Chapitre 34: SCAPEGOAT (PART 2)
King Erlick was a well-built man in his early forties. He stood a little over 6ft and was well muscled. His hair was jet black and was tied up in a ponytail. His beard was nicely trimmed and his skin shone as if gold flowed through his veins instead of blood. He was the True definition of Royalty and exuded a charm that seemed dangerous but alluring at the same time.
He motioned for the executioners to rise and walked past his daughter who was still frozen in her previous spot, her sword held tightly and her lips set in a thin line as he approached a table that the executioners had cleared specifically for him.
"You didn't greet your King, my dear Ivana. Didn't Freya teach you any better?" King Erlick asked his daughter, his back to her as he sorted through his torture tools, some of which he had invented himself.
"I'm sorry father, I just didn't expect to see you here." Ivana bowed to the King who didn't even notice as he was still busy looking for the right tool to inflict the most pain.
"I hear you had quite the fun time yesterday. Outside the castle. " King Erlick chuckled before continuing. "Even killed someone as well."
"I'm sorry father but-" Princess Ivana started to explain but Erlick raised a hand to signal for silence and Ivana fell silent at once. She knew better than to talk after the king had commanded silence.
"I know, my child. It wasn't your fault. That big oaf failed to do his job. I don't blame you." The King said in mock sadness. Ivana opened her mouth to correct her father but he continued speaking before she could.
"Don't worry. This fool will be out of our lives by the end of this hour and you will have a new guard to replace-"
"No!" Princess Ivana shouted and King Erlick stiffened. His relaxed body took a closed and dangerous pose as his busy fingers stopped their search. His face was still turned away from her but she knew her outburst had annoyed him. Still, this was her chance to pour out her heart and change his mind before he started acting up.
"I don't want anyone else to guard me if they're not Lief. He is the best guard I've ever had. You can't just get rid of him, Father! He has a daughter for Odin's sake. He was just doing his-"
"Silence!!!" King Erlick roared. Literally. And turned in one fluid motion to face his daughter, his eyes red from anger. The executioners who had been watching the whole exchange shrank away from the king's anger even though it wasn't directed at them.
Princess Ivana instead stood her ground, refusing to back down but not foolish enough to talk when the king was looking at her as if she were an enemy.
King Erlick grabbed a sharp hook-like metal from his bag and moved towards the bound Lief who was now showing real fear as the king neared him with the wicked-looking object.
"I Will overlook your disrespect this afternoon, Ivana. I will forget your foolish actions yesterday, but nothing will change my mind about this fool's incompetence. I gave him a simple Job. To stick by your side at all times and look intimidating. To prevent you from wandering too far from the castle and to inform me anytime you wanted to go out. All of which he failed to perform." The king's voice was back to its normal pitch as he spoke. His hook-like device hovered dangerously close to Lief's eyes as he pointed at the guard who bit his lip to stop himself from whimpering in fear.
"Do you think I put those rules in place just for the fun of it? Or do you think I enjoy throwing away gold for your protection?. Or perhaps, you think I am just a paranoid old fool." King Erlick's voice was rising again steadily as his anger grew.
"N-no.. nothing-" Ivana started to say but her father cut her off.
"It is all for your own good! You may not remember it, but a dark shadow hovers over this family. A Shadow that wants to waste us. A Shadow that waits in silence for when our security weakens so that it can lay waste to my blood and I refuse to lose to it. So when I employ fools like this one-" king Erlick pointed at Lief without watching,
"I expect them to follow orders, not to let their emotions interfere in their job. I refuse to suffer weaklings and imbeciles. Never!!" The King shouted and in the same instant, moved like the wind itself, too quickly for any of the people assembled there to follow, and plunged his hook deep into Lief's side in one impressive moment of pure strength and brutality.
The pained screams of the giant mixed with the terrified sobs of the princess carried outside to the castle walls and the royal hounds in the compound took up the cries with howls of their own. Soon, the whole castle was a cacophony of noise and the guards patrolling the walls shook their heads in sadness.
"Poor Lief. I thought he was going to be the exception at this Job. You know, the one person who would have done this job until he died of natural courses or something. Now, look at him." One of the royal children's guards said with a deep sigh.
"Yeah. At times, I feel like we're slaves instead of real Viking soldiers. The king is strong, but he's too heartless. If only I could exchange this job for a life on the battlefield. I would face the Samurais every day than come back here." Another one of the guards replied just as another gut-wrenching scream permeated the morning air.
Another indication that the giant guard was being shown hell in the torture chamber. And certainly, another reminder that whoever crossed the King wouldn't have it easy at all.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone