Chapter 837: Unified Council (Ch.838)
"Your Grace?’’
Rodrick’s voice drew Jian’s attention back to the present, freeing him from the darkness of his own thoughts.
For the mont at least. But he had since co to realise, freedom was just another illusion.
It was hard not to catch himself drowning at every silent mont, not to find himself wallowing in self loathing so strong, it consud his very being. This feeling of suffocation, of slowly withering away, it had beco all too familiar.
So much he could hardly rember the tis not long ago when his feelings were kinder...warr.
These days, he was always right on the edge...
On the edge of breaking...
On the edge of slipping away...
On the edge of sinking into the abyss...
Yet he could never quite tip over. Just when he felt like he would, sothing or soone drew him back to reality.
A warr mory, a ghostly touch of soone so familiar, soone his heart knew so well that his mind had no trouble ssing with him.
This ti, it was Rodrick.
The aide seed to have aged ten more years in the past month since Neveah’s disappearance. He was swaddled with even more fur coats than usual. So thick, they swallowed up his form and made him appear three tis his original size.
Had Rodrick grown more frail in health? Or did the temperature in Jian’s quarters beco just that freezing?
If it had, Rodrick had not expressed his discomfort. Not once.
He never did.
Jian wished he would. He wished the fragile human would think more of his own life and well-being than his duty to the royal bloodline. He would be in much better health if he tended to himself as closely as he did Jian.
Or if he spent more ti with his daughter and her family rather than in this icy cold Keep, where happiness was a fleeting mont.
Why did everyone around him end up a sacrifice?
It was he who had vowed to live and die by the Dragon throne. It was he who had vowed to give up everything for his duty, so why was everyone else but him taking the fall?
Rodrick...Xenon...Neveah. Even narx.
If he wasn’t Dragon King, if he was just a normal man...would they be forced to endure all the pain they had?
If he wasn’t King, would Xenon have suffered such a devastating betrayal from the woman he loved? Would narx have lost his true bond to a power hungry Fae?
Would Rodrick have missed the pri age to father as many offspring as he desired?
Would Neveah have shouldered the burdens of the stronghold, sacrificing herself for the fate of a thankless people?
For a unity of races that was in reality more fragile than any of them would ever be willing to admit?
For an alliance that was steadily crumbling from within long before external foes materialised?
"Your Grace..." Rodrick called for the second ti.
Jian glanced up, a jarring drop back into reality where he stood, staring in the mirror. His reflection stared back, shoulders slumped, dark circles underneath his soulless eyes. Haggard...pathetic.
He had drifted, yet again. To the edge, when would he finally make the fall?
He hoped it would co soon. Anything was better than a lifeti at the edge...this excruciating edge...
"The representatives and monarchs are gathered in the throne room. They await your arrival." Rodrick held out two new pairs of outer robes as his spoke. His tone was hoarse, and he broke into a coughing fit mid sentence.
Jian’s heart constricted, hands clenched tightly by his side.
’If you wish to relieve his lineage of their vow of service...you have my support.’
’I will reluctantly be in charge of your care for the rest of my life.’
"Liar." He murmured beneath his breath, the word bitter on his tongue.
A familiar stinging sensation blossod in his eyes. Jian glanced between both robes, they didn’t look any different than what he had on.
Nothing looked different anymore. Or maybe he had just lost the ability to see it.
His eyes went closed. He stretched his arms out, letting Rodrick help him change.
---
The throne room was split evenly in two. On one end was the rider council, and on the other end, representatives of various races.
r, Fae, Nymph, Elves, Asvarian people and even Human Nobles.
Silent whispers and anxious murmurs passed around the throne room, exchanged between the gathered representatives and monarchs of all tributary races in the stronghold.
The tension in the hall was palpable. The long awaited unified council was set to comnce on this day. The gathering was known to be the most significant council eting held in the stronghold, where decisions that shaped the course of the stronghold were made.
This council in particular was of greater consequence than any that had co before it and this was because the state of the stronghold had changed drastically in the past year.
The forlorn, foes previously believed to be extinct had returned and there was no discrimination of target...every race was endangered.
Yet, at such a significant gathering, the Dragon King was noticeably absent. He had been absent long past the agreed gathering ti. And the council was becoming restless.
The common question was simple, ’Did the Dragon King intend to dishonour the unified council by disregarding the gathering?’
Imagor and Cassian were seated at their places beside the Dragon throne. The two exchanged uneasy glances, but retained a calm countenance.
It was a question they could not answer. Jian had shown no interest in the council for the past month since the date was set.
Would he show up? Would he not? They were prepared for either result.
Lord Weinlor, the elven representative was not one to pass up on such an opportunity. He rose to his feet, his brows furrowed in displeasure, "This council should have begun two hours ago. This behaviour is unacceptable! With all due respect, I request to address the council..."
"With no respect intended, Weinlor, you may not."
The interruption was cold, deadly and sharply cut through the atmosphere in the hall like a blade slicing through air.
The doors went open and Jian stepped through. The whispers stilled instantly, all eyes moved to him and a tense silence settled over the throne room.
The Dragon King...had arrived. But he did not look the sa as he had in any other council before this. Not to the representatives, not even to the rider council.
He was different. And for a man known most for his cold, detached countenance and even colder heart, this was not a good kind of difference.
What was cold and detached, now had beco terrifying. His aura wasn’t just oppressive, it was tyrannical.
Like everyone in the hall were far beneath him and did not deserve to breathe the sa air as he did.
Like no one in the hall was worthy of the air they breathed.
And who could protest it? A month ago, the forlorn would have flooded the realm through the canyon, under the unbreakable control of a sorcerer intent on destroying the stronghold and all who existed within it.
A month ago, the stronghold as they all knew it would have been dood.
A month ago, one woman’s sacrifice changed the course of events.
But this woman, was the one person who should never have beco that...a sacrifice.
Because nothing and no one could compensate for the magnitude of that loss.
Jian’s gaze road the hall for a fleeting mont before he walked through their midst, heading for the throne.
He didn’t stop when he passed by a trembling Lord Weinlor, didn’t spare so much as a glance when he said,
"Sit, elf."
Lord Weinlor seed to have more to say but another elven representative sitting by his side tugged him down to sit.
Jian sat, hands rested on the armrest of the throne. Strands of his hair fell over his face but he didn’t bother brushing them aside.
"Well?" He asked. "I’m here. I’m listening...speak."
The representatives exchanged glances and another tense silence settled over the hall.
Finally, Lord Finlor of the Fae rose to his feet.
"Your Grace, greetings from Aloria and all seven Fae clans." He cleared his throat slightly,"I ask your leave to address the council."
"Have at it." Jian murmured, his tone unconcerned.
Lord Finlor hesitated for a mont. Glancing nervously at Imagor to ascertain if he could really proceed without losing his head.
Receiving the confirmation he needed, he continued. "First, I would like to use this dium to officially announce the unanimous decision of the Fae council in appointing
head of the council and royal representative..." He trailed off,
"If the Dragon court approves, of course." He added quickly, "The Fae council have previously sent in a report indicating recent changes in ranks."
Jian did not respond imdiately but after a mont of silence, he did. "Royal representative...or Fae King?"
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