About Things That Haven't Occurred Yet — Chapter 13

A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE THE LOGAN INCIDENT.

THE SCENT OF MEDICINAL HERBS STILL CLUNG TO ADELE'S BODY.

YET THE KING RETURNED TO THE PALACE WITH AN UNBOTHERED LOOK.

THE CAPTAIN'S GAZE WAS QUITE INTENSE.

WAS IT?

PERHAPS HE WAS DRAWN TO THIS HAIR ORNAMENT I TOOK EXTRA CARE TO WEAR TODAY.

WHEN YOU FIRST GAVE ME THIS ORNAMENT, O KING,

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL IN THE LIGHT THAT EVEN I WAS CAPTIVATED.

DO I SOUND LIKE I'M JOKING?

UGH...!

...IT SEEMS I HAVE DARED TO DISTURB YOUR MOOD AGAIN.

IT IS MY NEGLIGENCE.

THIS PALACE SHOULD BRING YOU ONLY JOY...

STOP.

I DON'T CARE FOR YOU ACTING LIKE SOME CHEAP TRINKET LYING IN THE DIRT.

YOU DON'T CARE?

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ENJOYED SEEING ME LIKE THIS ALL ALONG.

WATCHING ME, ONCE TREATED AS ROYALTY IN THE DISTANT PAST,

STOOPING TO VULGAR ACTS JUST TO WIN YOUR ATTENTION, TURNING A BLIND EYE TO IT.

AND NOW YOU SAY THIS?

OF COURSE, CUTTING OUT SIR LOGAN'S TONGUE PLEASED ME.

THAT IS FITTING FOR MY QUEEN.

SO NOW-

CAN YOU DO THE SAME TO THE CAPTAIN?

THIS MOMENT HAS FINALLY COME.

THE DAY I KISSED YOU,

I FEARED YOUR LIPS WOULD ONE DAY

WHISPER FOR ME TO SEDUCE HIM.

YET IN THE END,

THOSE WORDS CAME SPILLING FROM THIS MAN'S MOUTH.

THE CAPTAIN CAME BETWEEN YOU AND ME.

O KING, THE CAPTAIN IS AN INFLEXIBLE MAN.

YOU ORDERED HIM TO GUARD ME, AND HE MERELY OBEYED THAT COMMAND.

I HAVE ONLY YOUR MAJESTY. YOU KNOW THAT.

EVEN THE WAY YOU SPEAK RIGHT NOW.

IT PROVES THE CAPTAIN HAS ALREADY COME BETWEEN US.

YOUR MAJESTY.

DO AS YOU WISH...

DO WHATEVER YOU WISH.

IF CAPTAIN LEGENON HELPS YOU EVEN ONCE MORE, OR OFFERS RESTRAINT AGAINST MY WILL,

OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT.

THAT BASTARD AND YOU WILL DIE TOGETHER.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

...YES.

ANTON WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE DOMINIC HELP ME,

OR OFFER RESTRAINT AGAINST HIS WILL.

SINCE KILLING A KNIGHT HAILED AS A HERO WON'T BE EASY,

DOMINIC ASIDE, I...

WILL DIE.

!

...FOUND IT.

THE PRECIOUS BLOODLINE OF XENOMES.

EVERY CHILD OF THE KING IS BORN WITH A SINGLE IDENTICAL TRAIT.

THAT TRAIT VARIED WITH EACH GENERATION.

MOREOVER, THERE WAS A TRADITION IN XENOMES:

NO SIBLING OF THE SAME BLOOD MAY EXIST BESIDES THE KING.

BECAUSE MORE THAN ONE OF KING'S CALIBER IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE HEAVENS,

THE MOMENT A SIBLING IS LEFT ALIVE, ONE FORFEITS THE RIGHT TO BE KING.

UNLIKE OTHER RULERS, THE PEACE-LOVING LATE KING HAD ONLY TWO CHILDREN.

ONE OF THEM WAS ANTON,

AND THE OTHER WAS STILLBORN.

THUS, ANTON GERBEROTZ ASCENDED THE THRONE WITHOUT OPPOSITION AS HEMON 11.

A PROPHECY... THEY CALL IT THE PROPHECY OF THE DRAGON.

WHETHER IT'S A BLESSING OR A CURSE...

...THAT'S WHAT THE LATE QUEEN, MY MOTHER, TOLD ME.

YOUR MAJESTY, YOU'RE DRUNK.

THEY SAY THERE WILL COME AN ERA... WHERE TWO SUNS WILL EXIST UNDER THE HEAVENS...

A HERO OF THE ERA... APPEARING WHEN THE NATION IS IN PERIL?

NONSENSE. IF SO, THEY SHOULD HAVE APPEARED MUCH EARLIER...

TWO SUNS UNDER THE HEAVENS.

TWO BORN OF THE ROYAL BLOODLINE.

THE DAY I SAW THAT SCAR, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT MYSELF,

SO I TOOK A GAMBLE AND CHECKED TODAY...

JUST AS I THOUGHT...

I WASN'T MISTAKEN.

...AH.

THE FLOWERS...

...THANK YOU.

CAPTAIN, WHAT FAMILY DO YOU HAIL FROM?

SINCE YOUR SURNAME COMES FROM THE KNIGHTHOOD, I COULDN'T TELL.

...IT IS GERBOK.

GERBOK...

WHAT DID YOUR MOTHER DO FOR A LIVING, CAPTAIN?

SHE SERVED AS A HANDMAIDEN TO THE LATE KING.

...I SEE.

CAPTAIN, DIDN'T YOU MENTION BEFORE THAT THE SCAR ON YOUR FOREHEAD WAS FROM THE WAR?

DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH BATTLE YOU GOT IT IN?

AH... WELL...

TO BE HONEST, I WASN'T ENTIRELY CERTAIN WHICH SCAR YOUR HIGHNESS WAS ASKING ABOUT BACK THEN.

I HAVE QUITE A FEW SMALL SCARS ON MY FOREHEAD...

THE HOOK-SHAPED SCAR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR FOREHEAD.

THAT ONE... I BELIEVE I HAVE HAD IT SINCE BIRTH.

WERE YOU JUST BRUSHING ME OFF BACK THEN? I EVEN SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT ITS UNUSUAL SHAPE.

...I APOLOGIZE.

IF YOU'RE TRULY SORRY, COULD YOU GRANT ME ONE FAVOR?

PLEASE GIVE ME A DAGGER.