Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 110: Again ()

Jian stood at his balcony, his silver tresses fluttered ever so slightly in the wind and that cold, undecipherable expression was settled on his face,

An expression that was characteristic of him as he hardly ever looked a different way but cold and withdrawn, with his mismatched orbs blank.

His eyes, though beautiful were devoid of even the slightest emotions or flicker of light and they revealed nothing of his thoughts or his mood... happy or sad, one could never tell with King Jian.

All that could be known was that in his presence, the utmost caution was required or one risked facing a devastating end.

At this moment, Jian’s expression was still as blank as always as he gazed out at the mountain peaks lined far ahead of him, mountains so tall they pierced the clouds.

The Asvarian stronghold was a mountainous terrain, especially around the Dragon Keep which was at the heart of mountain range, surrounded on almost all sides by various smaller mountains.

This natural advantage made the Dragon’s Keep easily accessible only by flight and almost impossible to access by land as the mountains enclosing it were steep and treacherous, with only a few decent passages heavily guarded by Dragon guards.

The mountain peaks were a beautiful sight indeed, but still, they were a sight Jian had seen everyday of his life, for decades passing and numerable centuries since he ruled these lands, the beauty of the mountain peaks were lost to him now.

"My Liege, you called?" Rodrick asked, arriving at the entrance to Jian’s balcony where he stood, lowering his head to a bow.

Jian hummed in response, though he did not turn to acknowledge the presence of his butler, Rodrick’s voice drew him out of his thoughts.

If one asked Jian, he could not be certain exactly what he had been thinking of all these time,

For reasons he also was not aware of, he stood at this balcony from twilight to the breaking of dawn and far into the morning hours that the sun was risen high in the sky and noon approached.

It was not that he delighted I the sights, he barely took notice of his surrounding, like one in a deep state of meditation, he stood for almost half of a day.

In actuality, Jian’s thoughts had taken him down to the past, to the times were he had just ascended his throne and chosen his King’s guard, men of different clans and status, yet they had earned his trust...

In them he found companions, confidants, brothers of a deeper bond shared than that of blood ties and so he had chosen them to forever stand at his side as his most trusted council.

Truly, Jian had chosen each carefully, it had taken almost a century to come to his decision to entrust his own life to the hands of this group, it was never an easy decision for a King to chose a group to whom he could be vulnerable.

The only people he could reveal his true self to and many Kings were not as lucky as Jian was, to find dragon breeds so compatible with him in spirit and mind, but he had found them... five of them.

To earn their loyalty and blood vow, Jian had worked tirelessly, each were of a completely different background but he did not mind their roots, only their worth and till this moment, Jian had never regretted his decision.

Mernax, Kirgan, Imagor, Cassian... and Xenon, these five were his family...as their king and lord, he swore to protect them.

Even while the crown of the Asvarian stronghold was placed upon his head after the fierce battle to claim the throne, they stood behind him as they had fought by his side through the battle,

Accepting their scepter of office and on that day he had made a solemn vow to them as he had to his people...to his people, he swore to return the freedom his brother had snatched from them,

And to his King’s guard, he swore to protect and honor for every day that he still had breath and even when he lay still in death and his soul was reaped by the shadow dragon.

The words of a king binded him in heart and soul, the words of a king could never be taken back or failed yet in every moment Jian watched Xenon, he saw reflected in Xenon’s eyes his own failure. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Xenon was honorable, a man of prestige and valor... Jian knew it better than anyone else, Xenon was the only one amongst his king’s guard who had always been by his side from childhood.

In the overthrow... Many risked their lives for their trust in Jian, but none risked as much as Xenon did.

Yet of all the failures he could fail...he failed Xenon who deserved the most honor, in the time when Xenon needed him, he failed and Jian knew he would never be able to shrug off the burden of this failure.

"That day...so long ago, how many centuries has it been?" Jian asked in a low tone,

Rodrick lifted his gaze up to Jian but soon lowered his head to a bow again.

"What day does My Liege refer to?" Rodrick asked uncertainly and Jian tilted his head back, staring up at the sky.

"You would not know it...it was a day long before your birth, in that time, standing in your place was your father’s father... just as their fathers before then had served the Kings of Asvar from one generation to the next." Jian murmured.

"My Liege looks troubled, is it about Lord Xenon?" Rodrick asked.

"Xenon came to me... about the wolf girl, he left in a rage afterwards..." Jian said in response.

"Ah...it must be because I have assigned Neveah to be his attendant. I have only just made the decision and I find it is widespread throughout the keep... whispers must have reached Lord Xenon’s ears." Rodrick replied in a grim tone.

"It has indeed...he knows of it and he is not pleased by it." Jian confirmed.

"This is a status less than what the wolf girl was born to, yet she cannot be titled a princess in the dragon’s keep."

"By ancient laws, the royal lineage of the inferior races cannot stand in the dragon’s keep, this is how it always was done."

"As princess of the Eclipse Domain, Neveah should be ranked a noble lady of the court...but that title can only be given to a foreigner if she is a rider or to be wed to a Lord dragon."

"Other than this, noble titles are passed down by birth, granted by My Liege or won through tournaments... Neveah has fulfilled none of these conditions."

"The hierarchy of the Asvarian stronghold has always been clearly defined, the noble lords will have questions if a noble title is granted to a foreigner for no reasonable cause."

"She was first named My Liege’s price, yet My Liege will not have her in your bed chamber and till she receives My Liege’s favor, the title as My Liege’s price remains unconvincing."

"An attendant seemed the only justifiable way to keep Neveah within the keep and by Lord Xenon’s side without rousing the disagreement of the nobles and Lord Dragons."

"Perhaps I have been extreme? I only thought there was no suitable title to be assigned to her for the time being, until My Liege makes a decision." Rodrick explained quickly.

At the mention of Lord Xenon’s rage, Rodrick was naturally in a panic, Lord Xenon was many things, but he was not known for his mercy, if one incurred his rage...no one could hinder Lord Xenon from drawing blood.

"I know your thoughts Rodrick, I only entrust this affair to you knowing you will make a suitable decision. It is a matter I do not wish to get involved with any further... Xenon is on edge, I can only stay out of it to reassure him." Jian said with a shake of his head.

"Lord Xenon has accepted my arrangement then? Otherwise, why would he receive Neveah in person?" Rodrick asked thoughtfully and with his relief reflected in his tone.

Jian raised a brow as he turned around to face Rodrick.

"Xenon received the wolf girl in person?" Jian asked.

"Indeed, My Liege. I have just heard of it a moment ago and at this very moment, Lord Xenon awaits Neveah at the end of the wooden bridge." Rodrick confirmed.

Jian fell quiet as he strode down his balcony to the other side facing Mount Edar, though Mount Edar was at a distance, Jian’s eyes sight was keen enough to see clearly regardless.

It only took a short walk and Jian was able to witness for himself an astonishing sight,

Just as Rodrick had said, Xenon’s figure scaled up the mountain side with the Eclipse Princess clinging to his neck,

This sight neither surprised nor angered Jian, instead a grim expression settled over his face.

’It is happening again... Xenon has again met someone who touches his heart...but the first one ruined him, how can I let there be another?’ Jian thought to himself as he turned away from the sight and strode into his quarters.