A/N: Okay, this chapter is just the aftermath the previous chapter (RIchard and Slade falling off a cliff) and there is no mention of Rachel here in this chapter.
Love Story
In the previous chapter...
Slade and Richard were rolling on the ground just at the tip of the cliff. Slade got the upperhand as he pinned Richard down to the ground. He raised his machete with two hands under the pouring rain. When he was about to plummet it down to Richard's heart, an arrow shot him in his chest. Slade was utterlt shocked and his eyes widened as he saw the archer. He failed to regain his balance and fell of the cliff, and instinctively pulled at the nearest thing to him—Richard. Richard was suprised by the sudden ambush and managed to catch a glimpse of the attacker before falling down the edge with Slade.
"Malchior Wilson!"
"Richard!" Bruce was too late. When he arrived, his son had already been dragged down by Slade.
Chapter 31
Rudolph turned his attention to Bruce when he entered the hall, his face lined with worry. He met Bruce's dark eyes with his hopeful ones. Bruce sighed and clenched his teeth. The grim expression on his face told Rudolph what he wanted to know.
Rudolph sighed and averted his attention to the grand carpeted floor. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it after a long pause. He approached Bruce instead.
Rudolph tapped lightly on Bruce's shoulder, guesturing him to sit. Bruce looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Rudolph furrowed his brows and broke the gaze as he settled on a chair next to Bruce. Bruce sucked in a deep breath and settled on his chair.
"I should have gone to earlier!" Bruce exploded, slamming his fists onto his thighs. "It's all my fault!"
Rudolph watched him venting his anger on himself. He then patted on his back, attempting to comfort him.
"It's all my fault! If I didn't suggested on that stupid tatic, Richard wouldn't have... died," Bruce chocked out the last word.
"Look, Bruce..."
"It's all my fault! Don't you get it? If it wasn't for me, Richard wouldn't have been dragged down the cliff!" Bruce shot up all of a sudden.
He tossed and kicked and sent objects flying through the air. "It's all my fault, my fault! My fault!"
"Bruce..." Rudolph stood up from his seat. "I... I understand what you―"
"No. No, you don't. You won't understand!"
"I've sent my men to find him."
"It's no use! He's dead. I went searching for him, everywhere, but I couldn't find him. He's dead. Dead!" Bruce slumped back on his chair. "It's no use..."
"Bruce, how could you be so sure? You haven't found the body, don't make assumptions."
"I know! I saw him fall off he cliff with my own eyes!"
Rudolph leaned back against his chair and stayed silent, listening to him. That was the only thing he could do in that current situation.
"Richard... He died, and it's all because of me! My stupid actions, my stupid idea!" He took his forehead in his palms, fingers gripping his hair as he leaned himself forward. "Because of me..."
"Oh, Bruce..." Rudolph sighed and patted on his arm.
RxR
"Prince Wally."
A hefty soldier jogged up to the troubled prince was was pacing back and forth along the gate. Wally immediately stopped and walked towards the soldier.
"Any news?"
The soldier shook his head and looked down on the ground. He bit his lips, bracing himself for the tongue-lashing.
"No? Then what are you waiting for? Go search harder! Make sure you find him or don't come back!"
"Yes. Yes, sire," he retreated.
"Dumb!" Wally cursed under his breath.
He walked over to the training camp. The soldiers had lost their mood to train. Most of them just trained half-heartedly, very distracted. All of them had a frown plastered on their faces.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorry, sire."
"Look at you. Look at all of you! Did anyone give you orders to stop training?"
All of the soldiers shook their heads and began to train themselves more vigorously. They dared not anger Wally. He had been on edge lately.
"Faster!"
He decided to give it a break and strolled to a nearby river. An autumn wind howled, sweeping up dicarded leaves in the air.
"Where are you, Richard?"
RxR
"Silence. Silence!" Malchior ordered to calm the soldiers down.
He then huffed out a breath as the panic ceased. "We all know what had happened to our beloved King Slade. He... He was killed in the battle between Azarath and Keystone City."
There were mumurs here and there as the citizens gave their views of the war among them. Malchior waited for silence, then continued.
"Yes. However, Prince Richard, old King Bruce's son was dead too. This is the payback that our enemies who threatened our lives will get. This war is a reminder to all people that we fight to eliminate the threats we faced. This war, I hope, will warn our enemies that we are not weak, we will not succumb to their threats, we will not fear them!"
Then there was the uproar of cheers, mostly from the army. The citizens remained unconvinced, some even sympathized Bruce's loss.
"Then who shall be our new king?" someone in the background pointed out.
Malchior chuckled. "That is what I will be addressing next."
He took out a scroll and cleared his throat. "According to this scroll which I found when I was going through the late king's possessions, the late king wishes to pass his throne to me when he demises."
He paused and waited for the reactions of the crowds. "I I... I was greatly shocked when I found that out. However, it is the dying wish of the late king that he wants me to rule Azarath and Gotham after him. I do know that he has had bigger dreams, and I will achieve them, on behalf of the late king. I take an oath to make Azarath and Gotham prosper under my rule."
He snapped his fingers and a pair of soldiers marched in with a intricate royal crown fashioned with emeralds, amethysts and rubys. It looked very different from Slade's.
After Malchior crowned himself as the new king, a loyal soldier roared "All hail the new king, King, Malchior" and everyone followed. Malchior beamed the crowd and threw kisses at them.
After the ceremony was over, the soldiers began their work. Some who despised Malchior during Slade's reign talked behind his back while training.
"Look at him. The sight of him in his crown makes me want to puke," one said.
"Talk about the crown! This is not a fashion show, oh for God's sake!"another replied.
"The sight of him throwing kisses makes me feel sick. I mean, who would want his kisses anyway?" the third chimed in.
"You people shouldn't be talking behind the King's back," Victor materialized behind them.
"Oh Cyborg!" one had his eyes widened like saucers until he recognized that it was only his friend.
"I certainly do not agree that you does not have anything to say about the new king," the first one spoke the word king with disgust.
"Malchior Nosliw. Why would King Salde pass the throne to him? They're not even related," one asked quizzically.
Victor shook his head, getting himslef out of the pointless gossip. He was about to proceed with the sit-ups when he heard his name being hollered out by Malchior. The three soldiers whom he interacted with looked at him.
Victor jogged towards the king. "You ordered me, my lord."
"Yes. Cyborg, I want you to wash this for me," Malchior handed out his old name plate.
Cyborg was dumbfounded, yet felt insulted. "Pardon me, my lord."
"Wash it."
"Shouldn't you pass it to the servants instead?"
"Yes, but I want you to do it. Unless, you are unwilling to do so?"
"I―"
"Do you know that angering the king can lead you to your death?"
Victor reached out for the name plate, "Yes, my lord, I will wash it."
"Thank you," Malchior said with a crooked smile.
Certainly, Malchior had found someone to pick on.
Victor crouched by the river. How hard could this be?
He dipped the metallic name plate in the water and tried to scrub the dirt off the carvings with and handful of moss. Not only did the stubborn dirt remined as it was, some of the moss were stuck in the carvings.
As a last resort, he tore our a piece of his shirt and scrub it against the plate. A few soldiers strolled by and saw him washing something.
"Oh look! It's Cyborg washing a name plate by the river," Mammoth teased.
"That dumb robot, how unmanly he is! He's ruining our image!"Gizmo spat.
Victor's face was flushed but he ignored them. Until they were put of sight, he tossed the plate into the shallows.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
He shot up, suddenly realized that he would be sentenced to death if he lost the plate. He quickly hauled it up.
Something caught his eye.
Under the bright sunlight and the glittering of the water, there stood a reflection of the plate. The carved words looked hauntingly familiar. Victor tried to make out of the words.
Then, realization dawned on him.
"Wilson."
How is it? Badly written? Sorry about that because honestly, I was lost in my own story (I don't know how to continue chapter 30). What a joke! Well, I hope you guys could review and tell me what is it that I have to improve on. Thanks.