The days following the council's pressure on Leorick felt like a storm closing in, the air thick with unspoken words and veiled threats. Though he had promised to make a decision soon, the longer he took, the more obvious it became that something sinister lurked beneath the surface of Aelina's sweet smile and the High Priest's calm demeanor.
Leorick's suspicion had begun as a quiet whisper in the back of his mind, but it had grown into a constant, gnawing doubt. His every instinct screamed that there was more to this prophecy than anyone had let on.
---
It started small—an offhand comment made by a servant who overheard a conversation in the halls of the palace. The High Priest had been meeting with someone in private, someone cloaked in shadows. The servant couldn't provide more details, but the name "Lord Velian" had been mentioned, though it was a name that Leorick had never heard before.
The mention of this shadowy figure troubled him, and it wasn't the first time he had sensed that the High Priest's true loyalties were not to the kingdom, but to someone else entirely.
---
Seraphine, who had been following the developments closely, noticed something peculiar. She had overheard the High Priest speaking to Aelina in the garden one afternoon, their voices soft and guarded. Though she could only catch fragments of their conversation, there was no mistaking the tone of conspiracy in their words.
"What we need is more time," Aelina said, her voice low but sharp. "The King is growing suspicious. He'll never agree to the plan if we don't move quickly."
"I will see to it," the High Priest had replied, his voice equally quiet. "It will all fall into place soon. Once he takes her as his consort, the prophecy will be fulfilled. The path will be clear, and Velian's vision will come to life."
Seraphine's blood ran cold. Velian's vision?
She had heard the name Velian before in passing—whispers of an influential figure, a shadow ruler who never appeared in public. A man whose influence stretched further than anyone realized. But who was he, and what did he want with Leorick?
---
Leorick had always trusted Seraphine's instincts, so when she shared her concerns with him, he knew they had to investigate further. Together, they began to dig into Lord Velian's background, but every lead seemed to disappear the moment they got close. It was as if the man existed only in the whispers of those who served him.
But the more they looked, the more pieces of a disturbing puzzle began to fit together.
---
One evening, Leorick was summoned to the royal archives, a place he had not visited in years. It was a cold, dimly lit room filled with scrolls, maps, and tomes that stretched back centuries. As he searched through old records, one particular document caught his attention—a long-forgotten prophecy hidden among the royal texts, its words strangely familiar.
He unraveled the scroll, the parchment fragile beneath his fingertips. The prophecy was one he had never heard of before, but it was eerily similar to the one the High Priest had spoken of. This prophecy, however, contained a detail that made Leorick's heart race.
The prophecy didn't just speak of a cure for the curse. It spoke of a new ruler—a puppet king who would serve the true master behind the throne. And at the center of this scheme was none other than Lord Velian.
---
With this new knowledge, Leorick felt the walls closing in even tighter. The High Priest could no longer be trusted, and Aelina's role in this became clearer with each passing day. But they needed concrete proof to expose them both for what they truly were.
He arranged a meeting with the High Priest in the temple, hoping to catch him off guard. When the High Priest arrived, Leorick was already waiting, his posture rigid, his expression hard. The High Priest, ever calm, seemed unperturbed by the confrontation.
"Your Majesty, what brings you to the temple this late?" The High Priest's voice was smooth, too smooth—his mask of piety slipping only slightly.
"I've been doing some reading," Leorick said, his voice low and deliberate. "I've come across a prophecy. A prophecy that speaks of a king, not unlike myself, but one who serves someone else. A puppet king, a king who does not rule but is ruled by the shadows."
The High Priest's face remained impassive, but Leorick saw a flicker of something in his eyes—something akin to fear.
"You're mistaken, Your Majesty," the High Priest said quickly. "There is no such prophecy. You must be confused."
But Leorick was no fool. "Tell me, then, why was the name Velian mentioned in your private conversations with Aelina? And why have you been steering me toward taking her as my consort when you know the council's intentions for the throne?"
The High Priest took a step back, his eyes narrowing as he realized the game was up. "You are playing a dangerous game, Leorick. You do not understand what is at stake." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Velian's vision is inevitable. It cannot be stopped now. You are already too far involved."
"You're wrong," Leorick replied, his voice cold and steady. "And I will make sure Velian never gets what he wants."
---
The next day, Leorick summoned Aelina to his chambers, prepared to confront her as well. She entered the room with her usual grace, her eyes shining with feigned innocence. But Leorick saw through the act. He knew that the girl standing before him was not the sweet, innocent maiden she appeared to be.
"You've been working with the High Priest, haven't you?" Leorick's voice was low but firm. "You've been conspiring with Velian, plotting to take control of this kingdom."
Aelina's smile remained, but there was a hardness in her eyes now, an unmistakable shift in her demeanor. She didn't flinch or try to deny it. "You always were perceptive, Leorick. I'm impressed you figured it out this quickly."
Leorick's stomach churned as the weight of the truth settled in. "Why? Why are you doing this? What does Velian want with the throne?"
Aelina's eyes gleamed with a chilling certainty. "Velian's vision is a kingdom that serves the true power, the power behind the throne. And you, Leorick, are nothing more than a stepping stone."
---
As the evidence continued to pile up, Leorick realized that his position as king was more precarious than ever. The High Priest and Aelina had been orchestrating their plan for far longer than he had known, and the deeper he dug, the more tangled the web became.
But now that the truth was beginning to surface, Leorick knew there was no turning back. He would expose their plot and stop Velian, no matter what it cost him. The time had come to take control of his own fate.