Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 55: The King’s Hall

Note: Guess what? Sick again, please do mark any errors on these two Chapters and I'll correct them as soon as possible. Sorry about that.

Shielded behind a pair of doors as colossal as the entire castle lay the king's hall, taking up an absurd amount of space. Nobody but the king and a handful of his chosen subjects were allowed to walk in. The queen was amongst one of them, and so were the generals, as well as the whispers. But beyond those handfuls, nobody that ever stepped foot inside was allowed to leave on their own two feet.

That's why when Wolf arrived at the hall's massive doors, his heart tensed up instinctively. Having followed Astoria thus far with not even the soldiers keeping them company, he felt great angst building up inside of him.

"The door's quite big, but we'll only need this one..." Pressing a hand against a smaller door carved into one of the iron doors, Astoria pushed it in and walked inside. "Don't stand there; follow me."

Heeding his soon-to-be queen's voice, Wolf followed behind her. Walking in, he was hit with dust that had been ruffled into the wind as the two had entered. Brushing the dust away from him, he looked forward through the dark, and as Astoria kept walking towards a throne made of outstretched iron hands, the lamps by the pillars began to light.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Following in her footsteps, Wolf tried to look around, but the only thing he noticed was darkness spreading as far as his eyes could see. And yet, for some reason, he felt as though there were monsters roaming the dark with their eyes following his every step.

"Ignore them, the goddess has them stationed here in case someone unworthy decides to waddle in," Astoria explained, putting a rest to Wolf's worries–as much as she could've at least.

Stopping right in front of the throne, she ran her finger along the armrest. Tracing a line through the dust that settled on it, she smiled to herself and looked up at the rest of it. Dark hands made of a metal only Akramadia knew of and crafted in a way that nothing could chip, much less shatter a single fragment of the fingers. The throne rests as a testament of the goddess's tangible power, but more than that, it was a medium through which the king could connect to her in a much deeper sense than any other mortal.

"The throne of longing..." Turning around, Astoria stretched a hand towards Wolf. Urging him with a finger for him to take it, she flashed him a smile before adding. "It'll be your burden to bear from today onwards, and as your queen, I shall stand firm beside you."

Hesitant after everything that he'd done to get there, Wolf spared himself a moment to gather his thoughts. The king's seat was now his to claim, but as his dream was being realized, he was having trouble accepting everything. Was this really happening? Is this supposed to feel this easy? Doubt was spreading through him like poison, and that was all thanks to his brother cheating in the competition.

"Don't make her wait." Before he could make a decision, Astoria reached for his hand and pulled him towards her. Wrapping one of her hands around his hips, she made him walk in front of the throne so that he may claim it. "I saw greatness in you a long time ago, Wolf. Now, don't let fear prevent you from becoming what you're meant to be."

Placing her other hand on his chest, she rubbed him over his heart. Feeling his heartbeat racing against her palm, she leaned against his arms and whispered.

"I'm with you. I've always been with you..." Taking a deep breath, she looked up into his eyes. "Once as your mother, and as soon as you sit on that throne, as your dear wife."

Not a hint of shame reflected in her gaze, for she'd accepted Wolf's proposal and being chosen by him–the most valuable man in the kingdom, she felt not shame but a sense of pride in herself as a woman.

"Now, let's get you settled..." Helping him into the throne, she made sure that his hands rested on top of the armrests. And as they did, a pair of hand metal hands emerged from right under Wolf's hands. Intertwining their fingers with his, they held him locked in place for a moment. Although surprised by their sudden appearance, placing his trust in Astoria, Wolf simply heaved a sigh and allowed them to do whatever was necessary.

"W-what's next?" He asked, looking up at Astoria as she took a step away from him.

Smiling at her new husband, she folded her hands by her crotch and bowed gently.

"Let the goddess guide you; that is all that's left..." Hearing those words, Wolf had no clue exactly what Astoria meant. Let her guide him? How? And what was she guiding him for? And just how long would this take? Such questions popped up in his head again and again until there was nothing left to do but just sink into the throne and allow his instincts to guide him.

Closing his eyes, he calmed his body and mind, and the very next moment, the screams of countless of his subjects could be heard in the distance. Slowly getting closer and closer to the direction of their voice, Wolf felt the weight of responsibility more and more on his shoulders.

To his surprise, out of nowhere, a ghostly figure of a woman grabbed him from the side. Her voice quivered as she spoke to him, and before long, a plethora of similar ghosts surrounded Wolf from everywhere. Each screamed of their troubles, their woes, and the burdens they carried every day, but the cacophony of their voices melted into a blur long before they hit Wolf's ears.

Amidst that voice, however, there was one. A bitter tone that shrieked fear through Wolf's body.

'Mom?' And then he saw her, smiling from the darkness, her eyes red with blood. It was his mother, his true mother, the mother that bore him for six months. Then, delivered him as a premature child to be sacrificed to her dark lord. But when it came time to hack his head, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"How are you, my cub?" She asked, her lips curled in an upwards arching smile.

Blood dripped from her lips, and her pencil-like teeth clattered as she laughed. Wolf had no answer, for his heart still held fear towards his abusive mother. She was alive, or was this another nightmare about her? Before he could tell the difference, Astoria shook him out of the deep trance.

Coming to his senses, Wolf got off the throne and stood upright. A sudden pain shot through his head, forcing him to lean against Astoria's body. Holding him firm, she caressed his back to comfort him.

"That's okay, it's never a pleasant experience to be on that throne..." Having heard of the effects the throne has had on the other kings, she kept comforting Wolf for a while longer until it was time for them to leave the throne room and explore the hall further.