"You've been my suspect. I saw you as someone who would overthrow me," the king said, tapping his fingers continuously as he sat on his throne.
"You know, when I helped you get this position, I expected you to be for the people, not driven by selfish interest," I said, standing firm, facing the king.
"Who are you? Julius would never say such a thing. He's the one who pushed me into these plans," the king sneered, confusion flashing in his eyes.
I smirked, watching him carefully. "Maybe you should rejoice—your threat is already here." My voice dripped with sarcasm as I shifted, shape-shifting back into my true self, John.
The king's eyes widened in shock. "John? I thought you were dead! How did you even get into the palace?"
I stood my ground, calm and composed. "We can make this easy. Surrender, or we will fight."
He quickly pressed a button by his hand. "Calling your guards?" I said, watching him. Pieces of metal from outside the window flew toward him, attaching themselves to form a suit of armor. He charged at me, his sword extending from his armored gauntlet, but I didn't move until he was close. With swift precision, I dodged his attack. My sword appeared in my hand, and I swung at him, but it glanced off his armor, unable to penetrate.
He spun around, kneeling after his missed strike, and advanced again. "You've been training for this day, haven't you?" he panted, the weight of his armor apparent.
"I trained once," I said with a grin. His expression revealed his disbelief.
"And you think that's enough to defeat me?" He was close now, raising his sword for another strike. I blocked with my own weapon, the impact reverberating through my arms.
Just then, the entrance to the king's chamber burst open, revealing Johanna fighting off several guards.
"John, be quick! I can't hold them off much longer!" she shouted, firing a blaster we had retrieved from the palace's armory.
The king chuckled darkly. "You brought your girlfriend into this?"
I couldn't see his face through the armor, but I imagined he was surprised by Johanna's prowess in battle.
"John, don't listen to him! Focus! He's stalling, waiting for his guards to take you down!" Johanna shouted.
I spared her a glance, a small smile on my lips. But in that moment, I felt an iron grip seize me from behind.
"John, did you really think you could defeat me?" The king laughed as he stepped back, savoring his victory.
"Come and fight me yourself, without your guards!" I struggled against the hold.
"When I overthrew your father, he relied on his guards. Why shouldn't I do the same?" the king said with a sneer. "Lotus, take them to the prison. Xander, guard the door. Tomorrow, they'll be executed." He turned and walked toward his private chambers.
We were dragged from the throne room, thrown into the cold, damp prison. I sat on the stone floor, my mind racing with strategies for how to defeat him. Johanna, pacing in frustration, kept muttering about how I lost focus in the fight. Outside the cell, Lotus and Xander were arguing heatedly. Lotus berated Xander, calling him weak and unworthy of being a general. Xander, however, criticized the king's rule, calling it tyrannical and cruel. The argument escalated until Lotus, enraged, raised his weapon, preparing to kill Xander.
At that moment, I opened a portal and stepped through, emerging behind them. Without hesitation, I plunged my sword into Lotus, just as he was about to strike.
Xander froze, staring in disbelief. "How did you—"
"Not now," I interrupted, silencing him with a glance. "Release Johanna, and stay quiet."
Xander complied, freeing Johanna as I shifted into Lotus's form, heading toward the king's chambers. The palace was eerily quiet as I walked through the dimly lit halls. When I reached the king's room, I found him lounging comfortably, completely unaware of my presence.
"Sir, the prisoners have been locked up," I said, keeping my voice low, attempting to mimic Lotus's tone.
"Don't you show respect to your king?" a woman beside him—the latest of his wives—demanded.
I fought the urge to bow, keeping my pride intact. Instead, I took a step closer. The king, noticing something was off, pressed the button on his wrist again, hoping to summon his armor. But nothing happened.
I smirked as I shifted back into my true form. Before he could react, I drove my sword into his chest.
"I told you I'd be back," I said, watching the life drain from his eyes. "And that woman? She's not my girlfriend or wife. She's my niece—Harry's daughter."
The king's mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came. His body collapsed, lifeless. His wife screamed in terror, and within moments, the door burst open, guards flooding the room. But when they saw the dead king at my feet, they all knelt, acknowledging the change in power.
I sheathed my sword, walking out of the room, victorious.
***
Exhausted from the day's events, I lay in my chambers, finally resting. With Harry now on the throne, the kingdom would see better days. He knew what was at stake and would deal with General Kael, ending the chaos.
As I closed my eyes, the door swung open, and Luna entered without warning.
"I'd prefer it if you knocked," I said, sitting up.
She stood at the foot of my bed, her eyes filled with suspicion. "What are you hiding from me, Rowan?"
My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"Where were you last night?" she asked, her voice calm but insistent.
"I was here…" I began, feeling a growing unease.