The King strained against the soldiers' grip, muscles trembling with the effort to wrench himself free. His pride screamed louder than the ache in his limbs.
To bow to his son? To bow to the boy he had raised? Unthinkable.
"Release me!" he roared, his glare cutting toward Cassius, hot with fury. "Do you not know who I am?!"
Cassius only chuckled, amused at the futile defiance. With a lazy sigh, he tapped the golden crown resting in his hand, his father's crown, before lifting it high.
"The King," Cassius said lightly. "Of course they know, Father."
He placed the crown atop the King's head, letting it settle for a brief, mocking heartbeat, then hummed as he plucked it away again. Twirling it between his fingers as though it weighed nothing, he tilted his head.
"But did you really think you'd be King forever?"
The King's jaw tightened, teeth grinding. "What have I done for you to betray me like this? You are my only son! You will inherit the throne without this… cruelty!"
