The threat of the looming war

They were being attacked at their lowest point.

"What should we do, your majesty?" At this point, it was not even a question whether they were betrayed or not. It was a given that they were and there was no saying otherwise.

However, without any concrete proof of the same and a name to accompany the crime, Keito could not convict anyone of this crime either.

"Call a meeting with every available security head. Tell them all to gather in the war room and that his majesty will be there shortly" Keito was thankful for Jess who took control of the current situation.

Keito was in no shape to take charge right now. His mind was a mess of emotions and mistakes which caused him to ask the question - just what did he do wrong to deserve this?

Even in the past he did not have to suffer such cruel fate, then why did this illusion test him so? He could just not understand what he was meant to learn here? 

That it was easy to betray and be betrayed? That he was not a good king and should hand over the leadership? Surely those were not the lessons he was sent here to learn? He already knew them, had learned them and faced those challenges.

"What should I do Jess?" With a broken voice, the young king's desperation spok c clearly to his closest confidant.

"You should do what feels right to you. Tell me Keito, do you want to go to war or do you want to watch everything your parents build up go down in flames?" The question was valid and yet there was no right answer to it.

If the kingdom fell then it was over for them. The legacy, the history and the very foundation of this nation would change.

And yet, the war was no solution either. A lot of innocent lives would end and the fires of hatred would flame over.

But talking with other nations would not produce any miracles either. He had tried it already in his past life, his confidence sky high at that point which had caused him to fall flat.

The push for war would come, the nobility would demand it in the honor of their fallen brethren and the common folk would suffer the consequences.

"We are in a situation where what I need doesn't matter. The war is unavoidable and it might be in our best interest to prepare for it. Give me a few moments to myself please. I'll follow you in a minute" the female tilted her head in an understanding manner before she left. The last gaze she cast on the other was one of worry which went ignored.

This was the official low point of the whole illusion, that was what Keito felt. His parents were dead and his kingdom was on the brink of a war.

And Noah was nowhere to be found at all.

'What should we do?' Keito could only ask this of the wolf in the solute of his own mind.

'Do what you must. It's your trial and I can't help you' that was, perhaps, far too revealing of a sentence. If Kaito had been in a better headspace he would have questioned the validity of that claim.

Actually, in any other situation they Keito would have been in a better mindset to take in everything.

But all his mind would flash back to was the things that had happened and somehow, the words of that child came back to his mind.

"Should I risk it? Asking help from the temple?" there seemed to be no trap in that offer for help at all. Yet, Keito could not help but feel that there was an ulterior motive behind those words. He did trust that child but not the temple itself and that child was definitely acting on their order to a certain degree. 

'Do you want to?' Once again, the other was of no help at all. Keito felt as if the water was closing in on him from  all sides and breathing seemed to be getting difficult all of a sudden.

"Your highness, should I inform the council that you need more time to yourself?" The guard had entered but Keiot had not been aware that he was no longer alone. The stare the other got for his effort was almost acidic in nature and it  abused him to take an involuntary step back before Keito no longer stared him down.

"No need" Keito finally decided to face reality head on. He was not ready for it, not even a little bit but the more he waited, the further the solution seemed to be.

The war room was the place which was seldomly used and yet one of the most well kept places inside the palace. This was the only place that did see an active usage and yet could not be left alone in case of any emergency need except the extra wards inside the hospital.

It was due to this very reason that it did not take long before it was ready to accept its recipients in the form of army generals and other department heads. The general feeling of unrest and unease could be felt coming off of the people currently present inside the room.

Among them some were optimistic for this opportunity, others worried about their financial checks and other needs they could face but one spoke anything. No one wanted to provoke the crimson figure that sat at the head table,the likely future queen and the closest companion the crown had currently.

Lady Jess was a figure to behold, power and influence undeniable. And yet was her scent, the powerful and subduing scent that everyone dumbfounded everyone.

The young king who sat on her side looked far too pale and fragile in comparison. It was difficult to tell who the real power holders in this situation were.

But no one could forget the power the royal family held, their golden eyes a sign of blessing from the dragon deity long ago and their blood of divine ancestors.

This young man, the fragile looking youth who seemed not to be able to care tir himself at all was their future without doubt.

"You all are aware what incident caused this meeting" that was not a question but a fact. Even if the news was hushed, it would always reach the ear of the privileged, "the war is unavoidable but you all are not obligated to help me out. But I still want to ask you all for help"

That exclamation was followed by a period of silence, everyone looking for someone else to take the lead on it but no one seemed to be coming forward. It was clear that no one wanted to be held responsible for any decisions made.

"I will lay my life down for this nation when needed and I'm sure everyone else will too" the crimson vision, Jess Dawn, the one who was said to be the pinnacle of perfection in female form kneeled down on one knee, her gaze unphased and challenging all the while.

No one could refute her claim or say otherwise. Her fierce gaze along with her resolute tone made it clear that she would not take no for an answer and if needed, she would cut them all down. 

Slowly, another one kneeled down - the Duke of the southern province followed by another and then another till most of them were kneeling down. Seeing this scene, the others couldn't help but follow along. Even if they did not want to help the war, there was no other choice but to do so now.

Otherwise they would be marked as a traitor which was equally as bad.

"I'm grateful to have such understanding subjects. Please stand up and be at ease" people followed but no one could be said to be happy about this situation. Keito observed the situation, his own heart sinking when he looked at the response.

The shadows inside the hall seemed to be darker than before for a few seconds and a strong breeze blew in the seemingly empty room which seemed not to be felt by anyone else but Keito.

Jess stood by his side and yet she looked so far away when he looked at her. And she was not the only one.  There were more here whom he had considered to be close to him but this all seemed to be so far away at this moment.

His mind flashed to his previous life and he  opined the absence of a crucial factor. Noah had bridged the gap. He had missed it last time but the other had tried his best to keep him social and going. He had filled in this emptiness with his dry humor and weird apology and everything had been fine.

And now everything felt empty and devoid of emotions. 

Unknown to the young king and everyone else, a small gear escaped those cold golden eyes, giving it a molten and yet vulnerable feel.