home

search

The Lion King

  Sun rode at the head of the Red Lion Guard, **Goldmane** padding silently beside his horse. The weight of the captain’s words pressed on him like a physical burden.

  *Glide Leo.*

  A bastard son of his father. A man with the same **red hair**, the same **golden eyes**, but none of the scars, none of the weight of a crown. And worse—he had already **sat on Sun’s throne**, demanded **Sun’s queen**, and called himself **king** in his absence.

  Sun’s fingers tightened on the reins.

  **"And Sixhonia?"** he asked, voice low.

  The captain hesitated. **"She has held the court together, Your Majesty. But Glide’s faction grows bolder. They claim you abandoned the throne. That you are unfit."**

  Sun exhaled through his nose.

  *Because I did. Because I am.*

  But he couldn’t say that. Not now.

  **"And the Spineless?"**

  The captain frowned. **"The… artifact? It remains in your chambers. But—"**

  **"But?"**

  **"Glide has been seen entering your private quarters. More than once."**

  Sun’s blood ran cold.

  -----

  The sight that greeted them was **war**.

  Hundreds of warriors—some loyal to Glide, others to the throne—stood in tense clusters outside the palace gates. The air was thick with the scent of oiled steel and unease.

  Then—**the horns blew.**

  A deep, resonant call from the Red Lion Guard, announcing the return of the **true king**.

  Every head turned.

  Silence fell like a blade.

  Sun did not dismount. He did not smile. He simply **looked** at them—the way a lion looks at prey.

  **"Scatter,"** he commanded, voice carrying across the courtyard. **"Or I will make you."**

  For a heartbeat, no one moved.

  Then—**the loyalists obeyed.**

  But the **500 Red Lions** who had come with Glide did not. They stood firm, hands on their swords, eyes locked on Sun.

  *They don’t fear me.*

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  The realization sent a spike of panic through him. These were not men under the **Spineless Brain’s** control. These were warriors who had **chosen** Glide.

  Sun didn’t hesitate. He turned to his captain and pressed the **Golden Lion Medallion** into his palm.

  **"Mobilize the barracks."**

  The captain’s eyes flashed. **"It will be done."**

  As the captain rode off with an escort, Sun leaned down to **Goldmane**, murmuring, **"Call the pride."**

  The great lion rumbled in understanding before vanishing into the shadows.

  ---

  Sun strode through the palace like a storm, his shabby farmer’s clothes doing nothing to diminish the **fury** in his stride.

  Servants gasped. Nobles stumbled back.

  And then—**he saw them.**

  The **Lion’s Mane children**, huddled together with the royal family. Their voices rose in a chorus—**"Sun!" "Your Majesty!" "Brother!"**

  But he couldn’t stop. Not yet.

  He had to **see it for himself.**

  ---

  Sun’s chambers were exactly as he had left them.

  And yet—**not.**

  The air smelled wrong. The **Spineless Brain**, resting in under the blanket, had been **moved.**

  Someone had **touched it.**

  Sun’s hands shook as he approached, dread coiling in his gut.

  He realised the person simply looked and the Spineless brain seemed intact, he breathed a sigh of relief at the back of his mind wondering if the Spineless had become his guarantee.

  *Who would dare?*

  Then—a voice from the doorway.

  **"Ah. So the runaway king finally returns."**

  Sun turned.

  **Glide Leo** stood there, smirking, his red hair gleaming like fresh blood in the torchlight.

  **"I was just getting comfortable in your place,"** he said, stepping inside. **"But don’t worry. I’ll let you watch as I take it all from you."**

  Sun’s vision **reddened.**

  **"You,"** he growled, **"will not live to see dawn."**

  Glide laughed. **"We’ll see."**

  Outside, the **war horns** began to blow.

  The ground trembled.

  **Four thousand five hundred soldiers** stood arrayed outside the palace, their armor glinting like a steel tide under the cold sun.

  Banners snapped in the wind—crimson lions against gold, the mark of **Waltonia’s true king.** The air was thick with the scent of oiled leather and the metallic tang of drawn steel. War drums pounded like a thunderous heartbeat, their rhythm echoing off the palace walls. Horses stamped, their breath steaming in the morning chill.

  Inside the throne room, chaos reigned.

  Sun stood before **Glide Leo**, his expression unreadable. The pretender smirked, twirling his father’s horn—**the Horn of Roar**—between his fingers.

  **"You hear that, brother?"** Glide taunted. **"That’s the sound of a *real* king."**

  Sun exhaled through his nose. **"Seize him."**

  The **Red Lion Guard** moved instantly.

  But Glide was **no pampered prince.**

  He fought like a warror—blades flashing, muscles coiled with trained precision. Two guards fell before his sword, a third stumbling back with a gash across his chest.

  **"ENOUGH!"** Glide bellowed, raising the horn to his lips.

  The sound that followed was **not human.**

  It was the **roar of a lion king**, deep and resonant, shaking the very stones of the palace. Every soul in the room froze. Even Sun’s pulse stuttered.

  *Damn it.*

  Glide grinned, wild-eyed. **"I challenge you, Sun Leo! By the old ways—Lion’s Pride! Face me, or be branded a coward before your own people!"**

  Sun closed his eyes for a brief moment.

  *This again.*

  He was **so tired** of being challenged.

  Then—he **whistled.**

  Two monstrous shapes burst from the shadows.

  **Twin lions**, their golden eyes burning with fury, lunged at Glide. The pretender’s confidence shattered. He stumbled back, screaming for his guards.

  But Sun was **done playing.**

  In a blur of motion, he **unsheathed his sword.**

  Sun moved like **liquid death.**

  Every technique he had ever stolen—every warrior’s skill, every assassin’s trick—flowed through him.

  Glide swung wildly. Sun **dodged without looking.**

  A thrust toward his ribs—Sun **twisted**, his own blade flicking out, slicing the straps of Glide’s ornate breastplate. The metal clattered to the floor.

  Another slash—Sun **parried**, then reversed his grip, the pommel of his sword smashing into Glide’s wrist. The pretender’s weapon fell with a clang.

  Sun didn’t stop.

  His blade became a silver blur—**slicing belts, severing clasps, parting fabric like paper.**

  In seconds, Glide stood **stripped bare**—not just of armor, but of dignity. His fine silks pooled at his feet, leaving him in nothing but a linen undershirt, his face white with terror.

  **"M-Mercy!"** Glide choked out, falling to his knees.

  Sun pressed the tip of his sword under Glide’s chin.

  **"You do not *deserve* mercy."**

  Then—**the roaring began.**

  ---

  The palace **shook.**

  **Twenty-six adult male lions**, their golden manes bristling, stormed through the halls. **Goldmane** led them, his thunderous snarls sending servants and soldiers alike scrambling out of the way.

  The royal family watched in **shock** as the beasts climbed the grand staircase, their massive paws silent on the marble. The lions moved with **purpose**—like soldiers answering a summons.

  And then—they reached the throne room.

  The doors burst open.

  **A wall of fur, fangs, and fury** stood before the court.

  Glide’s remaining warriors **paled.** One dropped his sword.

  Goldmane padded forward, his gaze locked on Sun. Then—he **bowed.**

  The other lions followed.

  **Twenty-six kings of the wild, submitting to one man.**

  Sun allowed himself a small, vicious smile.

  *This* was the power he had cultivated.

  *This* was the **true strength of Waltonia.**

  ---

  Glide was **sobbing** now, his body trembling as the lions circled him.

  **"P-Please! Brother! I—I was misled! I—"**

  Sun crouched, gripping Glide’s hair and forcing him to meet his gaze.

  **"You are *no* brother of mine."**

  He stood, turning to the assembled court.

  **"Let this be a lesson."** His voice cut through the silence like a blade. **"The Lion’s Pride does not suffer pretenders."**

  A snap of his fingers.

  The lions **roared**—a sound so deafening it rattled the chandeliers.

  Glide screamed.

  Sun walked away, already barking orders.

  **"Lock him in the dungeons. Disperse the traitors. And someone—"** He glanced at the **Spineless Brain**, his lips curling. **"Find out who *touched* my things. Also strip his Red lion Guards of their service any who dare disobey kill them, also summon the Queen to my room"**

  The guards **exploded into motion.**

  And Sun?

  He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

  *Finally.*

  **Order.**

  ---

Recommended Popular Novels