Chapter 123

King Hamelot stood before the window of his bed chambers. Silence filled the air of the palace as he contemplated the outcome of things to come. His dull, aged, blue eyes scanned the palace grounds down below.

Krrrrkkk...

The sound of his bedroom door opening from behind him gained his focus. A familiar sound of foot steps could be heard following the opening of the door.

"You're still awake, father?" Curtis asked while the look on his face gave away that he was not really surprised to see the king awake. Though neither of them had spoke it outwardly; they both were already holding suspicions toward each other from the beginning.

"It's late, Curtis. Since when do you find it proper to enter the king's chambers without permission this late?" Hamelot questioned his son's motive.

Curtis paced his way towards his father and gently grasped hold of his shoulder as if to comfort him. The very feeling of his son's hand on his shoulder felt cold and distant. The young man before him had long become almost a stranger to him. No matter how well he knew Curtis it was impossible to control him anymore.

Have you truly become beyond help? King Hamelot sighed slowly as if to mask his thoughts.

"You are afraid," Curtis asked since there was nobody else around to hear. It was impossible for him to not be aware of the fear behind his fathers eyes. He had spent many years waiting for his fathers gaze to turn in his direction so it was hard for him to be unaware of what Hamelot was feeling when he looked at him now. "of me, father?"

"... No," King Hamelot paused for a moment before he spoke. If he did not speak his mind now he would never again be able to. "Curtis, you are my child. Before I am a King I will always be your father. I could never fear my own. I think you are mistaking my disappointment in your choices as something else."

"Bullsh-!" Curtis's rage burst forth at his denial.

"The only fear your seeing is your own! The person who is afraid of you the most is not me, nor is it anyone else in this kingdom! It is yourself and you fail to acknowledge that fact! Your projecting your self hate onto everyone else when your actually the one who fails to accept yourself the most."

"What a load of.." Curtis grit his teeth together not knowing how to refute his fathers words. He could not understand what meaning his father was trying to get through to him. It only angered him more because he had no thought on even trying to listen.

Leaning towards his father he whispered into his ear. "Perhaps you should save your parenting for the third prince."

The mention of the third prince caused the blood to drain from the king's face in silence. Glancing over at the cold expression in his eyes gave his body chills.

Fwip. Shhk.

A sudden and cold pain burst into Hamelot's stomach. Trembling, his hands moved up to grasp hold of Curtis's hand that was firmly grasping a blade he had just driven into Hamelot. Warm blood could be felt dripping from their hands as his body wavered where it stood.

Thud.

King Hamelot fell to the floor while holding his hand against the wound where the blade had pierced him. Blood pouring from the wound as he gazed up at Prince Curtis still holding the blade in his hand. It was similar to the one that had been used to kill the third prince not long ago. No, was it possibly the same exact one?

"Cur... Curtis." The King weakly tried to call out to his son.

Towering over the king in silence he watched as Hamelot struggled for his life.

"Are you faltering? Your so close and yet now you falter?" Chynir's deep and impatient voice could be heard in the back of Curtis's mind calling out to him.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear your voice right now." Curtis grumbled under his breath but not even the prince himself was sure if he was scolding his father or the god he had sworn his loyalty to. After coming so far to gain the throne, to gain power, he was not going to let himself waver at the last moment. He wanted to become stronger and become one of the god, Chynir's, best servants. A warrior for his god's ambitions for the future. Chynir was a dangerous god to follow but he was one who Curtis felt saw promise in him.

So what if I dirty my hands with something so trivial as long as I gain recognition from him? Curtis thought as a cold smile formed on his face.

"... The path you've chosen.. will only.. lead to your own misery.." King Hamelot's final words could be taken as a warning. In his heart even at the end he only prayed his son would learn to let go before he fell even deeper into a darkness that he would not be able to overcome. In the mind of the prince those words were only cruel.

Prince Curtis tossed the blade to the floor and walked over to the king's wardrobe. Pulling out a cloth he began to wipe the blood from his hands as he listened to the sounds of Hamelot slowly fading away on the floor. It did not take long before silence was all that was left. From the corner of his eye he could see the man had gone still. Allowing him to exhale a breath he had not realized he was holding in.

After making sure that the blood was removed from his hands he stuffed the rag into his clothes where it could not be seen by others and quickly fled the King's bed chambers.

When morning came the King's servants would find him in his room with the knife of an assassin just like they had found his youngest sibling.

At the sudden death of King Hamelot and the absence of the Crown Prince who had gained negative rumors because of Curtis it would only become a simple matter for him to take control of the throne when the sun came the following day.

"All that's left in my way is you, brother." Curtis thought out loud as the image of his brother, Leo, flashed through his mind. An uncomfortable feeling welling up in his chest as the sudden thought of Leo.

"I should speak with Queen Lyra about the next step." Smirking to himself as he changed his thoughts to meeting with the ice queen of Ethiadan he quickened his steps towards his room so that he could make contact with Lyra. Moving their plans further would require her aid as well.

Cold wind blew through the palace grounds as the night was silent. Curtis was so distracted on the events that had just occurred that he was not aware of the gaze of another man from behind that had watched him leave the King's Chambers. The Chete's red hair was hidden under the hood of a cloak that he worn in order to hide his noticeable hair color while he observed the situation.