole.. I thought that she attacked the school just to avenge.. I never thought it was for a bigger motif."
Larrith said, "Alright then.."
Rafael said, "Tomorrow is also the selection ceremony.. So, you all have to leave before five in the morning…
And the next day, you will have to welcome the new members who have been selected by the great sorcerer.."
Larrith said, "Oh, yes.. I remember that…"
Rafael said, "I am leaving now.. And remember to tell them about the truth… of the dark queen.. I didn't tell them… I was so afraid to embarrass myself.. I also hats my own cowardice.. It's a shame.
And I don't want anyone else to follow what I have done.. I neither want anyone to keep quite when they shouldn't be nor I want anyone to choose safety of kingdom over their family."
Larrith's eyes widened.. He said, "I thought the safety of the kingdom is ultimate for you."
Rafael took a deep breath.
His voice softened.
"Yes, it is.. But your family matters more than anything else.."
His eyes widened further as he was discovering him more..
"One thing more Larrith, it's true that you aren't as strong as Tirian.. But none is absolutely perfect.. You are strong… but you need more practice, your power can shine brighter in battles if you try … just believe in your powers.. Don't let others break your confidence.. Don't think about Kian's words or my words that I told you before.. You can be better than Tirian if you try.."
Larrith looked down and thanked him.
Rafael exclaimed, "And another thing… be prepared in case you have to visit the old school for any reason… . Some students died over there during the attack.. Their spirits still roam over there… They will distract you in every way possible.. But don't give in.. Use your powers to make them flee.. I just heard it from someone.. I didn't visit it for the last five years.. So it could be a myth.. But always be prepared.."
Rafael then opened the door and went away..
Larrith sat on his bed processing the secrets of Rafael he just heard.
His mouth was half open.
A Royal guard came near his door.