A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 89: Law And Royalty

The bells tolled around the capital of Eldoria, calling people to witness an execution in the public square. Rumors traveled like wildfire about the speculation of whoever’s head was going to be severed or skin flayed.

"I heard that the king would execute the prisoner personally." Some, those who had their ears on the palace, would say. Most of them would however dismiss it as a baseless rumor.

"Since when has the king dirtied his hand with a criminal’s blood?" They’d ask to silence the rumor.

Brandon stood at the balcony of his chambers facing the capital. The buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. From the upper-class houses close to the palace to the dangerous alleys near the gates, all was his. Yet, surprisingly, he never felt proud of himself.

Gabriel was the only person who would have challenged him but now that he was gone, Bran felt empty. The thrill of fighting for and sitting on the throne was what kept him going, but now it wasn’t there anymore. All he had to do now was sit in the throne hall with some fatty country lords and solve petty cases, while a load of papers waited for him in the study, his father’s study.

He sighed heavily, his eyes settling on the crowd that was quickly gathering around the public square. He heard the door turn open before someone walked in. From the corner of his eye, he could tell it was his uncle.

Tieron stood beside Brandon, his eyes scampered to the crowd. "Thousands of people living their lives. Oblivious!" He scoffed. And turning to face Bran, "They’re awaiting your judgment, Your Majesty."

"I don’t want to do this," Brandon admitted.

Tieron moved to stand an inch close to him. "When my brother kicked me out of the palace, I didn’t want to leave. It was my home after all. But I had to do it. I had to make the difficult choice."

Brandon’s eyes trained on Tieron’s face. "Why did father banish you?" He asked, now curious.

Tieron appeared taken aback by the question. "It was just a misunderstanding between us," he responded, his eyes trained on the floor and on the large crowd already waiting for someone to be killed or publicly humiliated.

"Do you know why they feared your father?" Tieron asked, his eyes still on the crowd. "When he first became king, he terminated all those that went against the law in the alleys, personally."

Brandon appeared surprised by the revelation. Honestly, his father never told him that. For heaven’s sake, he never told anyone. And now that he came to think of it, Thoron never had a soft spot for any of his sons. He was a spoilt little cub, still clinging to its mother’s tits for survival.

"My mother said I should not do it. She thinks she can control my every move."

Tieron landed his head heavily on Bran’s shoulders. "Why don’t you prove her wrong?" He suggested, walking out with an evil smile laced on his face.

Brandon’s eyes settled on his hands and back to the noisy crowd. He spotted the sword leaning against the wall, and with his final resolve, he grabbed it by the handle and stormed out of the room. He had made up his mind.

"All hail His Majesty, the king!" The herald announced the murmurs dying in the crowd. From the executioner’s block, Brandon appeared, accompanied by Tieron and Queen Jessica. She didn’t appear to be particularly happy today.

The trio walked into the raised platform before the executioner stepped forward with a scroll in his hand.

"We’re gathered here today to witness justice dispensed. King, Queen, Lord or Lady, Knight or commoner, we’re all held accountable."

The executioner craned his neck to look at Brandon. The king arrested his hands behind his back to hide his nervousness, turning to Tieron for guidance. The vampire gave him a slight nod, and so did Brandon to the executioner.

"Sexually defiling a member of the royal family is not common, but when it does happen, the consequences are severe!"

Jessica’s heart raced, her eyes shifting to Brandon. Frantically, she searched around in fear as if that would stop the executioner from saying what he purposed to.

"A captain of the king’s guard was found guilty of defiling the dowager queen. As punishment for his crimes, the king has decided to parade him naked for all to see and witness him dispense justice."

The executioner folded the scroll and stepped back. From behind the crowd, a man was being pushed by knights, his manhood dangling freely for all to see. The blood had coated around his lips, an indication he had received a beating earlier. The crowd started hauling stones at him as he walked to the front.

Jessica was seething in anger at the place she stood. Her own son had humiliated her publicly in the name of justice! Where was the boy she had raised in him? Her eyes settled on a smiling Tieron who was watching as the captain was dragged to the front now because of the blood loss.

He was the reason all this had happened! He always ruined her life whenever he came back. Was the last time not enough?

"You did this?" She asked, her fists clenched.

Tieron pretended to watch the commotion in the crowd though he heard what she had asked.

"I’m talking to you Tier," she said taking a step closer.

"What?" Tieron asked when she was close enough.

"Turning my own son against me!"

"Your son?" He asked, raising a brow when her face was painted in guilt. She tried to say something but she didn’t find the words. Frustrated, she walked away from the platform and disappeared into the path that led to the palace escorted by two knights.

Tieron smiled evilly, celebrating the little victory. The captain finally arrived at the front, his blood painting the wooden platform. The knight placed his neck on a U-shaped log that left his head dangling at the murderous crowd.

"Your Majesty?" Tieron called to get Brandon’s attention. When their eyes met, he gave him a reassuring nod. Brandon unsheathed his sword from the scabbard and walked to the side of the captain. Taking a better grip on the blade, he raised it, the intent to kill laced in his eyes. But for some odd reason, he delayed the strike.

The captain had already closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was about to come. But there was no pain or the feeling of his head being severed from his shoulders. Just silence! Was he in heaven?

He forced his eyes open, the familiar view of the rowdy crowd coming into sight. They were all silent as if in anticipation. He moved sideways to find Brandon with his hand still in the air, his teeth clenched tightly.

Brandon wanted to kill the captain but his gut feeling told him otherwise. Something deep inside, his conscience, signaled that he’d regret this.

Tieron appeared beside him worried. "Your Majesty. Everyone’s waiting," he reminded.

Brandon shook his head slightly as if in denial. Not that he’d never killed before, but why did this feel so wrong?

"You want to spare the man who fucked your mother behind your back?" Tieron asked from the side to ignite the fire in Brandon’s eyes. His eyes blazed when he remembered the scene when he walked in on his mother...

Before he could even make a sound decision, his hands, as if with a mind of their own brought the sword heavily on the captain’s neck, damaging some vital veins. The blood sprinkled from his exposed veins in all directions, painting Brandon’s clothes scarlet. He brought his sword down the second time and kicked the head off the captain’s body until it rolled on the ground, the blue eyes staring at him blankly.

The crowd was eerily silent, unlike the other days they’d witnessed an execution. He wiped off the blood with the back of his hand, breathing heavily.

A random clap started at the back of the crowd, slowly turning into a loud applause.

"See what I told you," Tieron whispered from behind, joining the crowd in the applause.

"I need a bath," Brandon said. Tieron signalled to the knights who were quick to escort the king to his quarters.

"What should we do with the body?" The executioner asked.

"Take it to the nearest human village. I do like the sound when they scream," he answered with a smirk.

Tieron went back into the palace in search of Jessica. He found her in her chambers, alone.

"The door was open," he said, walking towards the table and pouring himself a glass of blood. He savored the taste, watching Jessica stare daggers at him from the corner of his eyes.

"What? I can’t have a drink in the queen’s chambers?"

"What do you want?" Jessica asked.

Their eyes met, lust filled in them. "We both know what I want!" He replied.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, long enough to read the emotions on their faces.

"Fuck!" Tieron cursed before he walked over to her and captured her lips with his, dropping the glass on the floor in the process.