The Crown Of Tears

"Angelus!"

King Edmund stormed Prince Angelus's wing armed to take his son to task for his crimes against Prince Augustus.

"Angelus, come out here and face me!"

His voice roared against the walls of the castle. The servants in the hallways dashed off into hiding on sighting the angry king.

"What have you done to anger your father to this extent?" Queen Rosalyn inquired of her son. She tensed at the thought of the king harming her dear son.

"I think we should sneak brother out of the palace for now. Wait for a Father to calm down before he returns," Princess Runa suggested to her mother. She looked to the door in panic as their father's voice grew closer and closer.

"I'll get Captain Davon to take you away to one of my safe houses in the city," Queen Rosalyn marched to pack light clothes for Angelus.

"Why aren't you breaking a sweat?" Runa asked Angelus. "I've never heard father as angry as he is now."

Prince Angelus munched on the grapes Aila fed him silently. Ignoring his mother and sister's panic.

He was the master of the stage where everything was playing out. He had his eyes on all the pieces of the game and was keen to avoid losing sight of the plot.

"Angelus!"

His father's roar hit his eyes like a sweet melody. The anger the king felt didn't hold a candle to the fire burning in his soul.

"Get up, son!" Queen Rosalyn urged desperately. "I can't afford to lose you."

"You won't lose me, Mother," Angelus assured her.

"Is that so?" King Edmund asked baring his gritted teeth at the prince. "I am not so certain she'll have an older son by the time I'm done with you," he summed angrily.

Prince Angelus broke into a mocking laughter. Everyone in the room was astounded by his reaction. They were shaking with fear and burning with rage and he had the nerve to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked King Edmund; he brushed his fingers around his sword.

Prince Angelus waved off Aila. Aila bowed her head and showed her respects to the royals before exiting the room. Prince Angelus sat up on the bed and gave his father attention.

"I had a terrible birthday yesterday. And I have you, your beloved Augustus and Elveryn to blame for it," he spoke up, he made no effort to mask the loathing in his eyes for his father.

"I know it's you who hurt Prince Augustus," the king declared openly.

Gasps echoed in the room. Queen Rosalyn, Princess Runa, and Captain Davon were surprised by the king's accusations.

Prince Angelus was unfazed by the claims. He wanted the king to know what he'd done. For the man to burn with anger only to realize that he couldn't vent it out.

"Is that why you're screaming at the top of your lungs?" Angelus asked, his lips curling up into a devious smirk. "I thought it was because he died or something."

"Angelus!" King Edmund charged forward in full swing with his sword, ready to slay Angelus for his bold mockery.

His hand stopped with the edge of the sword brushing against Prince Angelus's neck. He panted, taking long breaths to calm his nerves and prevent a rash decision.

Princess Runa collapsed and fell to the ground, frightened to the core by her father's actions.

"Take her to her room," Queen Rosalyn commanded Estella.

Estella and Runa's servant picked her up from the ground and carried her out of the room. Queen Rosalyn glared daggers at her husband's back.

"Hurt him and this will be your last day as king of Sevigoria," she threatened him.

Queen Rosalyn took a seat on the bed beside her son and met Edmund's heated gaze firmly. Her family had the power and resources to do damage to Edmund's reign and see to it that he never rules again.

"He hurt my son!" King Edmund exclaimed.

"He is your son!" Queen Rosalyn fired back, matching Edmund's rage. It burnt her skin to witness the difference in treatment between her son and his mistress's son.

"I won't spare him today..."

"I won't let you hurt him," the queen wrapped a warm protective hand around her son.

Prince Angelus retrieved the documents he received from Cassiel from under his pillow and gave them to his mother.

"What's this?" She asked; she received the documents and perused through them quickly, her eyes widening with shock.

While she was struggling to get Angelus to act according to his status to avoid losing the crown. The king went behind her back and rallied the members of his council and the prestigious names of Sevigoria to sign off on deposing her son and crowning Augustus as the next king of Sevigoria.

The proof in her hands provoked the thunder in her throat. It infuriated and boiled her blood to the core.

Pap!

A harsh slap landed on Edmund's cheek. Captain Davon and Angelus gasped at the onslaught.

King Edmund raised his hand to his stinging cheek in fury. The queen and her son had crossed their limits. "How dare you hit me?" He bellowed the question at her.

"How dare you try to depose my son!" Queen Rosalyn waved the contents of the documents in Edmund's face. The king didn't need a thorough examination of the document to know what it entailed.

"Yes, father. How dare you try to pass on my birthright to your bastard son?!"

King Edmund stared into Angelus's cold lifeless eyes and shivered. Angelus had this look in his eyes that made Edmund wonder how many people he'd killed. And this grin made King Edmund realize that the boy had probably lost count.

He spent his life caring for Augustus and Elveryn as they were born of the woman he loves. He neglected Rosalyn's children and failed to see how similar they were to their mother.

"I'll see Augustus dead before he takes what's rightfully mine," Angelus confessed. "And I'll ruin your mistress and her precious daughter as a bonus. Only then will you understand how I feel," he added.

Queen Rosalyn raised her eyebrows stunned by her son's bold stance. She felt proud that Angelus wasn't weak and easily oppressed.

"What may I ask is father's judgment on Mordred Falck?" He questioned. "According to the laws of Sevigoria, a magic practitioner must be tried and executed on the day of the arrest. To avoid giving them room to escape, at what time should Mother and I attend Mordred's beheading?" He asked, his eyes challenging his father, his finger pushing the sword away from his neck.

King Edmund slumped back helplessly. Prince Angelus came at him from all sides with one move. Hitting three birds with one stone, getting Augustus out of the way, hurting Elveryn by pinning the blame on Mordred, and forcing him to pass the cruel judgment.

'It's the perfect plot,' King Edmund thought.