Chapter 12 Chapter : 12
The king did not believe in weakness. Arthur believed in preparation, in control, and in the kind of discipline that did not crack under pressure. That did not blend for sentiment or memory, or even impulse.
Weakness was what got men killed. That toopled empires. And what turned Kings into cautionary tales in the backroom. But Arthur had built his entire life never becoming one.
Marcus stood before him. His shoulders square. The rain still clinging to his coat, the water dripping slowly on the marble floor and each drop loud enough to fill the silence of the office.
Marcus had been with Arthur long enough to understand when to speak and when to wait.
"I have some news sir. August approached Mrs. Romero today while she was out for lunch with your mother." The words landed without sound, no echo and no impact. Yet something inside of the King frustrated him all the same.
His pen stopped mid stroke.
Arthur did not snap and did not drop it, but just stopped. The ink blends slightly on to the paper and a dark useless stain spreading from the tip. Arthur watch it for a moment longer than necessary. A small thing, it was very incident and insignificant and yet his chest tightened. Pressure behind his ribs.
He did not look at Marcus.
The silence simply stretched. Dangerous, deliberate, heavy with the kind of restrain that only came from years of control through blood and loss. The king gaze remain fix on the paper before him and on the signature he was about to complete.
That name did not mean anything, not compared to what Marcus had just said.
In his mind a very strange image came of his wife, standing somewhere unfamiliar, surrounded by men who understood violence as easy as breathing. August's voice in her space and his eyes on her. Measuring, assessing, taking from her.
"How close?" The king finally asked, his voice was calm like the storm. Where calm comes before the devistation.
"How close did he get to my wife?" The word wife felt very different in his mouth. He had always rejected this ides, but now he said it out loud.
Marcus chose every word very carefully. The king had trusted him with wars, with secrets, with lives. Marcus had never failed him, not once.
"Close enough sir." Marcus said, steady and respectfully.
"Close enough to speak to her directly."
The King leaned back slowly in his chair. The leather creaking softly beneath him and his eyes looking not at Marcus, but to the far wall. As if seeing something only he could. His jaw becoming tight .
In his head Arthur was calculating, distance, time, opportunity, consequences.
"Did he touch her?" The question was quiet, but deadly.
"No." Marcus did not hesitate.
"He tried, but she maintained her composition." Arthur's finger curled against the armrest.
Mrs. Romero did not allow it. However she was afraid, but she stood her ground and handled herself very well." He explained.
There was something else in Marcus tone. Respect for her, and concern. Not just for the king's wife, but for a woman thrown into a world that sharpened its teeth on the unprepared. And she was unprepared but still refused to break.
The king though, Arthur exhaled slowly. Thinking the kind of power it might have taken for her to do that. From the very beginning, he could see it in her eye. Lydia held a kind of strength that nobody could compare to.
But facing August was not simple. Lydia had said "no" He was not surprised, but delighted.
That was when The King stood up.
His chair barely moved but the room recoiled from the shift in him power. He was in control. But as always cold, precise and absolute. This was the man that cities and countries feared. The one who ended conflict before they began.
Marcus straightened up instinctively.
"Prepare the car." The King said. Not a command, but simply a decision.
Marcus nodded his head. He had known this was coming the moment he spoke about August. There was no point in arguing, no attempt at caution. Arthur Romero did not react. He simply acted.
"And Marcus."
The king added, slightly turning his eyes, finally landing on the man who had guarded him back for years.
"Yes sir."
"You did very well. Lydia needed you there.... thank you." He said. Marcus inclined his head. The acknowledgement was subtle, but meaningful.
"She is not built for this world, not yet. But she is trying. I will keep her safe." Where his words.
Finally, The King held his gaze a longer moment, nodding.
"I know you well." Arthur said and that is when The King moved towards the door. There was no doubt left in the room and when Romero acted, men got hurt.
And now August had just made the mistake of reminding him, exactly why people feared him.
_______________________________________________________________________________
August building rose from the street like a challenge. Glass and steel everywhere, clean lines. It was a monument of money and ego polished, until it reflected the City back at itself. The guards were stationed open. There were no shadow, no pretense, no rifle. Visible eyes alert.
The king came with his army as well. It seemed like a neutral ground, but only in theory. Everyone in the city knew whose territory this truly was. And everyone knew Romero had crossed a line tonight.
The car came to a smooth stop.
Rain still pouring down relentlessly, hammering the pavement. The King stepped out before the driver could even move, and the door barely closed behind him. Arthur's coat absorbed the storm without complaint and cold never really touch him.
Nothing external ever did.
Marcus came right beside him, standing close but not hovering. His presence was steady.
If The King was blade, then Marcus was the sheath. He too was silent, controlled and always there when needed.
They did not rush and that unsettled August's men.
Inside the building, the warm dry curated to perfection, marble floor, soft lighting scent of expensive alcohol and something floral, that did not belong in a place built for power.
August was standing near the window, the city behind him like offering. His one hand resting on his pocket, the other held a glass of amber liquid. He was smiling before the king even crossed the threshold.
Arthur men behind him and August men in front of Arthur.
"The King." August said, pleasantly. As if he was welcoming an old friend.
"To what do I own this pleasure?" Arthur was already standing front of him, facing him..
"Stay away from my family." Were his first words.
The words cut through the room with precision. It was not loud, it was not rushed. Simply final. August blinked once and then laughed.
It was soft, genuine, delight in a way that set every instant in the room on high.
"Straight to the point." He said, lifting his glass slightly.
"I admire that about you Arthur. Never small talk, no courtesies." The king took another step forward and the air shifted. It wasn't dramatic. It was invisible, but men who had lived around violence their entire life, felt it immediately.
Everyone's breathing changed, except for the king's men.
"You do not speak to Lydia. You do not approach her and you do not place yourself in her line of sight. You do not even about my wife." The king continued. His voice even and controlled to the power of cruelty.
Arthur's eyes were even going red, but his voice did not shift. Still there was so much power.
August, on the other hand, tilted his head as he was studying him. Now with open interest, his eyes sharp.
"And if I already have?" August asked. Something dark moved behind the king's eyes.
It was not rage, but calculation.
Right then, one guard to August's left shifted. Taking one step closer to the king. He seem too over confident. Maybe he was even new. His one arm rested against the kings arm. The mistake born from arrogance.
Marcus eyes and only his eyes moved. And he looked at the man's arm where it was. He knew it was over.
The King did not look at that idiot. He only ....... moved.
The sound came first. A sharp crack as bone gave away under exact practical pressure. The King grabbed and twisted, snapped the man's neck with one motion. So controlled, it was almost too swift. The body immediately hit the floor in a thud.
There was no scream, no chaos that followed. No gun fire and no shouting. But immediately August's men pulled out their guns from every floor they stood. And Arthur's men didn't hesitate either. Their guns drawn too.
But every man in the room understood exactly what they had a witness.
Marcus did not move, he was standing there as his eyes scanned and ready but never interfering.
Arthur then turned back to August, as if nothing happened.
"This is me, being polite." He said, fixing his cuff.
August watched he body for a little longer. Than slowly his smile returned back to him.
"Well," He said softly setting his glass aside. His eyes gleaming now, with something dangerously close to admiration.
"That answers a lot of questions I have had for a very long time." The King did not ask which one.
"You are not afraid of me. You have never been Arthur." August said, stepping closer, careful this time.
"You are afraid of what she does to you." He said and this time The King felt his hands clench and August noticed that.
"She is new to this world." August went on, his voice very smooth, almost kind.
"She is unarmed, untrained and still believes people mean what they say." He said, looking right at Marcus. Acknowledging him, even respecting him.
"The kind of innocence does not last long around this world. And even you know that." The King walked closer until only inches separated them.
"You mistake restrain for fear. And concern for weakness." August smiled.
"Do I?."
There was some kind of mischief in his face if you go near her again the king continued his voice dropping dangerously soft they will be nothing left a few they will be nothing left of you for this city to remember no legacy nobody and your name the room entirely held its breath
August studied him for a little longer than slowly noted his head duly noted.
The King turned away, almost immediately. As Arthur reached to the door, August spoke again softly to himself. Almost reflective.
"You know she is going to change you. Women like her always do." The king did not stop. But he let out a heavy breath.
"She already have." He added, realizing that he could not decide, if he was going to forgive Lydia for this or not.
The King walked out into the storm one more time. In the car the rain was pounding against the roof like a warning.
Silence stretching between Arthur and Marcus.
"You will not let her about this." The King said, staring into the blurring city lights. Marcus did not hesitate.
"I will not, Sir." After a long pause, he added again..
"Mrs. Romero deserve peace for once." The king closed his eyes for a brief moment. So brief that it could have been imagined. He wanted this for her as well.
_________________________________________________________________________
The thunder immediately woke Lydia up with a sharp intake of breath.
"Huuuhhh.." She jolted upright as a sound of splitting wood tore through the night. The world seems to be shattered and this scared her.
"What the hell?" Lydia said to herself, placing her hand on her chest and that is when right at that very moment, more glass exploded inwards and wind started screaming through the room.
A violent crash completely shook the entire estate, as something massive struck the balcony and large shards flying across the floor. Shuttering like knives.
Lydia immediately froze for a heartbeat. Too scared to move before but Instinct kicked in and she scrambled back. Hands coming up to protect her face.
"Ahhhhh."
Heart pounding so hard, it almost hurt her chest.
Rain was flying inside, soaking the carpet and curtains were ripping free, snapping widely. Somewhere below men were shouting, voice sharp, alert and overlapping each other.
"She is sleeping inside."
"She is still inside."
That is when the doors burst open and Arthur rushed inside. He took in the complete destruction in one glance.
"Lydia.." He called out and there he saw her. Scared. The man didn't take time to rush across the room almost immediately.
He did not shout her name again, did not hesitate. His hands grabbed around her. It was firm, but careful. Arthur was pulling her out from all of the shattered glass.
"Watch your step." He said, immediately seeing that she was not paying attention. And so Arthur grabbed her into her his arms and held her away from all the chaos.
"Oh my god." She snapped, stunned. She was not expecting that and he just crossed the room, when another branch immediately crashed another piece of glass window, breaking it open.
She scream out of fear again, but Arthur covered her with his body, blocking her and taking the glass for himself.
Once outside, his slowly placed her down, her eyes were closed and still both of them holding onto each other. Slowly she opened her eyes, only to see him and his face was filled with worry. He was looking at her up and down, trying to see if there was any blood on her.
He positioned himself between her and the balcony. She was still shaking but he was blocking her from anything and everything. Wind, chaos, noise.
"What..... what happened?" She asked, breathing heavy. How did this ... even." Lydia said, pointing at the large tree that was practically inside of her bedroom. Close to where she was sleeping and where her head was.
"My.... MY head was right there Arthur. That tree......"
Shock wasn't letting her speak. She was all over the place.
"The lightning took it down. That's what happened." Arthur said, trying to be very calm about it. As if he had to be careful with his words and tone. Right then thunder struck again, rattling the walls and she flinched harder harder this time.
Her hands on her ears. Because she realized what almost could have happened to her.
The King saw it all.
"You are in shock. You have to sit down." He said, holding her tight. She didn't realize it before but she wasn't wearing a shirt, and his body that was built like a god was right in front of her.
"Oh..." She didn't seem to be ready for that either.
"You need to sit down." He said, one more time and she started to shake her head. Still moving away from him, still speaking despite the trauma in her legs.
"My room is just .....what if, what if it had fallen closer.. if he."
"LYDIA.." He called out her name even louder. She stooped, her eyes wide open. She was unfocused, exhaustion pulling at her features. Now that the adrenaline was bleeding out.
He placed his hands on her face, an unconsious move.
"You are safe now." He said, evenly.
"But you won't be, if you keep pushing yourself." Lydia stopped.
"I am..... just tired." She said and thee The King nodded, understanding.
"I know." Arthur said, looking right into her eyes. Marcus brought men with him, they were soaking and alert.
"Secure the balcony, clean the glass and nobody leave this floor." He said, not once looking at his men. But she was looking at all of them.
"Yes sir." They said, getting inside. He released her face, turning towards the house people.
"Get her some water, now." He said and the maid hurried almost immediately.
Lydia's eyes nervously between the damage and Arthur. He saw it all.
"Prepare a room for her." The king ordered and the maid hesitated.
"The guest room hasn't been opened in years. They will need cleaning and it will take some time." She said and this made Lydia pause.
"Years." She thought to herself and looked around again. At the large, silent corridor and beyond the doors, the absence of personal touch.
The way the house felt more like fortress, then a house or even a home.
No one came here. She realized that. And it was because they were afraid of him.
The thought did not scared Lydia, as it should have.
"Its fine. I will sleep on the couch." Lydia spoke and the room immediately went silent. Even the men stopped what they were doing and The King turn towards her, slowly.
"No." his heavy, rough and thick voice came through.
"I am really tired Arthur." Lydia insisted, rubbing her arms.
"Lydia." He was not okay with this.
"Anywhere is fine. I don't want to be a problem." She said, done for the day or even the year.
But something dark flinched across Arthur's face. It was not anger exactly, but something sharp.
"You are not sleeping on the couch." She opened her mouth to say something.
"You will be sleeping in my room." He continued, cutting her of and right then there was silence everywhere.
The maid and the guards were stunned, but after a brief silence they pretenting to not hear any of it.
"What? I.... I think that..." She buffered.
"And I wasn't asking you. This is the only way." He said, sharp, and no more of it. She was blinking her eyes, too stunned to breath.