My heart beats for the first time in years. Once. Twice. A third time, then a fourth. I gasp, my body falling still. "What is it, Ice?" Brook takes a step towards me.
"It's... My heart. It's beating." My voice falls to a whisper.
I can't believe it. My heart is beating! My heart, which has only beat three times per year for who knows how long, it beating! I want to scream it from the top of every tree on Ragdon!
"S-so what was that before?" Clap frowns.
"That was my heart melting, Clap." I watch my claws dig into the soil, and I shift as if testing out a new body.
"Why did i-i-it melt?"
"It was frozen by King Garonda XIV. To find it, I guess I had to find you, Clap."
"He's not the King," Phoenix snarls.
"Huh?" I push myself up to a sitting position to look at Phoenix.
"He's not the King of Ragdon. He's worthl-."
"Phoenix! Be nice!" Ky bats his brother across the face with a forepaw. Phoenix scowls in reply, curling his lips into a snarl.
"What do you mean he's not the King of Ragdon? He sits upon the Amethyst Throne. Sure, the power from the Throne has corrupted his mind and twisted him into a self-centered shell of who he once was, but he's the King. Whoever sits upon the Amethyst Throne is the King; the Throne draws its power from Ragdon. Whoever sits upon the Throne possesses the power-."
"I'm just gonna cut you off right there, Ice. Just 'cuz someone sits upon the Amethyst Throne doesn't mean that they're the King!"
"Sure it does."
"How so?"
"Well, I mean, everyone bows before him. Everything just kinda goes with him at the top, and no one's challenged him, so..." My voice trails off.
"No one's challenged him 'cuz he won't let anyone!" Ky cries.
"I never said he was my favorite King. I just said he is the King of Ragdon."
"But it was implied." Phoenix tilts his head to the side as he glowers at me.
"He's the King of Ragdon, whether I like it or not."
"Aren't ya gonna do anything about it?" I snort at Ky's ignorant statement.
"Good luck."
"Not gonna need it. I've already called dibs on killing KG14. When I do, there's gonna be nothing left but a pile of ashes." Phoenix's face contorts into a sick grin as his flames start to crackle and blaze.
"Don't underestimate him. The power he wields from the Amethyst Throne is-."
"Blah, blah, blah. All I'm hearing is a coward who won't stand up to the King."
"Hey! Be nice t-to my dad!" Clap scowls at Phoenix.
"Yeah? Well, what are ya gonna do about it, Clap?"
"Be nice t-t-to him!" Clap fluffs out her fur.
"Oh, and now I'm so scared. Ah, well, I might as well run away now."
"Good l-luck with that! I-I-I can outrun you!"
He's being sarcastic, Clap. You know that, right?
"You really think I'm gonna run away from a fight? That's what a coward would do. Look at Ice here. I'd bet he'd run away in a fight."
He really thinks I'd run away. All these years of not being able to physically fight has taught me a thing or two about controlling my magic.
YOU ARE READING
The King's Remorse
FantasyCOMPLETED OLD VERSION It was supposed to just be another night sleeping in the White Tent Sea, but then again, I guess fate just didn't have that in store for me when my brother, Dove, woke me up at midnight. The King's Remorse takes place on the i...
