Chapter 1: The New King Rises
Note: This is a romantasy.
Be aware of described violence, death, and assault.
-Cole-
“The king is dead! Long live the king!”
My father... dead. After years of ruling beside my mother, his life had come to an end. But it was not a simple cold or age that took him from us. No, it was them. It was the pagans. My grandfather had done his best to rid the world of them, but he too had perished. My own father, for reasons I could not comprehend, refused to continue the hunt. And where did that get him? Dead.
He lay on the altar, his body wrapped in white cloth, sage burning around him. My mother wept beside me, my sister holding her, trying to offer comfort. But there was nothing we could do for our mother. Our father had been the love of her life, and they had fought so hard to be together, only to be torn apart... by them.
I tightened my grip around his sword. It had belonged to his father before him and had served him well. Now I hoped it would protect me too, as I set off to do what needed to be done... to make sure we would all be safe.
“Cole?” I felt my sister place her hand on my shoulder, but I barely looked at her before I turned and started to walk away.
“Cole!” This time, she yelled my name, and it wasn’t long before I heard her following me. I looked over my shoulder, seeing her gray eyes lock onto mine. She had inherited those from our father, while I had our mother’s blue ones.
“Cole, where are you going?” she asked, fear in her voice.
I didn’t answer her but continued to walk away. The castle was dark and quiet. They had come in the night and taken my father, but the silence wasn’t just from their absence. No, the quiet was a reflection of the grief that had enveloped the castle. While I would soon wear the crown, I couldn’t sit on that throne until I was certain that they would never be a threat to us again.
“Cole!”
“Go back, Liana. Take care of Mother,” I ordered, stopping.
I turned to face her, and she halted a few feet away, shaking her head.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said.
“No, you don’t!” I replied sharply.
I tried to walk away, but she kept following me.
“You’re going after them, aren’t you?”
“Liana!”
“Don’t do this, brother!” she pleaded, grabbing my arm and forcing me to face her. “It will cost you your life! And then who will rule? Do you really want to leave these people without a king? Do you want to leave our mother without a son?”
“Liana,” I warned, my voice firm.
I didn’t want to hear any more. The longer I waited, the further away the pagans would get.
“I have to do this!”
“That’s not true! We need our king, not a dead fool!”
“Liana, let me go!”
“Cole, please! Don’t do this!”
I narrowed my eyes, and the dark intensity in my blue gaze made her take a step back. Yet, I could still see the disappointment in her eyes.
“If you go... I fear you won’t come back,” she said.
Liana had her own secret, one she had never shared with our parents. She had dreams... strange dreams that sometimes came true.
“Cole... We can’t lose you.”
“Cole!” Just then, a familiar voice echoed down the long hallway. It was Sebastian, our good friend and my oldest companion, now serving as a knight.
“I’m not king yet, Sebastian,” I stated. “There has been no coronation.”
He nodded and took his place beside Liana. He gave her a small smile, and I noticed the redness spread across her cheeks. I rolled my eyes at the sight. No one was allowed to get close to my younger sister.
“Are you headed somewhere?” he asked, slowly trying to grasp the tense situation.
“Out,” I said, trying to walk away, but they both followed me.
“Tell him he can’t, Sebastian!” Liana urged.
“Can’t what?” Sebastian inquired.
“Go! He’s going after the pagans!” she whispered urgently.
“Cole!” Suddenly, Sebastian grabbed my arm and spun me around. His green eyes, wide with concern, reflected his fear. He slowly shook his head, clearly struggling to accept that I might be making such a reckless decision. “Tell me you aren’t—”
“My father is dead,” I cut in.
“Which makes you king now!” he replied. His grip on my arm tightened.
“Let me go,” I said firmly.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I cannot.”
“Sebastian... I won’t warn you again,” I said.
He continued to shake his head, his stubbornness frustrating me. I yanked my arm free and, in a swift motion, punched him squarely in the nose.
“Oh God! Cole!” Liana yelled.
Sebastian stepped back, clutching his bleeding nose and groaning. Liana moved to his side, trying to help him while glaring at me.
“What is the matter with you?” she sneered.
“Our father is dead,” I repeated, my voice resolute.
“And you’ve lost your mind!”
She stepped closer, positioning herself directly in front of me so that we stood face-to-face, only inches apart.
“I have to do this,” I admitted.
“No, you don’t.”
“Liana...”
“You go, and you’ll die!” she shouted.
I looked at her, feeling a bit confused. Her anger seemed to waver, and her expression softened to one of pain.
“I’ve seen it...” she whispered. “In my dreams.”
“You saw me die... but not Father?” I asked.
She shook her head. “My dream was about you. I saw you leave in anger, going after them... but you won’t succeed. Don’t do this, Cole,” she pleaded.
Sebastian continued to groan in pain, his gaze shifting between Liana and me. Besides me, he was the only one who knew about her visions. I turned back to my sister, noticing her eyes growing teary.
“Your visions aren’t always accurate,” I said.
I turned and began walking away.
“Cole!” I heard her call, but I kept moving through the winding hallways.
Returning to my room, I packed a bag and then went to the stables. I found my white stallion, prepared him, and mounted his back. As dawn broke, I left the castle, casting one last glance at the gloomy place mourning its dead king.
