CHAPTER 59: THE END OF THE WORLD

Nyella stormed into the King’s chambers looking so angry. The guards at the door barely had time to react before she pushed through. Inside, the chamber was dimly lit, and she saw her father sitting behind his desk with his hands resting on the wood, lost in thought.

"Father," Nyella’s voice rang out. "What is going on? How can all this be happening? How can you allow it?"

The King did not look up. His gaze remained fixed on the desk.

Nyella stepped forward and continued. "First it was Aeron, the boy who saved this kingdom, dragged into the dungeons like a criminal. And now it is Mother, the very Queen of this land, the mother of this kingdom, locked away in the same filthy place meant for common thieves! I thought they would at least confine her to her chambers, but no... they dared to throw her into the dungeons."

"Something that has never happened before in all our history, something no one would have imagined could happen to a queen, yet here it is, happening in front of you. And you sit here, doing nothing!"

The King finally raised his eyes, but he said nothing.

"You are the King!" she cried, her hands trembling. "You hold the highest power in this kingdom. And yet you let those old councilmen push you around like you are nothing. You let them play with you, trample on you, and you obey as though you are their servant. You could stop them. You could fight off their pressures. But no, you show them only your weakness, your vulnerable part, and they take more and more from you!"

"Enough, Nyella!" the King shouted as his fist struck the desk. "Watch your mouth. Do you think it gives me joy to listen to them? Do you think it pleases me that my own wife is locked in the dungeons, and I could do nothing? Do you think I wanted this?"

His voice dropped lower, filled with bitterness. "Those men you speak of, those ’old men’, they wield power beyond what you think. They hold the balance of this kingdom in their hands. If I go against them openly, if I defy them, do you know what that means? It means waging war against the great lords themselves. And that, my dear, would tear this kingdom apart."

Nyella shook her head and stepped closer. "You have never gone against them, Father. Not once. And you could have, just this once. You could have shown them that you are still the King, that they still answer to you, that they are beneath you. You could have stood for your wife, for your family, for justice. You could have waged that war and finally seen who your true enemies are."

The King sighed deeply and leaned back into his chair. His face looked older than Nyella had ever seen it. "You do not understand. The kingdom does not need more bloodshed now. We lost so much in the war. The people are weary. They need peace, stability, and unity. Internal conflict is the last thing I can allow. Perhaps one day, when you sit on this throne, you will understand how difficult it is to make such choices. Perhaps then you will see why I could not act differently."

Nyella was still angry. "And when that day comes, I will not be so afraid of the council that I would imprison even those I love. When that day comes, I will not betray my family in the name of peace. I thought you were better than this, Father. All my life, Mother told me stories of the great things you have done, the wonderful things, the victories, the strength you carried. But she never told me how weak you appear before the council. She shielded me from it. And now I see it with my own eyes."

The King slammed his hand down again. "You do not speak to me like that, Nyella. No, you do not. I am your father and your King."

Nyella cut across him. "Then perhaps you should say those words to the ones who need to hear it most, your council. Because it seems to me they have forgotten who sits on this throne."

The King’s jaw tightened. "You will leave my council matters to me. Worry about yourself, and not what does not concern you."

Nyella’s eyes filled with tears. "That is exactly what I have done my whole life, Father. I stayed out of their matters, I listened, I kept silent. But now their foolish decisions have come to strike at me. First, it was Aeron, whom I promised to keep safe. And now it is Mother. And you expect me to sit and keep quiet?"

"If you do not handle this, if you do not free them, then I will. And you know it will not end well."

"You better not do anything foolish," the King said in a low voice.

Before Nyella could answer, there was a knock at the door. A guard stepped in, bowed quickly, and said, "Your Majesty, the Lord of Shield, Lord Lucius, asks for an urgent audience."

The King exhaled and looked back at Nyella. "We are done here. Do not trouble yourself further. Your mother will be freed soon, I will make sure of that."

Nyella gave him an angry glance but said nothing more. She turned and left the chamber.

Moments later, Lord Lucius entered. His face, which was always calm and stern, now looked very disturbed.

"Lucius Imre," the King said, trying to mask his own weariness. "To what do I owe this urgent visit?"

"One of great importance, Your Majesty," Lucius replied.

"Sit," the King gestured to the chair opposite him and he sat.

"You look troubled, my lord," the King said. "Tell me, what has placed such a burden on your heart?"

Lucius took a deep breath. "My King... there is danger. A grave danger. A storm is coming toward us, and I fear we do not see it clearly yet."

The King frowned. "What is it, Lucius? Speak plainly. What danger?"

"Do you remember the matter I once told you of?" Lucius asked. "The disturbance in the far West?"

The King rubbed his chin. "You mean that little rumor you brought before the council? The one you said was very far away and has been disturbing me with what? Of course, I remember."

Lucius with a very worried face. "Well, that which you call disturbance is becoming a big threat by the day. I’ve received reports from soldiers, scouts, and travelers about this threat and what it has done. It is not just a threat, it is evil... one that consumes kingdoms and villages."

"Some say it is beasts, some say it is demons, some others say it’s the dead themselves, rising and wiping out entire kingdoms. And it’s getting closer to us by the day."

The King’s face paled. "Is this true? All of it?"

"At first, I too thought it was nonsense," Lucius admitted. "But the reports became too many to ignore, even from our own Western defense soldiers. I had to send men of my own, trained soldiers, men with courage. Many never returned. Those who did..." He paused, as his voice faltered. "Those who return become a ghost of their very own self. They spoke little, but what they did say..."

The King leaned forward. "What did they say?"

Lucius’s voice dropped too low. "They said there is no fighting this evil, that it’s merciless and unstoppable. They said it consumes everything on its way."

For a long moment, the King sat frozen as his hands gripped the edge of his desk. "If this is true, if this is really as you describe it," he finally said in a quiet voice, "then we face a great danger. Greater than any enemy we have faced before."

"Indeed, Majesty," Lucius said firmly. "And that is why I came here at once. Because we are not prepared. We are still mending from the last war. Our armies are weary, our coffers thin. If this thing reaches our lands..." He shook his head grimly. "We might not be able to defeat it."

The King’s voice trembled with both fear and frustration. "But Aerthwyn lies closer to the West than we do. Surely their walls and their soldiers can slow this threat, perhaps stop it entirely. King Rollo is more than capable of doing that."

Lucius gave a bitter laugh. "I doubt they stand a chance, Majesty. Aerthwyn is strong, yes, but other kingdoms far stronger than Aerthwyn, far older, with walls higher and armies twice their size... they are already gone. Wiped away as though they never existed."

He looked the King in the eye. "This is no simple enemy. This is bigger than you and me can ever imagine. This... this could be the end of our kingdom. This could be the end of the world."