Chapter Twenty-Two

Cassius' P.O.V

I stare absently at the abandoned gates wondering who would allow these doors to be left unattended. Never mind that, I'll just have to have a word with Stevens. Usually he had always known to do this without me having to remind him. Everyone forgets every now and again I suppose.

My hands touch the golden door embedded with carvings of weres of the old, battling, dying. I look at the etched expressions of them causing my eyes to fall. It was record of The Battle of the Borders. It was the night when I had lost my father and so many of my kinsmen. It was the night it had rained blood.

I bring my thumb to my face and bite down against it until I draw blood. It's only fitting that I must use this way to enter my own kingdom. Soon I begin to smear it around the sides until I formed our sigil. The doors groan and shift as they opened with gradual movement. I make no hurry attempt at entering. Somehow, with the eyes of my ancestors on me I feel as if I had done a grave undoing.

Warily, I touch the side of my neck until it slides down to my collar bone. I can still feel his touch, his mouth, his kisses, on me even at this moment. I can still remember how his warm body felt against mine, his skin on mine ,and the sparks that came with every touch, big or small. I remember how he held me in his arms like I was the most precious thing to him.

It did not feel wrong then and does not feel wrong now. It felt nothing but right. All my worries and troubles seemed to melt away with each touch...each smile...each laugh he gave me. It was as if I was living in a world of bliss.

As I walk through the corridor brimmed with gold on every corner I feel the faces of the olds' stares at me from above. When I was younger my brother used to say these walls held some of the spirits of our predecessors. My clench into fists as I continued my steady walk through these abandoned halls.

He is my mate, given to me by the Goddess, Avatea, herself. She chose him for me and I could not have been any happier than I am now. He's been everything I have ever desired. You cannot judge me on that.

They are angry. I can feel it. Yet, I also feel the unease and wariness coming out in waves. Unable to take the atmosphere any longer, I quicken my footsteps and exit out of those walls of thoughts and into the Gardens of Life. However, it is lacking just that.

The sun is setting in the sky. Yet, not a single child's voice can be heard. There is no one to be found. Something's wrong.

I spin around looking for any sign of my people, but they were all missing. Gone. My eyebrows furrow in deep thought at what this could possibly mean, but nothing came to mind.

"The Palace Grounds," I mutter.

Before I take another step I hear a cry come out from a man. I turn back around and start off towards where the sound came from. Once I turn the corner my eyes widen in horror at the limp bodies of my kinsmen splayed across the ground. Their blood soaked the sands. The last cry of the man echoes off into the distance as his body falls with the rest.

"Regenul! Cease this immediately!" I shout with rage and confusion. Why would Regenul ever do such a thing such as this?

One of my most leal Enforcers looks at me with conflicted eyes and hesitates for a moment at what to do before tightening his hand on the whip. "I cannot do that."

"Do not tell me what you can do! Put it down now! That is a command!" Under the raw power of my voice he bends his knees to the ground and throws away his object of torture.

"Why would you do such a thing? To your own people, Regenul, answer me!" He had always been an apt Enforcer. Never once had I ever thought he would be capable of such cruelty.

"...Command, Your...Highness." I shake my head back and forth. "Where is everyone else at? What have you done with them? Where is Stevens? Grimm?" They would never give orders like that. Never.

"They...were accused of treason against you and the Kingdom." My face starts to grow hot as my nails pierce into my skin until I feel blood pouring out of my broken skin. I bite down on my bottom lip and close my eyes before I can lose all sense of reason.

"That's impossible. Where are they being held?"

"Right this way," I hear Analia's voice say out of the darkness blanketing the pillar spaces. As soon as my eyes meet her face I know something is not right. She looks like she has been stricken with grief.

As she approaches me her face turns into a scowl. "So he was not lying. You have been with an Easterner! You smell of one!" My eyebrows knead together until realization dawns on me.

"Anali-" She tries to throw a silver rope across my arm, but I move away before she can.

"He is my mate!" The rope grazes my arm this time, however I pull on it and drag her down to the ground with ease.

"You lie! Do not use the Sacred Ritual as your excuse of committing a treacherous act against your own people!" Tears are brimming at her eyes and I can do nothing but look at her completely dumbfounded.

"We trusted you! We loved you and this is what you do!" Her anger sounds out her sadness as she shouts.

"Stop this, Analia. We are kinsmen. I would never do anything to jeopardize you or anyone else apart of this kingdom." I kick away the silver rope from her grasp and look at her.

"He is my mate, Analia." Her eyes begin to falter under my gaze as I continue to look at her. None of this is making sense. Analia and Regenul would never do such things.

"I would not doubt that for a second that he is not, dear cousin." His voice leaked nothing but malice and mockery which only causes a sneer to appear on my face. I had enough of his antics.

"Yet, in the laws of the North, you gave your word to the Westerners. The Code of Loverage, if you do recall." My mouth falls open before my eyes squint at him.

"It means nothing in the Laws of Mates," I spit back at him already prepared to take his head off for this.

"You commited a sin worthy of death, my dear cousin. What shall I ever do with you now?" He muses before stepping a little closer to me. "Before I put you on trial, we have to go through the list of people who had been accused of treason and disloyalty to the crown."

Just before I lunge at him he puts his finger up and shakes it. "Harm me and I'll harm someone you care deeply about. Maybe your mother, perhaps? Come quietly, then we may be able to talk. How does that sound, Your Highness?" My lip starts to bleed out under the sheer pressure I put onto it.

"Arthur." He comes and wraps thick, silver rope tightly around my wrists until I can feel it burning into my skin. I hold in the hiss of pain threatening to escape. All I can think about is how I am finally going to do away with my loathsome cousin.

He has gone too far.

As soon as he finds it secure enough he grabs one of my arms and tugs me into the direction Christophe is walking towards. Once the doors to the Palace Grounds opens I see the majority of my kinsmen there. Most are scared others are angry, the very few are full of confusion and tears. They look at me with some cross between hope and rage.

"Clear the way! Clear the way! The new King is coming! The new King is coming!" My eyes fill with anger I haven't felt since the loss of my father at Arthur's words.

The moment we walk along the winding stairs to Ceremonial Center. I'm thrown against the side of the small wall causing me to wince. I am their king. No matter what this wretch says.

Before I can speak I see Grimm, Stevens, and Lily tied up with silver rope constricting their every movement. They all gaze at me with the same grim, angry expressions on their faces. Tears were threatening to poor out of Stevens eyes making me become ill with dread. I never once seen him cry in my life.

"Grimm, Stevens what is the meaning of this?" I yell angrily over the crowd of people beginning to fill the crowded area even more.

"Christophe...he..." Stevens mumbles but he drifts off.

"He's gone insane, Your Highness," Grimm finishes.

"Insane? Insane! He has far surpassed the threshold of insanity!" They both look at me with the same lingering feelings of malice.

"He plans to-"

"Doing some catching up, now are we?" Christophe chimes in cutting off our conversation completely. The crowd gradually begins quieting down at his presence.

"Do not look at me that way, dear Cousin. This was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, I am older than you. The throne should have been mine to begin with."

"You're delusional! You piece of shit. I will kill you for this!"

"Not with that silver rope around your arms you will not be capable of harming a single fly. I am absolutely sure of it." He gives me a grin making me lunge at him, but I fall directly onto my face.

"Now, now, now don't go and try to hurt yourself. I'm sure you exerted all of your energy with that Eastern mongrel... now what is his name again? Ah yes, Pierce." My eyes widen then narrow in pure hatred at what this could possibly mean.

"Oh so you think I wouldn't found out hm? Was that it?"

"I swear to the Gods above Christophe if you do not stop this I will kill you," I say through clenched teeth, yet it only causes him to laugh. He gives me one last gaze of malice before directing his attention to the crowd of gathering people.

"Dearest people of the North. I am sad to say I have grave news on the matter of the governance of this fine Kingdom!" There is nothing but silence as his voice filled the air.

"There has been accusations of treason, suspicion of treason, disloyalty to the crown, and greatest sin among all... Purgury." The people of the North are still and quiet. Usually, they are rowdy and full of life; now all I can sense is tension and dread.

"The trial at the Ceremonial Center shall now commence." He turns to face all of our glowering faces and ignores us all. "Regenul." The man I had once trusted with my life comes and brings out one of my dearest, closest friends causing my heart to fall to the pits of my stomach.

"Addelin," I murmur.

"Addelin Ignatius has been accused of high treason. All evidence I had uncovered has led to such. No further trial is needed," Regenul states in an even voice.

My eyes begin to fill with nothing but angry tears at his hard voice and the meaning behind his words. I shake my head back and forth while struggling with my confines that just keep digging deeper and deeper into my skin.

"However, he has the option to renounce the old king and show his fealty to me and all passed transgressions will cease to exist. What is your answer?" Christophe questions with a docile voice lacking of emotion.

"Addelin. Addelin." I keep shaking my head for him to not answer the way I know he will. I want him to live. Goddess, I want him to live. He gives me one last longing look with his icy, blue eyes. Soon a small smile forms on his lips causing the tears to congregate to the top of my eyes.

"Don't Addelin. Please, I beg of you."

"What is your answer?"

"King Cassius Castille, first in his name, rightful king, bearer of the blood of the olds, I swear my fealty to you. For now and forever." I choke on my own voice and shake my head.

"Christophe don't do this. Don't this. I will never-"

"Very well then. Regenul."

Regenul lifts his head up before a sharp knife slides against his pale throat. I let out a sob as I watch the man who had raised me since I was a pup choke and gurgle on his own blood right before my feet. His hand outstretches towards me before his body goes limp. Tears stray down my face as I shake my head violently. Soon, his pool of blood begins to soak into my pants.

Before I can let out another cry I turn my head away and muffle it into the wall. I knock my head against the wall and pull against the silver ropes in anger and rage unable to look at the paling, dead body.

I regain back some of my lost composure, but I lose it as soon I see Stevens with tears streaming down his face. That had been his grandfather, the last of his family. Grimm's face is hard and unmoving and Lily's is close to breaking.

"The next person to stand trial, Stevens Arnheart." My eyes widen in horror.

"No. No.No. No. Christophe you can't do this! This is murder!" I meant for it to sound strong, but it only comes out weak and full of tears left unshed.

"Stop this nonsense!" Regenul comes and grabs him by his am and hoists him up causing my mind to panic.

"Stop this. Please," I plead making him turn his head at me and grin.

"Did the mighty Cassius just beg?"

"Don't... I beg of you." Tears are brimming at my eyes. Any more lose will kill me.

"Sadly, it's a little too late.

Bring Grimm as well."

"No! Goddess, please no. I will do anything you want just please...stop this...please stop this..." He goes on to ignore me and continues speaking.

"Both Grimm Ophiel and Stevens Arnheart have been charged with high treason. Both were given the the option to renounce the old king and show his fealty to me and all passed transgressions will cease to exist. What are your answers?"

"Grimm...Stevens I know you are very loyal, kind, close friends of mine...but please don't do this. Please don't. God if you have any respect for me you will not do this," I say through blurry eyes and a voice thick with hopelessness.

They give me the same look without even having to look at each other causing the built up tears to free fall down my face. "Grimm please...you're like a father to me....don't do this."

"King Cassius Castille..." They both announce aloud in unison making me close my eyes in grief.

"First in his name, rightful king, bearer of the blood of the olds, I swear my fealty to you. For now and forever."

Both Arthur and Regenul came behind them with sharp blades holding it across their necks. "Regenul don't do this! He's Grimm..." I try to reason.

"For forty years he's-" His blood splatters against my face causing my face to pale. The crowd breaks out into franic screams and panic as Grimm lies on the ground choking on his lifeblood on the once pristine white, stone floors. Soon, his body goes limp as it spilled around him.

I look to Stevens and before the blade can get to his throat I struggle to rise and knock Arthur over the edge with my body causing the onlookers to grow louder. Christophe yanks me by my hair, but I end up head-butting him until he releases me.

As the scent of blood hits my blood I notice some Northerner's blood in the mix. The crowd is not screaming because of the events taking place up here, but because of the Easterners... they're here.

Why would they-Tears are still spewing out of my eyes as I look at Grimm laying on the ground with his life's blood spilling out beneath him. I let out another sob unable to help it. For fifteen years he had been with me.

Fifteen years.

"Cassius now isn't the time for this. You have to go. Christophe has already fled," I hear Stevens admonish, but I look emotionless at my Beta.

"He could have lived. He could have lived if he would have just listened to me..."

"The Easterners, they're killing our kinsmen as we speak! Cassius tell me what I should do! What should we do?" He cries out desperately. I look around and see Analia, Arthur, Lily and a few other Enforcers.

"Untie us! Now is not the time to bicker amongst ourselves. The time now is to fight!" I clench my fists looking at my fallen friends and harden myself to a sad resolve.

"Kill every, single last one of them. Richard take three, Arthur four, Analia four, the rest of you pair up. Split into three centers and block the door ways from anymore of them coming in. If you come across Christophe and his ilk kill them on spot. Pass on the message."

Tears soaks my shirt. The blood of my Beta...my best of friend...soaks my pants. I pray to the Goddess, Avatea, above you stay far away from this place... I wipe the lingering water away from my tear-ridden face until my eye sight clears.

I cannot bear to lose you too. Truly, then...I would die.

Pierce. Despite my best efforts, another sob comes out of me causing me to sink to the ground.

I'd truly die then.

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[A/N] ....:(

The song went so well with this chapter!

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