Realm of Monsters-Chapter 602: The Thorn Prince

Chapter 602: The Thorn Prince

Freya's eyes went wide. She stumbled back a step. “Y-You… You’re the prince who disappeared. You’re the heir…”

Atlas smiled softly. “More importantly I was close friends with your ancestor, Lord Sylas Goldelm, the last true wielder of Oginum. I was hoping you and I could talk.”

The idea that someone knew a dwarf who had died over two centuries ago seemed almost impossible, but there were a few beings alive who had exceeded the life expectancy of mortals.

Lord Gian Gale was famous for being the Sword Paragon, the greatest swordsman in all the Ebon Realm, a title he had held for almost three centuries. No one quite knew how old Lady Holo was, she was an enigma that had baffled the lords of the city when she had arrived to bolster the city’s defenses against the Valley forces.

Freya had witnessed Atlas’ power firsthand as he fought against the dragonbane and the Valley barbarians. “You knew Sylas?” she asked, a trace of skepticism in her voice.

“I did.” Atlas leaned on the wall’s parapet and stared out at the rising sun in reminiscence. “He was a good friend. And a better lord.”

Freya nodded. “Say I believe you. If you really are Atlas Thorn then where have you been all these years? Do you even know what happened? The city fell to rebellion. The Thorns were cast down as the Royal House.”

“I am aware.”

“Really? Because last I read, Prince Atlas disappeared after the king’s death. It was your disappearance that incited the major Great Houses to rebel. You were the heir apparent, not your brother.”

He gave her a leveled gaze, his expression calm. “As I said, I am aware.”

“So you say, but Sylas Goldelm died because he believed in you until the end. He refused to acknowledge your brother as king and for that, your brother killed him. If you were alive all this time, then that means you abandoned Sylas when he needed you most. And yet here you stand, claiming to have been his friend.”

“I still remember the day I heard the news. His son took up the hammer in his place, though it never ignited its light for him or anyone else, until you.”

“Maybe you are the Atlas Thorn. But if you are, then you are no friend of my ancestor.”

“I never thought my brother would kill Sylas. Odd, isn’t it? How a single succession amongst siblings can fall into violence so quickly.” Atlas glanced away from the sun and looked at Freya. “You remind me of him, Sylas. He was never afraid to speak his mind, no matter who he stood against.”

“And it got him killed. Is that what you’re saying? Are you threatening me?” She shifted her feet and her hands wandered closer to Oginum.

Atlas noticed the change but he made no motion to react. “I have no interest in hurting a Goldelm, much less Sylas’ heir.”

“His heir?” Freya blinked.

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“No one has carried the light of Oginum since Sylas. You are his heir.”

“I am not the Lady of House Goldelm. My brother Aric will be the next lord.”

“So I’ve heard,” Atlas mused. “I never wanted it.”

“Huh?”

“I never wanted to be king.”

“That seems unlikely.”

“I told you my name, yes? Holoson.”

“Wait, so, you’re actually the son of Holo?” She hadn’t caught the significance of his name until now.

He nodded. “I am.”

His claim of being over two hundred years old did not seem so far-fetched anymore. “So Lady Holo and King Atreus were married?”

Atreus was married to a queen from House Sientia. There had never been a mention of Holo.

“They were never married,” said Atlas, confirming her knowledge of history. “My mother’s people rarely marry. They are— long-lived. The concept of marriage is strange to them.”

“Was she an Elder Giant?”

Atlas cracked a grin. “You know the legends of old well.”

“I had an expensive education. Besides, it wasn’t hard to guess.” Freya eyed Atlas, he stood twice her height. “The Frost Giants dwell in the Ebon Realm. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of their progenitors resided here as well. It’d also explain why Holo has lived for so long; she is an Elder Giant.”

“Mm. My father was fascinated by her power, but more so her beauty,” Atlas chuckled. “He fell in love at first sight. He courted her for years and after a long time, she accepted him. Though, my mother always preferred her presence to be kept hidden. So when I was born, I was passed off as the firstborn son of the queen in the public eye.”

“Did that not bother her? The queen, I mean,” said Freya.

“Certainly. But her marriage was one of convenience, an alliance between the ancient Houses Thorn and Sientia. Not much different than your father and one of his wives. That didn’t stop the queen from being jealous of my mother. Not that Holo minded, she was untouchable by the likes of her.

“Everything was fine, at first. My childhood with my half-brother was relatively calm. But my father… he changed as the years went by. He became more obsessed with power. He envied my mother’s immortality and begged her to share the gift with him.”

Freya shook her head. “That’s not possible, an Elder Giant is an elder species, their immortality is biological, not magical.”

“Indeed. Not that it stopped my father. His obsession only grew worse when he became sick. The queen only fed his greed, whispering in his ear, telling him that my mother was keeping the secret of immortality from him. My family’s relationship deteriorated. My mother grew distant from the rest of us and her visits to the city became less and less frequent. I resented my father and the queen for it. In the end, I resented the crown. I thought if my father hadn’t been king, the Last Ebon Lord, if he hadn’t been given so much power, then perhaps he wouldn’t have craved even more.”

Atlas gestured to Oginum, “Like you, I inherited gifts I did not expect, powers I did not quite understand. One day, my mother explained to me what my powers meant, and the future they could hold. I found myself at a crossroads. I could choose to be the next king of this city or I could follow in the footsteps of my maternal ancestors, to Travel where others could not. When my father passed away I made my choice.”

“You disappeared…” Freya whispered.

“At the time I thought it was best if I left without telling anyone. If people came to believe I was dead then the transition of power would be easier on my brother. But I made a mistake. I told a close friend of mine about my plans. I told Sylas.”

“What?” Freya frowned in confusion. “But then why did he—?”

“Sylas spoke out against my brother because he knew I was alive. He believed I would be a better king than my brother could ever be. And for that, my brother killed him, and in doing so, incited a rebellion that almost destroyed this city.”

“Why didn’t you stop it?”

“By the time my brother had ordered Sylas’ death, I was no longer in the Ebon Realm.”

“That’s not possible. The Schism destroyed the Realm Bridges. And King Atreus ordered the Realm’s Chrome Gates to be destroyed too.”

“There are other ways to traverse the Null Realms. Paths known to very few.”

“So that’s it? You left and the city fell into chaos?”

“I thought by leaving I would be doing good for this city. I never wanted to be king, whereas it was all my brother ever wanted. He trained his whole life to act as my second-in-command. He would have been the better king. He would have been a good king. But the nobles used my existence against him, they rejected his rule in the hopes of accruing more power for themselves. Sylas was only trying to be loyal to me, but my brother didn’t see it that way, and in his frustration and anger, he decided to kill Sylas to set an example.”

Freya balled her fists. “Your brother was a bastard.”

Atreus kneeled down and met her at eye level. “Tell me, if you were to leave Holo’s Shade with your aunt, do you think Cedric would yield to Aric? Do you think Cedric would be willing to bow to Aric, even though he had given his fealty to you? Even though he knew you were still alive, somewhere out there? Do you think Cedric would do it?”

“Cedric would do what’s best for House Goldelm, he always has.”

“Cedric is the leader of your supporters. He is fiercely loyal to you. He believes you are what is best for House Goldelm. When he realizes you are stepping down because of your aunt, he will not back down. So long as you live, Cedric will always see Aric as your inferior. Cedric will question him in everything he does, as will all the nobles who support your cause.”

“But I won’t be in Hollow Shade.”

“It won’t matter. So long as you live, Cedric will support you. And when Aric’s power begins to crumble because of all the dissent, when he begins to fear that he will be deposed, who do you think he will target? You? As you said, you won’t even be in the city. No, Aric will imprison the leader of his dissenters, Cedric.”

“He wouldn’t. Aric isn’t that kind of person.”

“You’d be surprised how power changes a man. Imprisonment won’t be the end, in fact, it will only incite Cedric’s allies. There will only be one way to silence Cedric.”

“N-No…”

“I have seen it happen again and again throughout my travels, in Realm after Realm. Mortals are almost always the same. Tell me, Freya Goldelm, if Cedric were to die on the orders of Aric would you be willing to stand aside then?”

“I…”

“Your aunt told you that leaving Holo’s Shade is how you save your House, but that would be underestimating the loyalty that the light of Oginum breeds. People will follow you to the ends of the world. I am not the only one who realizes

that.”

She wrinkled her brow. “What are you saying?”

“Ingrid Goldelm is a smart woman. Do you not think it strange that she wants you to travel to her home in Frost Rim? It is already difficult enough for you to give up your home here in Holo’s Shade. The least she could do is give you your freedom to travel wherever you desire.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You carry Oginum. That makes you dangerous. Let me guess, your aunt told you to leave the hammer here in the city?”

“She did…”

“Without the hammer, it would be easier to kill you, especially outside the city. But Cedric would never allow you to travel without your own personal bodyguards, chosen by him to ensure loyalty. Your bodyguards would make it more difficult to dispose of you while traveling and if you managed to escape Ingrid’s assassins, then war would break loose. However, once you arrive in Frost Rim? In Ingrid’s own home? Well, she would have all the power to make someone like you disappear. She could make it seem like an accident. Cedric would know the truth of course, but what could he do? You’d be dead already.”

“My aunt wouldn’t do that,” Freya said, though she wasn’t sure if she was saying it for his sake or her own.

“Maybe you’re right. But if you really wish to be certain, the next time you see her, tell your aunt that you won’t be joining her in Frost Rim. In fact, you won’t be traveling with her at all. You will leave the city with Oginum and on your own terms. As for your destination? Your whereabouts will be left unknown to her and Aric.”

“And if she doesn’t want me to?”

“Then you will have found your answer.”

“I don’t know if I want to,” she mumbled.

Atlas placed his hand atop her shoulder, it was so large that it covered her entire shoulder. “I wasn’t there when Sylas needed me. But if the time comes when his heir requires aid, she will find that she is not alone.”