Chapter 38 – First Born’s Perspective
Prince Zhao let out a long, heavy sigh, his gaze drifting away as if lost in a distant memory. “The Tri-Kings requested my aid in the war against my father,” he said slowly, his tone laden with an almost tangible burden. His words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. Shawn and Princess Selena leaned in, their bodies tense with anticipation, waiting for the verdict that could determine whether Zhao would become a crucial ally or a formidable enemy.
“I would like nothing more than to help the Tri-Kings,” Zhao continued, his voice strained, “but I cannot.” A collective breath was released around the table, a mix of frustration and disappointment crossing their faces. Shawn felt his heart sink; Princess Selena’s composed facade faltered slightly, her brows knitting in concern.
Seeing their reactions, Prince Zhao held up a hand, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said softly. “You think I refuse because I am my father’s son and I cannot turn against him.” His gaze sharpened, his voice growing firmer. “But that is not the case. The reason I cannot help the Tri-Kings is because of a meeting with my father and all my siblings, which took place five days ago.”
The room fell into silence once more, the air thick with curiosity and apprehension. Shawn, Princess Selena and Makara exchanged a glance, their minds racing with questions. What had transpired at that meeting? What could prevent Prince Zhao from aiding the Tri-Kings in their struggle against his father? The tension in the room was palpable, a sense of dread creeping in as they waited for him to continue.
Prince Zhao’s face was grim, the weight of his next words pressing heavily upon him. He took a deep breath, his voice dropping low and cautious, as if speaking the truth aloud could somehow make the events more real, more terrifying. “Five days ago,” he began slowly, the words almost seemed to drag from his lips, “our father summoned all his children to his kingdom for a meeting. It was rare for him to call us all together, so we knew it must have been something of great importance. When I arrived, I was ushered into the grand hall, a place that had always felt imposing but never before had it felt so… foreboding.”
He paused, glancing at Shawn and Selena, gauging their reactions. His eyes were distant, as if he were looking back through time, reliving every moment of that day. “One by one, my stepbrothers arrived, except my stepsister, who didn’t. Each stepped through those massive doors with the same look of curiosity and apprehension. Even though they are my brothers, born to an another mother, they have always loved and cherished me as I am their elder, but on that day, there was an unspoken tension in the air, a feeling that something was terribly amiss.”
Princen Zhao’s voice softened, the memory clearly weighing heavily on him. “Then, my father entered. King Azure. His presence alone could fill the room, but this time… it was different. He didn’t come alone. He was flanked by two of his subordinates, figures I had never seen before. They wore grey cloaks that covered their entire bodies, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods. They moved silently, like shadows, and a strange sensation ran down my spine the moment I laid eyes on them. I could sense something different from them.”
The meeting between King Azure and his children from Prince Zhao’s Perspective
Prince Zhao’s voice trembled slightly, the memory of that moment still vivid and raw.
“The doors to the grand hall slammed shut behind my father, the sound echoing off the walls like a thunderclap. King Azure strode forward, his cloak billowing behind him, his gaze sweeping over all of us with a strange intensity. ‘Welcome, my children,’ he said, his voice unusually warm yet carrying an edge of something else—something I couldn’t quite place. ‘I trust the journey wasn’t too taxing on any of you?’ he added, almost as an afterthought.”
“We replied in unison, as we had been taught, ‘No, Father.’ But there was unease in the air, a tension that hung between us like a thick fog.”
Prince Zhao’s eyes darken as he speaks, his tone dropping lower.
My father’s expression shifted, his warm facade giving way to a more serious demeanour. “‘Good,’ he said, his tone sharpening. ‘Because I have an important announcement to make.’” He paused, letting his words settle into the room. None of us dared to move. Our father’s eyes seemed to bore into each of us, as if he were searching for something… for what, I couldn’t say. But then he spoke again, and his words sent a shock through us all. ‘I have decided to unify the entire Eastern region under the Azurian Empire. So I have declared war on the Tri-Kings of the East.’”
Prince Zhao swallows hard, the weight of that moment etched across his face.
“There was a stunned silence. I am the only one who stood forward to raise a question while my sibling kept their silence. Then I spoke first by stepping forward, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion, ‘But why, Father? Why wage war against the kingdoms you yourself have nurtured and allied with for so long?“
Prince Zhao’s eyes lowered, shadows creeping across his expression.
“Then I saw it. For a moment, a faint shadow seemed to pass over my father, and his eyes… It was something. It looked as if a dark cloud had covered them, an ominous aura that I could feel even from across the room. I’ve never sensed anything like it before. It was cold and… corrupting. It chilled me to my bones. And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone—his eyes clear once more. But I knew what I had felt.”
Prince Zhao’s fists clench as he speaks.
Then my father’s voice boomed through the hall, snapping us back to attention. ‘There should be only one king in the East,’ he declared with a commanding presence that left no room for dissent. ‘And that king shall be me!!’ His words carried an undeniable force, and as he spoke, a wave of power seemed to wash over me. It was as if an invisible hand had pressed down on my shoulders, forcing me to my knees. I managed to turn around to look at my siblings, as they, including my father’s subordinates, those two cloaked figures, knelt in reverence.”
Prince Zhao’s breath shudders as the memory washes over him.
“We all knelt, every one of us, unable to resist. It wasn’t just fear—it was something else, something that compelled us to submit. And then, as quickly as it had come, the pressure lifted. My father looked down at us, a strange smile playing at the corners of his lips. ‘Since you are my children,’ he continued, ‘I expect you all to aid me in this war. However, you each hold something crucial for my life. Therefore, until this war is over, I am placing a binding on each of you, restricting you to your respective castles with a special barrier.’“
Prince Zhao closes his eyes briefly, pain flickering across his face.
“Before I would raise a concern, my father gave a nod to his subordinates. They moved with a speed that was unnatural, almost inhuman. They raised their hands, and suddenly, magic circles appeared beneath each of us. All my siblings still knelt, while I tried to move, to resist, but it was too late. The circles glowed with a blinding light, and then… darkness. I heard them whispering incantations, their voices cold and distant. My siblings and I were torn from that room, transported back to our respective castles, trapped within barriers that prevent us from venturing beyond our limits of lands.”
Prince Zhao opens his eyes again, meeting the gazes of Shawn, Selena, and Makara, his expression carved with sorrow and frustration.
“I’ve been bound here ever since, unable to leave, unable to act. My father has trapped me in my own home, just as he has trapped my siblings in theirs. I am a prisoner in my own castle. This is why I cannot aid the Tri-Kings directly. This is why I cannot fight against my father… even though I wish to stop this madness.”
Back to the Author’s perspective
Prince Zhao’s voice wavered, a mix of anger and deep-seated despair visible in every line of his face. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his entire frame seemed to tremble with the weight of his revelations. “I fear there is something terribly wrong with my father,” he said, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. “Something malevolent is controlling him, and I don’t know how to help him.”
A heavy silence fell over the room, each word of Prince Zhao’s weighing heavily on the trio. Shawn, Princess Selena, and Makara exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting the gravity of the situation. They had come seeking an ally, but what they had discovered was far more disturbing—a prince ensnared in a web of dark forces, struggling to free his kingdom from an unseen enemy. The tension was palpable, the realisation that a kingdom was on the brink of chaos settling over them like a shroud.
Prince Zhao’s eyes, fierce and resolute, locked onto the trio. “If there is any way to break these barriers, to liberate my siblings and myself, I am committed to finding it,” he declared, his voice firm despite the underlying tremor. “But I cannot do it alone. The Tri-Kings need to understand that this war is not merely against my father—it’s against the malevolent force that has twisted him into this… this monstrous version of himself.” His voice dropped to a whisper, laden with a profound sense of dread. “And I fear… I fear it might be too late to save my father.“
Comment (0)