Three Kings

General Khalifa stared at Meliesse for a moment. She hadn't been told anything about the prince's survival. All she knew was that Jai had rebelled and killed the entire royal family. There had been no speculations about any members of the family surviving. Now, she was hearing that the prince was alive. She had thought it strange that Farouk had come to Bintan looking for someone, even throwing threats around. General Khalifa knew the old dog well, and he only acted that way when it concerned his masters. Now that she was hearing this news about the prince, everything was starting to make sense. Burak and Jai seemed eager to settle their score first before the victor moved on to searching for the prince.

General Khalifa's eyes narrowed as she looked at Meliesse.

"How do you know the prince is alive?" she asked.

"I met him here in Bintan," Meliesse replied. "He was disguised, acting as a guard for Rashid's daughter. He left just before the city fell."

"And you didn't think to stop him or help him?" Khalifa pressed.

"Well, he wasn't exactly cooperative. He thought we wanted to kill him—though we did attack him once. Nonetheless, the prince is alive. While I can't say specifically where he is now, sources say he was last spotted heading to Constant, accompanied by Farouk."

"Oh, is that so?" Khalifa said with a smirk.

"Indeed it is," Meliesse replied. "If you want to outlast this conflict, you should align yourself with the prince instead."

Khalifa stared at Meliesse for a long moment.

"And what if I decide to join Jai instead—and betray this prince?"

Meliesse let out a short laugh.

"Oh, please. We both know you hate Jai. You'd never ally yourself with the man who killed the one you loved."

Khalifa's expression darkened.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't act like that. Mystos told me about you and General Wei. You two went on a lot of...'expeditions' together."

Khalifa's hand flew to her weapon, raising it at Meliesse. The Pillar, however, remained unfazed and continued.

"A lot of things happened, sure. But the point is this: you get to dive headfirst into battle to sate your bloodlust and take a shot at revenge."

"You talk a lot for someone about to be cut down," Khalifa said coldly.

"We both know I'm not the enemy here," Meliesse replied evenly.

Khalifa hesitated, then lowered her weapon, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"You're right. I should join the prince. Burak's cause is hopeless, and Hadia is heading toward ruin. The war will soon be over."

"Then it's settled. We leave to—"

Suddenly, the air grew heavy, and an immense pressure blanketed Bintan. It felt as though evil itself had descended upon the city. Both Khalifa and Meliesse felt a will trying to overpower their senses. No ordinary person could withstand such force, but Khalifa and Meliesse were anything but ordinary.

A command, chilling and absolute, echoed in their minds:

Kneel.

Atop the city walls near the northern gate, a man carrying a woman stood surrounded by soldiers. His voice had brought them all to their knees. It wasn't magic, nor was it a curse—it was sheer willpower, a presence so overwhelming that it demanded automatic reverence.

Jai surveyed the kneeling men with a satisfied smirk.

"Subjects shouldn't stand in the presence of their king," he said.

Turning to one of the soldiers, he asked,

"Where is Rashid?"

"L-L-Lord Rashid…dungeon," the soldier stammered.

"Oh, Rashid fell? Then who's in charge?"

"L-Lord Majeed."

"Majeed? His brat? Where is he?"

The soldier pointed toward a young man in their midst. Majeed, tattered and disheveled, was a mess—barely passing as a noble. He had come to speak with his men, intending to contact General Hammed, but now found himself face-to-face with Jai.

It felt like the worst luck in the world.

Jai looked Majeed over, his gaze lingering on the man's missing arm. The wound was recent, though Jai hardly cared.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked.

"A…a man cut it off in battle," Majeed replied, barely holding himself together.

Jai frowned, he could hear Majeed heart beat faster as the words left his mouth

"You dare lie to me?"

"N-no, my lord!" Majeed stammered, his voice shaking.

"Hmm." Jai turned to the woman he had been carrying.

"You can put me down now," she said, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh. Right," Jai said, setting her down gently before turning back to Majeed.

"Now, where were we?"

"Who did this to you?" Jai asked again.

Majeed swallowed hard. How could he explain that a child had done this?

He stared at Jai, his eyes wide with fear, and finally admitted,

"A boy did it."

"A boy?" Jai's interest was piqued. "Where is this boy?"

"He escaped."

Jai's eyes narrowed.

"So you don't even know who this boy is?"

Majeed hesitated, then blurted,

"We thought he was one of your spies."

Jai chuckled, a low, menacing sound.

"You're not really in charge of this city, are you?"

"I… I am the one in charge," Majeed insisted, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Hmm," Jai mused. "You know, as a prey, it's quite foolish to act eager to be eaten by a predator."

Before Majeed could respond, his vision turned upside down. His head hit the floor with a dull thud, rolling to a stop as the life left his body.