Forbidden (mxm)

8. Choose! (Danail)

   "You couldn't wait for this to happen, could you?" King Dorth suddenly screams, looking menacingly at Sai's father. "Ten years of war for nothing! The death of your wretched prophet was not enough for you! I should have killed you as well, and your poisonous offspring, all of them!"

   "Don't blaspheme against God!" King Unufrail quietly retorts. "It's your stubbornness and dated believes that costed thousands of people's lives. Your face is stuck so deep in the mud that you'll never be able to dig it out."

   "You'll never have my son!" father hisses, gripping the handle of his sword. He points a finger at Sai and spits through his gritted teeth, "This was all a set up. No one can capture you, if you don't let them. You broke the rules. You're not allowed to interfere. You have no right to ask for retribution."

   "Are you calling my son a liar?" The Dessert King yells. "Did you forget that the prophet, whose throat you slit in front of my eyes, was my brother? We'll all die here, if that's what you want, but you're going to be the only one who will not do it with honor. You'll be remembered as the king who didn't obey the War Code. Haven't you disgraced yourself enough?"

   Both kings raise their right hand at the same time. The gesture is followed immediately by loud cracking of wood and scraping of metal, coming from the ships.

   "Divers loading cannons!" Lord Malderyn shouts, turning to the lined soldiers. "Commanders, execute Prince Dai Danail's first order! Bring the red mist!"

   All warriors stand up as one. I see Tar, running from the other side of the parade-ground, carrying three long, spiraled, sea dragon horns. He hands one to me and another to the lord. They stand on my both sides. The troops are slowly withdrawing from the camp.

   "Aren't you going to fight?" King Dorth pins his blood red eyes on me. His face is scarlet with fury.

   "This is not a battle," I answer calmly. "It's a slaughter. Do your duty and choose a retribution. You don't have the right to attack. They have come in peace."

   "Dorth, my friend," King Unufrail steps closer, looking at my father pleadingly. "We fought for ten years to stop this, but we couldn't. Don't you see that it's too late? They've already met. The prophesy will come true. It's time to stop! It's time to accept the inevitable. Let's be allies again."

   He reaches out, offering his hand for reconciliation, but my father ignores it, turning to prince Sai.

   "You want me to choose? Let be it. I've chosen," he growls.

   My eyes widen at the sight of his sword, hurled with all force, aiming directly at my heart. I'm frozen. My brain refuses to comprehend that my own father is trying to kill me. I hear my mother's cry in a daze. The blade is flying towards me as if in slow motion. I can predict the exact moment in which it's going to pierce the skin and dig its teeth in the muscle, pulsating in my chest, ending my life. I won't try to stop it. Why would I do that? I was born and raised to be a king one day, to inherit my father with his blessing and guidance. He just erased the whole purpose of my existence in a blink of an eye. 

   I turn my gaze to Sai's beautiful face. I want it to be the last thing I see before the darkness engulfs me. He smiles at me and I smile back, savoring the glow of his irises, pink as a magical sunset at the end of my days. An unexpected thought emerges in my mind. I could fall in love with you, if I had enough time. It soothes me and my eyelids fall.

   An awful screech makes me open my eyes abruptly, puzzled at the fact that I don't feel any pain. I'm stunned by the sight. Harda's huge body is sprawled at my feet with the sword, lodged deep in its shoulder. Its nostrils constrict and expand rapidly in heavy breathing, caused by the pain. Purple blood is flowing in steady streams, forming a puddle. My father jumps from the podium, rushing to the animal. He falls on his knees next to it.

   "Look what you've done!" he hisses spitefully, peeking at me. "He has always tried to protect you. You've spoilt him. I was going to save you by taking your life. You have no place near this desert hatchery of witches. You better be dead. You have no idea what they have planned."

   I can't shake off my stupor. My heart is still beating, but it's broken. I don't move a muscle when the queen throws herself on my neck.

   "Monster!" she cries to the king. "Harda is kinder than you! You don't deserve to have a son! You're no father!"

   "Shut up!" he yells back. "Don't you see now why I wanted to wipe this damn place? This is what they brought to us with their chosen and their prophesies?" He pulls the sword from the animal's flesh, causing it to mewl in pain, and points it to the Dessert King. The dark blood is dripping from the blade. "Sorcerer! I'll find a way to stop this. It's not over!"

   "It's you who started this war. It's you who turned your back to your friend and killed his brother," the queen whispers, squeezing me in her embrace. "You'll never come near me or my son again."

   "Enough!" Prince Dai Stial shouts, silencing everyone. His voice is firm and controlling. "Your first choice is dismissed, King Dorth. You have only two options left now. Choose!"

   My father slowly turns his head, sending streams of hatred towards him. His eyes are narrowed in two thin slits. His enormous body is trembling with rage, but he knows that, if he refuses, he'll disgrace himself. He straightens, regaining his composure.

   "I choose a peace treaty," he grumbles.

   "Very good!" the prince nods. "Follow us with your divers. We'll sign, according to the rules, in the palace. All shall be done by the code."

   With this he follows his father up the ladder and they disappear in the white ship, without uttering another word.

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A/N

Hello at the end of chapter 8!

Thank you for reading and supporting my new story! ❤❤❤

Do you think the king was right with his first choice? 

Any theories if Sai would've let him kill Dey, if Harda hadn't interfered? 🤔

Share your thoughts, ask questions and criticize, if you think it's necessary.

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Love: Anny