Die Alone

Chapter Twenty-Five

Adrian Alcado
Niveous

Stepping into the Niveous Kingdom was nerve wracking. He'd enter, a normal soldier, and leave a leader of a Kingdom. It's not what he wanted but a lifetime of conditioning from his mother got him used to it.

They were all tired from their trek. It was nothing like their travels over a year ago. This time there was fighting, blood shed, a creepy forest and now frostbite reaching their toes.

It was odd to see other people in the snowy biome compared to the ghost land it was before. Soldiers stood at their posts and nodded as the group trudged past them.

It was another hour before they all warmed up by a fire talking. They all slept well that night before they were woken to a list of chores.

They were assigned different duties and immediately separated, leaving Adrian on his own with Vareena within minutes of him being awake.

They walked down the hall, their footsteps echoing through the stone castle. The air was bitter and cold, scratching at his lungs.

Finally they entered a room with a long table where a few soldiers were seated.

At the end of the table was a girl who looked no older than him with pure white hair. She held a straight face that intimidated Adrian. Her white cloak displayed the Niveous crest, suggesting she was a Niveous.

The soldiers introduced themselves and bowed, leaving Adrian to stand awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Reaching the end of the table, the blonde stood. "Hello Adrian. I am Lumi, your royal advisor." She bowed before continuing. "I will help you become acquainted with the land and make decisions while you settle in. I've been running this place for the last few months and am happy to welcome you to your new kingdom."

"Thank you," Adrian said after a long pause.

Lumi gestured her hand out to an open seat, inviting Adrian to sit. He did.

"We are currently using this land to house refugees and soldiers. We're also in the process of welcoming the few Niveous people left, back to the Niveous Kingdom. Of course, reinstating a whole Kingdom doesn't happen overnight and this has been a months-long process." He nodded his head, listening intently. "The guards in this room are the royal guards who will be in the castle with you at all times."

He looked around the room to see them all wearing different coloured cloaks, presumably matching their Kingdom. Him and Lumi were the only ones wearing the Niveous cloak.

"Seeing as your grandfather was the last to hold the throne and you're the only eligible heir,  by law the title will now be passed onto you, as King Adrian Alcado." Wow that sounds incredibly stupid.

Still he was coming to terms with the fact that this was his family's castle. His mother did not grow up in the small suburban town he had but instead ran down the halls of a castle planted in the middle of a snowy abyss.

"Of course, before anything, do you pledge your allegiance to the Niveous Kingdom and Viridis?" Everyone stared at him, almost scared he was a traitor. A lot of chaos that had ensued was due to his mother after all.

"I do," he said firmly.

Time passed, feeling like a haze. There were less formalities then there would've been had there actually been a kingdom to celebrate.

He was given his grandfather's crown, which he wore ironically because he thought it was funny.

He took it off before meeting any of his friends, finding it a bit awkward. Instead he mindlessly twirled the priceless item in his hands as he walked.