"You must have lost your mind!" Leon yelled to Thomas seeing the man pointing his sword at Alexander. Regardless of how Thomas felt in regards to Alexander, the man was still a well-respected general with a father who had strong backings. Thomas was setting himself up for trouble as the men loyal to Alexander had followed them here and would defend the man who trained them to the end. "Put down your sword before someone gets hurt and we know who that someone will be."
"I am tired of always being compared to him. I'm a fucking captain and when he comes around everyone acts like my position means nothing! What's the point of climbing the ranks if we'll always be behind him? I know you are jealous of him too Leon. Now's the time to get rid of him," Thomas proposed to Leon joining his side. Leon didn't have any strong connections in the palace and if he was smart he would use this glorious opportunity.
"I have been by Alexander's side long enough to know he has worked hard for what he has now. There is a reason why people look up to him and why he stands out amongst us. To get jealous of him and want what he has without wanting to put in the work he has is ridiculous. He cannot be blamed for the king using him more."
"Each time you were given the opportunity to showcase your skills as a captain you have made me the topic of conversation. Let's be honest here and admit that your father's bribing ways got you the position you have now. I have ignored you for a long time because someone like you doesn't belong in the palace. I do not have time to be playing these childish games with you Thomas," Alexander said, stepping forward even though Thomas was pointing his sword at him. He was never afraid of the man and today would not be that day.
"I have worked hard just like you. My father is not the only one who has made way for his son in the palace. Your father has just as many connections as mine and I will expose what he has done to get you where you are now. Everyone's a suspect in the king's death so tell me, where has the great Alexander Mclane been all this time when the king needed him? Isn't anyone else suspicious?" Thomas asked his peers who had shown up one by one after news of Alexander's return spread around.
Many of the guards cared more about Alexander than the dead king because the general had always looked out for them and shielded them as much as he could from the king's wrath. They didn't believe Alexander killed the king.
Alexander became annoyed so much attention had been placed on him when he just wanted the sword to then leave. He couldn't explain to anyone that he was with Artemis because the bracelet would hurt him and Artemis would be hunted. "I was not here when the king died. I was not the one to kill him."
"Where were you is the question. We have to look at everyone close to the king as a suspect-"
"The princess said it was a creature who killed the king and it would be coming back for her. Alexander is human," a guard who had been in the king's room when the king's death was first discovered spoke up in defense of Alexander.
"If that is the case and those words came from the mouth of the princess, not even your father can save you from pointing your sword at a fellow guard and even worse, someone who outranks you. All of you should be concerned about what killed the king and protecting the princess. Instead, all of you are crowding around Alexander. Have you all lost your minds? Go back to your posts!" Leon yelled to the guards who had followed him and Alexander to the king's room.
The growing crowd cursed Leon for sending them away before they got the chance to speak to Alexander but when the man in question looked their way, they all hurried back to their posts.
"Cowards," Thomas scoffed disgustedly at the men who called themselves guards. One look from Alexander sent them packing as if he was the king. "This isn't over. I'm going to find out what the both of you are hiding and punish you. It will be my pleasure to bring down a Mclane," he said as he brushed past Alexander.
Leon shook his head disappointed with the obsession Thomas had for Alexander. If he wanted to prove that he was better than Alexander why not let his skills speak for themselves? "You know you won't be able to avoid fighting him forever. Now that Darius is gone there will be a lot of people targeting you."
"I know which is why I don't intend on coming back to the palace when everything has settled," Alexander said as he entered the king's bedroom now that everyone was gone.
"What!?" Leon exclaimed, shocked by the news. Alexander had gained too much to throw it all away now. The king was dead so Alexander could be free to go back to his duties as general. "Why would you give everything up?"
"The palace is filled with too much conflict amongst people who should be working together. We haven't been helping the people of this kingdom as we like to believe. Everyone here is just looking to climb their way up."