Thane stared hard at Lucian. The whole table felt frozen as father and son just locked eyes like neither wanted to blink first. Lucian wasn't shaking, he wasn't backing down either. He sat there calm like he hadn't just challenged the king of the whole damn kingdom. And the thing was, what he said wasn't wrong. Not even close. It was the most logical thing anyone had said since Kaiden disappeared. Calling the soldiers back wasn't weakness — it was the only way to keep the kingdom from collapsing on itself. Thane knew it. Everyone at that table knew it. But admitting it was the part that made it burn.
Before the tension could spill over, a knock thudded against the huge wooden doors.
Knock. Knock.
Every head turned at once. Interrupting the royal meal was rare, almost unthinkable. The guards looked uneasy, the servants froze mid-step. Thane flicked his hand and the servants instantly moved, bowing quick as they hurried to swing open the massive doors.
The sound of armored boots echoed across the floor as a figure marched in. The air in the hall shifted. Even before his name was said, everyone recognized him. The leader of the Roh Knights.
Sir Denn.
He dropped down on one knee the moment he reached the table, one hand pressed hard to his chest, head lowered in respect.
"Greetings, your majesty," his deep voice carried across the room.
Thane sat taller, his presence filling the space. "Rise, Sir Denn. Do you bring me news?"
Sir Denn stood, his armor clinking as he straightened. He stepped back just slightly, enough to show he knew his place, but his voice was steady.
"Yes, your highness. We have just found the missing prince."
The words cracked through the silence like a whip.
King Thane shot up from his chair, eyes wide, his face pale at first then flushing with life. Queen Serenya, who had been standing half-angry just moments before, sat back down so hard it was like her knees gave out. Her hands flew to her mouth, tears already spilling. Relief poured out of her body like she'd been holding her breath for days.
"Good… good… Hahahahaha!" The king's voice boomed, laughter breaking out of him in raw bursts. "The gods have not forsaken me!"
But before anyone else could share in the joy, Darius' voice cut in sharp, slipping past his lips before his brain could stop him.
"Where did you find his body?"
The whole room turned on him.
Sir Denn blinked, raising his head a little in clear confusion. "Body? I don't understand what you are speaking of, your highness."
The words slapped the table heavier than any fist.
Lucian, calm as ever, turned in his seat. His eyes slid toward Darius, Selene, and Maraya, catching every twitch, every tiny flicker of panic. Then his voice came smooth, sharp, cutting into the silence.
"You mean the prince is alive and well?"
Sir Denn nodded once, firm. "Yes, your highness. Apart from fatigue and starvation, the prince is in good health."
The table shifted again. Hearts dropped, faces paled.
Darius' chest thudded wildly inside. His heartbeat felt loud enough for the whole room to hear. His throat was dry, his palms damp. This was trouble. Big trouble. Kaiden was alive, and knowing him, he would not keep quiet. He would tell father. He would tell everyone what happened in those woods.
Darius' eyes darted to Selene. Her face was tight, her forehead slick with sweat. Her hand trembled just slightly as she set her spoon down. He knew she was thinking the same thing. Kaiden alive meant their doom.
Even Maraya, who had prayed for nothing but Kaiden's safety, felt the fear crawl up her spine. Her fingers gripped the table hard, and though her heart wanted Kaiden safe, another part of her knew what his return meant for Darius. For all of them.
But Lucian… Lucian didn't flinch. He wasn't sweating. He wasn't panicked. If anything, he looked entertained. His lips curled, a smirk spreading slowly across his face as his eyes narrowed.
"Interesting," he muttered, his voice low.
Lucian stumbled. Just a step, just a slip, but his hand shot out quick to grab the edge of the table before anyone noticed. His knuckles pressed hard against the wood. His breath caught in his throat.
How is this possible?
The thought rang so loud in his head it felt like it would burst out his mouth. We killed him. We stabbed him. We poisoned the blade so it would finish the job. We waited. We watched. He stopped breathing. He was dead before we left him there.
Lucian's lips twitched. His eyes darted toward Sir Denn, then the door. What the hell is going on?
"Where is he right now?" King Thane's voice cut through the room, heavy, impatient, full of hope. He didn't even glance at his children, didn't catch the storm breaking on their faces. All his attention burned toward the knight, waiting for the answer.
Sir Denn opened his mouth—
"I'm here, father."
The voice came from the door. Clear. Familiar.
Kaiden's voice.
Lucian's whole body went cold. His knees gave a little and he dropped back into his chair like the strength had been yanked out of him. His hand trembled as he raised it, finger pointing toward the figure that stepped into the light. His lips shook, barely forming the word:
"You…!!"
But nobody cared about him. Not the king. Not the queen.
The moment Kaiden walked through those doors, both Thane and Serenya moved at once. Their chairs scraped against the floor as they rushed to him like they were both just parents now, not rulers, not king and queen.
Serenya got there first, throwing her arms around him so tight it looked like she'd never let go again. Tears streaked down her cheeks as her voice cracked. "My son… my son is safe. Thank the heavens."
And the strangest thing happened.
Drex, he felt it. The love Kaiden had for his parents. The bond. It wasn't fake. It wasn't something he could just brush off. It hit him hard in the chest because it wasn't just Kaiden's memory anymore. They were his feelings too. He was Kaiden now. Kaiden was him. There was no line between them in this moment.
His arms moved on their own, wrapping around his mother gently, holding her like she was the most fragile thing in the world. His voice broke out soft, almost ashamed.
"I'm sorry for being a bad child, mum."
But Serenya snapped back quick, her hands pressing his face like she needed to make sure he was real. "Don't you dare say that again. You're alive. That's all that matters. Don't ever call yourself that again."
Before Kaiden could answer, Thane shoved in, his massive presence swallowing them both. He didn't hug him. No, that wasn't his way. Instead, his big hand came down hard on Kaiden's shoulder with a heavy smack.
The sound echoed, but then came the laughter. Loud, booming, full of fire.
"I knew it! I knew you, brat, would survive. No one under the heavens can kill my son! Ahahahahaha!"
The whole hall shook with his voice. He didn't care how many were watching. To him, Kaiden's return was a miracle. A triumph.
Thane's eyes, still bright with tears he refused to let fall, locked onto his son. "Tell me… tell me everything. What happened? How did you go missing? Who took you? Tell me it all."
And just like that, the warmth in the room shifted.
Lucian froze.
Selene's back stiffened, her breath stuck halfway.
Maraya's hands balled into fists under the table, her head lowering like she could hide inside herself.
They all knew.
If Kaiden opened his mouth, it was over.
The end of them all.