Chapter 2 Lupus Smokeborn: The Wrong Father

Prince Lupus Smokeborn of Eboncrest

The Wrong Father

8/16/508

“Prince Lupus!” 

The prince rolled over with a groan. Why do you have to wake me up so early? He sat up and looked at the door.

“What is it?” Prince Lupus asked.

“Today is the execution. The entire kingdom expects you to be there,” the maid reminded him.

“Oh right, I’ll get ready.”

He sighed and grabbed his black tunic with the silver crest of an eagle and wolf in a circle. As he got dressed he muttered about sleep and stories.

“I wonder if the execution would be over quickly or if it will be dragged out as a spectacle,” he mused aloud.

It’s almost certainly going to be dragged out. He realized. We are executing the king of our rival kingdom. He grabbed his sword and buckled it around his waist. Prince Lupus started heading out of his room. 

As he came outside into the courtyard he felt the breeze blow his hair around and his sighed. The prince looked around. A wooden platform stood in the middle of the courtyard and crowds of people surrounded it. Walls with the crest blocked them off. Prince Lupus glanced at the two soldiers on the platform and he saw they were holding a man between them. The man looked like a king. He had dark hair and tan skin. 

Almost like mine. He thought. I look more like this king of a rival kingdom than my own father. But why? The prince’s brow furrowed as he surveyed the king. The king had a scarlet tunic with the crest of a golden horse rearing up with a lion facing it. The tunic had a large rip across the lion. As if someone wanted to send a message. He had a sword buckled around his waist. The sword had a golden hilt with a large ruby in the middle. He looked sad and tired. He had several cuts and scrapes down his face and body and a large bruise on his cheek. 

Prince Lupus found his spot by the executioner and sat down. The crowd rose and bowed down deeply. Prince Lupus nodded his head at them and they sat down. Everything went quiet. Suddenly a chill rushed through the crowd and a large eagle that was made of wispy shadows landed next to the prince. Prince Lupus stood up and bowed before speaking to the eagle.

“Lord Skygge, how are you?” Lord Skygge looked at him and bowed back.

“Just fine and how are you, Prince Lupus?” He spat out the prince’s name. Prince Lupus opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. His chest constricted and his heart began beating faster and harder and then it stopped. Everything slowly began to relax. Prince Lupus gasped for breath. 

The eagle spoke in his ear. “I will always be watching you prince,” the voice hissed, drawing out each word slowly. The prince nodded his head quickly. Suddenly trumpets blared and someone announced. 

“His majesty King Donovan Smokeborn!” Everyone stood and bowed deeply like they did with Prince Lupus. His father walked out onto the platform nodding and smiling at the crowd. He had pale skin and inky hair. His almond shaped eyes glinted dangerously. A thin scar ran down his neck starting at his chin and traveling under his tunic. He often said that Prince Lupus looked like his mother with his tan skin and dark hair with an untamable curl. Queen Rioghnach had died in childbirth when he was born. His skin wasn’t as dark as the people from Goldenspire but it was dark enough it was noticeable for a kingdom mostly filled with people with pale skin tones. He stood in the middle of the platform and a hush fell over the crowd.

“Good morning, fine citizens of Eboncrest! Do you know why we are here?” He paused and waited. “We are here for the execution of King Siraj Sunthorn of the kingdom of Goldenspire. He is the king of our enemies and he must be eliminated! Goldenspire was the final threat after the Dragonkin Empire fell. Today we eliminate that threat.” 

Lord Skygge nodded. “May I add something your Majesty? For the benefit of the attendees of this fine event of course.”

“Yes of course Lord Skygge. What is it you wish to add?”

“Your Majesty, when we captured King Siraj we could not find his daughter and nothing would persuade him to give any clues to the chase.”

The crowd began to murmur. King Donovan raised his hands in the air and the crowd instantly hushed.

“I am sure that there is no reason to be worried,” he said. But Prince Lupus could see the king’s jaw tighten. “I am sure that we will find the princess and everything will be well. Now let us proceed with the execution.” The crowd continued to murmur rising in noise until it was a roar.

“QUIET!” roared Lord Skygge. The crowd hushed and everything went quiet. You could hear the ragged breathing of the condemned king and the barely audible whooshing sound of Lord Skygge’s wisps of shadow. His father nodded.

“Thank you for that, Lord Skygge. Now shall we continue with today’s plans?” It wasn’t even a question. It was a command. The executioner stepped forward.

“Shall I proceed Your Majesty?” the executioner asked. His voice was raspy.

“Yes, let us proceed,” King Donovan answered. 

Prince Lupus looked at the condemned king one last time. Their eyes met and King Siraj looked at him as if he knew something that the prince didn’t. As if he knew him. Lupus clenched his jaw and turned away. 

The soldiers holding King Siraj walked forward forcing him onto his knees by the executioner’s block. The executioner stepped forward and raised his axe. The prince turned away. He never had the stomach to watch it. He heard the swish and then the thud. The crowd roared with joy. Prince Lupus smiled and let the crowd’s joy pull his up with theirs. We have done what we set out to do all those years ago. Eboncrest is now the greatest power in all of Embia. King Donovan nodded with a smile.

“Well I believe that shall do. Let us proceed to the feast.”