CHAPTER 40-Varick Is Alive

Kyrous’s POV

I could not help but roll my eyes at James, whose laughter echoed through the air uncontrollably. His amusement was so genuine, so uninhibited, that I could hardly bring myself to feel any anger. He had warned me, after all. I was the fool who had ignored his counsel.

"This is not amusing, James," I muttered, my frustration rising. "I wonder what it is that entertains you. My house is burning to the ground!"

James, ever the jester, let out another hearty laugh, his voice ringing with an ironic mirth. "Ridiculous, my dear King! You declared you could handle three wives, and if I had not intervened, you would have taken five! Hail the King of Drakonia, strong and mighty!" His laughter only grew louder, the sarcasm in his tone palpable. Each word he spoke seemed to deepen the amusement he took in my misfortune.

I could do nothing but sigh, for deep down, I knew he was right. His words stung, but they were true, and I had no reply that could alter the reality of my own folly.

"I shall remain here tonight," I said, my voice laden with exhaustion. "I cannot bear to return to the palace. The madness there is too much for me to endure any longer." My eyes scanned the surroundings, though there was nothing particular I sought. My mind wandered, distant and clouded, as I considered the path that had led me here.

James, never one to let a moment pass without teasing, raised an eyebrow. "Your marriage to Jael and Joan is scarcely two months old, and already you're seeking escape? What will happen when you reach three months, or a year? Will you forsake your crown, abandon your throne?" His tone was tinged with disbelief, but there was a hint of concern hidden beneath his jest.

I turned to him, my gaze heavy with the weight of my thoughts.

"I made a grievous mistake," I confessed, my voice quieter now. "I should have listened to you when you warned me about it. Lucinda can be a handful at times, but Jael and Joan... they are like two halves of a wicked whole. They are bent on my destruction. Every night, they demand more of me. I do not know if it is their desperation for a child that drives them, or simply their insatiable desires, but I cannot keep up. It is too much for one man to bear. If I continue like this, my reign as King of Drakonia will be but a fleeting memory."

James regarded me for a long moment, the laughter fading from his lips as he listened to my words. He knew I spoke with the truth of my heart, and his expression softened. "But you cannot run from your responsibilities forever," he said, his voice more serious now. "You are the King of Drakonia, Kyrous. You cannot hide away from your duties."

"Why not?" I snapped, my frustration bubbling to the surface once more. "Do you not see what they have done to me? I do not sleep at night. They bicker over who shall sleep by my side, who shall sit beside me at the table, who shall follow me wherever I go. It is madness, James! Madness that drives me to the edge of sanity! And yet I cannot escape it. I am trapped in my own palace, in my own kingdom. How am I supposed to rule when I cannot even find peace in my own home?"

James let out a deep sigh, his eyes narrowing with concern. "And Lucinda? I have not heard of her lately. How is she faring?"

A sharp pang of guilt pierced my chest at the mention of her name. "She is well, as far as I know," I said, though my words were hollow. "She is still angry with me. She barely shows her face at the dining table anymore. The only time I see her is when she takes her evening stroll with her maid, retreating into solitude as if she cannot bear to be near me."

"You have hurt her, Kyrous," James said softly, his words like daggers to my conscience. "You cannot expect her to forgive you so easily."

"I know," I whispered, my voice thick with regret. "I shouldn't have chosen Jael, but I was consumed by lust. I was blind to the truth of her nature. I thought she was peaceful, calm... until I married her. She is the most troublesome woman I have ever encountered. You will not believe it, but she even demanded that I move Lucinda to the guestroom."

"What?" James exclaimed, disbelief etched on his face. "She said that? What has come over her? I thought they were the closest of friends!"

"They were," I said bitterly, "until the marriage. Apparently, Jael has always had her eyes on me. But now, she cannot stand the sight of Lucinda. She insists that I give her all my attention, that I forsake the woman I once loved for her. She is possessive, jealous, and manipulative. And I... I have allowed it to happen."

James shook his head in disbelief, his gaze hardening. "This is not right, Kyrous. You cannot allow this to continue. You must do something before it all falls apart."

I stood in silence, lost in my own thoughts. "And what can I do, James?" I said, my voice heavy with despair. "I cannot keep running from my duties, my responsibilities. But I also cannot keep living like this. I need a way out... a way to find peace."

"You cannot hide from your problems forever," James said, his voice firm but filled with concern. "But perhaps there is another way. You must confront the issues in your life, face them head-on, before they consume you completely."

I nodded slowly, his words sinking in. For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps there was a way to fix the mess I had created. Perhaps there was still a chance to make things right. Just as I was about to speak, a sudden burst of movement broke my reverie. The door to the mansion flew open, and my Beta stormed inside, his face pale with fear. I rose to my feet in an instant, alarmed by his hurried arrival.

"What is it?" I demanded, my voice sharp with authority. "Why are you rushing like that? What has happened?"

"Your Majesty," he gasped, his breath coming in short bursts. "The Seer... he insists on seeing you. He says it is urgent."

I scowled in frustration. "Are you mad? I told you I needed rest! I have no time for seers and their cryptic messages. Why disturb my peace now?"

"Forgive me, my King," the Beta pleaded, his voice trembling. "But he insists that it is of great importance."

James, ever the pragmatist, gave me a knowing look. "You should listen to what he has to say, Kyrous. I have learned to trust the words of seers in times like these."

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Bring him in," I commanded. And so, the Seer entered, his presence heavy with the weight of foreknowledge. His eyes, clouded with the wisdom of the ages, met mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What is it, Seer?" I demanded, my patience running thin. "You had better speak quickly, for I have no time to waste."

The Seer's voice was low, his words laced with urgency. "Danger," he intoned, his tone dark and foreboding. "It is drawing near, my King. And soon, it will consume you."

"Danger?" I laughed, my voice a mockery of his ominous warning. "What danger could possibly threaten the mighty King of Drakonia? I am Kyrous, ruler of this land, feared by all. What could there be that would bring me down?"

The Seer's eyes grew darker still, and his voice dropped to a near whisper. "This danger is greater than you, King Kyrous. It is the weight of your sins catching up with you. You cannot outrun it." A cold chill gripped my heart at his words, and my body stiffened in shock. "What are you speaking of, Seer? Explain yourself!"

"Varick is alive," the Seer said, his words like a thunderclap in the silence of the room. "He is coming back for the throne."

For the first time in many years, my heart skipped a beat, and fear wrapped its icy fingers around my chest. Varick... alive? But how? How could it be?

The Seer’s words hung in the air, and I felt the weight of them press down on me like a dark storm cloud. My life, my kingdom—everything I had built—was teetering on the edge of destruction.