Alaster stood next to the Duke and his family, which at this time, included Evelyn. All of which, including himself, were dressed in the usual Noble Ball clothing.

  Gentle music played, filling the massive ballroom, which despite its large size, requiring several thick pillars to maintain a ceiling, was packed with every Noblemen, Noblewomen, Noble Children, and many Government Employees.

  There were hundreds of people in the room, each one with a significant influence in the Kingdom of Lissura.

  And Alaster wanted to kill just about every single one.

  Not because of their influence, but merely because it was crowded, and Alaster hated crowds.

  Though he understood why there were so many people.

  This ballroom was not the Duke’s, but the Kingdom’s. Not even Duke Redmond would dare to use it without support of the Counsil, and Alaster knew he had not.

  That meant it was the King’s decision.

  A King that had not shown his face outside of the Inner Castle for several years.

  Everyone that could, was in attendance.

  It had already been an hour since the Ball officially begun, yet the King nor his family had made an appearance.

  People were growing anxious, which made the crowd tense, which made Alaster just that much closer to conjuring a few dozen [Death Bombs].

  The Duke was busy talking to one of the Finance Administrators responsible over the Southern Cities of Lissura. His wife was there helping to keep both of them on topic. And in a rare moment, Luke was busy trying to keep his younger siblings from causing a mess, leaving Evelyn alone.

  And she was observant.

  “Are you alright Lord Ashborn?”

  Alaster looked down at his sister. He hated these damned Balls, but he had to admit, his sister looked gorgeous in every outfit she attended in. Which just made him even more protective.

  Alaster set the still full glass of champagne down on the small standing table, “I am fine. Merely not a fan of such large gatherings. Too many people. Too many sounds.”

  Evelyn narrowed her eyes slightly, “Pink?”

  Alaster chuckled, “No. My favorite color is not pink.”

  “Damn.”

  Alaster looked at her sternly, “Watch your mouth young lady.”

  She only smirked, “I’ll figure it out eventually.”

  “Maybe.” Alaster smiled, though it was tight.

  His mood was made even worse by the presence of Sir Castiel. With that Holy man nearby, Alaster could not use any of his Shadows, leaving him practically blind, if his [Seeker Sight] and enhanced senses were ignored.

  Alaster had grown used to seeing everything through the eyes of his Shadow Assassins, and did not like returning to just seeing everything in a two meter radius around him.

  Especially not with so many people around.

  Evelyn opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the massive double doors on the far end of the room opening and the music changing into a more majestic tune.

  Four lines of large soldiers, clad in Golden Armor that covered them from head to toe, marched down the stairs, wielding various weapons. Alaster counted over three hundred, though he doubted a hundred would be needed to subdue this crowd, though not to kill them.

  Two of the lines of the Golden Thousand lined themselves on either side of the stairs, every other step. The other two lined themselves up against the side walls of the Ballroom.

  A small wiry man who appeared to be so old Alaster would not have been surprised if he was over four hundred years old. Yet through the use of an Enchanted item, his voice was strong and heard throughout the room in perfect clarity.

  “Presenting the Crown Prince; Prince Kaylen, and his Royal Highness, King Galeros!”

  Everyone in the room knelt, all but the few Foreign Ambassadors, who still bowed. Alaster was one of the Ambassadors.

  Atop the stairs, Alaster caught his first sight of the King of Lissura. His King by birthright. The King that was responsible for the safety of the Lissurian people. The King that was responsible for the death of his parents, whether he knew or not.

  The King was a beast of a man, standing at least seven and a half feet tall, covered in muscle. His blonde hair was cut short and neat, as was his beard. A large scar ran diagognally over the King’s left eye, but apparently the Royal Healers were good as the King’s eye appeared perfectly functional.

  Everything about the man told of an experienced warrior. One that even the blind would know was a threat, even if he was bound and weaponless.

  Yet Alaster merely found the appearance noteworthy. Nothing more. His attention was more on the King’s deep blue eyes that seemed to pierce through everything in the room. As if he saw through all the lies, the masks, the act.

  He wore the same type of three-piece suit that the majority of men in the room wore. Yet it seemed masterfully tailored, putting all the other suits to shame, including Alaster’s.

  Beside the King, might have stood his younger clone. Clean shaven, scarless, and in his early twenties.

  The King had an aura of strength, majesty, and confidence. Yet the Prince had an aura of strength, majesty, and arrogance. He was untried, unchallenged, at least in any situation he did not have several dozen guides and guards to protect him.

  Alaster hated him.

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  Not just because he was unexperienced, but because he was the Prince of Lissura and Alaster held him at least partly responsible for the death of his parents, but mostly because he was after his sister.

  Together, the father and son descended the stairs, stopping a few steps from the bottom so they still stood above the crowd.

  “Rise my friends! It has been some time since I last saw many of you. This is a celebration of my return! Let us celebrate!”

  At his words, the crowd stood up from their knees and bows. The music turned joyful, reminiscent of the music one would hear at a carnival. Performers exited out of the side doors and began to flip, juggle, stack, and twirl. Conversations were resumed, yet despite it all, none turned away from the King.

  “So that’s the King and the Crown Prince?” Evelyn muttered, mostly to herself, “What do you think Lord Ashborn? As a dignitary from the Independent Alliance, of course.”

  “The King is a powerful warrior, that much is obvious. But he has been behind the scenes for much too long. His ability as a leader is unknown to most. I am interested to see how capable he is as King.”

  “And the Prince?”

  Alaster felt his nose twitch in irritation, “Not worth a burlap sack.”

  Evelyn sharply turned to Alaster, “You shouldn’t say that type of stuff! Least of all here. You need to be more careful. Some people might take offence!”

  Alaster looked down at his younger sister, “Evelyn, things will never change, for better or worse, if you are too scared to offend someone. You are sheltered, but you are not blind. You have seen what is happening in the city, or at least seen its effects.

  Tell me, do you really think things are fine as they are?”

  Evelyn hesitated, “Well, no. But,”

  “No buts. I choose to remain neutral in my opinion for the King, as I do not know him, or of him, enough to form one. However, he also all but abandoned his responsibility as King for several years, leaving it to his cousin to rule in his stead.”

  “And what would you have me do about the growing tension in my capital?” A strong voice interjected.

  Alaster looked at the source, finding the King and Prince only a few meters away, and walking towards them, the crowd parting like grass.

  “I have heard much about you Lord Ashborn. Yet there also remains a mystery about you. I must thank you for dealing with Lord Halligon. I would have done so in a more subtle and peaceful way, but yours was quite effective, I must admit.”

  The Duke and his family, Evelyn included, bowed. Alaster remained straight, earning a subtle raise of an eyebrow from the King and an annoyed sneer from the Prince.

  “King Galeros, I have no doubt you know much about me. Especially considering the number of spies I have spotted snooping around. I do not care for subtly, not when it involves corruption and greed. I believe matters involving either should be dealt with publicly, as quickly and violently as possible.”

  “So you would have me become a tyrant?” The King asked with curiosity.

  “I would have you become a King, not some hidden figure. Did you know that your own people don’t know what you look like? They have no idea the type of King you are, because you haven’t been one to them.”

  The crowd began whispering amongst themselves and the Prince looked as if he was about to burst into flame. The rising smoke from his clothing did not help.

  The King lightly bumped his son, calming him down, before he spoke, “You are correct. I have not been a King to them. But there are matters that I had to deal with. Matters that required my full attention, and more power. Matters that have continued to grow in urgency and you do not know about.”

  Alaster rolled his eyes, “Which matter is that? The Monster Hordes swarming on your Eastern Border? The Barbarian Siege of the Northern Fortress? The growing number of Earthquakes in Tauras? The absence of the Gods? The incoming invasion of Demons? Or do you perhaps mean the three Demigods on their way to Zolis to murder one of its children?

  Oh and by all means, pick one.”

  The whispering died. The crowd, including the Duke and the Prince were confused and stunned. Only the King showed anything other than confusion. Instead, he displayed irritation.

  “How did you learn of these things?”

  “Lets ignore that for a moment. And instead focus on the most pressing of these ‘matters’, as you call them. What do you intend to do about the Demigods on their way to murder someone in this room?”

  The crowd grew worried, not by Alaster’s words, but by the lack of the King’s dismissal of them. They took that as confirmation that they were in danger.

  “I have never once allowed a child of my Kingdom to be killed, not while I was in knowledge of it.”

  Alaster’s rage broke through his Noble Mask, “Don’t lie to me!” He shouted, causing all the Golden Guards to draw their weapons.

  Alaster didn’t even spare them a glance.

  “You, just like all the other Kings and Queens on this Godforsaken continent have known that the Demigods hunt down any person they deem too dangerous to live, even if they display no desire to use their power, and you have all willingly allowed it to happen!

  You are the King! How dare you allow a foreign power to walk into your Kingdom without a care, slaughter whoever stands in their way, and leave, all without a single response? How dare you shirk your duties as King? How dare you allow parents to be butchered, their children stolen away?”

  A distance away, Sir Castiel watched the display, stunned. Not because of Lord Ashborn’s words, but because for the first time in centuries, he felt his Holy Aura being suppressed.

  Dark cruel Mana radiated from Alaster, overpowering the Suppressive Ring he wore, until it shattered, allowing the Necrotic Mana to surge outward without hinderance.

  The three hundred members of the Golden Thousand charged forward while the crowd backed away. They lowered their weapons at Lord Ashborn, waiting for the command of their King.

  “It is your fault! Your fault they died! Your fault I was robbed of a Childhood! Your fault the image of their mutilated bodies is burned into my mind. Your fault I endured so much pain and loss!”

  Alaster’s Mana acted on its own, molding itself to create the image of Alaster’s parents above him, broken and bloody, hanging from meat hooks.

  The crowd looked on, in fear. Many of them were capable warriors and mages, enough to know that the oppressive aura that filled the room with such unfiltered bloodlust could snuff out their life without much effort. Even Sir Castiel felt his heart pounding with fear.

  The Prince found himself backing away, despite the nearby Golden Thousand that had always filled him with such confidence and safety. His hand went to his sword, knowing that he would not survive if this Monster desired it, but not willing to die without a fight, however fruitless it would be.

  The King watched the display, mentally commanding his Golden not to act just yet. He stood there, unaffected by the cruel Mana that flooded out of Lord Ashborn.

  However, it was the Duke who was the most effected, he recognized the bodies. He knew who they were. He knew how they died. And he knew whose fault it was.

  Evelyn fell to her knees beside Alaster, staring up at the image of her parents. It had been so long since she had seen their faces, she had thought she had forgotten them, but there was no doubt in her mind. The corpses she saw, were her parents. The faces of the people she once loved more than anything in the world. The faces of the people that she remembered always looking at her with love, even when she had done something wrong.

  Now bloody and broken.

  “It is your fault they are dead!” Alaster screamed.

  The small shadows that hid from the abundant light in the Ballroom grew darker, larger, creeping over and snuffing out the Mage Lights and Torches, casting the room into darkness.

  Knights of Shadow and flowing blood climbed out of the ground, staring at the members of the Golden Thousand with open challenge. They held their serrated blades with excitement, eager to spill blood, whosever it might be.

  The only sources of light in the room belonged to the Golden Thousand, the King, and a much smaller light that belonged to Sir Castiel.

  “I did not know of your parent’s death.” The King Calmly stated, despite the chaos that had Ballroom had been cast into.

  “But you are responsible. You abandoned your post, relinquishing all power to your Cousin. The Duke. The man who ordered the death of my parents. My Mother. My Father. Who stole away my sister! You are responsible. One way or another.”

  “You intend to kill me?” The King asked without fear or hesitation, merely curiosity.

  Alaster was silent for a moment, “No. Not yet at least.” The growing darkness halted, “The Demon Invasion is near. Ebris, God of the Dead, has personally told me of its severity. Humanity will require all the power it can muster to survive.”

  “So what do you want?”

  “I want the Duke’s Head. I want to drown the world in blood! I want to tear him limb from linb!” Alaster took a deep breath, “I want my family back.”

  “I am sorry about your parents. But you cannot kill my cousin.”

  Alaster stared at the King for several moments, “Then Humanity will have to do without you.”

  Blood was spilled.

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