Freedom {LGBT+}

35. A Ruler

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Iker along with Phoenix was still trying to wrap their head around all that's been happening. He looked at Queen Zelda, still unbelieving that she wasn't dead. Cormac would be elated with such news and equally as upset that his father told him yet another lie. He wondered if Cormac has yet to return or if he had heard the news about what had happened. He would've surely been to Area fifteen.

Queen Zelda was relief that everything was going as she planned. Phoenix was the last finishing touch and everything will be the way it's supposed to be. The Kingdom of Seridina or rather The Fian Empire will once again be one and peaceful. It had been along time that she had searched for Phoenix. Emory was a friend of hers. She realized his dreams and wanted nothing more than to help the poor boy out.

Things didn't went well and he passed. She knew fully well who had done it. Receiving that letter from him had a done her great, now, Emory's dream could become a reality. Phoenix never thought that his father would be a man of such caliber, he was now wishing that he had met the man at least once along with his mother.

"Does Cormac know of this?" Phoenix asked Iker. They were walking side by side. Queen Zelda and Prince Rhys ahead. Phoenix had berated himself along the way for being deceived by the man he knew as Axton. He was also equally angry.

Iker shook his head, "We were trying to figure it out. Though, we haven't had a chance to really sit and talk about it. I guess we don't need to anymore." he gave a weak smile to Phoenix.

"Do you think that maybe--" Phoenix couldn't bring himself to think that something had happened to Cormac. Loosing him would only increase the pain that Phoenix was already feeling.  Iker bit on his bottom lip, unable to give Phoenix a firm answer. Even he himself wasn't sure.

The doors to the Aperian castle opened, a line of maids stood on both sides to greet their Queen. Both boys took in the sight of the castle. It was obviously different from the one Iker was use to. The castle held no hostility or anyone being kept on guard of what they did or say.

They followed behind the two not daring to stray and become lost. Queen Zelda led them to a small room, closing the door behind them to ensure privacy. Phoenix knew there was more to discuss, how things would proceed from now on. Silence followed them, the Queen not knowing where to start. She looked towards Prince Rhys who was eyeing the boy that accompanied Phoenix. Iker she believed Phoenix had called him.

"Should we start with Prince Rhys here." Queen Zelda had decided. Rhys didn't seem too happy about starting off first.

Phoenix needed an explanation as to why he did what he did. Why he went under the name of Axton and pretended to live in Pixie Tower. "I was given a task," he started off, looking at Phoenix with stern eyes. "To find you that is. Of course I didn't know it was actually you until I saw that pendant of yours."

"Why would a Prince from Arilikook come to Seridina to find Phoenix?" Iker threw a question at his vague answer. He muttered a small sorry as he thought he had interrupted Prince Rhys.

That was when Queen Zelda spoke up. It was her time to explain what had happened that bought them to this point. "I heard word of King Rhett planning to wager war against Peruel," Iker nodded, remember Arabella had told them about it and Cormac's theory which was now true. "It was a matter I could not overlook. I've seen day in day out how he treats his own people and not being able to do anything made me feel helpless." her expression was one of pain. Phoenix knew that sort of pain, not being able to help those Infront of him.

"I then visited Peruel and had a talk with them," Zelda collected herself and continued. "Aperia was small and had no major military attributes. We sought out help from Arilikook and that's when I heard of my son being married to the Princess of Laqum." It was still something Phoenix and Cormac had to discuss. For now, the sake of the future to come was more important. "It made things more complicated as we didn't know what Rhett was planning. With Princess Arabella visiting Fartonia, we needed to gain information from her without making things too obvious. We only learned what I already knew."