Legacy

7. New Beginnings

King Augustus paced back and forth in an effort to contain his rage. His face was burning red, and his beady eyes were bloodshot from his lack of sleep. His rubbed his temple, trying to ease the stress which plagued him. If the failing economy and impending war weren't stressful enough, he now had this to deal with.

The door creaked, breaking the king from his thoughts. Lucan followed by the duke and Captain Nero entered, followed by two more guards. They walked up the blood red carpet leading to his throne before bowing before him.

"I hope you have good news," the king said threateningly.

Sterling, the Duke of Herington, nodded his head. "Of course your majesty. The Luciano's have all arrived, the crowd has been controlled and appeased, and Drake is leading troops to the last heir of Savoia as we speak."

Augustus scowled. "What about the boy?"

Nero and Sterling exchanged glances. "Prince Regulus?" Sterling questioned.

"Don't call him that!" Raged the king, knocking over a tray of food that had been sitting nearby. The blood rushed to his face once more, and Sterling, Nero, and even Lucan seemed terrified of his wrath. "That traitor is no prince of the Ladon Empire. He deserves to have his corpse hang for everyone to see. I want to see him bleed after what he did."

Sterling nodded his head, some of the color coming back to his face. "My apologies. There has been no sign of Regulus your majesty."

The king grunted and fell back into his throne. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, deep in thought. His son and heir to his kingdom had been working with a rebel group based in the Aragona Kingdom. The boy had been plotting to assassinate him for months, and had only been discovered a day before the plot was to take place. If it wasn't bad enough, his freedom could cause the Ladon Empire's downfall. With the information he knew, a rebellion might prove successful. The boy had been sentenced to death, and Augustus had ordered his men to kill him on sight. No one, not even his own flesh and blood, would succeed in betraying him.

"Finding him needs to be a top priority," growled Augustus.

"With all due respect sir," spoke Nero, "once the alliance with our neighboring kingdom is secure, then Regulus and the rebels will be crushed. There will be nothing that can possibly match our strength."

Augustus frowned. "Regulus has the ability to ruin that relationship. He has the knowledge to exploit all of our weaknesses. He knows the heir is still alive, and that by itself is dangerous enough."

Nero seemed ready to argue, but Lucan cut in, "There's no need to worry your majesty. We will do whatever it takes." Augustus and him shared a knowing smile.

"I knew I could count on your loyalty Lucan," Augustus spoke.

Lucan had earned Augustus's respect more than any other man the king had known. He was strong, intelligent, and loyal. Lucan was a man not afraid of anything, a man with ambition. He was the type of person who could unite a kingdom, unlike his ignorant, traitor of a son. Lucan had already taken down notable enemies for the king, and there was only more potential to unlock in the future. However, King Augustus was weary of the menacing look in Lucan's eyes, one that caused the powerful king to feel a pang of fear in his heart. His admiration of Lucan did not go without caution, and it was a game of chess for Lucan as well as the king. When the time came, he would have to be prepared to strike first.

Augustus smirked as the three turned to leave. "One last thing," said Augustus menacingly. "Bring Vito Luciano to me. We have some important business to discuss."

Raina watched the winding road disappear behind them, failing to keep her hands steady as she drifted further and further from her home. She wondered if she would ever hear Eden's jokes or Percy's complaining again. She thought of those chilly mornings with Leo and wondered if she would ever beat him in a race or groan about their chores again. Her heart sank. She wondered if she would ever see Antonio again. Antonio who took her in when she had nowhere else to go. Antonio who taught her how to fight when she was at her weakest. Antonio who would defend her until his last breath. She wanted to go back, to fight by his side. To make sure he was alright. And while Raina worried for her guardian, she knew if anyone was capable of defeating a man in a fight, it was Antonio. After all, he never lost to anyone.