Soon, Elio was drying his short red hair, Laura still lying on the bed, not believing what she was witnessing. Elio had just left for the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, fully bathed and drying his hair.
She had been bathing him for 5 years... with a team of so many other maids of course. It was surreal for her to see him do it himself, let alone with such speed.
"My King, why didn't you tell me to come with you?"
He looked at her and gestured at the knights stationed near the doors.
"We have a battle coming our way, remember? Besides, aren't you tired? Have some sleep!"
She gave him a seductive smile. "Aww! We could have had some fun."
Elio stepped closer to the bed and spanked her ass. "Satisfied now?"
"Only if you do it again."
Elio spanked her a few more times, but when she tried to grab his dick, he stepped away and went back to drying his hair. He had no time for another round.
The cries, mostly of the women, outside were still loud. Elio had been a weak king who allowed Queen Mare to oppress his people, so it was confusing to hear some of them crying when they were told he was dead... especially since it could piss off King Kard.
Perhaps it was because the full control of Queen Mare would mean more oppression. Come to think of it, there were things even Queen Mare wouldn't think of doing against the Stardret Dwellers in the presence of King Elio. Things she was going to start doing now that he was dead.
No wonder they were crying.
"Your Grace, King Kard is on the Royal Stairs!" shouted the knight stationed outside... the same guy who had been interrupting Elio since he woke up.
The 4 knights inside glanced at Elio for orders.
"Just stand behind the doors when they're opened and never let him get close to me," he said.
They bowed in unison. "Your Grace!"
Laura clearly wanted to enjoy the show. She crawled, naked, near the headboard and leaned against the pillows, then pulled the milky sheets over her body.
The doors were pushed open, revealing King Kard in a golden armor, a smile on his face as he stepped through them thinking he was about to meet his daughter and congratulate her.
That's when he saw Elio who was clad in white bathing robes, calmly drying his hair with a towel.
Confusion flashed into the man's eyes, then anger after they caught sight of Queen Mare's body.
"Surprise!" said Elio, calm and composed, his face indifferent.
King Kard cast glances between Elio and his daughter, then Elio and Laura before he went into a frenzy.
"You bastard," he roared as he drew his sword and rushed toward Elio. "What did you do?"
Sadly for him, Elio's knights had been waiting for this opportunity for ages. They jumped after him, and before he could even take 3 steps toward Elio, his right arm that held the sword fell on the floor with a thud, severed on the elbow.
King Kard screamed, trying to hold his arm as blood shot all around, painting both the floor and bed crimson.
"Bastard, my arm! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
Elio couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"How? Haha! Well, perhaps next time you will succeed. Go meet your daughter and brainstorm some new ideas."
With this, Elio stepped on King Kard's severed arm and grabbed his sword, then turned to his knights.
"Take him outside... with his daughter!"
He followed them as they dragged them outside. King Kard's screams attracted the attention of the people who had gathered beneath the stairs, waiting for King Kard to give his speech as it was a tradition for any new king.
"He's alive! Our King is alive!" shouted a woman from the crowd. Countless joyful cries followed. "Glory be to Niemoth for saving our king! Glory be to Niemoth!"
The knights pushed King Kard on his knees, making it easy for Elio to hold his sword on the man's neck.
"My brothers and sisters," shouted Elio, addressing the crowd. "I've been a coward! Forgive me! You deserve sushiin. Nobody should have trampled on your rights to drink uruagua. You deserve everything."
The crowd went insane.
"We love you, Your Grace!"
"You flatter us with your apology, Your Grace!"
"Kill him!"
At this, the whole crowd went into loop mode. "Kill him! Kill him!"
Elio raised his sword, but before he could strike, King Kard started pleading. "Spare me, please! I'll give you my kingdom."
A chuckle escaped Elio. "You must be stupid or something if you don't realize your kingdom is already mine."
"I can give you my daughter. Mareen!"
The name unlocked a series of memories in Elio's mind. Mareen was the youngest daughter of King Kard. Elio was supposed to marry her as she had been his betrothed since childhood, but King Kard changed his mind at the last minute, offering Mare instead.
Rumors had it that Emperor Gezen Kan had fancied her, but he wanted her to come willingly. Mareen refused to go to Monol Empire willingly, and this pissed off King Kard who wanted to have a powerful ally from across the sea like Gezen Kan.
He locked her in a dungeon and sent her step mother to torture and torment her every day so she agreed to go to Monol Empire willingly.
They thought she would give up soon, but she seemed to become more and more indifferent to pain day after day.
Other rumors took it further and claimed King Kard had killed her. Now he was claiming she was still alive.
"What a nerve! Do you really think I would ever go to bed with someone with your blood after Mare poisoned both me and my father?"
"But she loves you! Mareen loves you so much that she chose death instead of going to Monol to become one of Gezen Kan's concubines."
"That man has thousands and thousands of wives. No woman would want him knowing he would use her for the night and then abandon her for the rest of her life, locking her in the palace and not being allowed to love anyone else besides him. That's why Mareen didn't go. She also knew you wouldn't kill her. You're her father, after all."
With that, Elio swooshed his sword and sent King Kard's head rolling down the stairs.
The crowd kicked it around, singing Stardret Glory, one of the songs Queen Mare had banned because they contained insults directed at Crescent Dwellers, her people.
The tall knight brought Queen Mare's head and handed it to Elio. He didn't order for her decapitation, but he wasn't against it either. It was actually a thoughtful move.
He held it in the sky as if it were a trophy, then shouted, "My friends, let the fall of these snakes be the dawn for an era where sushiin is everyone's dish, uruagua everyone's wine, Glory to Stardret everyone's song. Go to the royal reserves and take everything. Feast. Celebrate. Do so for we're free now. Do so for the Crescent kingdom is ours now."
Some tore their robes in celebration, bells rang, drums complimented them, screams and roars filling the City Center.
Elio waved at them and slipped back into his chambers where 5 of King Kard's generals were held on blade, kneeling near the decapitated body of their Princess.
"Who among you wants to live?"
The men exchanged glances, then said in unison, "All of us!"
"Alright, then! It's time we go capture your Queen!"