Chapter 10: Sins of the Son

The table's tone was tense. Silent. As King Ahling struggled to his seat.

"King Ahling. Of your health..." Queen Aanya began.

"It is of no concern." King Ahling replied, nodding to the two regents. "The same assassins who wounded me claimed a king and a queen."

"How did you guys get up all those stairs?" Ezran asked the Neolandian guards incredulously.

"Ez..." Callum grumbled, covering his face.

"We work out." One of the guards replied bluntly, eyes still facing straight ahead.

"King Ezran. I find myself sitting across from you for the first time." King Ahling said, with a gentle throat clear. "Your father was one of the finest I've ever shared a table with. You have big shoes to fill."

Ezran looked up, and cleared his throat less elegantly.

"I am...aware that I am not my father. But I'm up to this."

Ahling nodded slowly. "We can only hope. Now...the Storm Spire...you were there first. So you can start."

Ezran nodded.

"My father's former high mage led an army into Xadia, to try and keep Zym from His mom. Sorry..." he paused a moment. "To stop us from reuniting the dragon prince from his mother.." He said more formally.

"Nice save." Callum muttered, patting his back.

Rayla poked Ezran in the back.

"He was trying to harvest his magic essence too, remember the essence thing..." She coaxed.

"Oh! Yeah. He was also trying to..."

"And on the way he burned down an entire kingdom and...corrupted my son? Is this correct?" Ahling interrupted.

Ezran stared back at him, feeling truly nervous. He scrambled to reassemble his thoughts.

"He destroyed the sunfire elves. And used them to corrupt our soldiers..."

"And your son." Queen Aanya added, flat faced. "I saw him. There was little left of Prince Kasef in that...creature."

"And now Lord Viren is dead." King Ahling stated. "His daughter, Claudia, a fugitive from justice. And my son..."

"A casualty of war." Queen Aanya stated bluntly, eyes locked on the king. "My sincerest condolences, King Ahling."

King Ahling nodded slowly.

"Of course...if my intelligence is correct...you were the last person to see my son alive. You, and the prince of Katolis." He said, eyes turning to Callum, who shifted uncomfortably. "And I'm sure, Queen Aanya, you had an excellent view of what he had become, when you fired the arrow that claimed his life."

"Now hold on a minute..." Callum began. "He was trying to kill me!"

"Please." Queen Aanya said, holding up a hand to silence him. "The first arrow I fired was a warning. The next two...a promise."

King Ahling shifted suddenly in his seat, rage visibly on his face.

It caused almost everyone at the table to recoil in surprise.

All except Aanya.

"He was 19 years old..." Ahling snarled.

"And Prince Callum is 15. Is his life worth your son's? He was moments from death." Aanya calmly stated.

"Uhh...16 now actually." Callum whispered to the queen.

"Relevant information, Callum..." Rayla muttered to him.

King Ahling let out a sigh, looking down at the table.

"Fatherhood has made me selfish. As it does to many. Forgive me...but all I can see is my son lying in an unmarked grave, on a battlefield. The son I held in my arms, when he took his first breaths...I am sorry Prince Callum. Queen Aanya." He stood up slowly. "But it doesn't matter who was in the right. Who was in the wrong. Who picked the right side, I don't care." He turned to face them.

"You killed my son. That is all that matters."

As he spoke, a hooded figure stepped into the room, walking up from the stairs.

He unfurled a blade from his side, and his eyes rose, to look at the table of diplomats.

Rayla turned her head, and her eyes widened as she spotted the figure.

"Who's that?" She asked aloud, pointing to the man.

Queen Aanya turned, and her eyes widened as well.

"Guards!"

The hooded figure smirked.

"For the sins of the father...burn." He hissed.

He revealed the blade, then hurled it straight at the table.

"Ez!" Callum shouted.

Ezran's eyes went wide, and he dove down, as the blade went straight into the back of his chair.

He stayed down, frozen in fear, before slowly turning to look at the blade.

It was resting where his head had been a moment earlier.

"Seize him!" King Ahling shouted.

The assassin quickly reached for another blade, but before he could, there was an elven one pressed against his throat.

"Don't try it." Rayla snarled, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to his knees, as she pushed the blade against his neck. "It's over."

Callum ran over to Ezran, lifting him out of the chair.

"Are you okay?!" He demanded, as the guards in the room turned their swords to the captured assassin.

"Yeah." Ezran whispered, looking at the blade again, and scratching his head. "Yeah..."

"Who are you?!" Queen Aanya demanded.

The assassin looked up at the guards, and then dropped his other blade, before removing his hood and raising his hands.

To reveal a young man's face. A smug, almost amused look. Talon looked out across the faces as he surrendered. Memorizing them for later.

He cleared his throat, then spoke the necessary lie, in as regal a tone as he could manage.

"My name is Azrael."

King Iman stepped forward. Anger in his aged eyes.

"You have attempted to kill a monarch on neutral ground. You have made a serious mistake." He turned to the Etherosian guards. "Take him to the dungeon." He looked at the shaken table, in particular Ezran, who stared straight ahead, despite Callum trying to speak to him.

"Ez...it's okay, it's over." Callum assured.

Ezran nodded slowly, but didn't answer. He was staring at the floor.

"I request we take a brief recess." Queen Aanya spoke, looking at the young king with concern. "To collect ourselves. All in agreement?"

The two regents nodded, while King Ahling paused a moment, then closed his eyes and nodded.

"It would do us all some good, I agree." He said, limping toward the castle balcony.

Commander Fen stepped forward, glaring at the captured assassin.

"So you're King Azrael? Of the Chain Islands? I expected someone older." He said skeptically.

"They always do." Talon replied. "Are we done here?" He asked, looking around, as the guards grabbed him.

"You're done." Commander Fen replied, as they turned and roughly escorted him down the stairs, to the dungeon.

Rayla walked over to Callum and Ezran, and leaned down beside the young king.

"I'm sorry Ezran, I should've been faster, that was my fault..."

"No." Ezran replied, unable to avert his gaze from the floor. "No, it's okay Rayla. You did great."

Rayla leaned in and hugged the king, who remained still, standing next to the chair that contained the blade meant for him.