Darius' eyelids fluttered open slightly as he felt Sora's kisses on his head. What's going on in the city?
Sora sat down in the gold chair with a blue cushion and glared at him before taking a deep breath. "Surely a feeble man and lady used to sit on this chair."
"Do not disparage my mother in any way. She was a wonderful lady and a greater leader than my father." Darius glared at Sora with a stern expression.
"Touchy, but I could have murdered you where you sat if I'd wanted all of this." Sora traced her finger over the seat.
Darius patted the golden chair with his finger. "This would not have worked without my assistance. Come on! What did you expect? You'd have to wage a full-scale war with our dynasty to achieve this. Bartering was all that was required. I haven't heard from your queen about what she intends to do with me or our realm yet."
"There is a price to pay for knowledge," Sora adds, sighing hard and leaning forward slightly. "Are you going to leave your dead family there all day?"
Darius raised his eyes to the morning light, which revealed the blood-stained carpet. His father and brother lay slain.
"You gutted them like they were dogs. It was incredible to see. Your determination is admirable. We want someone who can work on both sides of the table. There are still two kingdoms at work here." Sora laughed as he looked across at Darius.
Darius scratched the underside of his chin. "You demand a big price. Even though I despised my father and brother, they were still family."
If you're worried about losing your kingdom, don't be." Sora commented. In the end, you made an oath of allegiance after all."
Darius lowered his right hand. Two axes were crossed and three times blinked.
Sora licked her lips sensuously. "You have the power… You have a crest… Those who possess it can wield magic beyond the fantasies of most wizards. You were already a fantastic wizard. You are now a cut above the rest. Men will bow at your feet. You can have any woman you want."
"I desire to take over the four kingdoms, including Yunica, who some claim is unreachable." Darius bent forward, his breath heavy.
"You've only just awoken, yet already you're bursting at the seams with energy and determination." Sora leaned down to pick up an apple and tossed one to Darius.
Darius, still looking at the ground, caught it with his left hand. Smacking it, he looked at the bodies of his family members. "Before their stench fills the room, I have an idea."
Sora looked at the slender man with alluring eyes.
"Why don't we take their corpses and parade them through the streets of the city? That will demonstrate to them that a change of guard has occurred." Darius sprang up from his chair and walked down the three red-carpeted stairs.
"Don't you think it's a little barbaric?" Sora shrugged as she took another bite of her apple.
Darius brushed his shoulder. "Tsk. Those beast men of the desert didn't kill everyone, did they? I still want people to serve me."
"Darius, do not be alarmed; you have people to reign over. Everything would have turned out differently if this had not been the case. Put on the crown, please." Sora gave him a kind grin.
Darius looked back at Sora. I guess there is no turning back now. Is this what I want? To rule, to take the place of my father… I have spine, and I must lead us into a new era. One that will help our nation rebuild.
Sora grinned as she saw the prince stand over his father's corpse.
Darius knelt and snatched his father's crown off his head. He wore it till he couldn't fight any longer. He detected a faint odor emanating from his father's corpse. As he rose, his gaze was drawn to his brother's body. "Clyde, you may rot in hell, my brother.
Sora smiled widely looking at Darius.
Darius placed the crown on his head and returned his attention to Sora. "What are your thoughts?"
"His highness looks amazing." Sora giggled, standing up, skipping up towards Darius. "Shall we do a stroll and show you your stock?"
As he looked out the window of the castle, Darius smiled wickedly. "Send in some of those wolf men to help them load their bodies into a wheelbarrow."
Sora nodded, clapping her hands twice.
Snarling at the lips, two beast men stepped in. "Yes Madam Sora?
Sora pointed towards the opening door in front of them. "You two carry those bodies down to the castle walls and grab a wheelbarrow to put them in. Make sure their faces are towards the sun."
"I like the way you think," Darius said. Darius walked towards the large doors that led down the chambers. The morning sun shone through the windows as they turned down the familiar hallway of his departed siblings.
"I'm curious whether any of my sisters escaped." As he went down the steps, Darius traced his hands over the black stone walls.
"All of this is yours. We sent raiders after them, but we don't know their whereabouts." Sora skipped, following Darius, rapping joyfully on the doors as if expecting someone would open them.
Darius returned her stare with a frown. "You are correct. None of my sisters had the guts to stand up to me. Clyde was the only danger. His body lies at the bottom of the castle with me standing over it."
Sora followed Darius' gaze as he examined the big golden lion in the center of the main corridor. "Oh, very lovely!" She dashed up to the massive gold lion, which stood 10 feet tall.
"What now?" Darius asked as he approached the great castle doors.
"I simply need to massage it a little more. It's good fortune." Sora jumped up and perched on the statue's head.
"Are you finished with it? We need to keep it gleaming, you know. You may contaminate it if you continue to hop on it and ride it like a horse. That statue exudes strength."
Sora looked at Darius with a slight smirk. "Very well, if you say so king." She bowed and leapt off the statue, landing behind him. "I am only an ambassador."
"This is my domain, and you will obey me." Darius used an abrasive tone in his speech.
"If you make me your queen, I may be able to let you in on a few more details." His shoulder was repeatedly tapped by Sora as she rushed around him twice.
"I have no desire to get married at this time. I need to consider all of my alternatives before making a decision. We still have to worry about the other kingdoms." Darius swung around and sent a wary glance at her.
Sora's adoring gaze was riveted on him. She kissed him on the lips at the drop of a hat. I am a passionate lover who also happens to be an excellent leader. How do you think I landed this position?
Darius licked his lips. "You may think the way to my heart is through my lower half. I am not like most men."
"Does your lower half still work, or does it need a tune up?" Sora skipped around Darius, smacking him on the butt.
"Enough of your mind games, woman. We need to go make our presence known. You are second in command here, and I am in charge. I have yet to even speak to Queen Nia about this situation."
"Rest assured you will be able to speak with the queen at the appropriate time. Preparations are being made for you to travel there. You must establish your dominance here first. This is your first test."
Darius clapped loudly snapping his head towards the playful woman. "You finally let go that this is all a test. You desert lot are a playful group, aren't you? Using lives to push your agendas. I only agreed to this because it would give me power. There is only so much I will tolerate. I thank you for opening the door a bit."
"Your welcome, King Darius…" Sora bowed with a large smile.
Darius looked at her with an ill-advised grin as he turned back towards the castle doors.
"Madam Sora, everything is ready," a beast man stated, bowing towards her.
"Speak to me, beast man... I am the one in control here." His fist clung to the beast, and Darius stared at it with disbelief.
The beast snarled, looking at the newly crowned king. "Human, I only speak to Madam Sora. You forget we did your dirty work."
"It's okay to address him as superior. In this position, he is on par with me." Sora smiled as she winked at the beast. "Make certain that this is communicated across the ranks."
The beast nodded, turning back into the sunlight.
"You must enlighten me on your rank structure in the desert." Darius looked over at her with a puzzled look.
"Well it's quite simple really. I have to leave some of that mystery," Sora stated.
Darius shrugged as he stepped into the sunlight. The wheelbarrow holding his deceased brother and father slowly moved in front of them.
There was an unsettling calm as they entered the settlement. As the wheeled contraption crawled past the first survivors, Darius' eyes tracked the grave stares of the town's residents.
"Do not avert your eyes,'' a thief said, standing behind a peasant. The thief grabbed the man by his hair and lifted his head up to look upon the deceased royalty.
"How dare you, Darius?" a man yelled, running out from the crowd of people lined in the town square.
"Is that how you treat your new king?'' the thief said, running up and stabbing the man in the chest with a knife.
"You deserve a bastard's death,'' the man said, falling to the ground.
Darius saw the man on the ground, bleeding from his wounds, and shook his head in disgust. "Put him in the wagon with the others!" he yelled. "Let this be a lesson to anyone who tries to defy me. You will be met with a traitor's death."
Sora's eyes were drawn to the rainbow-colored banners overhead.
Darius kept walking ahead, glancing around at the individuals who were angry at him. Their eyes betrayed their ferocious purpose.
"You don't seem to be popular with the public," Sora said, her gaze lingering on him.
"All will be clear in a few moments." Darius looked back at Sora as he took a step down towards the middle of the plaza. Darius walked up a wooden staircase to a huge board of wood, where he stood in the middle of a throng.
"As Valencians and inhabitants of our magnificent empire, you are now a part of one of Valencia's finest moments. If you haven't noticed, I'm your new king. Darius" took time to circle himself and gesture to his crown. He extended his arms and stared intently at the audience.
"You are not king!" a woman yelled.
Darius tapped the bottom of his staff twice on the hard wood. A rush of wind sprang upward from the crystal encased at the end of Darius staff. "My dear woman, do you understand the predicament you are in? You have no voice to address your concern. I am not my father. The new kingdom of Valencia will be ruled by power and not division. All citizens, you have no rights anymore. To earn your rights, you must petition with hard labor. You will show your loyalty to this kingdom. I am lending us into a prosperous new era."
"What new era?" a man yelled.
Darius yelled, "Bring that guy up here!"
"No, he's simply upset," his wife shouted as a thief slammed him to the ground.
"We shall get justice!" the man shouted, staring up at Darius, as one of the wolf men knocked the man's face against the wood planks.
"Show your respect and speak to your king with manners,'' the beast man snarled, looking at him with contempt.
The guy shifts his head to the left, his eyes covered from the splinters on the wood.
"This is what will happen to those who resist me!" Darius glanced down at the dirt beside him and pulled up a massive ax.
"Please, no! I'm a carpenter. I need to provide for my family," the man pleaded.
"In light of that, you should have reconsidered your criticisms of me." Darius lifted the ax and struck it on the man's right hand.
The man screamed as he squirmed on the ground. You bastard!
The beast man kept the man's body on the wood to prevent him from moving around.
"Should I take your other hand, you dissenting peasant?" Darius took the ax and traced it on the ground.
"No! No! I will obey… Please don't," the man pleaded.
"Raise him up," Darius said emphatically.
The beast man lifted up the man who was bleeding profusely from right hand.
"You can let go of him," Darius said with a smirk.
"Thank you, my king, for your mercy,'' the man said, bowing.
There was no mention of compassion. Darius used his right foot to strike the man in the chest.
The man slammed against the stone ground back first.
"Take him to the dungeon and imprison him there. There will be no food for a week. I guess bandage him slightly, so he won't bleed out. How is that for mercy? Darius bowed to the crowd.
The man's wife raged at him, "You are a horrible bastard. Recuperation is needed now more than ever. Healing is necessary."
"Shut that woman up," Sora said in a calm tone.
Darius raised his hand, telling the beast man to come to a halt. "I am not without compassion. A kingdom cannot prosper unless it listens to its people. This once-beautiful lady, I will overlook your transgression. Please pay close attention to what I'm saying because the next time you speak out of turn, I'll have your throat."
The woman ran to her husband who was on the ground crying and bowing towards Darius.
"Let her have a word before he goes to chambers." Darius started to walk down the wooden steps as he looked at his family members' bodies. "Sora, have one of those beast men bury my brother and father somewhere out there in the wild."
Another woman cried at Darius, "Will you not allow us to weep for our king?"
"No! I will not. If anyone follows that wagon, they will be put to death where they stand. We are in a new era of the Kingdom of Valencia." Darius walked up past the townspeople, guarded by two beast men with Sora behind him.
Darius went back up the stone path amid glares from the mob of onlookers.
"Those banners bore me." Darius looked back at Sora. Darius took his index finger and swirled it in a circle.
"Would you like me to have them torn down?" Sora skipped beside him and put her fists together.
"No, it's quite all right. Let's leave them guessing for a while. I like to have fun after all. It's my kingdom now, and they must play by my rules."
Darius took a step forward, his gaze concentrated on the fate that lay before him.