Echoes Of The Silent Weaver

'Queen Veronica has decided to bite more than she can chew but it was nothing. I don't care about the outcome.'

Sage was thinking hard about his next course of action. If the second queen eventually reports to the king, it would lead to one thing. Though not scared, it wasn't time for his grand plan to take place.

"Go ahead!" The king gave out his order and the servant bowed and stood up.

Sage saw a brown paper in the servant's hand and it was handed over to the king's personal servant who then went ahead to read it out.

"The crown prince, prince Sage has broken the rules of the kingdom by walking around in the streets before his coronation. He not only broke the rules, he killed a citizen of the kingdom. Aside that, he has defiled one of the queens by stripping in her presence, displaying his nakedness before her and the maids of the royal palace, he not only disobeyed the king's orders, he has plans to take over the kingdom forcefully. He extorted money from the rich, laid down with many young and married women alike, and did many other horrible deeds under the king's leadership."

As the servant read the letter out, the guests began to mumble and curse the prince with low tunes.

Sage however, remained calm, occasionally sipping his wine and staring at the servant with a blank expression.

When the servant finjhsedy, he bowed before the king who was strangely quiet.

"My king, what shall we do to the crown prince?" The servant asked the king.

"What is the penalty for all the crimes?" The king asked.

"Death," the servant replied.

The king went silent on this, the alcohol had forcefully cleared from his eyes and his heart was heavy with the choice of making a decision. This was his son, the next in line after him, he couldn't bear to kill him but if he didn't do anything about it, the ordinary masses will turn rebellious.

"My king, if you do not do it, many of your subjects will question your authority," the servant whispered to him.

The servant was right, if the king didn't do anything about the crown prince, his subjects will question his authority and this will create havoc and disloyalty in the kingdom. The king didn't want any of these to happen. Although it would cause him to lose a heir, it was better than losing the whole kingdom.

Sage glanced at the king with his side eye, he saw the change in the man's demeanor, and knew that he was up to something. He was surprised, things were hastily falling out of place for him and he could see himself failing just as queen Veronica had promised.

She had finally won.

"The title of the crown prince has been removed from prince Sage, from this day forward, he cease to be a member of the royal family. He is sentenced to death by beheading, along with his mother and sister. Any one who tries to plead for him will also be killed along with them. This is the king's orders!"

Everyone fell to their knees and bowed except Sage who was still sitting on the throne. Everyone expected him to come down but he didn't flinch even after the royal guards had appeared and surrounded the whole garden.

'Since it has come to this, I do not think that there is any need to keep the act going'.

Sage instantly stopped pretending to be drunk and stood up. The crowd got up and gazed at him in shock, even the king was taken aback.

"Father, I thought you were proud of me but it seems that I was nothing but a fool in your eyes," he said to the king who continued to stare at him in silence.

The king was drunk but he was aware of everything that was happening, including Sage's words and facial expressions.

The boy standing before him didn't look upset, he was calm and unaffected by what was happening... Or so he assumed.

"Now that things have ended up like this, I guess I have no choice but to do what is in my mind," Sage continued and then put his hand inside his robe. He began to pull his hand, his actions slow but firm.

"My prince, don't!" The young man that had his face covered with a mask yelled as he rushed into the garden.

Sage sighting him frowned.

'What is he doing here?'

"My prince you, you can't do that," the young man said.

"Tell me why, Ruben!" Sage demanded.."Why shouldn't I defend myself?" He asked the young man.

"My prince, you can not harm the king," Ruben said and everyone gasped.

Sage was taken aback. Only Ruben knew his thoughts and next action but why would he sell him like that?

"My prince..." Ruben paused and pulled away the mask from his face.

Seeing him, everyone gasped including Sage himself.

"Prince Icon!" They gasped.

Prince Icon was Queen Veronica's younger brother.

Seeing how everyone was shocked, Ruben spoke up.

"It is time to take over the throne!" He said, his voice booming. "Guards, take down the king!"

Before they knew what was happening, the royal guards who were meant to protect the king grabbed him instead and made him go down on his knees.

"Treason!" The king cried out in shock.

"Hahahahah," Queen Veronica laughed as she stepped out. "Brother, you have done well," she said to Ruben, or rather, Prince Icon of the golden-star kingdom.

"Thank you, sister," prince Icon replied.

"Ruben!" Sage yelled, unable to accept the betrayal. "Why Ruben? Why?" He asked.

"My prince — No, Sage, you never wanted to be the king, I was merely helping you," prince Icon replied, much to Sage's surprise.

"I can't believe you'd betray me like this," Sage mumbled and Queen Veronica laughed upon hearing him.

"I told you that you were definitely going to fall one day," she said and continued laughing.

"Well, I don't care about the kingdom. I just want my mother and sister, and we will leave this place," Sage said to Queen Veronica and prince Icon.

"Unfortunately, that won't be happening," someone said from behind and when they all turned around, they saw another man approaching them with some guards that were holding Sage's mother and sister.

"My dear," Queen Veronica said as she smiled warmly at the man.

The man walked up to her and held her on the waist, every action of theirs sent waves of shock down everyone's spine but no one dared to utter a word.

"Mother!" Sage groaned and tried to take a step but a guard caught him and forced him to go down on his knees.

"Unfortunately, the three of you won't be leaving here alive," the man said to Sage.

"Are you scared that I will rise and fight over the throne?" Sage asked them. "The throne, I hate so much. I just want a peaceful quiet life with my family."

"With the woman and her daughter that betrayed you?" Prince Icon asked, sounding displeased. "Remember, they chose the king over your happiness."

Sage grunted.

They were right but even at that...

"I do not care," he said, surprising his mother. "She is my mother and I still cherish her!"

"Sorry about that, but you won't get to enjoy the warmth of living together, ever again!" The man said and signaled to two guards who nodded and quickly slashed the woman and daughter.

"No!" Sage yelled as his mother and sister fell dead before him. "You bastard!" He grunted at prince Icon. "After everything... I took you as my own brother but you chose to betray and hurt me in the worst way possible. I will never forgive you for this! Never!"

"Kill him too," the man said to the guard behind Sage.

The guard nodded, grabbed Sage's head and gave him a quick slash on the neck.

A tear threatened to fall from his eyes as he stared at prince Icon, the one he knew as Ruben. Regret, the pain of betrayal clouded his vision and soon, everything turned dark.