Authors note* Hello it's me, the idiot writing this story, who has just realised that he has given a very important character three separate and very different names.
From now on Mordred's cousin's name will be Charlotte. Hopefully I will remember to edit the older chapters to reflect this.
But for now please enjoy.
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The remaining crowd erupted into cheers at the King's appearance confirming what they all knew in their hearts.
their voices deafening as thunder, with the occasional patriotic saying breaking through the chorus of excitement.
"Long live the King!"
"Our Hero has returned!"
"Our light burns eternal!"
"No demon could ever slay a Collins!"
"Our future has returned to us!"
But the jovial mood didn't last long, as Mordred got to his feet his face grew deathly serious before he turned away from his uncle, back towards Davan and the still imprisoned Myles.
"But there are still things left to do here."
Teratorn torn towards and let out a heaven shaking cry, their actions having killed the joyous mood that had erupted from the stands.
…
Mordred had never been one to hold a grudge let alone allow one to delay a family matter.
King Leos for the first time there shifted his attention to the others who had foolishly faced off against his nephew.
When he recognized the one who stood before Mordred, the King only sighed as he recognized the captain of the "royal guard" and his brute of a son.
Before Mordred had made it halfway to the two Voyers, Leos turned back to his nephew and asked what to the both of them seemed like a pointless question.
"What has poor Myles done now?"
Mordred paused the moment his uncle had spoken the first word, he had not paused out of annoyance or shame.
He had paused like a soldier, and as he fixed his posture he spoke.
"Actions unforgivable."
His words were short and simple but held a terrible power, even when he had spoken it at a leveled volume.
It had traveled to every corner of the arena, the tone of the giant giving every witness goosebumps.
But for the older brother of Uther, Leos was left unfazed in truth he laughed.
"That serious?"
Leos couldn't help but make light of the situation, his nephew had inherited his brother's sense of duty.
Though this need to protect the kingdom in any shape and form of attack had brought on many problems in one form or another.
"He has turned his sword against our people and has taken a vow on the heart of the throne, which he has failed to keep."
Mordred said as he turned to his uncle, his tone was not of anger or annoyance but of certainty.
The certainty that came from speaking to another who held the same values as themselves, immovable and steadfast as the mountains that their kingdom of Soladarr is built around.
KIng Leos turned his attention back to Davan, and spoke to him for the first time since his Nephew's disappearance.
"It seems your youngest has failed to grasp the duty of his station."
The King said in the same light tone, but his eyes held nothing but mirth.
Like a swordsman who hid behind the mask of a jester, but no amount of garish colors and silver tongue could ever dull a sharpened blade.
And Davan knew that all too well, he sheathed Wyrmcutter and fixed his uniform before speaking to his 'lord and master'.
"This whole ordeal has been blown far out of proportion, your majesty."
Davan knew he had to play this little game of words, he knew he was already on the back foot and he needed to remove that as soon as possible.
"I have heard reports of members of the royal guard who have started to frisk my people of their hard earned money."
King Leos fixed Davan's crooked lapel, his tone starting to fail in hiding his true feelings.
Because he knew that that brute Myles was behind the protection money ring, but due to the fearful public many would not testify and those who could had no way of proving it was Myles who was responsible.
But now this was different, Myles had been caught red handed by a noble of even higher standing than the Voyers.
"I believe the report you sent the royal house was that you would send your son to discover the truth about this issue?"
It was at that moment that Davan knew that all he could do now was play defensively and try his best at damage control.
But King happily continued his questioning, that report talking about how Myles would be heading an internal investigation had gotten to the King in a way very few things have done before.
"How could Myles have gotten away with this for so long?"
"Were you not paying attention to the corruption rotting its way into your Royal Guard?"
Despite its name the royal guard had been out of the royal family's control for a little over sixty years, this autonomy being granted by King Dogner who had done it in an attempt for finding his missing love.
But the moment King Leos took the throne from his mentally failing father the royal guard had become a thorne in the kingdom's side.
It had become a heartfelt wish of most within the king's faction that the Royal Guard would be vanquished in one form or another.
Now here was Leos' chance to at least make a break in their armor, and he was going to make the most of it.
"Have you even been keeping an a eye on your people, what would an innocent member of you Royal Guard even do if they wished to come forward and report the crimes of their comrads?"
After King Leos barrage of questions, the indomitable captain of the royal guard could take a knee in front of his majesty and 'confess' his failures.
"I thought I had raised him better."
Davan spoke in a devastated tone but failed to hide the resentment in his eyes, like a troublesome brat finally getting scolded but no word would ever get through.
"I had been busy with the duties entrusted to me by the oblige faction and failed to keep a hold of my own people."
"If y…"
"Enough."
The king silenced the guard captain before he could publicly make excuses, like he had done so many times with less politically savvy members of his faction.
'Poor Uther…'
Leos thought before continuing his final words on this
"You have taken up enough of my time, and I am needed elsewhere."
"A proper investigation will be headed by one not complicit in these crimes and there will be consequences for those found guilty."
Davan could only nod in acknowledgement as the ashen coffin that imprisoned Myles dispersed into a pile of cinders dropping him onto the floor free at last.
Leos turned his back to nephew and smiled, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ready to visit now?"
Mordred laughed as the two made their way out of the arena leaving the few remaining audience members and the two Voyers to stew on the events of today.
…
Mary loved Mordred with all her heart, the wonderchild who would fiercely take on any task and trial.
She had been a second mother to the young Collins, when he was the crown prince it was she who was able to teach him manners and the ways of proper etiquette one needs as the heir to Soladarr.
But in the end, it was all for not. With Charlotte's birth Mordred no longer was the heir to the throne.
Mary, as the one who had forced the lovable brute that was her nephew into cramming all that knowledge into the poor boy's head, felt quite guilty for being the reason that it was all for not.
But Mary, if anything, was a woman of reason and she had known better than anyone else how Mordred did not wish to be king.
And that fact did help ease the guilt she felt during her pregnancy. It was also a blessing that Mordred was ecstatic at the fact that he would soon have a cousin.
It was during this time an old family friend came to the Queen of Soladarr, Darla Marrion.
That simple maid had been the closest thing to a mother for Mary, who had come with her to the palace when she had married the King.
Forgoing the usual in-depth investigation that awaited anyone who wished to serve in the palace, due to their relationship and deep connection.
Now after serving the royal family for almost twenty years, the lovely old woman had come to her pseudo daughter with a request.
Darla wished to spend the last few years of her life caring for the young heir, if of course his highness and her majesty allowed it.
Damn her, she welcomed the offer with open arms, to the thing that pretended to be human.
That pretended to care, that pretended to love her, that thing that only hungered for her daughter's soul.
When it was all said and done, Charlotte came to the world with the most beautiful cry Mary had ever heard.
On that day when she first tucked her daughter into her bed, Mary knew everything was perfect, that she and her family would only know paradise.
She was wrong, so damn wrong.
At the end of that day, her child was spared by the sacrifice of poor Mordred.
The conspirator being none other than Darla, no that sweet old woman never existed.
It was Carladax, that horrid demon who stole her poor nephew away, in exchange for her poor daughter to remain unharmed.
Mordred, her Mordred.
Her sweet nephew and prized student, the boy who sacrificed himself for a child who would never remember him.
The boy who never stopped fighting even while in the demon's horrid grasp.
That image of him struggling even as his flesh burned, haunted her.
Yes her hero haunted her, his sacrifice plagued Mary's mind, the child's screams and the laughter of that horrid demon filled her nightmares.
Mordred's disappearance destroyed her family, and his disappearance was all her fault.
But that was not the end of it, for after the deed was done and Mordred gone, word started spreading about the queen raised by a demon.
But Leos and the rest of the royal court did their best to silence these whispers, but Mary couldn't care less.
For there was only one thing that now plagued the Queen's mind, and that was the safety of her daughter.
Members of staff were constantly shuffled in and out of the castle.
Constant background checks being held monthly.
She hovered over the staff, like a mad stage director.
Of course many understood the source of the Queen's mania, but that did not stop the few that were bitter from spreading word about the mad grief stricken queen.
But these only helped Mary feel even more vindicated, seeing their loose lips as proof of their disloyalty.
Mary had spent the next four years split between extreme paranoia for her daughter's safety, and despairing over the fate of Mordred.
…
And then the impossible happened, he returned.
But Mary couldn't face him, how could she?
The sacrificial lamb had returned and the butcher had no right to look him in the eye.
Charlotte's laughter broke through Mary's melancholy state.
The most beautiful sound Mary ever heard, wait why was Charlotte laughing?
She had sent her to her room due to her playing in the courtyard without supervision.
Mary, not being the greatest when dealing with unknowns, bursted into the hall and sped towards where Charlotte was laughing while clutching the hem of her dress.
When she made it to the entertainment room, Mary was terrified by what she saw.
A man of a massive size raising Charlotte into the air with its massive arms, the innocent child completely failing to see the danger she was in.
The giant had apparently noticed her existence, and turned to face her.
She watched as the lumbering thing turned to her, soon she noticed the massive scar that covered the bottom half of its face.
But when the giant finally had fully turned to face Mary, with Charlotte sitting on his shoulder.
She couldn't believe her eyes, she truly thought she had been dreaming.
It was Mordred, smiling like he always did.
Charlotte happily played with his long stark gray hair, totally obsessed with the somewhat familiar giant.
"Hello, sister Mary!"