The Judgment of Blood
877 Words
The throne room was colder than usual.
Not by temperature, but by atmosphere. The walls, towering and veined with blood-crystal, seemed to pulse in eerie silence. Even the flames in the sconces burned lower, casting elongated shadows that danced across the marble floor like restless spirits.
At the center of it all stood Kenneth.
He was dressed in a fresh tunic of midnight black, embroidered faintly with the insignia of his house—the blood-winged crest of House Valdros. Yet there was no time for majesty in his stance. His fists were clenched. His face, for once, unreadable.
Corien Halrix, the attacker—the son of the noble Lord Halrix whom the King had personally executed just nights prior—knelt in enchanted iron restraints, bruised and bloodied. His auburn hair clung to his face in sticky red strands, his lip split from Kenneth’s counterstrikes. But his red eyes still burned with defiance.
The guards had dragged him into the throne room like a dog. Now, he stared up at Kenneth with a twisted grin.
The room was packed. Nobles, knights, Queen Seraphina, and Kenneth’s brothers—all gathered to witness what would be more than punishment. It would be a statement.
At the far end of the chamber, high upon his blackened throne of fused obsidian and bone, sat the King.
Cold. Majestic. Unmoving.
He observed everything with eyes like rubies dipped in ice. When he finally stood, the silence dropped deeper.
"Kenneth," he said, his voice carrying with quiet authority. "You were attacked in my kingdom. On royal grounds. By the son of a traitor I personally executed."
Gasps echoed through the court, but the King didn’t flinch.
"You have every right to take his life," he continued. "No punishment will be questioned. No blade shall be denied you. But..."
He stepped down from the dais, his long cloak whispering over the stone.
"I will not pass the judgment."
He stopped before Kenneth.
"You will."
A ripple of shock shot through the crowd.
Lucien raised a brow from his seat.
Darien exhaled quietly.
Aurelius said nothing, but his gaze sharpened.
Kenneth blinked, stunned. "Me?"
"You are no longer just a child of the court," the King said softly. "You are a Prince of Valdros. Make your decision. Let all the kingdom see what kind of ruler you would be."
Kenneth looked from the King to Corien.
The boy was still smirking, though blood dripped from his mouth.
The silence of the court suffocated.
Kenneth stepped forward slowly.
His voice, when it came, was not loud. But it carried.
"You tried to kill me. Not in war. Not in battle. But in vengeance."
Corien spit blood onto the floor. "And I’d do it again."
Kenneth didn't blink. "You lost your father. That pain... I understand. But you used it to strike like a coward. And worse, you struck at your Prince."
Gasps again. Some faces turned pale. Others... intrigued.
"Still," Kenneth continued, eyes narrowing, "I won't kill you."
Murmurs exploded through the hall.
Lucien whispered, "Is he mad?"
"No," Aurelius replied, eyes focused. "He’s making a choice."
Corien laughed a little. "Mercy? Or weakness?"
Kenneth didn’t look away. "Neither. You don't deserve a noble death. You deserve exile. Banishment. From the kingdom. Let your grief fester in the wilds. Alone. Let your father's name rot in silence."
The chamber fell dead quiet.
Even Corien froze.
The King tilted his head.
Kenneth turned to his father. "That is my judgment. I stand by it."
Corien growled and suddenly lunged against his restraints. "You should kill me now! Do it, Prince! Because I swear it, one day, you'll regret this. I'll stand over your corpse and make sure your pretty little name is forgotten!"
Kenneth didn’t flinch. "So be it."
The guards hauled Corien to his feet.
The King finally spoke. "Then by the authority of the crown, let it be so. Corien Halrix, you are hereby banished from the Vampire Kingdom. Your name stricken from noble record. Your blood, severed from House Halrix."
Corien thrashed once more, but he was subdued and dragged away, screaming curses.
As the doors slammed shut behind him, a silence hung like a blade.
Then, slowly, the King turned to Kenneth.
"A bold choice."
Kenneth bowed his head. "I chose what felt right."
The King studied him for a long moment.
Then, with a faint nod: "Let us hope it was."
He returned to his throne.
"Court is dismissed."
The nobles bowed and slowly dispersed, buzzing with whispers.
As Kenneth turned to leave, he passed Aurelius.
"You surprised me," Aurelius said quietly.
Kenneth glanced at him. "Did I choose wrong?"
Aurelius shrugged. "Only time will tell. But I think... you chose like a ruler. Not like a soldier."
Darien approached next. "Be ready," he said simply. "Men like him don’t vanish. They wait."
Lucien grinned. "And when he comes back, we'll be stronger. And he'll still be stupid."
Queen Seraphina finally stepped beside her son, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I’m proud of you," she whispered. "It takes courage not to draw blood."
Kenneth looked back at the great obsidian doors, now shut. Somewhere beyond them, Corien vanished into the world.
But something told him... their story wasn’t over.
Not yet.
- Writer
