SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES
Chapter 84: The Weight On A Ruler

Chapter 84: The Weight On A Ruler

Time resumed, but with the exception of Henndar and Aramith, no one knew anything had happened.

"How could a boy enter a room with all of us here? Such disrespect!" The delegates weren’t going to back down from this.

"I believe there should be other reasons as to why he is the King if his own son behaves like this." Another voiced out.

"Who cares what this boy does anyway? He’s not going to have a chance ruling this land."

"Yes, I believe they value fire attributes more than anything. This King is only an exception because he’s intelligent."

"Remember, they called him the deceiver. Who knows how he even attained that position?" another whispered.

"I thought the same. But this boy...he can’t ever lead, can he?"

"And he’s supposed to be the one that Lone Wolf prefers? How dissapointing"

"It seems he’s allowing the boy to disrespect us."

Things were getting out of hand now. Though most of them didn’t speak loudly, their voices were just the right amount to be heard- almost as if they intentionally spoke like that to make him hear them on purpose- just to offend him.

Henndar remained silent, perhaps wanting the words to enter the boy’s mind so he be careful about his decision. Kesha couldn’t speak as well. It hurt her that she had to watch all this unfold right before her, but this wasn’t right, and it wasn’t her place to speak up or do anything about this. Except Khaizen, who couldn’t speak due to his good relationship with Henndar, Serephen, who seemed mildly interested in the confusion this boy was bringing, and the delegates from the Myriad Depths kingdom, who didn’t care, the rest were blasting him with hurtful words.

The fear returned, and Aramith’s breath quickened.

I’m not supposed to be hear.

But the voice didn’t give him an option.

Don’t run away. You’ve come this far, so save her.

And once again, he felt that same feeling rush into his blood.

Morality.

That was the word to describe what he felt like he was doing, but maybe he wasn’t doing the right thing, for the next events were about to turn his life in a different direction.

He stood his ground, took a deep breath. "I-"

FWOOSH!

Wind scattered everywhere, and suddenly, Lynnor had escaped the grip of her captor, quickly moving to stand at the entrance.

"How did she?" Only a few people saw her twist and turn, slipping like an eel before shooting herself like a bullet..

While all the confusion had been going on, she was silently controlling the air around her, covering her skin with a thick film of air. When she was sure it was enough, she quickly vibrated them. This altered the contact point, creating a slippery barrier which made it difficult to gain traction.

She grabbed her wrists and stretched her arms a bit.

"I guess you didn’t think I could escape?" She smiled.

Henndar frowned. "Don’t think you can escape that easily." Before she could say anything to that, the cloaked one who grabbed her earlier was onto her again. he moved smoothly and quickly, stepping through space itself before grabbing Lynnor again. She did what she did again to escape, but this time, Henndar did not allow it. A third cloaked one appeared from behind Henndar, quickly shooting chains at her. They wound tightly around her, holding her in place.

There was no escaping this time. Her head was pulled back, and her neck stretched tight. The crossbow was raised again.

SAVE HER OR YOU DIE! The voice was commanding him now. Aramith’s eyes flashed black, and in a blink, he was standing before Lynnor again. He clenched his jaw, looking defiantly at Henndar.

"Aramith, you don’t know what you are doing." He didn’t sound calm anymore.

"Maybe there is a reason why she was here. Shouldn’t we listen to that first?" he felt this strange confidence within him, totally ignoring the different forms of surprise the faces had.

"She was banished, Aramith! For a crime! Killing innocent people can never be excused, even if she served me personally. Do you understand that?"

"I know she killed people, but they also didn’t do the right thing."

"And what does that mean? Tell me, Aramith Virellian! Is it right for me to commit a crime just because another person committed a crime? Does that give me the right to do what I want?"

Aramith trembled at the mention of his full name, but he wasn’t backing down. This didn’t feel right.

"I-"

"The answer is no, Aramith. No matter the conviction you may have, or however moral you think your actions are, there will be consequences. And are you aware of the consequences of what you are doing now? Are you?" Henndar was furious now.

Even the delegates felt pressure just from his voice. The room was silent, breaths held, and all eyes were focused fully on Aramith.

Consequences?

He wasn’t afraid.

"But...if she was banished, why wasn’t the seal active?""Seal?" someone echoes."There should be one to stop her from even setting foot here."Henndar’s silence spoke volumes.

They were all curious, but no one dared ask what kind of seal he was speaking of. It was a seal Henndar had shown Aramith two years back, an alchemy formation that was manipulated from the shadows by hidden alchemists. Not everyone was allowed to enter, and when one was barred from entry, the seal was made to notice the person, making sure the person was held back or even killed by the seal. So yes, it was a good question, but not one he should have asked in public. This was a secret that was to be kept from outsiders.

"Aramith...You forget your place," Henndar said coldly to him.

But the boy was still brimming with courage and defiance.

You’re the prince, the voice slithered in his mind, poisoning his thoughts and decisions.. Yes, I know who I am, he agreed quietly in his mind.

"No," he said quietly, heart pounding. "I’m realizing it."

He glanced back at Lynnor, who was held in a difficult position. One good shot and her neck could even split easily.