The wine swirled in my goblet as firelight danced across the stone walls. I ran a finger along the scar on my arm - my body's ledger of mistakes. *How did I get here?* The question echoed in the hollow of my chest.
"This world...it wasn't supposed to be real," I muttered to the shadows. The Spineless Brain lay dormant on the bedside table, its smooth surface reflecting my distorted face. "Just a game. Just a simulation."
Yet the ache in my muscles, the weight of the crown, the sting of betrayal - all felt terrifyingly real. I drained the goblet, the bitter wine mirroring my thoughts.
"Father would be disgusted," I whispered, seeing Eric's disapproving face as clearly as if he stood before me. *"Cognitive rights are sacred,"* his voice lectured in my memory. *"Even a butterfly's mind deserves respect."*
I hurled the goblet against the wall. "Then why give me this power?" The clatter of metal on stone startled Goldmane from his sleep. The great lion lifted his head, golden eyes questioning.
"Every decision...every mind hacked..." My hands trembled. "Did I build a kingdom or just an elaborate puppet show?"
The wine-fueled visions came unbidden - steel bridges arcing over the Leon river, factories belching smoke into Waltonian skies, the Lion's Mane children grown into ruthless technocrats enforcing my will across continents.
"Yes..." I whispered, then recoiled. "No!" The duality tore at me. "I can do better. Roads first. Education. Limited technology under strict control-"
The door burst open. Lumina tumbled in like a summer storm, her nightgown swirling around her like crimson leaves. "Sun! You'll never guess what Stormheart did today! She-"
"Not now, Lumina," I sighed, but she clambered onto the bed anyway, smelling of grass and lion musk.
"You're brooding again," she accused, poking my scar. "Stop it. Tell me about the spinning water wheels you promised!"
Before I could respond, Xeona slammed in, her face a thundercloud. "How could you?" she hissed. "After everything, you make that Hyen witch your queen?"
"Xeona!" I warned, but Lumina leapt to her feet.
"Don't talk about Sixhonia like that! She's family now!"
The door crashed open a third time. Sixhonia stood framed in moonlight, her breathing ragged. "I heard my name." Her eyes locked on Xeona. "From the mouth of a jealous maid."
What followed wasn't a fight - it was a ballet of fury. Xeona flipped a dagger from her sleeve as Sixhonia snatched up my discarded belt. Metal whistled through air as Lumina squealed.
"Enough!" I roared, but they were already spinning into the corridor, a whirlwind of silk and steel.
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By the time we reached the grand hall, the entire court had gathered. Duchess Sina's voice cut through the clamor: "Are they trying to kill each other?"
Maid Julie threw herself between them. "Your Highness, please forgive-"
Sixhonia's elbow connected with Julie's jaw. A sickening crack echoed through the hall.
"STOP!" The Lion's Mane children formed a living barrier, little Mustard Leo standing tallest. "The king is right here! Show respect!"
In the sudden silence, all eyes turned to me. The weight of judgment pressed down. Not just for tonight's chaos, but for every decision that led us here.
I looked at Sixhonia - her lip bleeding, chest heaving. At Xeona - her dagger hand trembling with suppressed rage. At Lumina's tear-streaked face caught between loyalties.
The throne room stank of sweat and shattered dignity. My kingdom was watching. My lions were watching. History was watching.
**The Weight of the Crown**
Sun walked away from the chaos, his footsteps heavy, his shoulders slumped under the invisible burden of kingship. The three lions—Goldmane, Shadowclaw, and Stormheart—fell into step behind him, their massive paws silent against the stone. The Lion’s Mane cubs, who had been playing nearby, abandoned their games and trotted after them, their small tails flicking with concern.
The throne room remained frozen in stunned silence. No judgment had been passed. No royal decree issued. The king had simply… left.
Queen Lana, ever the pillar of stability, stepped forward to take charge. But before she could speak, Sixhonia turned on her heel and sprinted after Sun, her bare feet slapping against the marble. Xeona, still seething, moved to follow—only for Duchess Sina’s voice to cut through the tension like a blade.
**"Enough!"**
The old matriarch’s command silenced the hall. Her sharp eyes flicked between the two women, her expression unreadable. **"Can you not see that Sun is suffering? That boy has carried more weight in sixteen years than most kings do in a lifetime."**
Xeona opened her mouth to protest, but Sina raised a hand. **"You will both come with me. Now."**
No one dared disobey.
---
In the quiet of her chambers, Duchess Sina sat like a queen herself, her maids standing at attention behind her. She studied Xeona first, her gaze softening slightly.
**"Xeona, my dear,"** she began, her voice firm but not unkind, **"you have been with Sun since childhood. You know his heart better than most. But you must understand—his heart has chosen Sixhonia."**
Xeona’s fists clenched. **"But she—"**
**"She is his queen,"** Sina interrupted. **"And if you continue this feud, you will lose him entirely. Not as a king, but as the boy who trusted you above all others."**
Xeona’s defiance wavered.
Sina turned to Sixhonia next. **"And you, my daughter—for that is what you are now—must be patient with him. Sun is not just a king. He is a boy who loves books, who overthinks every decision, who fears betrayal more than death itself. He was injured. He is paranoid. And right now, he is drowning in duty."**
Sixhonia swallowed hard. **"I… I didn’t realize."**
**"Go to him,"** Sina ordered. **"Not as a queen demanding answers, but as the woman who holds his heart. Ask him what troubles him. And listen."**
Sixhonia bowed deeply and rushed out, her heart pounding.
--
When she reached Sun’s chambers, the door stood ajar. The room was empty. No king. No lions.
Her breath hitched. **"Sun?"**
No answer.
She checked the balcony, the gardens, even the library—nothing.
Panic rising, she sprinted back to the Duchess. **"He’s gone!"**
The palace erupted into chaos.
---
The Red Lion Guard mobilized instantly, fanning out across the palace grounds. The Lion’s Mane children, wide-eyed but determined, insisted on helping.
**"He wouldn’t leave us,"** Mustard Leo declared, his small voice shaking but firm. **"We have to find him!"**
Queen Lana, her face pale, turned to Duchess Sina. **"Where would he go?"**
Sina’s lips thinned. **"Somewhere quiet. Somewhere he can think."**
