The soft hum of enchanted torches flickered along the pale stone walls of the King's chamber. The scent of incense and bitter medicine lingered in the air, mixing with the heavy silence that often accompanied royalty on the verge of death.
Emeney stepped through the large double doors, Rayne following quietly behind. Her steps slowed as her eyes landed on the figure propped against a mountain of pillows on the large canopied bed. King Snow looked far older than he had just weeks ago. His skin was pale, lips tinged blue, and his breaths came shallow beneath the weight of sickness. A healer hovered by his bedside, fingers glowing with soft magic, adjusting vials and checking his pulse.
As soon as the King saw them enter, a weary but warm smile touched his lips.
"Daughter. Rayne. Come."
His voice was strained but steady.
Emeney walked forward immediately, concern etched in every line of her face. "Father…you shouldn't be straining yourself…."
The King gently raised his hand. "I'm alright. For now"
His eyes, sharper than they had any right to be in such a broken body, fell on Rayne. "I need a moment with your guard"
Emeney blinked, confused. "Alone?"
He nodded.
"Please. You as well, healer"
The healer bowed deeply and quietly exited. Emeney hesitated. Her gaze flicked between her father and Rayne, her mind buzzing with questions she couldn't voice. But after a pause, she nodded slowly and turned to leave. Her eyes lingered on Rayne. Just for a second. Then the doors closed, and the chamber was silent once more.
Rayne stood a few paces from the bed, his hands loosely clasped behind his back. He didn't speak, didn't move, but the silence stretched thin as the King stared at him. Studying him. A minute passed.
Rayne shifted on his feet, uncomfortable but keeping his usual aloofness.
"You wanted to speak with me, Your Majesty?"
The King's gaze didn't waver. "You've saved her twice."
Rayne blinked. "I don't believe I've counted"
The King gave a dry chuckle, which quickly turned into a cough. He waved it off, then continued. "You've risked your life for my daughter. Not once, but twice. Despite your 'low' tank. Despite no real obligation"
Rayne tilted his head slightly, unsure how to respond. "Isn't that the work of the king's guard?"
Then the King's eyes narrowed, not with suspicion, but certainty.
"You're Leo Ryder, aren't you?"
The air in the room froze.
Rayne's composure cracked for half a second. "I…" He tried to laugh it off, play dumb, say something clever, but the King's faint smile held no doubt. Just truth. Rayne sighed deeply and looked away, tension settling into his shoulders. "…How long have you known?"
"I suspected the moment I laid eyes on you" The King's voice softened. "But I wasn't sure until today"
Rayne met his gaze, cautious now. "What gave me away?"
The King exhaled, leaning back further against his pillows. "You're the spitting image of your father"
Rayne froze. His face shifted slightly, a mix of confusion and something deeper, an ache that he'd buried long ago. "You knew him?" He asked, voice low.
The King nodded, solemn."I did. Long ago. Before he disappeared. Before he…abandoned your mother the night you were born"
That hit harder than it should have. Rayne's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
The King didn't push further. "I didn't bring you here to dig through pain" He said gently. "Only to tell you that I know who you are"
Rayne straightened, pushing aside the rising tide of anger and confusion."So is that it?" He asked. "You figured it out, and now what? You planning to announce it? Tell Emeney?"
The King shook his head slowly.
"No. I won't ask why you're hiding who you are. Or how you survived. Or why now" He paused. "I only ask one thing"
Rayne waited.
"Is this for her?" The King's voice broke slightly. "Are you back for her? Are you here to protect her? Not harm her?"
The silence was brief. Then Rayne nodded once. "I am"
Something softened in the King's eyes. Relief. Perhaps hope. He nodded too, then reached out a trembling hand. "Then I beg you, Leo…Rayne…whoever you are now, please keep her alive. When I'm gone, she'll be alone in more ways than one. This kingdom will bury her in duty. But she deserves more than that. She deserves to live"
Rayne stepped forward, meeting the King's hand with his own.
"I'll try my best" He said, quietly but firmly.
The King closed his eyes briefly, as if finally releasing a burden he'd carried far too long.
"Good" He whispered.
***
The hallway outside the King's room was quiet. Emeney stood just beside the heavy double doors, arms crossed, eyes flickering toward the glowing runes engraved in the stone floor. She was still trying to make sense of what her father could possibly want from Rayne in private. Her mind was a flurry of questions she hadn't been able to voice.
Why him? What could they possibly need to discuss that I couldn't be present for? The stillness dragged on. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, hands clenched now, nerves biting at her patience.
Then, a click. The door opened behind her. She spun on instinct. Rayne stepped out, quietly pulling the door shut behind him with care. His expression, at first, was unreadable, but as his gaze met hers, he quickly morphed into that familiar smirk. The same infuriating, charming, sarcastic grin that he wore like armor.
"So?" Emeney asked immediately, a playful light dancing in her eyes despite the weight in her chest. "What was that about?"
Rayne stretched his arms lazily and sighed. "Well, turns out I'm next in line for the throne. Your father wants me to marry you and rename the kingdom 'Raynedom'" He tapped his chin. "Still deciding if I'll accept"
Emeney gave him a deadpan stare. "Try again"
He stepped beside her with a slight shrug.
"Fine. He asked for sword-fighting lessons. Says he wants to impress a lady healer before he kicks the royal bucket"
She couldn't help it, she laughed, rolling her eyes as she gently shoved him. "You are impossible"
Rayne winked."And yet here I stand, miraculously alive and still irritating"
Shaking her head, Emeney brushed past him toward the door. "I'll ask him myself" She gave him one last look before slipping inside and quietly shutting the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, Rayne's smile faded. He stared at the door for a long time, his posture suddenly still, almost statue-like. From within, he could hear the soft murmur of voices, and then, her laugh.
He closed his eyes. He could feel it. The hollowness in the King's energy. The dimming of his life force. He'd seen death before. And the King was fading. The last thing Emeney needed was another heartbreak. His jaw tightened.
"'Protect her'" He whispered again to no one.
He was still deep in thought when heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Rayne turned his head slightly to see Commander Dion approaching, his arms clasped behind his back.
"Rayne"
"Commander"
The Commander gave a short nod. "I hear the healer patched you up. Good to see you walking" His tone was polite, but his eyes were flat, as always, stern and unreadable.
Rayne gave a small shrug. "Apparently, I'm quite hard to kill"
Dion didn't smile. He never did.
"With two new recruits added to the King's Guard" The commander said, "We're conducting a full rank reorganization"
Rayne lifted a brow.
"You mean, sparring matches?"
"Exactly. Intense ones" Dion's gaze sharpened. "Everyone will fight. Including you. We need to know the strength and weaknesses of the group and of each member, and also know the type of mages we have in the rank. So be ready and come prepared, you're first"
Rayne's lips curled slightly. "Was hoping you'd say that"
***
(Time: 4:00 AM)
The sky outside was still cloaked in darkness, the moon partially veiled by slow-drifting clouds. Inside the palace, all was quiet….until the silence shattered.
CLANG…
BANG…
CLANG…
The deep, mournful toll of the castle's bell echoed through the halls, each ring deliberate and heavy.
Emeney's eyes snapped open. She sat up straight in her bed, chest rising and falling quickly, heart pounding. Her white tank top clung slightly to her skin, her blonde hair tousled from sleep, eyes wide as she tried to process the sound.
"No…" She whispered, already dreading what she felt in her gut.
She barely had time to swing her legs out of bed when, her room door burst open. Xander stood in the doorway, his face pale. His expression was raw, a mix of sorrow, panic, and helplessness. He didn't say anything at first, just walked slowly toward her.
Emeney's voice was sharp, panicked.
"What is it? What's happening?!"
Xander stopped a few feet from her bed. His hands clenched at his sides, jaw trembling. He shook his head, slowly, painfully, his eyes never leaving hers. And then, in a hoarse voice barely above a whisper:
"The King is dead"