Chapter 92: The rot
When they arrived at the grand hall where the King awaited, the crippled grandmaster, still chained though flanked closely by guards, was made to kneel before the raised dais where the King sat. His head was bowed, hair matted to his face, and his breaths came slow as if each one was a reminder that he still lived, despite all that had been taken from him.
The King expression was hard, his gaze sharp as a drawn blade. He made no attempt at pleasantries nor offered the man any hint of dignity. There was no use for such things here.
"Start talking," the King commanded coldly, his voice echoing through the vastness of the hall.
The grandmaster raised his head, just enough for his weary eyes to meet the King’s. Though there was still a flicker of defiance in them, it was tempered now by hesitation.
"What if," the man rasped, his voice dry from disuse, "what if I tell you everything, and once I’ve spoken, you kill me anyway?"
The King did not blink, his voice remained level, unyielding. "There is no promise in your position. You don’t bargain from the floor." He leaned forward slightly, the weight of his authority bearing down. "You lost the right to deal when you raised your hand against this kingdom."
The prisoner’s jaw clenched.
"The only reason you’re still breathing," the King continued, "is because Xavier and Henrietta believes you still have some use. They believe your value hasn’t entirely turned to dust. But I don’t share their patience." His gaze cut like steel. "You speak, and maybe, just maybe, I allow Xavier to give you what he offered. You refuse, and you’ll rot, without power, without purpose, and forgotten by the very people you tried to serve."
The crippled grandmaster swallowed hard, his eyes flicking sideways to Lucas. And there, in the boy’s calm and silent expression, he saw no mercy.
The crippled grandmaster took a slow breath, his shoulders stiff with the weight of what he was about to reveal. His voice no longer carried the arrogance of a warrior or the venom of a traitor, it was steadier now, edged with something close to resignation.