Kapitel 15: Chapter 15 King Aella

"Does this mean that I probably won't be able to keep them from killing kids?" Aella asked with a frown.

"I have no idea what you will be able to do. And I imagine those counselors waiting on you, don't have a clue what you will do. What I do know, is that you are capable of far more than any past king, from hundreds of years, because you actually seem to have a brain in that head. What I find interesting, is how can these heroes you keep mentioning, get all the way to the king, without going through all of the other guards, and why do they leave right after killing the king, without killing everyone else? How is it that the castle is still standing, if these heroes keep killing the kings? Do they just brush their hands off, like they've accomplished their job, and then just waltz out? Does no one try to hinder them?"

"What does waltz mean?" she asked.

He waved his hand, "It's an old method of dancing from my day. It probably doesn't exist anymore, so don't worry about that."

"I get what you're saying, and I totally believe the demons in power are corrupt, but could this mean that the war is fake?"

"You'll have to find that out on your own, but I imagine those in power aren't going to be forthcoming with that information. If the war is fake and they've been keeping it going all this time, there's no telling what agreements they have going, and what magic is all over the castle. You should expect treachery around every corner. Even those you think may be allies, will possibly be traitors, planted by those in power to stab you in the back."

She thought about that. The only people she half-way trusted, were the ones from the competition, but she already knew they had received specialized training from the military, so it was totally believable that they were plants. Especially since the counselors had wanted her to spare them.

"I will have to convince them that I am fine with them running things, until I can learn the ropes. If I don't make any outrageous demands, then maybe they will loosen their suspicions enough that I can figure out a game plan."

"You mean, pretend to be alright with being a puppet, until you decide which strings to pull on, to make them your puppets instead?" he asked with a chuckle.

"That sounds about right," she agreed with a laugh.

"You should go before they get tired of waiting and decide you must have died," he said, standing up.

Aella paused before standing. She really wanted to stay and ask him a lot more questions, but she knew he was right.

"This door will take you to a small antechamber just outside the coronation hall. There is an illusion that will make it look like you are stepping out from the doors at the top of the stairs."

She nodded and reached for the door, when he tipped his head to the side, as if hearing something.

"Frank says thanks for the snack, and to watch out for that one with the sword. Louie almost lost his head. I'm surprised. They don't normally talk to future kings." His eyes burned with rapt fascination.

"I wonder if that was Firion with the sword?" she said with a grin.

"They say they don't normally ask people their names when they try to kill them," he laughed. "Oh, and when you see him, tell Bob I said hi."

She nodded, not knowing who Bob was, as she opened the door and looked at the stairs before her. Glowing runes lit up the stairs, and she laughed as she read them.

'Twinkle, twinkle, little light. May you shine so very bright. Illuminate the stairs with all your might.'

At the top of the stairs was a second door that she pushed open to reveal a small room, with barely any space to turn around in. She wondered, as she stepped out of the room in order to shut the door, how properly sized demons managed to squeeze through it.

The roar of the crowds greeted her as she looked up, and she saw that there was a gigantic amphitheater that made the arena where she had fought for the right to be king, small in comparison. She wanted to stand there and look at all of the demons, spread out before her, but instead, Tezra took her arm.

Behind Tezra, Aella saw a second alcove, on the other side of the stage she was standing on, where the rest of the guards and counselors were standing. She didn't see any of the demons she had fought, who might have been her allies, and that raised warning flags.

Snatching her arm back, Tezra laughed and motioned for her to proceed towards a raised dais, where Aella could see a crown, far too large for her head, floating in a soft white glow.

This would be interesting.

As she drew closer to the crown, the sounds of the crowd became magnified. It wasn't that the people were getting louder, but more like she was able to differentiate between each of their screams. Time seemed to slow down as she gazed out at the crowd, hearing individuals shouting at her.

"Hurry up and touch it, buffoon!"

"Alright, a new king!"

"How long do you plan on living?"

"Will you be able to kill any heroes?"

"What a midget!"

"Are you even a demon!"

Aella would never have been able to tell that they were shouting insults at her, because of the vast size and immense amount of noise the amphitheater projected. Reaching the dais, she stepped up into the light, and suddenly everything froze. It was completely silent, and incredibly creepy.

The crown floated down to her eye level, and resized itself to fit her head.

"I will only be able to be seen, when you want me to be," it seemed to say, before settling itself onto her head.

She reached up to touch it, as if she couldn't believe she had actually succeeded in becoming king, and realized she had floated up into the air. Winds were starting to swirl around her, whipping her hair all around her face.

"You are the Hero of Wind! This is the first time a Hero has become the Demon King! In addition to the normal benefits for being King, you shall gain all of the benefits that have been locked away since birth. As the new king, you have received increased strength, a dominating aura, higher perception, greater agility and knowledge of the castle itself. The added bonus from being a Hero is the magical ability to pick noises out from around you, a limited ability to walk on the wind, and a limited ability to incorporate wind into your attacks. All other abilities associated with your Hero of Wind status, will have to be discovered and unlocked on your own. Keep in mind, all granted abilities from being king, only apply while inside the castle. Those abilities will go away if you leave. Your wind abilities are incorporated into who you are, and will be with you no matter where you go.

"Welcome King Aella!"

She drifted back to the floor, and suddenly everything unfroze. She could see people blinking all around her, as if a flash had occurred, and she smiled. This was even better than she had hoped!

"Your Majesty, if you would be so kind, I shall escort you to your personal chambers in order to prepare yourself for your duties," said Tezra with a soft smile, as if she was trying to cozy up to her early.

"When do I get to meet with the council of advisors?" asked Aella, turning towards her.

Tezra almost stumbled and the look of astonishment that flashed over her face was worth the laughs from the crowds. Aella wondered why so many people had come for the coronation, when they obviously didn't care about her. Maybe the advisors had paid them to come, to make her feel more important.

"The advisor committee is very busy at the moment, perhaps you could see them tomorrow?" she stumbled over her words, wringing her hands anxiously.

"No, I think it is important that I thank them for all of the hard work they have been doing, and to observe them. They have had so much time to perfect their jobs, I want to understand things a bit better before I try to do anything. I would hate to mess things up, when I only want to help my kingdom."

Her words were obviously traveling to the crowd of people, because she was hearing bits and pieces of conversations where the people were astonished that she didn't want to immediately change things. The demons around her were confused, because they had never had a king like her before. Smiling at Tezra, Aella motioned for her to lead the way, and with a weak smile, Tezra turned to escort her off the stage.

As the other counselors joined them, Aella was amused to see Zalgor was not with them. Once they were out of the amphitheater, the rest of the others joined her. Her eye caught Fredericks, and she noted that he did not look very happy at all. What could have happened while she was gone, for him to become so gloomy? Firion on the other hand, looked rather pleased with himself, stroking the handle of his sword.