The Capital was abuzz. Everywhere you looked there was bunting and flags flying. Tables had been moved out to the streets from each household and laden with foods that the people had been up cooking since early morning if not the night before. Warm, fresh hot bread, spits filled with beast slowly roasting in the town squares, warm potatoes and seasonal vegetables and best of all, cake. So much cake in fact that would probably be the main food source of the Capital for at least the next week.

The King’s people had advertised the special holiday where he decreed nobody was to work for profit only for pleasure. Instead had they the inclination they were to party as a new Crown Prince was to be introduced to the Kingdom.

Many rumours were flying around regarding the new Crown Prince. Most of them were based on some truth as try how they might, they couldn’t stop the leaks and the rumour mill from going round.

Many people talked about the obvious Prince Crius and his inability to use magic, others spoke of the disappearance of Duchess Eluna Aldan and how the King had elevated her husband to Grand Duke along with Grand Duke Zelos. Luckily that had been in the peoples favour as many nobles recognized the King’s political move for what it truly was, annoyance. As such many had sided with the King and the Royalist Faction, and many formerly stuck issues had progressed to a satisfactory resolution. Duchess Huntington being away from the Capital also helped as it had tipped the balance even further although the King had conceded and had elevated some members of the other factions too although not enough to rebalance the scales. Among them had been Duke Mouser Drax, he never used Mouser as he absolutely hated the name, he wasn’t even sure how his parents had picked it. His older brother, Carter, had been the one they fawned over. He was the strong one, the clever one, the heir apparent. Well until he’d had an ‘unfortunate’ incident on the battlefield in the search for glory for House Drax. It wasn’t long after that Duke Drax had assumed control of the Drax household in its previous form.

Grand Duke Henrick Aldan sat at the very top of the Kings ballroom trying not to fidget. He hated these events, the fake smiles, small talk, and most of all the attire. Give him his armour and a hundred enemies any day of the week. But it was what his wife would have wanted, and above all, what Crius deserved.

Crius, the baby of the hour, was toddling around next to his fathers chair in the princeliest robes the King’s tailors had been able to come up with, it was a all in one black outfit with white socks and a gold trim running round it. Embroidered in the outfit was the insignia for House Aldan and House Tempest. Crius had developed at a phenomenal rate, he was mobile from six months old having practically skipped crawling, he appeared to understand almost all that was said to him and had even developed some limited language skills to signify his wants and needs.

Next to the Grand Duke and centre stage sat the King. He’d fully recovered by this point although that wasn’t public knowledge as they wanted the internal enemies of the Kingdom lured into a false sense of security.

The King, Henrick, and Crius had been greeting nobles for several hours as they arrived to the festivities, the majority of them having already arrived but there was always one, bumptious person who thought they should arrive as close to the end of the event as possible.

“Announcing Duke Drax, Your Majesty”

“That’s it? That’s all the intro I get?”

“Sorry, was there a specific title you wished me to use, Your Grace?” The announcer enquired

All the conversations in the room hushed and all attention was now on Duke Drax.

“Never mind.” He shooed the man away and started to walk towards the King his entourage in tow. “Your Majesty, Henrick, so good to see you both. And this must be little Crius. Quite the handsome little chap.”

“Drax.” Henrick almost growled his eyes going past the duke to two veiled ladies and two babies.

At this moment Crius stared at the veiled lady who was dressed more glamorously for the event rather than the one holding the two babies.

“Mama”

A sob escaped the veil and the arm of Henricks chair shattered.

“Very perceptive little one. Also allow me to introduce your half brother and sister, Oryn and Isadora.”

The King stood up and looked at the veiled lady. “Eluna” he whispered.

“Father” she gently replied pulling back the veil. “I’m glad to see you have recovered.”

“Where have you been?” The King asked.

“She stayed with me this last ten months or so. She no longer loves Henrick, nor did she feel safe around him. She is here today to ask you to formerly end her union to Henrick and accept ours formed several months ago as the rightful union.”

Henrick was just staring at Drax, his eyes glowing like burning flames as waves of energy started to raise the temperature in the room.

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“Is this true Eluna? Do you wish to stay with Drax?”

“Yes, Father” she sobbed in answer to the King while looking at Henrick.

Henrick shot forward grabbing Drax by the neck and before anyone could react, he held him off the ground by his throat, his feet swinging wildly. “I’m going to turn you to cinders, you slimy weasel.” His power flaring up.

The guards positioned around the room ran forward in an effort to pull Henrick off Duke Drax but flames shot from the ground slowly licking the feet of Drax and blasting all of the rushing guards back.

“Henrick, this isn’t how we do things. Drop him now” The King commanded!

Cedrick had also stepped forward putting out his good arm to pull him back. “Brother, the consequences. Think of Crius. Please?” He pleaded.

The flames ebbed away and Henrick dropped Drax back to his feet where he crumpled in pain due to his burnt soles.

Turning he knelt in front of the King. “I apologise, the shock, it became fury after ten months of searching to be stabbed in the heart like this. It was too much.”

“Oh sorry, maybe it was insensitive of me. Rubbing the passion of Eluna and myself in your face while you play the wronged husband. She is quite enjoyable is she not. Very talented in that department.”

“DRAX!” The King yelled.

“FUCK. THIS!” Henrick yelled. He was already on his feet, and everyone else was knocked to the ground as his flaming fist struck Drax creating the epicentre of an explosion that launched him across the room and through a supporting pillar, so the ornately plastered ceiling dropped on his battered, smoking, ruined body.

“Protect the King!” the call went out but the King had already moved to restrain Henrick with the help of Cedrick, and Arien Zelos yet it took all three of them to hold him still as chains were applied to restrain him.

A shaking Duke Drax was helped up from the rubble. “So powerful”, he muttered to himself “has he surpassed the King?”

Even the King was beginning to wonder similar, whether the strongest man in the kingdom had become Grand Duke Aldan. It was after staring into the eyes of Henrick that he realised this strength has come at the cost of all reason. Instead he was more akin to a ferocious beast that had gone berserk.

“Chain him to the pillars over there till he calms down.” The King ordered his guards. “I want at least 12 of you on each of the chains ready to restrain him should his anger flare up again.

At the command forty-eight of the most powerful guards in the Kingdom were utilised to hold back a single man while the rest of the party was slowly brought back to a semblance of normality.

“Your majesty” Viscount Chadwick implored “the circumstances don’t matter, he harmed you. That is an act of treason.”

“No. I was collateral damage from an explosive punch. None of that force was intended for me.”

“Thank you for your understanding on this matter, Your Majesty.” Cedrick bowed.

“Unfortunately, Henrick can’t go unpunished, Cedrick.”

“I understand.”

“I’m not sure you do, Cedrick. I can’t have my orders disregarded even if he isn’t in his right mind. His punishment won’t be light.”

“No, my mind is made up. When his faculties return, I will announce it before all in the room.”

He then turned to the smug looking Duke Drax, who had been healed back to a reasonable level of health, and his daughter. “I suggest you both leave. I’m not sure I’m able to save you a second time. I’m also not sure I’m entirely willing to seeing as this all stemmed from your manipulations.” Disappointment clear in his eyes as he looked upon his daughter.

A short time after their departure Henrick began to return to his senses. “Eluna?” he called out searching the room.

“I sent them away.” The King spoke softly. “It would be unfair of me to inflict further pain on you. Now I’m afraid I must pass judgement on your earlier actions.”

“Judgement?”

“You may not have been in control, but your earlier state inflicted serious damage on this room and its occupants.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m happy to make it right again with every one of you.”

“It’s gone beyond that brother” Cedrick added with a downcast look. “The Council of Justice has cited sufficient precedent for this to be considered an attack on the King and the Capital.”

“I’m to be judged a traitor to the crown?”

“No.” The King responded firmly “You are no traitor! I was merely collateral damage along with everyone else. Unfortunately, actions have consequences and therefore it is with a heavy heart that I, King Sturm Tempest, exile you, Grand Duke Henrick Aldan, to the Kingdom’s battlefront for twenty years. You are not to step foot in the Capital during this time unless summoned by myself. You may return to visit your son on his birthday for two weeks each year but it can only be at your Ducal estate and only if the war effort allows it.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.” Henrick saluted.

“You are also to receive forty lashes from the storm whip before you ride out of the Capital today and you are forbidden from receiving magical healing to treat the wounds.”

In the main square of the Capital, outside the Kings Castle, Grand Duke Aldan was tied to two posts as his friend and mentor Grand Duke Zelos delivered strike after strike with the storm whip. It was a whip barbed with tiny lightning bolts that would cut deep into the skin and also deliver magical shocks of lightning that damaged the nerves and inflicted serious pain internally even after the punishment finished.

Bare backed Henrick climbed up onto his horse following his punishment. He hadn’t cried out in pain once and even now he remained stoic. His unbending willpower holding his back straight even as it screamed painfully at him, and blood poured down his back.

He looked to Crius who was in the arms or Cedrick while his sister-in-law held their daughter. “The house is in your hand now brother. Raise my boy well.” And with nothing left to say he rode out of the gates of the Capital.