'What could we possibly have to talk about?' Ezra wondered as his gaze remained fixed on the carpeted floor. The patterns woven into it blurred slightly as his thoughts raced.
"For someone as powerful as you, Your Majesty, to wish to speak with me…" Ezra said carefully, choosing his words as he always had. "It is truly an honor."
Samson laughed softly, the sound deep and measured. It carried easily through the vast room.
"Raise your head, Ezra Belloren," the king said. "You are no nameless boy standing before me anymore. You are a hero of this kingdom." His golden eyes gleamed. "Even after five years of absence, your name still stirs the hearts of the common people. Take pride in your title."
Ezra's heart pounded hard against his ribs. The praise unsettled him more than scorn ever could.
Flattered, yes, but also wary.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ezra replied as he lifted his head.
For the first time, he met the king's gaze directly.
Samson smiled, not unkindly, and gestured with one hand. "Come. Child. Come closer."
Ezra rose smoothly to his feet. His posture was straight, disciplined by years of training, and he began to walk forward. Each step echoed softly against the marble floor. The distance between them closed slowly, deliberately.
His palms were damp.
'Has he always been like this?' Ezra thought, a faint crease forming between his brows. 'Warm. Almost gentle.'
The king was known as benevolent, yes, but also firm. A ruler with a steady hand and an iron will beneath velvet words. Ezra had heard countless stories, seen the effects of his decrees, felt the weight of his authority even as a knight.
Kind, but never careless.
Ezra stopped where indicated, close enough now to feel the full gravity of Samson's presence.
The king studied him again, longer this time. Not like a ruler examining a subject, but like a man looking at a familiar piece he had not seen in years.
"You've grown," Samson said finally. "Stronger. Quieter." His eyes narrowed just slightly. "And yet, I suspect you are carrying more than you did before."
Ezra's breath caught for a fraction of a second.
'Does he know?' Ezra thought, pulse spiking. 'No. He can't. Stay calm.'
He kept his expression neutral, his voice steady. "Time away tends to change people, Your Majesty."
Samson hummed thoughtfully. "Indeed it does." He leaned back against the throne, fingers tapping once against the golden armrest. "Tell me, Ezra Belloren… when you left this kingdom five years ago, did you ever imagine you would return like this?"
The question lingered in the air.
Ezra swallowed.
'Like this?' he echoed silently. 'With secrets heavier than armor?'
"No, Your Majesty," Ezra answered honestly. "I did not."
Samson's smile softened, but his eyes remained sharp. "Good. Then we are starting from the same place."
Ezra felt the chill deepen, settling somewhere between his ribs. Samson's words sounded careful, layered, as if each one hid something beneath it.
And while Ezra tried to follow, his thoughts kept drifting back to the courtyard.
To Lior.
'Is he crying?' Ezra wondered, a sharp pang twisting in his chest. 'Is Helios managing to calm him, or is he just standing there, waiting for me?'
What were they talking about?
It didn't help that the king spoke like this. Like everything was a test.
"Forgive me if I sound impatient, Your Majesty," Ezra said at last, choosing honesty over polish. "But may I ask what this means? Why am I here?"
His fingers curled at his side. "Truthfully, I do not know whether I am in trouble or…"
"Oh, heavens, no," Samson interrupted with a low laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "You would be the last person to be in trouble in this palace."
His smile widened slightly. "Well, aside from my sons. They tend to give me the most headaches."
Ezra let out a soft, breathy laugh before he could stop himself.
'That much hasn't changed,' he thought, a flicker of dry amusement cutting through his tension.
The unspoken truth hovered between them.
Everyone knew it.
The court whispered about it endlessly. The king had delayed far too long.
The crown prince.
Ezra had never understood the hesitation. To him, the answer had always been obvious.
Helios.
"Then… why?" Ezra asked quietly.
Samson studied him for a moment, his gaze sharp but not unkind. "Because you are observant," the king said. "And you are loyal. You are strong, despite your stature, and disciplined beyond most men twice your size." His lips curved upward. "You are the finest knight this kingdom has ever produced."
Ezra stiffened slightly. Praise from Helios was one thing. Praise from the king himself felt heavier.
"I even considered appointing you captain of my personal guard," Samson continued.
"Oh," Ezra said before he could think better of it.
Samson chuckled. "However, my eldest was quite insistent on keeping you." He shook his head fondly. "Helios does not like sharing."
Ezra smiled reflexively, though unease stirred beneath it.
"I also hear," Samson went on, "that you maintain… cordial relations with Kaelis."
'Cordial?' Ezra echoed internally. 'Who told him that bold-faced lie?'
He kept his expression neutral, his smile polite.
"And my youngest," Samson added, leaning forward slightly, "still speaks highly of you. He has not forgotten the time you taught him to wield a sword. He says you were patient. Honest. Rare qualities."
Ezra swallowed.
"That," Samson said, voice lowering just a fraction, "is why I wanted to speak with you."
Ezra felt his shoulders tense. "Pardon me," he said carefully, "but… this concerns the princes?"
Samson nodded once.
"Yes."
Samson leaned back slightly, his fingers resting against the arm of the throne as he spoke.
"You see, there have been more and more problems in the kingdom," he said calmly. "Ones I am sure you have already noticed."
His golden eyes sharpened. "The number of Dark Ones has increased dramatically, and we still do not know why. Alphas have begun openly subduing omegas with their pheromones. Domestic abuse cases have risen. And now…" He paused. "Kidnappings."
Ezra's breath caught.
"That's… a lot," he said quietly. "All within the five years I was gone?"
"Yes," Samson answered, the word heavy. He let out a slow sigh. "Five years can change a kingdom more than people realize."
Ezra clenched his jaw, unease curling in his stomach.
'So it wasn't just my imagination,' he thought. 'Things really did fall apart.'
"Years ago," Samson continued, "I was already considering Helios as my crown prince."
Ezra's heart skipped.
Oh.
Oh wow.
That was exactly what Ezra had always hoped for. What he had worked toward without ever saying it aloud.
Helios was perfect for the role. Disciplined. Compassionate. Strong without being cruel.
"What changed, Your Majesty?" Ezra asked carefully, tilting his head. He kept his face composed, but inside, his thoughts raced.
'What could possibly outweigh Helios?'
Samson studied him for a moment, then answered honestly. "When you left, Helios did not perform as well as he always did."
Ezra froze.
'Helios… not doing well?' The thought felt wrong, almost offensive. 'Since when?'
"He faltered," Samson continued. "Not catastrophically. But enough that I noticed." His gaze softened slightly. "At the same time, my other two sons began to step forward. They adapted. They filled gaps. So I postponed my decision once again."
Ezra swallowed.
He couldn't believe it.
Then, unbidden, a memory surfaced. The sailor's voice from the docks.
"A lot's changed. Ever since that blood-soaked fairy disappeared, the Sunward Sentinels have only grown weaker."
Ezra's fingers curled slowly.
'Did my leaving really affect him that much?' he wondered. 'Did Helios refuse to replace me? Did he… stumble because I wasn't there?'
The idea made something twist painfully in his chest.
He almost couldn't believe it because he knew Helios was more than capable.
Ezra looked back at the king, his expression tightening. "Your Majesty…"
Samson lifted a hand. "I can tell you are surprised. And confused." His voice was steady, but there was something probing beneath it. "I know you are fiercely loyal to Helios."
Ezra didn't deny it.
"But," Samson continued, leaning forward just slightly, "I would have you take that loyalty… and direct it toward the kingdom itself."
Ezra felt a chill run through him.
'What are you really asking of me?' he thought, heart beginning to pound.
Samson regarded him for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
"There will be something I require of you," the king said at last. His voice was calm, almost casual. "But it is not something I can speak of now. Not yet."
Ezra stiffened slightly.
"This conversation," Samson continued, "is not meant to give you answers. It is meant to make you think." A faint smile touched the king's lips. "And to welcome you back."
Ezra's thoughts scrambled to keep up. So this was a warning, he realized. Or a test.
"I… understand, Your Majesty," Ezra said after a beat, even though the truth was that he didn't. Not fully.
Samson's gaze sharpened. "Good. Then remember this." His voice lowered just enough to carry weight. "You will not speak of what we discussed today. To anyone."
A pause. "Especially not to Helios."
Ezra's chest tightened.
'Not even him?' The thought sent a ripple of unease through him, but he kept his face composed.
"This," Samson finished, "is for the kingdom."
Ezra bowed deeply, every movement precise and respectful. "Yes, Your Majesty."
The king dismissed him with a slight motion of his hand.
Ezra turned and began to walk away, his steps measured, his back straight. But his mind was anything but calm.
'What assistance? What role? Why me?'
Questions stacked on top of each other, heavy and unanswered.
As he neared the doors, a sound cut through his thoughts.
A small, broken cry.
Ezra froze.
Then another sob followed, louder this time.
His eyes widened. 'That's…'
Lior.
Everything else vanished.
The king, the throne, the secrets, the kingdom. All of it dropped away in an instant. Ezra spun around and rushed for the exit, his heart pounding hard against his ribs.
His maman's instincts immediately kick in as he pushes the door open.
"Lior!"
"GO AWAY! I DON'T LIKE YOU!"
What?