The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 124: Lord Imain ()
A tense silence rested over the throne room of the Northern Sea Palace after Lady Olga’s shrieks faded off in the distance.
"How dare you?!" Lord Jole roared as he lunged at the nearest, battle mer, his tail curving back and slamming forcefully into the battle mer.
The battle mer was sent tumbling through the water before he could react and as Lord Jole moved again, he suddenly stopped and a released a groan of pain, his eyes wide.
In that short moment he faltered, five battle mers rushed at him and held him down before he could make another move.
The Sea Lords all exchanged looks at this, only now realizing they had made a very great error in judgement to come to the Northern Seas.
All their escorts and guards awaited outside the Northern Sea Palace as was due protocol, there was no way to communicate information of Lord Imain’s treachery out if they were a locked in.
"Do you mean to say you will enforce your will on us?" Lord Melven asked in a dark tone, his hand moving to his sword that rested beside him.
However as Lord Melven tried to grasp his sword, he felt a weakness in his muscles and he frowned slightly before his eyes widened as he recalled Lord Jole had suddenly stopped attacking to double over in pain.
"You put something in the wine." Lord Melven said in realization as he glanced around to see all the other Sea Lords were just as helpless as he was as they also came to the same conclusion.
"Calming Lily, nothing too harmful." Lord Imain replied with a casual shrug as though it was no offence at all that he had poisoned all the Sea Lords with calming lily.
Lord Melven hissed, gritting his teeth as he pushed past the weakness and grabbed his sword.
However the effect of the calming lily made Lord Melven’s movements much too slow and before he could do anything else, a battle mer had a sword rested against his throat.
The calming lily was a sort of muscle relaxant and so it’s effects limited muscle movements till it wore off completely.
The calming lily had prevented the other Sea Lords from moving completely, it seemed Lord Jole was the least affected because he had only taken a few sips of wine.
It was no wonder Lady Olga had been unable to summon her magic and escape the grasps of the battle mers, she has also been affected by the calming lily.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Imain?" Lord Melven demanded with a ferocious snarl as he glared at the battle mer who held a sword to his throat.
"To raise your sword against a royal, do you understand the gravity of this crime?" Lord Melven demanded.
Other than Lord Imain, Lord Melven was also a royal born mer who had been granted the status of Sea Lord.
"Do not take it to heart Melven, naturally you all only need to rest here for a short while. After I have handled some affairs, you may return to your seas unharmed." Lord Imain said.
"You traitorous bastard!" Lord Melven spat, his eyes flashing with rage.
Lord Imain did not bother granting a response, he already had all five sea lords exactly where he wanted them to be.
"Help the Sea Lords settle down and prepare to welcome the Sea King." Lord Imain instructed his attendant who bowed in acceptance of the order and swam off.
Lord Imain watched as the five sea lords were forced back into their seats.
The doors to the throne room opened and a battle mer swam in, glancing around the throne room briefly.
"Alan, why have you come?" Lord Imain asked his second in command.
"My Lord... he sent a message." The battle mer, Alan reported as he swam up to Lord Imain.
"Who sent him word?" Lord Imain hissed in anger.
"I do not know, My Lord. But he is not pleased, the sorcerer is here in person, he wants to meet." Alan replied.
Lord Imain frowned slightly before he nodded his head.
"Ah, it seems my attention is needed elsewhere. Leron will look after you for the time being. It won’t be long now, once the Sea King arrives and we reach a consensus, then we can all go home." Lord Imain said as with a flick of his tail, he shot off, disappearing from the throne room.
Lord Imain swam down the halls, taking different turns till he arrived at a secluded hall in the Northern Sea Palace.
"What do you think you are doing, Imain?!" A man in a black cloak demanded as he pulled back the hood of his cloak.
"I do not answer to you or your master, Lennon." Lord Imain replied in a blank tone.
"What is that to mean?! Seizing the throne from the Sea King was not a part of the plan!" The man who Lord Imain had called Lennon snarled in a fierce tone.
"We have a mutually beneficial agreement and that is all it is, as for my personal affairs... I will handle them myself." Lord Imain replied adamantly.
"You risk exposing His Grace’s plans by raising a rebellion! The Northern Seas are meant to be lying low at this time! Not preparing for an internal battle!" Lennon insisted.
"The Northern Seas have already been cleared of majority of the evidence, besides you wanted a distraction right? The Floral Domain withdrew their army, this is the only other way!" Lord Imain defended.
"And so you have convinced yourself that this selfish endeavor of yours is mutually beneficial? Then you must surely have a plan to deal with the warriors from the Ethereal Domain presently surrounding the sea shores." Lennon replied in a tone of distaste.
Lord Imain’s eyes widened slightly, he had not anticipated King Askel and the Ethereal Domain would move so fast, now that King Askel’s mate was involved, the situation regarding the Ethereal Domain will not be easy to sort out.
"You didn’t even know about that, did you?!" Lennon spat.
Lord Imain frowned but did not argue, it had been an oversight on his part.
Right from the moment he learnt the culprit who had snatched the Tide Trident was King Askel’s mate, he should have known then that King Askel would not sit idly by and watch her get harmed.
"His Grace will handle the situation at the shores, but only to protect our own interests. In regards to the affair of the Sea Kingdom, victory or defeat... your fate is no longer tied to us. These are His Grace’s words." Lennon informed before he turned and stormed out.
Lord Imain’s gaze remained adamant, he would not be intimidated by a mere sorcerer.
He had only allied with them hoping to reap some benefits, but their plans were taking too long.
They had spent decades scheming and plotting and Lord Imain could not wait for much longer, it had become clear to him that he would have to take matters into his own hands.
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"Lady Zariah, we have arrived the Northern Seas." Treyton’s voice reached Zariah from where she stood on the back of the Killer Whale.
This time, Prince Treyton had not put a name to this Killer Whale and although it looked quite similar to Gretha, but Zariah knew it was not Gretha because Gretha had accompanied King Askel.
Gretha had been directed by Prince Treyton to bring King Askel safely to the deepest cave of the Northern Sea where he would find Nile and Kristen.
Or at least Zariah hoped he would, Zariah had not heard from Nile in days, she was not sure if he had made it safely to the cave or not.
If Nile had made it, then the merman Kristen would have a chance at survival, however if Nile had failed, Zariah feared it was already too late,
Kristen’s life would be forfeit and Zariah would be unable to keep her promise to Treyton to return Kristen to them alive.
Zariah was not certain on what she would do then but she believed Nile would not fail her.
Meanwhile, Zariah glanced down at her own condition with a melancholic look, she was presently not even in the condition to worry about others.
Her hands were bounded together at her front with chains and there were two rows of elite battle mers swimming on either sides of her, guiding her right into the lion’s den.
Zariah glanced around, apart from the barrier ahead of them being guarded by various patrol teams of battle mers, Zariah did not see anything all that different between the main sea and the Northern Sea.
"Once we step before the council, you will be questioned like a true prisoner. Are you absolutely certain this is the right way?" Prince Treyton asked in concern and Zariah nodded once in response.
"I am well aware of the dangers Treyton, I know what I am doing. Proceed as planned." Zariah instructed.
