Arthur couldn't move — his brain was flowing with so much information that he was simply shaken. So much so that he could do nothing but glance at the spectacle unfolding in front of him.

Elli dropped the trident to the floor as tears ran down her cheeks, but despite that, her actions didn't represent heartache. She bore a frown, and with that anger, she grabbed Arthur's hair and plunged her hand into his left eyeball, piercing it and thrusting her finger around like someone stirring a pot. She looked up at the general, her tears no longer flowing down. "What's this boy's name?"

"My king, he calls himself Arthur Penfish."

"Despicable. How despicable this degenerate is," Elli said. "I vow to make this murderer pay for my father's death... I will bring justice and slaughter this scum."

"Yes, my liege. You will be the rightful ruler once you take over the throne in today's event. It is you, you are the king."

Elli grabbed Arthur's throat and began choking him. "I shall kill this trash, then we'll attend the dinner, where I'll take over my rightful place as the supreme being of this city... NO! Of this world!" She clenched Arthur's throat harder, his face practically blue.

"My liege," the general said, sounding hesitant as he spoke, "I believe we should keep Arthur alive... fo... for the event."

"Why? Why would I keep my father's murderer alive?"

"My king, we can use him as your inauguration's sacrifice. He's an alien to this city, and never has a king been introduced by sacrificing a living human. You'd be setting a historic precedent, something only the true ruler of Atlantis could accomplish. That's you, my liege. You are the one true sovereign of Atlantis."

"I am, aren't I?" She eased her grip. "I am the one who will illuminate Atlantis throughout the hearts of not just our people but those above who look down upon us. I... I... I am."

"Yes, you are my liege. You are the one."

"Mordov, I forgive your disobedience."

"I am forever grateful for your blessing. Thank you, my king. Thank you so much."

Elli stood up and walked towards the general, grabbing his left hand and placing it on her chest. She slowly twisted his wrist and smiled. "I've been trying to kill my father with poison. Every day I dosed toxins in his shakes because I knew he was no longer my father. I wanted him to die, and you killed him. You disobeyed me." She nodded and twisted his wrist off.

The general clenched his teeth, looking at his torn hand, blue blood squirting from his open veins. He didn't show any apprehension, but his breaths grew heavier through his nose as he held back the gasps by pressing his lips together.

"I have forgiven you," Elli said.

"Thank you... my king," the general said, holding in his screams, but he continued to speak as his tone grew deeper. "I'm ever endowed in your humbleness and graciousness."

"Eat it," she said, dropping the general's hand near his feet.

"Pardon, my king?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No..."

"Then eat your hand, right now. I forgave you for murdering my father, but I didn't dismiss your oblivious and shabby work. I even exposed my father's hideout, and you couldn't execute a simple objective without me? Pathetic, is it not?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The general's mouth was wide open as he panted, looking down and up at Elli. "That was you?"

"Don't talk back to me."

"I... apologize." He grabbed his severed hand and started chewing, slowly eating his hand with the bones, though it wasn't effective, so he gulped it down and held his mouth closed, trying not to vomit.

"Now about father, what should we do about him? Place him as an exhibit for the ceremony or," Elli said, pausing and looking at her dad. "Dispose of him?"

The general's cheeks were full of fluid. With his eyes closed, he crinkled his nose and swallowed his held-back vomit before he spoke. "My king, whatever you desire."

"I didn't ask for what I desired, did I?"

He couldn't reply. No, he didn't want to. It was too much for him because he knew nothing he said would be correct in the current situation. Nothing would.

"Fine," Elli said. "Dispose of him."

"Yes, my king."

Elli held Arthur by the hair and pulled his head up, examining him and nodding as she dragged him towards Fishman's "secret" tunnel. She turned back towards the general. "Hurry along."

"Yes, my king," the general said as he held his head and sent telepathic signals to his men. They would dispose of the former king's body.

After the new ruler and the recent handless general made their way to the palace, they got ready, cleaning themselves up for the banquet, but the most significant feature was Arthur Penfish; he was the feast of the day.

Arthur's hair was combed to the right, and his clothes were stitched from the silk of a silverfish. He wore a smooth white silk shirt and pants; his attire was neat, pure, and showed a glow of zeal. To make sure he didn't ruin his figure, he was forced to remain in Elli's room. Her room was much like any young adult girl's room — she kept it simple with two posters of her favorite band: Supez. Her room's color scheme was pink and black. She was brushing her hair in front of her dresser's mirror while Arthur silently sat on a chair near her bed.

The silence was loud and overbearing, but Arthur was now a part of the stillness; he didn't care nor want to understand anything. He was lost and couldn't glimpse what reality was. His left eye was patched with white tape-like material, covering his mashed eye.

Elli stopped brushing her hair and tilted her head, looking at Arthur, who was staring at the floor. She pressed her lips and stretched them to the left, giving a slightly pouty face. "Are you mute? Or are you just not feeling like talking?"

Arthur continued staring at the floor, not moving a single inch. He didn't even take a second to comprehend Elli's words.

"I know you're my father's murderer and all, but there's no need to still feel guilty about it," she said. "You'll soon pay with your blood, so rejoice, you'll be forgiven!"

He didn't say a peep.

She clicked her tongue and combed her hair. "You humans are so moody. My father used to tell me stories about humans. But they all sucked. They read off like fairy tales, or some pretentious prick, explaining how fortunate they have it; I just couldn't trust my father's point of view."

Arthur still said nothing.

"If he was such a respected hero, then why wasn't he 'the one?' Instead, he became a pathetic loser who valued his past more than he respected his own homeland's future. Honestly, I thank you for killing my father, but I also hate you for it because I once admired him."

Arthur moved his head up and stared at Elli, opening his mouth. He widened. And widened. He took a deep breath and stared back down at the floor, his gaze solemnly there.

"Why did you kill my father?"

Arthur again refused to answer and kept his one eye shut, trying to keep his thoughts at bay.

Elli stood up with her hairbrush, nearing Arthur. She grabbed him from the chin and forced his face up, looking at him and combing his hair with the brush. "You need to keep your hair pristine for when I slaughter you."

Arthur grabbed her wrist and asked, "Why did you make me do that?"

Elli giggled, freeing her hand and leaning towards Arthur's face as she examined it. "So you do talk!"

"You're as much the reason as I am for your father's death."

"Stop trying to gaslight me, you murderer," she said, fanning her hand in the air.

Arthur stared at her. His pupil slowly shrank as he focused on Elli, a bleak blue sensation was written on his remaining eye. It's not that he didn't have anything to say; he had much to express, but he didn't want to; he didn't want to learn more; life was like an expired carton of milk to him; nothing would get that lumpy, rancid taste out of his mouth. Nothing.

"Are you ready?" Elli asked.

Arthur stood tall, facing Elli. The dismay in his eye displayed vividly as his pupil narrowed even more. He simply nodded.

Elli placed her brush away and grabbed Arthur's hand; she was much taller, towering over him. They both walked out of her room as she joked. "My little gentleman, you're my ticket to sovereignty. So die for me. Please and thank you, just die."

Elli walked Arthur down the palace's stairs towards his demise — death was just a matter of time for him. An inevitable tragedy that he was soon to face. Arthur Penfish was going to die.