A table fit for a king they thought, the girls and boys had separate showers; after taking them they ate and rested their waiting for a maid or a servant to tell them on what comes next
"Do you think we will be crowned lords and ladies here in the capital in front of the people?" asked Isabel
"Sister, please stop it, your fantasies have nothing to do with our reality, you think we fought all the way reaching here, just to set on a chair and order people around" replied Thomas
"The real question is that are we going to meet him," said John
"What do you mean by him?" asked William
"You know" said John as he leaned forward whispering "The king"
"Stop being so afraid to say it, and talk loud like a man would," said Thomas
"Talking louder isn't going to grow you a beard Thomas," said Isabel
"W-Why are you bringing this up here, I told you not to talk about it" he said in a low voice leaning his head towards here with his both hand on the table
"Don't be so sensitive you're a man aren't you" said Isabel "And why lower your voice, are you perhaps, ashamed of something?" continued with a teasing look
"Ashamed, look who's talking, the girl who wishes to live on a lord's castle for the rest of her life," said Thomas
"And I am not ashamed to say it" replied Isabel drinking from the table
"Didn't you brake that poor boy guard's hand that day?" said Thomas as she stopped and looked at him sideways
"So what?" replied Isabel
"I don't know of any lord who'd wish being wed to a raging bull," said Thomas
"Blasphemy! I am not like that "replied Isabel
"Even if someone happened to see you meet his standards, I think not of them having enough to pay for your needs, especially in the Varish kingdom, you know the power here is only the army's and the people's" replied Thomas
"He has a point" replied William
"What!" yelled Isabel "You agree with him on that"
"I don't mean the marriage part" replied Willaim "From the day the banner of the kingdom changed, and the tradition of the rotten crown appeared, no lord had any over the people"
"I guess reading history does help you in talking back," said Isabel
"Now that I think about, it is too good of a coincidence," said John
"Yes, I know! like how can all these things happen at the same time, a king falls, new tradition for the thrown alongside the fall of all lord powers," said William
"Don't forget 2 other kings have fallen after him after him," said John
"This have already been explained haven't it, the crown is cursed, no more no less," said Sara "That is the only thing that could possibly explain how they fell the same way"
"If I just can grab my hand on its materiel, I can make out something of it to dig up the truth," said William
"Then you will be waiting long, for this king is loved enough by the people, and his crown is far from falling of his head," said Henry
"What I really want to see is the king himself," said Isabel
"Why? Do you perhaps have a crush on him or something" replied Thomas with a smirk on his face
Isabel looked at his smile with a disgusted face and continued "I heard the lower half of his face is burnt out, they say while he tried to burn the past king to death"
"Yes, yes, he fought nobly and got his face burned for the love of his people, we heard this story enough times already, what a hero yay" replied Thomas
"Are you still angry about the beard thing boy?" asked Isabel
"Are you still searching for a prince on a white horse girl?" replied
"You do have a problem than" said Isabel as she unsheathed the sword from under her chair
The door of the room opened as the butler entered, he had the same mask as earlier, with a calm voice he said "Wear these clothes at once please, after so the king will call upon you" as maids dragged some outfits in towards each of them, noble clothing were handed over
Isabel getting hers looked at Thomas twin with a smile as he looked away annoyed
They wore what they were given, following the butler, his mask only revealing the mouth and eyes
"At least we know where he is looking unlike someone" said Isabel to Sara as she pointed in his direction with one hand covering the side of her mouth
Sara shushed her as they walked the hallway, even though it had enough light, the end of it was like a torch, blinding the eyes of whoever is near
The butler went throw as they followed after him
The room wasn't so full, but the people they for sure were rich, dresses and suites, gold, dimes and whatever in between sparkled with the troche's lights
Sharp looks burned their necks from each side, none of them made eye contact, but Isabel wouldn't let herself stepped on so with eyes empty of fear she glared back at each of them, face normal, but eyes staring back into their souls, Sara pinched her as she said
"Stop it" she whispered looking only upfront
"You want me to just swallow it; they are treating us like a foreign disease that went into their gardens" Isabel Whispered back
Sara sighed and replied "Just don't mind them" as Isabel listened to her and calmed down
The masked Butler went on getting them throw the hall, right in front of the stairs leading to the throne, it was empty, no king in sight as they looked around them
"Are we supposed to meet the king elsewhere?" asked John as one of the door guards spoke wild and clear
"The king Arthur the first is entering his scared halls, you may give your respects in silence" the room went dead quiet, not out of respect, nor is it out of love, but sheer fear, terrified but not showing it on their faces, you can see their faces going pale as the huge doors opened slowly
From them 4 knights, each with their own Sigel, they walked by him making him, as he centred them all, a trail of guards and normal ranked knight were on his back
He shuffled forward, his steps slow and uneven, his spine worn and torn down as if the crown was dragging him to the grave, heavy breaths from his half open mouth, eyes half closed, but his crown still intact, his eyes having a shade of light blue, sharp as an eagle, a mask covered all the way from his nose to the root of his hair, leaving only the burn scars visible,
A man that if you see on the street, you would have looked at him with pity, had a full room of the strongest people counting their breaths
Slowly he marched forward as his mean stopped at the first step towards his thrown, stood in line and faced the attendees, only the masked butler helped him forward, stopping just to make him stand the highest at the tope of them all, his crown worn out, eaten as if maggots shaped it for their liking, with his golden crutch in hand he sat down
He waved with his hand for the kids, as if handing it over, the guards moved letting them walk through, they were scared, terrified, how can such a being be human, they bowed down, boys and girls, glancing behind them, the nobles still had their heads down, eyes wide, silent
Opening his mouth, he stuttered his words out in a snoring voice "Names."
That is all that he spoke, the butler went front to them going to Isabel first, patting her on the shoulder to calm down, for she was the first on the left side
"You may speak, girl" the butler said, only his voice was heard in the room, not a fly whispering around
"I greet his highness she said, not removing her eyes off the ground, the king waved his hand upward, with no strength in it at al, fingers apart from each other,
The butler then spoke to her still leaning down "You may raise your head" he said
"I wouldn't dare do such- "she replied as the butler removed all the cheerful sounds coming from his voice, and with a cold one he said again "The king wishes upon it, raise, your, head"
She raised it, eyes kissing the ground beneath her, she said "I am Isabel your highness"
Silent was their only guest for a moment, as he stared t her, fear crawling inside her more and more, then he moved his hand to the next one as she was able to finally breath
Sara, Thomas, William, John, each of them got a turn, showing their faces without facing him forward
John's turn came as he introduced him self he dared a peek, saw the eyes of the king full of shock as his hand regained strength trying to grasp forward, with the other still on the crutch, but all of it was lost once more as he was falling slowly to the ground, his crown falling of his head, mouths and eyes opened, but the Butler swiftly helped him to get up as he crown regained its position, none of the guards looked back, only a few nobles and the kids, before they looked back down
"The king is tired, he will seek his chambers, you may party for the night" said the butler carrying the king out, following after him his knights and guards, leaving the silent hall behind
Voice creeped in once more as the kids went down stairs, looking at each other, confused and shocked as everybody else
The king slowly walked up stairs alongside his butler who sat him on his bed, the grey haired butler went forward taking off the king's crown, and walked behind a painting in his room, a room so dark as if it was emerging from the depths of the earth, even though it towered over the capital, their he walked with his torch, after lighting a hanged one, all the others inside gained the same fire
To the wall he walked, pushing it upwards revealing another crown behind it, with many to come, he picked it and put the torn one in its place
Walking back as the lights went off, he carved it the same as the other, leaving the inside strong, to the king he stepped forward, kneeling down and putting it on his head, as both their shadows grew bigger and bigger by the moonlight that was piercing the window