A Night with the King
It was another day in the royal palace following Queen Elizabeth's arrival.
Wherever servants gathered, whispers followed.
Everyone was talking about the unprecedented event. The king had personally welcomed his newest queen, something no ruler of Austro had done in generations.
Although only a handful of people had seen Elizabeth's face, word of her extraordinary beauty had already spread throughout the kingdom. Many described her as a ray of sunshine descended from the heavens.
Meanwhile, inside the throne room, King Arthur awaited the arrival of two important visitors.
"Your Majesty."
The two men bowed deeply before the throne.
They looked like ordinary travelers, each carrying a worn leather bag. One had short black hair that rested just above his eyebrows, while the other had chestnut-brown hair. Despite their different appearances, their identical features revealed them to be twins.
The Gemini Twins.
King Arthur leaned back on his throne, one hand resting on the hilt of the dagger at his waist.
"You promised me two weeks," he said calmly. "Why did you keep me waiting for two months?"
The masked royal guard standing beside the throne fixed the twins with a sharp glare.
Although the king's voice remained composed, everyone in the room knew how dangerous that calm truly was.
"Forgive us, Your Majesty," the brown-haired twin replied, lowering his head. "It was never our intention to delay. Reaching the Sleeping Queen proved far more difficult than expected. We spent weeks trying to bypass the barrier surrounding her before we could finally reach her."
King Arthur closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to remain calm.
The last time he lost his temper…
The entire kingdom was swallowed by twelve days of darkness.
"Were you able to see her?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The room fell silent.
"After weeks of effort, we finally broke through the barrier surrounding the queen. But the moment we entered…" the twin hesitated.
"…we felt an overwhelming force."
His brother continued.
"The queen's power has grown far beyond what it once was. Even in her endless slumber, her aura has become terrifying. None of us dared approach her. Even the elders were overcome with fear."
Murmurs spread through the throne room.
The Sleeping Queen had been one of the most powerful beings in history before the Great Fall forced her into an eternal sleep.
How could her power continue to grow while she slept?
"While we debated what to do," the brown-haired twin continued, "the queen suddenly spoke."
King Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"Her eyes never opened, yet her lips moved. At first, we heard nothing. So we joined our magic together and cast an Interpretation Spell."
"And?"
The dark-haired twin inhaled before reciting her exact words.
"On the day when fire and water cease to coexist and wage war against one another…
When the sun and moon become one…
When daylight turns crimson…
When the earth trembles and the mountains collide…
He shall return.
From the flames comes dust.
From the dust come the charcoals.
And from the charcoals… he shall rise.
None shall be prepared until they witness vengeance upon his sword and fire within his eyes.
You will never see him coming…
So speaks the King."
The instant the prophecy ended—
BOOM!
Thunder exploded across the sky.
A violent wind burst through the palace as dark clouds swallowed the sun.
The room trembled.
King Arthur's hands clenched into fists so tightly that the veins in his arms bulged beneath his skin.
His eyes burned crimson with fury.
Outside, the storm raged as though nature itself reflected his anger.
"How dare she…" he growled.
"How dare he!"
The throne shattered beneath him as he rose.
"I will destroy them all!"
"Everyone, barriers!" the masked guard shouted.
The council members immediately erected magical shields around themselves as the king's overwhelming aura shook the palace.
"My King!" one of the twins struggled against the pressure. "The queen spoke once more!"
The storm paused.
King Arthur slowly turned.
"What did she say?"
"She said…"
The twin swallowed.
"Unless he is slain by the Blazer Sword… he shall return. If not in this life… then he shall wait in the afterlife."
Silence.
Almost instantly, the storm vanished.
The suffocating pressure disappeared, leaving everyone gasping for breath. Several elders collapsed to their knees, exhausted.
"The Blazer Sword…" King Arthur whispered.
His expression became unreadable.
Suddenly, the throne room doors burst open.
"My King!"
A palace maid rushed inside, trembling violently as she fell to her knees.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty!"
King Arthur looked down at her.
"What is it?"
"Queen Elizabeth…" she cried. "She was struck by lightning."
The king's expression hardened.
"Has the royal physician been summoned?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Tears streamed down the maid's face. "It was my fault. When the storm began, I instinctively protected myself with a barrier. I… I forgot Her Majesty."
"And you?"
King Arthur's gaze shifted toward the royal guard beside her.
Cristal stepped forward and bowed.
"I was absent when it happened, Your Majesty. The queen ordered me to oversee the transfer of her belongings. Even so… I failed in my duty by leaving her side."
The throne room fell silent.
King Arthur rose from his throne.
"My King…" one of the council elders called after him.
Without looking back, Arthur descended the steps.
"Take me to Queen Elizabeth."
He paused.
"I shall spend the night with my bride."
The guards immediately stepped aside, clearing a path.
"Yes, Your Majesty."