Mendeve: Descendants

Chapter 24

King Aranide clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly as he paced in the spacious tent.

His "talk" with their prisoner ended quite brutally. For the prisoner.

If Rydien hadn't pulled him away, the traitorous bastard would have been in oblivion by now.

Aranide punched down the nearest table, splitting the thing in half.

"Aran. Your temper is not going to help you find the answers you need." Maddie said cautiously.

"Well, the prisoner isn't going to help either. Might as well kill that betraying son of a bi- ."

"You know, between you and Richard, I'd rather deal with neither of you in this state. Even putting up with Rydien seems appealing and that's saying something."

"Oh, honey. You loved just how appealing I could be." Rydien smirked.

"Go choke on something and die already." Maddie huffed.

Aranide would have laughed, but he didn't. He couldn't. His daughter was nearly stabbed. Again!

Gods!

"Sir?"

Aranide looked up to the now familiar voice. The Galian Prince looked unperturbed. But the king could see the war of emotions playing deep in the boy's eyes.

One day, he'll teach him how to hide that look from the world. That look didn't suit any royal for it made them look lost. Uncertain. Weak.

No one wanted a ruler who was unsure of himself.

Reminding himself who was the king in the tent, Aranide steeled his spine as he gazed fiercely into the young prince's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Ezryan looked downcast. Then he inhaled deeply, before returning the king's gaze with fire of his own. "This is all my fault."

Aranide softened, something he rarely showed anyone that was not close to him.

The boy was apologizing for something that was beyond his control and here he was expecting to take the blame.

Aranide clasped Ezryan's shoulder in a firm but comforting grip.

"You are not at fault, son. You do not control the actions of your soldier. He had options, he chose wrong, end of story."

"But perhaps we may have done something that influenced his decision in doing what he did. Maybe if- "

"If. Maybe. Whatever is done, is done. No one has the power to make your choices for you. That is something everyone does on their own. He made his knowing what path lay before him. He could have turned at any point, yet he did not."

Ezryan sighed and the gave a short nod. Aranide gave the prince a final pat on the back before turning to Maddie and Rydien.

"I want that fiend locked away in our most heavily guarded area in the dungeon. He will not see the light of day as long as I live." He declared.

"Already done."

Aranide felt pleased. If there was anyone that knew what he wanted done, and will get it done in a flash, it was Maddie. She wasn't his general for nothing.

He let the thought of that scoundrel wasting away in a cell satisfy his need for killing the man outright.

"Okay, now that we have that out of the way- ."

Aranide paused in mid-sentence to see who had abruptly opened the tent flap.

Richard strode in, his eyes still golden in anger.