A man around his late 30's stood on a cliff , his darkred eyes looking at a carriage from afar through his handheld binoculars. He grinned as soon as he saw the carriage explode. The man wore darkyellow coloured caped overcoat embroidered to form a small tiger shaped symbol.
The man was Duke Adder Flanagan Cirus , head of House Cirus and distant nephew of King Sigmund Alfredo Cyprus. The man , standing on the distant cliff , laughed as soon as he saw many people rushing to put out the fire spreading on the carriage.He grinned as he heard the cries of two people burning alive.
" I've told you , have I not...Demus..? You would suffer if you do not side with me. "
Adder , with a gravelly tone , mumbled that as he saw the figures inside slowly gets their flesh devoured by flames through his binoculars.
" Pretty bad for you , isn't it...but still you had your wife and son to assist you to hell- "
Adder froze as soon as he saw Liam Alias alive. He was also quite a bit shocked to see his young niece Rhiannon alongside Liam. Adder gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as soon as he realised not all of House Alias was burnt into ashes.
" May old sevens damn you , Demus...still left an offspring of yours? heh... "
Adder threw his handheld binoculars on the ground and stomped on them with his boots.
" M'lord , your brother , Lord Favian has responded to your letter. "
A servant came up on the hill and kneeled at a distant,with a letter in his hand.
" Askrem,what did my brother say...? "
Adder asked , with a tone of irritation.
" Your lordship's brother has replied that he finished plan A...and that he awaits for you at the southern gate of the palace. "
Askrem replied with a calm tone even though he knew how Adder behaved earlier.
" Send a signal to our allies...also where are the bribed guards of House Alias? "
Adder,with a gravelly tone , asked Askrem.
" They are nearby , M'lord... "
" Good , finish them off...do your job Askrem... "
Hearing Adder's order,though hesitant at first,Askrem nodded his head and got up from kneeling.He pulled out a scimitar soaked in venomous poison.
" This servant of Morros will obey M'lord's orders. "
" Good,now I'll be off to the palace. "
After hearing Askrem's reply,Adder slowly walked down the cliff as Askrem in the background sent a pigeon to signal the bribed House Alias guards to come up to the cliff.Not to give them reward of gold and silver but to give them the reward of death.
Just as Adder got on his horse,he heard the pained screams of the two House Alias guards.
Adder grinned and left the scene,knowing Askrem has did his job very well.
After galloping his horse for a while,Adder finally arrived to the southern gate of the palace.The guards stationed there bowed as a sign of respect for Adder and opened the gates.Behind the gates stood a man around his early 30's.He looked like he was around 5 years younger than Adder.He wore a black calf length frock coat and he was around six foot two,a little bit taller compared to Adder.He waved his hand to Adder and called out.
" Brother!... "
The man was Adder's younger brother , Lord Favian. Even though he is in his early 30's , he still greeted his brother the same way he greeted ever since they were children.
Adder and Favian's father was one of the late princes of the 12 during the bloodshed era of Guvalon. It was an era where brothers fought each other for the throne of Guvalon. Many princes of old royal bloods died but only one claimed the throne. He was King Sigmund , Adder and Favian's distant uncle. Sadly , Adder and Favian's father did not survive and was one of the victims who died due to their embition. Feeling guilty , their uncle , King Sigmund took both brothers into his wing , raising alongside his children.
It was only a pretext. King Sigmund completely mistreated the two brothers since their father's death. Moreover , Sigmund was the one who had killed their father in truth. He just didn't had the guts to kill them and took them in due to his own guilt of killing his cousin.
Adder clenched his fist holding the horse reins as soon as he thought about his past. He only managed to smile a bit when his brother greeted him. Today was the day , the day Sigmund pays back. Adder finally got down from his horse and gave the horse reins to a nearby servant. He turned to look at cheerful Favian. He patted Favian's shoulder and smiled.
" Favi...have you ordered our guards to disguise themselves as the servants...? "
" Yes,brother...I've did as you told me to...how did the discussion with Demus go...?? "
Favian innocently asked about Duke Nicodemus to his brother as he wasn't aware of his death.
Adder sighed , knowing that Favian doesn't know that Nicodemus is dead and also about the fact that his daughter , Rhiannon was a witness of Duke Alias and his wife's deaths alongside the lone Alias boy Liam.
" The discussion didn't go well...we'll discuss about that later,Favi...have you brought the 'Masherem Ark' ? "
" Yes brother , I've brought it...a drop can make one's vision blury...two drops can make one never walk again and three....can make one face death. "
Favian handed Adder a small poison jar.
Adder grinned,his 20 years of plotting will finally reach it's goal. Masherem Ark is a purple-blue coloured poison that most Morrosian of Morros nation used when they assassinated their enemies. That old man Sigmund will finally meet his doom. After all , the throne is his , Adder Flannagan Cirus's throne. The throne must become only for House Cirus.
Blood must be paid with blood.
A Cyprus for a Cirus.
The old griffin Sigmund is no longer in his prime , he is now a prey for the young tiger Adder.
Adder took the small jar and took a good look at it. While Adder was looking at the jar , Favian called over a young palace servant that was about to deliver the lunch for the King. He paid the young lad a good amount of gold and whispered something that made the young lad quickly bring the meal that was about to be served to the king. Adder , after taking a look at the poison , opened it's lid and poured it into the glass of wine that is served beside the meal.
" Go now and wait till Duke Cirus arrives. "
Favian made the young servant go to the palace to serve the King his lunch.
" Favi...it is time now...we...sons of House Cirus will take back what was ours... "
" ...Do we really have to kill uncle Sigmund?... "
Favian was hesistant , though Sigmund had killed their father , he was also their adoptive father figure. Ofcourse he might've abused them but he was also good to them in some other cases , he didn't really want to kill Sigmund but he also do not want to betray his brother.
" Blood must be paid with blood...Favi...no exceptions could be made. "
Adder replied with an irritated tone. He could never forgive Sigmund , especially after when he knows he is better than his cousin , deceased crown prince Francisco , Sigmund's son who took his own life after Sigmund found out Francisco preferred the company of a male companion instead of his wife. Francisco took his own life because Adder revealed his sexuality to public. Francisco's male lover was excecuted by the King Sigmund.
" All of Cyprus must pay...for what they've done. "
with a tone mixed with hurt and anger , Adder gritted his hand into a fist. He left Favian at the gate as he knows he must face Sigmund himself , as the head of House Cirus.
In the palace , specifically inside King Sigmund's chambers , King Sigmund enjoyed his lunch consisting of grilled mutton and a fine wine. Though the wine tasted a bit strange , old Sigmund who was over 90 years of age just thought the wine tasted a bit strange due to it being imported from Morros , a nation filled with mutton meat and sour fruits.
While he was drinking his wine , a butler announced that his nephew , Duke Cirus requested for permission to enter the chambers for a private meeting. Old Sigmund allowed the request and thus Duke Cirus or so called Adder Flannage entered the chambers , the doors closed behind him.He requested his uncle to let the servants out of the chambers as this is a family matter related to the deceased crown prince and his only son the grand heir.
Old Sigmund , unaware of the situation , made the servants go out. The servants at the orders of their King. Unknowingly closing the doors , which will soon lead to chaos.
" Adder , nephew...sit down..didn't you say you have an important thing to discuss about the grand heir's future.. ? "
" I'm afraid you won't be able to hear it as soon as I finish the speech...Sigmund. "
Hearing his first name being addressed without any title , old Sigmund was angry , he slammed the table infront of him and got up from his chair , just to feel dizzy and to be sat in his chair back again.
" YOU!...agh- YOU DID S-SOMETHING WITH THE FOOD,D-DIDN'T YOU..? "
Old Sigmund,with a stuttering yet irritated tone pointed his hand towards Adder while his other hand scratch his neck as the pain slowly rose.
Adder chuckled , he slowly came closer to the desk and grinned at old Sigmund , his dark black eyes full of satisfaction and pure joy.
" Sigmund...Sigmund..you thought I wouldn't know about my father's death?... "
Adder chuckled as he picked up the royal jade stamper on the desk , his gaze on the royal jade stamper while old Sigmund suffers.
" Y-You... "
" Don't worry , Sigmund...you'll live...live enough to hear what I would bring out to the world...and to the grand heir... "
" D-Demus.. "
Old Sigmund , on the verge of fainting due to the poison managed to stutter out Duke Nicodemus's name.
" Oh , didn't you hate him...? Uncle... I killed him off for you,afterall...you raised me to become your dog...oh..I also killed off his wife.. "
Old Sigmund's eyes of suffer realised that he couldn't stutter out anymore words , he couldn't feel his tongue or the rest of his neck , he couldn't get up no more. His vision became blurry. The old man shed a slight tear , he knew his only enemy yet ally , his reliable son in-law and his beloved daughter Lylah had died.
" Don't cry uncle...I'll make sure you hear what the fate of the grand heir...after all , I planned to sent him to the Morrosians... "
Old Sigmund's expression changed from anger to desparation. It looked like he was begging to be spared. Adder , passing by the desk , walked towards old Sigmund and faced him. He held the royal jade stamper as if he was holding a toy.
" Too bad you can no longer see this...my dear uncle,I suppose the jade stamper also needs a new owner...a new ruler perhaps. "
Adder chuckled and kicked old Sigmund off his chair.
Adder sat on the chair and looked at old Sigmund lying on the ground with his eyes slowly going white. Outside of the palace was also quite a chaos , Adder's men of House Cirus has started their rebellion. Loyal servants and officals were killed and the ones alive were held hostage in the council room. House Cirus's men were burning down the deceased crown prince's chambers as screams of pleading were heard from the grand heir , 16 years old Aegon Cyprus who was held down to watch his father's chamber get burned.
Adder , after sitting and messing with old Sigmund for a while , finally left old Sigmund's chambers and headed towards the council room. Inside , many officials were dead , only some were left alive. Either bend their knee to their new ruler or face death. Only having two options , the alive ones kneeled down to pay their respects to Adder who entered the council room.
Favian was beside the throne , waiting for his brother. Adder raised the royal jade stamper and with a gravelly smile ,
" Old Sigmund is nothing but a corpse that is soon to be buried!...I...Adder Flannagan Cirus , head of House Cirus and as an old blooded royal with years of experience should be on the throne! not those younglings like Liam Alias and Aegon Cyprus...am I not right?! "
Adder yelled out his words of victor and House Cirus's men cheered words of confirmation. The alive officals also had to chant the words 'King Adder' as cheer.
Finally Adder walked towards the throne and sat down , his younger brother Favian also kneeled down and chanted
" I,FAVIAN EDRIC CIRUS,2ND BORN SON OF THE LATE PRINCE CIRUS BOWS DOWN TO THE KING OF GUVALON...TO KING ADDER! "
Alongside Favian's roar of cheer , others joined into chant 'King Adder' . A word Adder wanted to hear for a long time. Adder smiled to his heart's content finally.
He is now the King,the ruler of Guvalon.
He is no longer a boy , a boy who was abused mentally by Sigmund.
The throne belongs to him.
To him only.
To Adder Flannagan Cirus.
No one can take it from him.
It is his.
The fate of the citizens of Guvalon stays unknown.
The fate of lone surviving royals like Liam Alias and Aegon Cyprus stays unknown.