King Elrond Haner III settled himself on the large chair placed right in the middle of a massive hall room, decorated with white marbles and golden staircases, a stunning red velvet carpet draped in the middle, leading its way to his majestic throne.

“Where have you been, Moriarty? I hear you abandoned the army for months. Who looked after them?”

Moriarty got up from his bow and smirked. “I have my lieutenant Reiger, your majesty. Don’t you worry about the army.”

“Right. What business brings you here this early?”

Moriarty started to pace around in his spot, his lips never failed to grant a few satisfied smile.

“My king, I’ve come here with a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Yes, your majesty. A deal. For you.”

The king narrowed his eyes and gripped tight on his golden walking stick. He looked around for his guards but they were told to wait outside as the throne room was off limits for them. It was assumed as sacred for the king because to him it was the safest place in Cericia. And Moriarty was his right hand man; he wouldn’t do any injustice to him. Or would he?

“I’m listening.”

Moriarty gave out a chuckled laugh, before he glanced at the king darkly. The old king can feel in his aging guts that something bad was about to happen. And to think that he was alone with Moriarty here, his safety was at risk.

“How about making me a king after you..well, died.”

His old eyes bulged staring at the short man in front of him. “I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t act like you can’t hear me…my king. You promised me the throne when I was 15 and now you denied me? Do you think you can get away with that?”

“GUARDS!” the king yelled in panic, but nobody came in for him. Besides, his voice came out as shaky and he would cough after. Moriarty laughed, his steps drew closer to the old king in front of him.

“Your guards are no longer here. So don’t waste your voice to them and just explain to me why can’t I become the king?”

“Mori, you must understand. That you have no blood relation to this family. You simply had been cast out of the royal ancestry when your mother married a peasant.”

“A peasant? My father was your soldier!”

“Yes he was. But he doesn’t have any royal blood within him. Thus, even if you’re a firstborn son, you cannot take over the throne.”

“And now you desperately want to give it to a stranger? Whom you didn’t know and you’ve never met before?”

The king ran his eyes away. His poor weakened heart can’t hold that much longer as his breathing went heavy when Moriarty stood right in front of him, in a most disrespectful manner.

“I believe in how my son raises his offspring.”

“Do you, now? He’s just a cold, hard-ass rock star! He cannot run the kingdom!”

“But he doesn’t-”

“If you don’t want to make me a king, fine. You leave me no choice, your majesty.” Moriarty backed off a little bit, clapping his palm together for cues as the two buffed men came out from behind the walls dragging Brian along – hands tied in a swirl of rope.

“My grandson!” the king gasped but immediately regained composure because his heart was starting to act up.

“Yes, your precious punk-ass prince. This is your first time meeting him, right? Your majesty?”

“Mori..my dear Mori..what are you planning to do with him?”

His eyes vexed watching his grandson so helplessly being dragged like that and he, as the king couldn’t do anything to prevent it. His most trusted man had turned his back on him, the one thing that he feared the most.

“Hmm, let’s see.” Moriarty jabbed a finger on his chin, pretended to think deeply. “If I don’t get the throne, neither will he. I will blow his brains out right in front of your eyes, your majesty.”

The king glared at him, his hand holding his chest, trying to calm himself down. This mutiny had gone too far. He’d seen this kind of rebellious act before but it was always about the taxes, or natural resources but this had really gone far.

“Moriarty, I command you to stand down or I will-”

“You will what? You’ve gotten old, your majesty. You don’t have your guards with you. You are nothing!”

“MORIARTY! AGHH!” The king grabbed tight of his chest, as his body slumped down on the throne, trying to defeat the attack from within. Moriarty just watched as the king crumbled down with a smirk plastered on his face.

“It’s a shame to let you go this way, your majesty. But now nobody will ever stop me from taking the throne.”

“YARRRGHHH!!!!!” suddenly a yell came out of nowhere, with a strong kick landed from behind one of the buffed men who was holding Brian and the other was thrown down by a mysterious force. Moriarty jumped around.

It was Addie, kicking those guys’ assess with her karate moves. Those men were big but she can handle them so easily. He saw Addie untying the rope on Brian’s hand and his fury just fumed right there.

“Son of a bitch!”

His gun was out now, pointing straight to Brian from afar. He was sure he can hit him from this point, ignoring the painful king behind him. The trigger pulled, the time went slow motion as Addie saw the bullet was coming for Brian.

“BRIAN, NO!” she yelled and once again jumped in front of him.

Everything felt like a dejavu. A dreamless nightmare appeared right before their eyes as the bullet came closer, and closer, then finally Brian pushed her body away and they both landed on the floor with a loud bang escaped from behind them.

The time went back to normal again as they glanced around and found one of the buffed men was hit straight on his chest. He stared blankly ahead, his eyes rolling up until he finally dropped back unconscious. The king’s guards finally drew themselves in the hall as they heard a gunshot was fired and rushed to the king’s side.

“SHIT!” Moriarty shouted and tried to run but they were fast enough to block his way. He was caught and taken away along with his hired man who was karate-chopped by Addie earlier.
Brian was staggered watching everything, with his arms protectively wrapped around Addie. He didn’t want to lose her. His heart beating fast like a kick drum.

“Brian, your grandfather.” Addie urged Brian awake from the shock and as he threw a glance at the throne, he saw a destiny. A fate waiting for him.

~*.*~

Brian didn’t know what to think right now. He was so unfamiliar with this – the place, the people and the protocol. One thing he felt comfortable with was being beside Addie. Their hands clasped together ever since the gruesome incident in the throne room which resulted the king to be hospitalized here, in the Royal Hospital of Cericia which located really near to a beach. They can hear the waves crashing and seagulls roaming in the sky.

“How’s your back?” Addie asked, looking up to him intently. He smiled and entangled his fingers in her messy hair.

“It’s okay. I’m a Superman.”

“I’d rather you be a Batman.”

“Well, consider I’m both.” He planted a kiss on her forehead while she chuckled and rubbed his back softly, landing her head on his shoulder.

“Everything’s gonna be okay.”

She assured him, but he was still clueless about his purpose in being here. Was he supposed to do something now? Or call someone?

“The king requests for you now.”

Brian looked up from resting his jaw on Addie’s head to the guard in front of him. This guard reminded him a lot of Joe, only this guy was a bit more stern and immaculate. He stood up, dragging Addie’s hand with him but the guard halted him.

“Just you. The girl can stay here.”

Brian glanced at her. Right now he didn’t want to part with her anymore. Not even for one second.

“That’s alright, Brian. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you here.”

Brian flashed a small smile and kissed her lips softly. “Don’t go anywhere. I mean it.”

Addie chuckled and nodded. She watched in silence as Brian was brought into the royal ward to meet his grandfather for the first time.

As soon as Brian disappeared behind the walls, she went to the nearest phone at the nurse counter to make a phone call.

Meanwhile in the royal ward, Brian went in carefully and approached the king-sized bed fit for a king which surrounded by a bunch of lily flowers in vase and the velvet curtain draped around – mocking the luxurious life of a king.

“Bow before your king.” The guard spoke suddenly and Brian bowed like he bowed on stage.

“On your knees.” The guard insisted. He crouched down, one knee rested on the floor while the other bent up, his body lowered down.

“Brian, my grandson.” The king called, his voice sounded shaky. Brian got up from his bow and approached the bed.

“You’ve grown handsomely.” The king reached for his arm and gripped it tight but his grasp was weak. Brian smiled and chuckled a little.

“Grandfather, you’re my grandfather?”

“Yes, my dear. Come closer. I can’t speak up.”

Brian bent his body down, his ear so near to the king’s mouth.

“Listen, son. You’re a prince of Cericia. You have it in your blood to rule a kingdom. But if you’re not ready to be a king, I completely understand. However, I have met your brother and he seemed fit to replace me.”

“My brother? Brent, you mean?”

“Do you have another?”

“Well, Jeremy. My mom remarried.”

“Oh, he can’t be count as a Haner then.”

Brian nodded and shrugged. Agreed with the king’s explanation.

“Until the coronation day of your brother, I need you to replace me. There is so much to do and yet so little time. I grant you to be a king for a little while. Maybe from there you can learn how to be a leader, a ruler and most of all a protector.”

Brian jerked up and stared at the king’s old and weary face. “Me? Be a king for..I don’t know. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You must try, it’s in your blue blood.”

“Blue blood,” he repeated, remembering the tattoo on his upper left chest. Right above his heart. It was meant to be. Nobody asked him to make that tattoo, he made it purely out of fun and he’d always seen himself as having a special kind of blood. He never thought that it really came as the truth.

“What do I have to do?”

“Just rule.”

---

Everything was still a little shock to me. I was still digesting. Moriarty wanted the throne, the bullet that went straight for Brian but hit his hired man instead. Thank God. Now we both owed our life to each other.

How Brian was reacting also made my heart shattered. He was protecting me, never letting me go and he was out of his comfort zone completely. He didn’t know anyone here, so he chose to be beside me all the time. And his grandfather, man that poor old king was dying.

After I watched him being escorted to the royal ward, I went for the phone at the nurse counter. I dialed Andy’s number, I needed to tell him something. Something I had been fighting with myself ever since I got here.

Come on Andy, pick up, pick up, pick up!

“Hello?”

“Andy!”

“Who is this?”

“Dude, it’s me, Addie!”

“ADDIE?! OH MY FUCKING GOD! WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? WHY IS IT THAT THE NUMBER’S FROM…JUST WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?”

“Please calm down, I’m safe, Brian’s safe. We’re in Cericia.”

“Netherlands? How? Joe said you and Brian were MIA.”

“Uh, we were kidnapped but nevermind that. The bad guy’s been caught by the authorities here. Turns out Moriarty really did want the throne. So badly.”

“Shit, he did?!”

“Yeah, but the situation is now under control. Don’t worry. Listen I need you to do something for me.”

“What? What is it?”

“Check on my work laptop for the prison cam videos and-”

“Still on that video?”

“Just listen, will you?! Check the video of that woman again and compare it to the video I recorded from Brian’s house.”

“Why? What’s in there?”

“I think I found my killer.”

“Who?”

“Michelle, Brian’s fiancée.”

Notes

A/N: hmm...i know. short and poopy. comments guys. okbye. XD