The doors looked intimidating to look at, even more than the usual amount that he felt when she is called to enter here. In the throne room, was where she was reminded of her future role: to be a leader of a entire kingdom. She often forgets those times as they were something she never really cared about, least, not until she gets her fulfillment in going on adventurers, just like her father had when she was young. 

"Well, this is it. The bad guy behind everything is behind these doors." She would say quietly. Hesitating on opening the doors by bringing up a conversation. 

The White Reaper nods. Not adding much to the conversation as he was more focused on checking on his gear and his health. Tightening his belt around his pants, checking his boots were on tight. 

"My dad is back there too. It doesn't sound like fighting is happening inside, so hopefully, my dad managed to beat him and he is safe." She hopes. Trying to ignore how the silence seems suspect for something bad has occurred. 

Taking a deep breath, she begins to reach for the handles and opens the door.

The throne room was completely empty. Something Yasuline had never seen before in her life. She always found it full of people discussing with one another on situations occuring in the kingdom and sometimes on other countries should it be important enought to report to her father. More of a meeting room for most of the leaders, both big and small of Lumines, to gather together and discuss the progression of Lumines. Something she was forced to attend past her fifteenth birthday, but her obvious disinterest postponed her required attendance until her eighteenth birthday. And again, to her twenty-first birthday. The second postponing was another gift from her father. 

The fancy challendelors hanging on the ceiling barely lit the room as they usually do. It was mostly the moonlight sipping through the windows that illuminated the room. It was how she could see two individuals. one of them was standing tall with their cloack shrouding their body completely. The other was on his knees. Head down, and his hands out, holding a crown.

"Dad!" Yasuline cried out when she recognized her father, she runs over to them with the White Reaper right behind her in case of something attacks her. 

Her father had a empty look in his eyes, not even turning his head when she called out to him. But the other person did, and with a little turn, she could see one of his yellow eyes. 

"Ah, the princess has arrived. And the legendary White Reaper at her side. If I had known you had a taste for killers, I would have supplied you a whole catalog of them of Hellfire's finest. Maybe then, we wouldn'y have to get our hands dirty to be here."

She completely ignores what the stranger was saying as she tried again to call him out and get him to snap out of whatever trance he was in. 

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Come on Dad, what's wrong? Can't you hear me?"

"As I mentioned before, your father isn't being himself. So much so, that I had to convince him to hand over his crown and let someone with a stable mind to take the reins of the kingdom." The person commented. His tone was very condesending as he lightly tapped the metal of the crown with his nail. His nail was long and sharp.It was yellowish and has some lines on it that hinted that it never was cleaned properly. 

"I bet you just made him like that."

"Hmm, maybe I did. What of it? There isn't much you can do to reverse what he is now."

"When in doubt, I always find that beating up something tends to make it work again."

"Hmph, you really are your father's daughter. Believing such a thing would work."

"Wouldn't hurt to try it. But it would be rude to start having my friend here take you on without even knowing your name."

He would smile, and it made her back shiver from just seeing it. He grips his hood that was covering his head and pulls it off. 

Immediate thought was how ugly he looked, but it wasn't much to call it ugly. His hair was a mess, going in various directions, similar to the White Reaper's but even dirtier as she could definately make out something in it that caused some of his hair to stick in such strange angles. His eyes looked even brighter yellow than the small glimpse she had earlier. She could make out her pupils were sharp and slim. His skin was burned around the neck and parts of his cheeks. And two fangs would stick out of his lips. 

"Apologies, my name is Apophis. I am one of the leaders of Hellfire."

"A leader? So you were likely behind all the attacks that have been happening around here then. Even making those two assassins during my father's speech."

"Of course. It would be much easier if he was dead. During the chaos and depression, we would have slipped in and included ourselves among your ranks. But when that failed, twice, we had to go for a more straightforward method."

"Umm, does it have to do with all those hellfire members down in the labyrinth."

He would sigh and give her a glare. "If you are aware of them, and are here, it must mean that you have gotten to them."

She would smirk and even buff up her chest as she answers him. "That's right."

"My, oh my, you two sure have been a burden on every single step of my plans. All this would surely enrage the average hellfire member. But not me."

He would tuck his hand into his cloak and pulls out a staff. It looked to be made out of bone, with the top piece a literal skull. Bleached white and then painted black. 

The White Reaper responds his actions by drawing out the knight sword he took. 

"Always have a back-up plan for your plans. Expect the impossiblities and push your way through. That is how I managed to let our people survive the purge, and it will be how I bring us all back from the brink."

"That's nice and all, but if you are going to hurt my dad or Lumines to do that, then I'll just have to stop you!" Yasuline cried out. Looking eager to fight as well as she holds her sword out in front of her. Both hands on the handle.

"I expect no less. I came prepared to handle the White Reaper. As for you." He would then hold his hand out and begins to wiggle his fingers about in a strange manner. The king that was kneeling next to him would finally begin to move. Without moving his head up, he would stand and turn to face Yasuline and the White Reaper. He would reach to his waist and pulls out the decorative sword of the king and gets into a battle stance that Yasuline has only seen once in her life. 

"Dad!" She cried out again, wishfully thinking that the spell was suddenlly gone. But with no response again, he turns to Apophis, "Are you really going to make him fight me?"

"But of course. I'm not dumb enough to go for a two-to-one fight. Now then, let us begin your demise. And add a closing chapter to the legendary White Reaper tales."