Chapter 3: The Name He Remembered
1400 Words
“I wondered when you’d return.”
Those words bounced around the empty hall, sticking with me long after the king said them. Return. Not arrive, not appear. Return. He acted like I belonged here, as if he had some memory of me.
That thought made my throat close up. “No,” I blurted out too fast.
He didn’t react. Nothing moved in his expression. Meanwhile, rain beat down against the old stained glass above us, thunder grumbling far off, like it didn’t care about any of this.
There he sat, sprawled on his throne, one hand dangling lazily, staring at me with a stillness that turned my skin inside out. I hated people who sat still like that. Still people hid stuff, they always did.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” I said. That was a lie. Not because I recognized him but because sudden fear crashed over me. Raw and sharp, the kind that warns you before you’re even sure what you’re afraid of.
He studied my face with those pale eyes slowly. You would have thought he was checking if I was pretty or hunting for a threat but no; he was remembering. That feeling chilled me, settling somewhere deep and cold.
After an uncomfortable silence, he said, “No.You have your mother’s eyes.” Everything inside me stopped. The hall vanished. The sound disappeared. For one brutal second, I was sixteen again with smoke choking me. My mother shoving me toward the temple tunnels, her hands shaking, her voice rough because she was panicked.
Run, Nyra. Do not stop.Do not come back. Then fire. Screams. Blood. Everything gone. I staggered just a bit before I caught myself. The king noticed. His gaze sharpened. .Everything was wrong. All of it. My mother never met the king. Our family lived out at the eastern border. Minor nobility. Nobody special. Invisible.
So how the hell “How do you know my mother?” My question came out ragged.
He didn’t show anything. Something flickered behind his eyes, it was one before I could grab it.
“Interesting,” he said.
Anger flashed through me. “I asked a question!” My voice cracked, louder than I wanted.
He tilted his head, almost curious. “You raise your voice often for someone who attempted regicide.”
“I tried to kill you.”
“Yes.” He looked calm saying that. Annoyingly calm. “You’ve brought that up several times now.”
I stared at him. For one stupid second, disbelief cut through the fear. Was he making fun of me? No, that would be worse. He sounded amused. That unsettled me even more.
People feared kings. People begged kings. Nobody traded sharp words with a king after poisoning him.Yet there I was. Standing. Breathing. No answers. My fists clenched. “You know my family.”
He watched me. Lightning from the storm flashed through the hall, showing the silver scars under his collar, thin veins glowing faintly, almost alive. His curse. The stories were real.
He finally spoke. “I knew of House Vale.”
Knew?. That's a past tense. My stomach twisted..“Everyone knew of House Vale after the executions.”.That word hung between us. Executions..He didn’t even flinch. No guilt, no discomfort. Nothing. It felt like an insult.
L Anger burned through me, sharpened by years of grief.
“You signed the order.” His eyes narrowed, finally, giving a real reaction. I stepped forward before I could stop myself. “You condemned them.” Another step. “My father.” Again. “My brothers” and that last word broke. I hated myself for it.
He didn’t interrupt or explain himself. He just watched quietly. That silence was brutal. Monsters should justify what they do, not just soak up accusations.
“You killed my family.”
The hall seemed to swallow my words. Everything stopped: rain, breathing, time. The king stood slowly.
The air changed, thickening. The silver markings on his throat glowed brighter..I froze. Every instinct screamed predator.
He felt bigger now. The throne room dimmed even though no clouds passed overhead. Impossible. That's magic, I thought..Fear crawled up my spine. Pride pinned it down. I forced myself to meet his gaze.
His voice dropped, steady and controlled. I bet you, it is worse than shouting.
“No.”
That denial hit harder than any scream.I blinked. He stepped down from the throne, then again. “Your family died.” He took one step. “They were executed.” He took another step. “You survived.”
He locked eyes with me, looking cold and unyielding.
“But I did not order it.”
The world twisted. No, no, no..My pulse beat violently..He wasn’t defensive. He was certain. That mattered actually. I hated that it mattered.
“You’re lying.” The words sounded weak.
His expression hardened just a little..“I rarely waste lies.”
Thunder rattled the windows. My mind spun, sharp and desperate. Impossible. The records, temple archives,witnesses, every document blamed him unless…No. Nobody changes royal execution records. That needs power nobody has.
My breath got sharp and fast. He noticed, like always.The king stopped a few feet away just watching.
“You came here believing one story,” he said, quietly. That unexpected gentleness hit me harder than any cruelty could. “And?”
My voice scraped out. He held my gaze. “Belief and truth are rarely companions.” That stung in a place I forgot existed. My mother used to say something like that, long before fire and death and revenge swallowed everything else.
My chest tightened. I hated it. I hated uncertainty more than anything. Hatred was easier. Hatred was solid. If he wasn’t the monster. Who was?
That thought flashed through me. Terror took over before I could chase it because if I took one monster away, it meant another was out there, one I never looked for. That realization hollowed me. The king watched me, studying every flicker across my face.
Silence stretched. Then a new sound cut through it. It was sharp and metallic coming from somewhere beyond the hall. The king’s head whipped around at alert. His posture started changing instantly. All of a sudden he looked cold and focused like a predator.
A second later, I heard distant screaming too. Then closer. My stomach dropped. Boots pounded outside the heavy doors.
The throne room doors slammed open. A guard staggered in, covered in blood which was obviously not his. His face pale with terror. He dropped to one knee, voice breaking, “Your Majesty” The king stayed still. “What happened?”
The guard looked up, and for the first real fear flickered in someone’s eyes when they saw the king because of what he might do next. He swallowed. Then the words drained all warmth from the room: “The eastern cells… The prisoners are gone.”
Everywhere was silent immediately. The king didn’t move. The silver marks on his throat burned brighter. The air throbbed, heavy and violent. The guard kept going, desperate: “The seals were broken and… and the creatures escaped.”
Everything froze. The king’s face shifted looking like he was prepared and he knew this would happen. He looked at me slowly and finally, an emotion crossed King Caelum Daevor’s face. It was an alarm.
His voice dropped, harsh and urgent. “Leave the palace.”.It stunned me. I hesitated. “What”.His eyes sharpened. “Now, Nyra.”.The sound of my name froze me. He turned to the guard. “Seal the western wing.” The guard paled. “Your Majesty… people are still inside.”
There was a long silence, then eventually the king said, “I’m aware.”. Cold ran through me. Trap whatever escaped, trap everyone left in there. The king gave those orders. The guard hesitated. The king’s voice got dangerous. “Do it.”
The man ran. I stared at the king, at the monster, at the ruler who’d sacrifice lives in a heartbeat. Hatred came back, sharper and cleaner then a scream echoed through the palace. That didn’t sound like a human. The noise clawed under my skin.
Every candle died at once. Darkness swallowed us whole and in that darkness, something enormous struck the doors from the other side.
- Writer
