King Orion's eyes blazed with fury as Ramona's words pierced him like a blade. She had struck at his pride, directly attacking his reverse dragon scale— his Martial Spirit, and the symbol of his long-hidden wound. It reopened the pain he had buried deep inside, the mockery he endured for his lack of talent despite being the king, simply because he was the only son of the previous monarch.
Behind his back, nobles and subjects alike had laughed at his mediocrity. The whispers followed him for years, until his daughter Chloe had shown promise, and his other daughters had brought back Aiden, the prodigy who had outshone everyone. For a brief moment, Orion had been hailed for his shrewdness. But now, that same shrewdness had turned into his downfall.
