CHAPTER NINE - BEGINNING OF A FALLEN KINGDOM
1984 Words
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“A house burnt down at night near the lower district.”
“Oh Goddess…”
“What started the fire?”
“No valid information on that,”
“And they said two people died, a daughter and her sick mother.”
“How tragic…”
“No survivors?”
“None… but there’s something crazy about it, only one skeleton was found.”
“It’s possible the other burnt completely, don’t think much of it.”
Rumors about the death spread across the whole villages.
Friend and relatives cried.
———
Back inside the palace…
Theresa stood before the mirror while another maid adjusted her gown carefully.
A guard entered quietly and bowed.
“Greeting princess, it’s done.”
Theresa didn’t turn around.
“And my money?” She asked.
“Here it is.” The guard said dropping the bag near the shelf.
A satisfied smile appeared slowly on her lips.
“Good, and the scene?”
“The fire erased everything, leaving ashes behind.” The guard responded.
Theresa smiled at her reflection calmly.
“Ashes,” she smiled faintly, “cannot speak.”
Then she asked both the guard and the maid in the room to leave with a wave.
They bowed and left as the door shut behind them.
“If a secret must stay buried…”
Her fingers tightened slowly around the wine glass.
“…then everyone connected to it must be buried too.”
———
Hours later
The palace bells rang loudly across the kingdom.
A death announcement.
The people cried openly.
“The king is dead…”
“How did this happen?”
“He was such a good man.”
“But… we all heard he was getting better.”
“No this can’t be true.”
People questioned as they gathered around the palace mourning the king
——
Inside the council chamber
One of the elders sparked. “The king’s death was made known to the public?”
“This matter cannot remain hidden,” one of the elders said firmly.
“The kingdom deserves to know the truth and mourn their king.”
“Know the truth? Have you forgotten that announcing the king’s death mean the throne is empty and someone needs to be crowned,”
“The crown prince isn’t ready, we have our rules in this kingdom!!!” The elder fired back immediately.
James stood silently before them.
Exhausted.
Emotionless and speechless.
“According to tradition,” another elder continued calmly, “the throne cannot remain empty.”
Theresa sat beside James, watching, listening and waiting for him to speak up.
“You need to be crowned the king as soon as possible.” An elder declared.
James finally spoke.
“My father just died, he hasn’t been mourned enough and you want me to take over his throne?”
Theresa looked at him in disgust as she said in her thoughts.
What sort of weak and useless man is this, if he’s not going to fight for the throne, I will.
“But the kingdom needs a king my husband.” She finally said.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Then…
“There’s another issue,” one elder added carefully breaking the silence.
James frowned.
“What issue could that be?”
The elders became tense instantly.
“A bloodline.”
James’ expression darkened. “What do you mean?”
“Our laws are clear,” the elder replied cautiously.
“Before ascending fully to the throne and to be crowned a king…”
He paused.
Then continued. “You must produce an heir.”
Dead unspeakable silence filled everywhere.
Theresa’s eyes widened slightly.
James stood coldly at the elders.
“The kingdom requires stability,” an elder explained softly.
“A king without a child leaves uncertainty.”
“And until an heir is confirmed,” an elder continued heavily.
“The coronation cannot be completed.”
Theresa’s breathing stopped briefly.
Because she knows that somewhere far away…
A little boy with an Alpha’s blood sleeps peacefully in his mother’s arms.
Completely unaware…
That an entire kingdom was about to start hunting for him.
“Alright… Tomorrow’s night, the royal chambers will be prepared for me and the princess, we need to spend a moment together.”
James said as he dismissed the elders.
He reached for Theresa’s hand calmly.
“You don’t need to worry.”
Theresa looked at him.
The gentleness in his voice relaxed her slightly.
Since the king’s death, James had changed completely.
More responsibility.
More pressure.
More expectations.
But despite everything, he still treats Theresa properly like his partner.
——
The next evening, the royal palace was unusually lively.
Maids and servants moved quickly through the hallways carrying silks, oils, flowers, candles and trays of wine.
The royal chambers had been specially prepared for the union night.
Soft curtains surrounded the large bed while golden candles lit the room warmly.
Several older women carefully arranged the ceremonial items while whispering excitedly among themselves.
“The moon goddess will surely bless them tonight.”
“Of course, the kingdom desperately needs an heir.”
Theresa stood quietly near the mirror while two maids adjusted her robe.
“You truly look stunning tonight, my princess.”
Theresa smiled softly.
The maids continued fixing her dress carefully.
But Theresa’s thoughts were elsewhere.
Not fear. Not nervousness.
But Ambition.
This was final step to get to the crown.
The final confirmation she needed to secure her future inside the palace.
A knock suddenly came from the door.
“The Crown Prince has arrived.”
The maids immediately bowed quietly before leaving the room.
James entered seconds later.
His eyes landed on Theresa instantly.
“You look extremely beautiful tonight.”
Theresa smiled softly.
“You don’t look bad yourself.”
James walked towards her slowly and pulled her closer calmly.
“Try not to overthink tonight.”
“And if I am?” Theresa asked jokingly.
“Then let me handle the pressure for once.”
Theresa smiled again before giving in.
The candles flickered softly around them as they spent an intimate night together.
———
Three weeks later…
The royal physician sat inside Theresa’s chambers while several maids waited anxiously nearby.
Theresa lay quietly on the bed, watching the physician carefully.
Finally, the physician stepped back slowly.
Theresa immediately spoke.
“Well?”
The physician lowered her head respectfully.
“My apologies, Crown Princess.”
Theresa’s expression changed instantly.
“The pregnancy was unsuccessful.”
The room fell silent.
James lowered his gaze.
Theresa looked away slowly.
“Ooh…”
The physician quickly added,
“There is still nothing to worry about. These things sometimes take time.”
Theresa forced a calm smile.
“I understand.”
But the moment the physician left the room, the smile disappeared completely.
Her fingers tightened slowly against her dress.
James held her hand softly and said to her, “it’ll be fine my love, you don’t need to drag yourself too hard.”
He kissed her forehead and left her chambers.
Heavy thoughts filled Theresa’s mind.
Why?
Why didn’t it work?
The pressure inside the palace was already growing.
And Theresa hated pressure.
———
Two months later
The second attempt also failed.
This time, the atmosphere inside the palace became heavier.
The elders stopped smiling as often.
The murmurs among servants and maids increased.
Even during dinner gatherings, questions about an heir had started surfacing repeatedly.
“The kingdom needs stability.”
“We can’t leave the throne empty for this long.”
“The Moon Goddess must bless the union soon.”
“The throne cannot remain uncertain forever.”
Theresa smiled through every conversation.
But inwardly, frustration slowly began eating her up.
Something is wrong.
And she needs answers.
———
The third preparation night arrived.
But this time…
Theresa already carried a secret nobody else knew.
She found her lost answers.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she stood before the mirror.
A maid entered quietly.
“My princess, the royal physician is waiting.”
Theresa nodded calmly.
“Let her in.”
She dismissed the maid before staring at her reflection again.
Her hand slowly rested against her stomach.
Then the royal physician came in.
———
That same afternoon.
James sat inside the council chamber alongside the elders.
The royal seer stood quietly near the center of the room.
The atmosphere felt strangely tense.
James finally broke the silence.
“You requested this meeting urgently, why is no one speaking?”
The seer nodded slowly.
“My prince…”
One of the elders folded his hands together.
“The coronation preparations cannot proceed until certain matters are resolved.”
James frowned slightly.
“Is it because my wife hasn’t taken in?” He asked.
The seer slowly lifted his eyes towards him.
“Not that! The throne remains spiritually incomplete.”
The elders started murmuring at each other.
“I don’t understand, what do you mean incomplete? I have my wife beside me… because she hasn’t conceived?”
James voice became intense.
“The woman beside you is not your chosen mate by the Moon Goddess.”
James’ expression slowly hardened.
“Careful with your words.”
But the seer remained unmoved.
“The bond between you and the crown princess was accepted by tradition and not by fate.”
He paused for a second then continued.
“Your fated mate still lives.”
The room became completely silent.
Then James finally said, “who is that?”
The seer opened his eyes and stared directly to him.
“Leah Daly.”
That name hit harder than James expected.
“Tha… that bond ended… years ago.” James said shakily
“No,” the seer responded immediately. “It never ended, your soul remains tied to her.”
James looked away briefly still in shock of the name.
The seer moved more closer to him and whispered.
“She’s the fated mate the Moon Goddess has chosen for you.”
“And you can’t be crowned a king with a false mate.”
From that moment, nobody spoke. Silence filled the entire room.
Heavy thoughts covered James’ mind.
Leah…
After all these years…
Your name still affects me.
Memories flashed through his eyes instantly like he’s dreaming.
The night he rejected me.
How I left.
The emptiness he felt after I left.
His fingers slowly curled against the chair.
He inhaled deeply.
Then suddenly…
KNOCK!! KNOCK!!!
The chamber doors opened immediately as a palace maid rushed inside excitedly.
“My Prince!”
Everyone turned sharply towards her.
The maid bowed her head, “greeting my prince, greetings my elders.”
She lowered herself quickly.
“The royal physician has confirmed it.”
James mood lighted up as all ears were open.
“Confirmed what?”
The maid lifted her head with a bright smile.
“The crown princess is pregnant.”
Silence filled the chamber instantly.
The elders exchanged stunned looks.
James froze completely.
It was a good news but his heart felt threatened.
The crown demands a woman he rejected publicly when his beloved wife is already pregnant for him.
How do I tell my wife that to rule, I must reunite with the mate i once rejected.
Bring my past back into my life? I am being forced to destroy my own family for a crown.
Just then… a sudden breeze swept through the palace. An undeniable chills gripped every soul in the palace.
Everyone in the palace felt a sudden goosebumps and was terrified.
High above, a pitch-black darkness covered the sky, swallowing the remaining sunlight.
Only the royal seer knows that this heavy suffocating atmosphere carried a silent, terrifying truth. The palace was no longer safe.
- Writer
