Three months passed quickly, an uneasy peace settling over the kingdom as James held a firm seat on the throne. Essa's arrival brought whispers to the planet and fear that perhaps it was the Mother Planet's way of spying on them all, though she showed nothing but the same kindness and grief the rest of the people portrayed.
But Neil did not hold the same acceptance, the man staying with his mother, Laura, and two younger brothers on the outskirts of the city as he counted the days. He stared out the window at the rugged castle, a disgrace compared to what the other planets boasted of, but his home and his rightful place.
"We won't be here for much longer, mother. I've gathered father's loyal men and today I can finally invoke the blood right challenge to the throne. Pray your prayers for me." Neil opened the door and shifted his holster, tightening the belt to fit snuggly.
Laura rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "No! You must not go against the queen of the Mother Planet!"
"No woman should have so much power. I want to do what's right for father and this kingdom, and that is to dethrone the fake king and take my rightful place." He gently shrugged her off, though his face gentled. "All will be well, Mother."
"Your desire betrays you, son. What you are proposing is suicide! Do not throw your life away when we've been spared."
"You doubt me. But I am my father's son, and I will prove it."
Neil left without another word. He made quick work of collecting the men he'd rallied together for his cause, ensuring every last loyal soldier and guard of his father's was with him. Together, they entered the castle as the daily hearings came to an end, the group stepping into the throne room last.
"Neil. What can I do for you and your men?" James asked, exhaustion swirling in the depths of his eyes.
"James, you scum!" Neil shouted, one of Julius's older guards spitting on the floor as he did so.
"That is King James to you," one of Jame's guards defended.
Neil turned a blazing gaze to the guard and scoffed. "He is no king of mine. He let his king die. A king who trusted him and was his friend! All in the name of power. That is no king."
"I understand you're upset," James sighed. "You lost your father and Potara lost its king. You lost your birthright and your home. Everything you had and loved has been turned upside down, and I feel your pain."
"Feel my pain? How could you? You lived off the scraps from the bottom of the barrel while this was my home which you stole! You will never know my pain!"
"Silence!" James stood from the throne, eyes narrowing. "I gave you a place to stay. I did not banish you or treat you harshly for being the previous king's son. Your father was my friend and I have been nothing but kind. Now you come into my throne room and disrespect me? Perhaps I should not have been so merciful. Guards! Escort Neil from the castle and throw his men in prison for treason."
"You will not! I am evoking the fullblood right challenge!"
James looked to his men, confusion etched on his face. A guard leaned in close to help, voice low as he said, "The fullblood right challenge gives anyone who was fullblood of both previous royals and next in line the right to a fight of traditional weaponry for the crown."
"So be it. I accept the challenge," James agreed. "We will prepare ourselves and meet on the grounds in front of the castle."
As the two men prepared to fight, Laura paced nervously in the house. An unexpected knock brought her to a standstill. She reached into the drawer of her side table and claimed a pistol before she crossed the room to the door. She cracked the door open, but the moment she saw who stood there, her face turned white. Queen Eya pushed the door open and she and her men entered, looking around as they did.
"Hello, Laura." Eya sat in a chair and picked up a pillow, inspecting it casually as her men grabbed Neil's younger brothers.
"No!" Laura gasped, face desperate as she looked to Eya. "Please, let them go! Do not harm my boys!"
"I understand your fear," Eya acknowledged as she put the pillow down and met Laura's desperate gaze. "I have a daughter and would do anything to keep her safe and alive. Now this is what you're going to do. You're going to go to the castle and announce that Neil is bastard son."
"That will ruin him."
"Let me put it this way. Do it or not only will I kill these two boys in front of you, I will kill you, and then find Neil and kill him as well." Eya stood and stepped over to one of the boys.
"I'll do it, I'll do it. Just let my boys go!"
"That's not how this works. As much as I would like to trust you, I will keep these boys until you hold up your end of the deal. Don't worry, they'll be safe," Eya smiled, patting the boy's cheek. "Now go quickly. I believe a fight is about to start."
As Laura left, James and Neil faced each other. Neil wielded an axe while James chose a sword, the two a distance from each other as they prepared their stances. James tested the sword, bouncing it in his hand and spinning it as he assured himself of its mobility. With a nod, he awaited the official countdown before a guard fired a shot in the air.
The shot created the necessary boiling point and Neil charged at James with fierce determination, his axe raised high. With a war cry, he swung the weapon wildly, aiming for James's head. James, caught off guard, barely managed to sidestep the blow, feeling the rush of air as the blade sliced just past him. However, Neil's axe found its mark, nicking James on the cheek and drawing blood.
The sight of his own blood sent a jolt of adrenaline through James, heightening his senses and igniting his nerves. The sharp pain was a stark reminder of what was at stake—this was not just a duel; it was a battle for his life and his claim to the throne.
"Is this how you honor your father?" James yelled, anger fueling his resolve. He swung his sword in a wide arc, metal crashing against metal as Neil deftly deflected the blow, sparks flying in all directions.
"Don't you dare speak about honoring my father, traitor!" Neil spat, his eyes blazing. "You know nothing of honor and respect!"
With a fierce clash, their sword and axe locked together again, a battle of wills with the weight of bloodlines at stake. James narrowed his focus, refusing to back down.
"I gave you a place to stay. I did not banish you or treat you harshly. Your father was my friend!"
Neil's voice rose, filled with anger. "Gave me a place to stay? My father was your friend? This is my kingdom! You sit on my throne! You want to talk about what you give? Talk about what you stole! You took everything from me, and today I claim it all back!"
With that, Neil lunged forward again, swinging the axe with deadly precision. James ducked just in time, but the sheer force of Neil's swing sent him tumbling back, struggling to regain his footing.
The two men danced around the area, each strike echoing like thunder. James relied on his agility, weaving in and out of Neil's powerful swings, but Neil's relentless assault began to take its toll. With every clash of their weapons, James felt his strength wane.
In a moment of overconfidence, Neil charged forward, swinging his axe with all his might. James miscalculated his dodge, and the axe smashed into his nose, sending a wave of pain coursing through him. Blood gushed free, and he instinctively grabbed at his face, trying to staunch the flow while wiping away what dripped onto the ground.
"Come now, my king! The great warrior James, bested by the prince for all your men to see!" Neil taunted as he looked at his audience with a wicked smile, his laughter echoing through the hall.
James gritted his teeth, determination igniting within him. "Shut up and fight!" he shouted, forcing himself to focus. He raised his sword again, his vision blurry from the swelling around his left eye. Panic clawed at his chest, but he pushed it aside, blocking Neil's next attack just in time.
The battle raged on, a brutal exchange of blows and desperate maneuvers. James's footwork became sloppy as he struggled to maintain his balance, each movement drawing more blood from his wounds. Neil pressed his advantage, the axe biting into James's defenses, slashing and tearing with fierce precision.
Finally, James dropped to one knee; the fatigue started to become unbearable, a weight weighing down on him that he could not remove.
"Is this your king? This man was never fit to lead, nor was he fit to wear the crown! This is my birthright!" shouted Prince Neil as he walked around, addressing the audience gathered, before turning his attention back to James. For James, it was as if no one was there; the room went black, and James was alone with his thoughts.
"Do you yield?" Neil demanded. "Do you yield?" shouted Neil again, cutting through James's thoughts as he pointed the axe toward James, his breath ragged but triumphant.
"I can't and will not," James replied.
Neil lifted the axe and James raised his sword in an effort to deflect. The axe cut through the wood, slashing across James's chest and throwing him backwards. The impact made him lose his breath with no power left to defend against the sudden onslaught of punches meant to bring him to a slow death.
"Stop!" Laura rushed towards them, panting and out of breath.
"Mother! You have come at the right ti-"
"He's a bastard!" she panted, pointing to Neil. "He cannot evoke fullblood rights."
"What are you doing?" Neil pleaded, "I have fullblood rights!"
"No! No." Sadness swirled in Laura's eyes as she did her best to hold back tears. "I am not your mother. You are a bastard, born of a woman not queen. She gave you up and I raised you."
Neil shook his head in disbelief, "It's a lie. Don't listen to her, she lies!"
The area went silent as a guard stepped forward. "You are a bastard! It's over and you have no rights left."
"Arrest him," James managed to choke out, his blurred vision and fuzzy hearing still managing to make out what was happening.
James's guards stepped closer with the declaration. Neil looked to his father's men in desperation, but they turned away, unable to bring their eyes to meet his.
"Traitors! You all abandon me! You watched me grow up, helped me, and now you turn your backs on me? Say something!" Neil shouted, his shoulders shaking as the axe was yanked from his grasp and he stood helpless to be lead away. "You're dead to me!" he yelled towards his mother, ignoring her cries and apologies she tried to send after him.
Two guards rushed to James's side to help him up, his body dripping in blood as he grabbed at his chest and the wound that did the most damage. Embarrassment and shame swelled through him and he rolled his shoulders to try and shake the guard off.
"Get off me! Leave me!" James shouted, his voice catching on the pain as he managed to pull free, stumbling towards the castle. Guards rushed to help but a sharp command held them at bay, nervous and amazed expressions exchanged at the king's ability to somehow make his way inside.
The moment he had a wall, James leaned against it, dragging his body against the surface to leave a trail of blood begin him. He stumbled to a bathroom, struggling to find the faucet and turn it on. He managed, a water pouring over him and rinsing some of the blood as his mind flashed through every event that brought him to this place. His hand fumbled over the knob as he attempted to turn it off, but his body finally gave out and his legs buckled beneath him.
"James!" Essa's voice screamed as he went down, the last words he heard before he passed out.