Once Upon The Life of The Wise King

The Anti-Royalist Faction

ONCE UPON THE LIFE OF THE WISE KING

Volume 1

The Birth of the Wise King

Chapter 9 - The Anti-Royalist Faction

The black-hooded people took the First Prince and leaped away, leaving the palace guards. They traveled fast across the tree-tops. Down below, a palace guard seemed to wake up. He stood up, took his sword, and beheaded all the fallen palace guards, laughing like mad as he did so.

"Selfish bastards! Killing you is already mercy!" The man slashed the neck of the remaining palace guard. His eyes showed madness. As he laughed, his tongue dangled out, displaying an intricate hyena tattoo. Then, he took off his helmet, throwing it away, and followed the black-hooded people.

What happened in the hunting ground forest was not known in the palace until dinner came.

The palace servants served the food on the table, and the royal family sat on their seats. The King sat at the head of the dining table and the Queen to his right. Before they begin eating, King Wenhart turned to his right. The man behind the King stepped forward and leaned towards the King. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said.

"Where is the First Prince?"

"His Highness went hunting this afternoon and has yet to return."

The King grumbled. "He knew that he has to return before dinner whenever he goes hunting. Did anyone send someone to get him?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As if on cue, a palace guard rushed inside the dining hall. He was out of breath. "Your Majesty," he gasped. "Something terrible has happened to the palace guards that went with His Highness." He took a breath and said, "All of them got beheaded, and His Highness is missing!"

Everyone in the dining hall gasped.

Queen Cielisse, worried for her son, turned her attention to her King. She said worriedly, "Your Majesty, we must find Colin and the culprit who did this!"

"I know. Whoever did this will be punished," King Wenhart said seriously.

They lost their appetites because of the news, so the King and Queen went to the throne room. The King summoned General Calver. He ordered the General to find the First Prince and the culprit who committed the crime.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will take the first and second platoons with me," General Calver said.

On the other hand, Prince Colin woke up while being carried on the shoulder of one of the black-hooded people. He saw that it was already night, and the people who kidn*pped him were leaping from one tree branch to another. He squinted his eyes as he looked at the few people following behind the man who carried him. Then he spoke, "Where are you planning to take me?"

"Oh, you are awake already?" The man looked over his shoulders. "I guess that hit did not do much to you, huh."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the place where you will belong."

"What do you mean? And, who are you, people?"

Smiling, the man replied, "We are the anti-royalist. We serve Lord Azazel. And later, you will serve him as well."

"I don't serve anyone except the King," the Prince retorted.

"Maybe now, you don't. But, I assure you, you will serve Lord Azazel."

Prince Colin greeted his teeth. "Never!" he shouted as he stabbed the back of the leg of the man.

The man screamed in pain and dropped the Prince, who struggled to stand up. He tried to get away, but the black-hooded people, the anti-royalist, surrounded him immediately.

"You won't get away, Prince," one of the anti-royalist mocked. "Give up."

"Why would I listen to you?" Prince Colin raised his arms to grab his bow and arrow on his back but only felt the air.

"Looking for this?" The man showed the Prince's bow and arrows.

"Hey, Prince. Don't make it hard for us," said the man who carried the young Prince on his shoulder. "We won't hurt you. We only want you to come with us. That's all."

"Why don't you set an appointment with the King and get His permission to talk to me privately?"

"I am afraid we can't do that. The King will never agree to us."

"And what makes you think that I will come to you peacefully?"

"Don't you want to be the heir?"

Prince Colin was speechless momentarily. "No, I don't," he finally said.

"Don't lie, Prince. Lying is bad," the man said. "Lord Azazel will love to see you. He knows that you wanted to be the heir, and he can give you that. Is it not a shame that you, the First Prince, is not the heir."

The Prince was silent. He did not know how to rebuke the person.

"Come. Let's go." The man approached the Prince. He took his wrist but suddenly got pushed back. In response, the other members of the anti-royalist rushed to subdue the Prince, who kept struggling against their hold.

Prince Colin noticed that they held back from hurting him too much, so he took advantage of it. He threw punches and kicks against the black-hooded people and found an opening that he used to escape from them.

"i***t! Don't let him get away!" the man that talked with the Prince, who seemed to be the leader of the group, shouted.

Prince Colin ran as fast as he can. However, his speed was not as quick as the anti-royalist. It did not take long for them to catch up with the Prince as they leaped overhead. When they were above the Prince, they jumped down. They punched the Prince on his abdomen and kneed his chin, making the Prince fall on his back.

The leader of the group walked closer to the Prince. In his hand was a piece of cloth. "I don't want to do this, but you left me with no choice," he said and slammed the clothing on the Prince's face. "This should be enough to make you sleep for at least a day."