Crown of Deceit

In the depths of the pub, a figure of significant interest caught the attention of the golden-haired man. He appeared to be of similar stature, with long blonde hair. He possessed a youthful appearance. Probably 20 years old or slightly older. His attire resembled that of the golden-haired man, only he wore a black coat, adorned with yellow striped sleeves. Adjacent to his chair, he left a sheathed sword. The golden-haired man approached the blonde young man, prompting him to exclaim, “Finally, where have you been, you bloody bastard?” said the blonde young man. His voice carried a depth beyond his age and appearance. In a calm and soothing tone, the golden-haired man responded, “I had a family matter to attend to back at my parents’ house, Belmont.”

Concern filled Belmont’s voice as he enquired, “What happened to your old man?” The golden-haired man reassured him, saying, “No, no, he is alright. He has a meeting with the Silverblooms to arrange the coronation of our new king.” Belmont, visibly relaxed at this response, remarked, “Splendid. I actually forgot about it, to be honest with you. Training is all I do nowadays.” A brief chuckle escaped the golden-haired man’s lips as he replied, “Right. If I recall correctly, I saw you with Isabel yesterday near the British Castle of Magistry. You definitely seemed to be sweating from all the ‘hard’ work, right mate?” Belmont let out an annoyed sigh, and Aldwin laughed heartily in response. Regaining his composure, Aldwin stated, “Anyway, I didn’t come here to annoy you, my friend, although I would gladly love to.” Belmont frowned and asked, “Then why did you bring me here, Aldwin?” Ensuring no one was eavesdropping, Aldwin looked around and began to speak. “I have managed to obtain valuable documents from our newly chosen Grand Magister. My informants did a commendable job, those little rascals.”

“Get to the point, Aldwin,” Belmont interrupted, growing tired of Aldwin’s protracted preamble. Taking a deep breath, Aldwin continued, “I’m afraid our new Grand Magister will bring great destruction upon us, Belmont, and unfortunately, you may become a victim of a tragic fate if you don’t act swiftly enough.” Belmont’s calm demeanour vanished, mirroring the quick disappearance of the customers’ drinks before them. Anxiously, he questioned, “What do you mean?” Aldwin handed Belmont a parchment, and Belmont’s eyes were immediately drawn to the paper as if his life depended on it. The document contained alarming words that gripped Belmont’s attention:

“My time has finally come. My coronation is only a few days away. The crown will soon be mine and, with it, the fate of this country. Father always dreamed of a united England, bridging the gap between us Mages and the Weaklings. Unfortunately for him, he will die with his dream unfulfilled. He failed to grasp that these wretched people if we can even call them that, will never accept us for who we are. I haven’t forgotten the damage they have caused us.