Chapter 35 - Peaceful Gaze

The party at Jenu's house was going on smoothly. Everyone was eating,drinking and having a grand time. Alainara and other children ran around the yard with soft cakes shaped like King Raglan.

Naian and his friends had erected a King Raglan life size figure made out of sticks, straw and twigs. It was clothed in silk robes and had a wooden crown that was painted gold. Children ran around in circles as they merrily squealed at the figure. They threw colourful flower petals at it while singing songs of praise to their king.

Emelinia watched Naian talk happily with his friends. Naian caught her staring and waved lightly at her. Emelinia turned away feeling flustered at having gotten caught. She then smiled to herself and joined Akirexer who was talking to a small group of women.

****

Light and Sharaina arrived at the royal castle alongside Light's fellow tutors and their dates. Light looked dashingly handsome in his black tuxedo. His hair was neatly combed and his face was clean shaven. He took one look at the castle and averted his breath taking gaze to Sharaina. She was grinning at him so he smiled back.

"What?" he asked her.

"Why did you cut your hair?" she straight up asked him.

Light laughed softly as he felt the part of his head where his ponytail used to be. His hair now only fell to his neck and was short on the sides. "I thought that I would try a new look. You don't like it?" he asked her and she tilted her head with a grin.

"You always look handsome to me." she mirthfully replied.

Light held out his elbow. "Shall we, my lady?" he waved his eyebrows up and down.

"But of course." Sharaina took it and they gracefully walked into the castle.

Their table was inside the castle in the Very Important Person section. That meant that they were all going to dine with King Raglan. Sharaina felt her heart burning with excitement because that was her first time in the royal castle. She also never saw King Raglan up close before so she was eager to see him.

Light pulled a chair and smiled at Sharaina as she sat on it. He soon sat down and was immediately engaged in a conversation with a tutor. Sharaina tried her best not to look awkward in the presence of the other tutors at the table. She politely smiled at a few while internally hoping that Light would divert his attention back to her.

"So Light, who is this beautiful lady?" the tutor who stole Light's attention asked as he lustfully eyed Sharaina making her growl internally.

Light held her hand and she blushed a little. "She is my other half." he happily said and sent happy chuckles across the table. "Her name is Sharaina."

"It is a pleasure meeting you Sharaina. I am Deven and this here..." he gestured to the lady on his right. "Is my darling wife, Silda." she smiled widely at the introduction.

"The pleasure is all mine." Sharaina politely said with a nod.

Servants approached the table and served them food that was the most delicious and prestigious looking food Sharaina had ever seen in her life.

One poured them wine and Sharaina looked longingly at her wine glass.

She hadn't had a drop of alcohol from the time that she left home. She just wanted to pick it up and drink it all in one gulp. Light looked at her with one eye brow raised and she chuckled. It was clear to her that he knew what she was thinking. Light asked the servant to leave the wine bottle and he did.

'Thank you' she secretly mouthed to him.

Light leaned closer to her ear. "Yes but go easy okay. We will be here until evening time." he whispered to her.

"Okay." she whispered back with a smile.

The ball went on for three hours but there was no sign of King Raglan. As the guests waited, they decided to dance. Light and Sharaina were no exception. Light held her close as they swayed to the gentle melody coming from the piano and violins.

The sudden sound of trumpets disrupted the music. Light turned his face behind and Sharaina looked over his shoulder only to see guards matching in. King Raglan entered the ball room and everyone bowed down on one knee. Once King Raglan was seated on his majestic golden throne, everyone rose and returned to their seats.

Sharaina couldn't help but stare at King Raglan concerned. From what she heard about him, she expected him to be in a jovial mood but instead he looked pale and distraught. The Enchanted Seven sat around him and they too appeared to be bothered by King Raglan's mood. Only one appeared not to be bothered at all and that was Commander Luven---Prince Meelzib's accomplice.

****

"Alright everyone it is time to light up the stick figure." Jenu said to his party guests. "This year our newlyweds should light it up." He said and everyone clapped.

Emelinia blushed as she watched Naian go to her with a lit torch in his hand. He held it out and she looked into his warm eyes. His bushy eyelashes and dimples gave Emelinia a tingling sensation throughout her body. She shyly dropped her gaze and slowly got hold of the torch.

Everyone watched the two of them walk to the figure and when they finally lit it, they cheered and popped their bottles of wine. The women, including Akirexer, wasted no time in dancing around it. They joyfully sang songs of praise to King Raglan. They stomped their bare feet in the sand in a remarkable dance routine that had been practiced for generations. The bells on their ankles synced exceptionally well with the tambourines shaking in their hands. As they danced, they were careful not to let the veils on their heads fall.

****

"It's time to light up our figure." The royal spokesperson said and everyone got up from their seats.

Suddenly a portal appeared and the royal guards activated their weapons. Some rushed to King Raglan and shielded him. Tension replaced the excitement in the room and confused murmurs commenced. Prince Meelzib stepped out of the portal and his powerful scowl made the guests anxious. He glared at King Raglan with sheer hatred in his eyes. He lifted his finger to point at him and the Enchanted Seven abruptly stood up.

"Your time as ruler of Dark Star is over father. It is high time you stepped down from the throne." Prince Meelzib said and people gasped.

"Are you out of your mind?" Commander Sevilon asked, annoyed.

"It will be wise of you to stay out of this Sevilon for it doesn't concern you." Prince Meelzib coldly answered him.

"Are you here to challenge me boy?" King Raglan weakly spoke up.

Prince Meelzib laughed sarcastically. "I am here to claim the throne father. I am not foolish enough to challenge you."

King Raglan was about to say something else when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. King Raglan dropped golden royal goblet and the wine spelt to the floor. He forced himself up and staggered to the floor. The tight knot in his chest made it difficult for him to breathe. His vision grew blurry as the metallic taste of his blood in his mouth disgusted him. He could feel it building up in his throat and there was no way to force it back down. King Raglan coughed and a lot of it poured out of his mouth and stained his robe.

At that point the women began to scream. Commander Sevilon and Commander Ouman ordered gamarax manipulators to attend to King Raglan but Prince Meelzib's followers pointed their weapons at them, threatening to strike them down. The gamarax manipulators backed away with terror in their eyes. Sharaina watched King Raglan cough up more blood and she felt very bad. Light protectively held her hand and kept his eyes on King Raglan.

"Had you not allowed yourself to be depressed over a woman, you would have sensed the natrifin dragon venom in your wine." Prince Meelzib said to King Raglan in the coldest tone ever heard.

"I have failed you as a father Meelzib." King Raglan weakly said. "Worst of all, I have failed my people. I will die an unhappy man if I don't seek their forgiveness first." King Raglan continued and Sevilon got down on his knees. He supportively held him.

"Do not speak like this my King." Sevilon said.

"It's alright my friend." King Raglan said to him. "What I am saying is the truth. I should have tried harder with him. I am paying the price of being a failure as a father." he insisted and Meelzib rolled his eyes.

King Raglan pointed his bloody finger at Meelzib. "I forgive you for what you have done today but you will equally face your own punishment one day. Meelzib, a time will come when you will fall so hard that you will never rise up again. When that time comes, you will remember my words." he said with a bloody grin.

King Raglan weakly looked up and set his hazy gaze on Sharaina. His vision cleared as he blinked and he locked eyes with her. The pain in his eyes vanished and he smiled at her to her astonishment. He kept his peaceful gaze on her for a little while until his eyes went dull. Sevilon tucked his lips and closed his eyes in anguish. Ouman knelt down beside him and closed King Raglan's eyelids.

The people started to weep with the servants crying the most. Their kind king was gone and there was no telling what would happen to them. Reena couldn't hold back her own tears and she cried openly. The whole ball was filled with the sound of mourns.

The doors were flung open and Lavila pompously strutted in with her crown on her head. She had so much pride in her eyes and a sinister grin as she ignored the cries of the people. She went over to King Raglan's body and heartlessly snatched the crown off his head. Sevilon furiously glared at her but Ouman's controlling hold on his shoulder kept his temper at bay.

Lavila smiled evilly at Meelzib and he knelt down. She snickered as she set the crown on his head much to the devastation of the guests. Sevilon faced away in disgust.

"Behold your new King! All bow down to King Meelzib!" She yelled with her hands up in the air.

King Meelzib stood up and faced the Enchanted Seven intimidatingly. One by one they bowed down before him. Commander Sevilon glared angrily at him before finally bowing down. Upon seeing that the Enchanted Seven bowed down to King Meelzib, everyone began to bow down.

Sharaina was the only one standing. She couldn't take her eyes off King Raglan's corpse. Her eyes were wide with shock. She felt heavily perplexed by what just happened.

"Why did he look at me like that?" she stressed.

Light was already on his knee when he realized that Sharaina was still standing. He shot a quick look at King Meelzib and silently heaved in relief because his back was turned. Light got hold of Sharaina's hand and forced her to bow down.

King Meelzib walked up to the throne and marveled at it. Finally the day that he had been waiting for so long had arrived. Lavila smiled proudly at her son. Because of what he had done, she was redeemed. No one was ever going to throw her out of the castle and strip her of her power again.

"The time is finally here." His dragon, Umandaang, telepathically said to him.

"The wait is over. Now it will be known that I am king." Meelzib replied telepathically and heard Umandaang's raspy laugh.

King Meelzib faced the crowd with arrogance and pride. He slowly sat on the golden throne with his legs crossed and fingers locked together. The dark and cold grin on his face sent shivers down some of the guest's spines. He let out a deep laugh when he heard Umandaang roar like thunder.