11: THE MAN FROM ZETHRO

Laughter once filled the halls of Zethro's palace.

Alaric had been at the center of it all, a young prince full of Strength, tenacity and a charm that endeared him to everyone. He was the son of late Queen Alma, the king's first wife and a woman of formidable grace. As the firstborn, Alaric was destined to inherit the throne.

But destiny never happens to one without its own twists and turns.

Alaric's life began to shift when his father, King Jaman, got married to another woman. This new queen gave birth to Erythian, a boy of boundless ambition and natural skill. At first, Alaric welcomed his half-brother with open arms, eager to share his world with someone he could protect and guide.

But from the moment Erythian could walk, the comparisons began.

"Why can't you be more like your little brother, Alaric?" the advisors would whisper.

"Erythian has such discipline," his tutors would say. "You could learn from him."

The words cut deeper than any blade. Alaric was playful, quick to laugh, and eager to make others smile. He was loved for his strength and tenacity But in the eyes of the court, kindness wasn't enough. 

They wanted strength, decisiveness, and ambition, qualities they claimed Erythian had in abundance.

As the years passed, Alaric found himself more cast into the shadows of his younger brother. 

No matter what he did, it was never enough.

One evening, after a particularly harsh scolding from his father, Alaric sat alone in the royal gardens. His younger sister, Iva, found him there, her long blond hair glowing.

"Why are you out here?" she asked softly, sitting beside him.

Alaric shrugged, his gaze fixed on the stars. "I'm not sure I belong here, Iva. Nobody thinks I'm fit to be king."

Iva frowned, her delicate features hardening. "That's not true. You're more than fit. You care about people, you are tenacious Alaric. That's what makes you strong."

He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Caring about people doesn't win wars. It doesn't secure kingdoms."

"Maybe not," she said, placing a hand on his. "But it makes you someone worth following. Don't let them take that away from you."

Iva had always been his greatest ally, the one person who believed in him when no one else did. Her words gave him strength, even as the court's whispers grew louder.

When Alaric was of age, preparations for his coronation began. Despite his doubts, he was determined to prove himself worthy of the throne. He spent days training with the sword, studying the intricacies of politics, and learning the art of war.

On the day of his coronation, everything changed.

Erythian, staged a coup. The details of how he did it were murky, but the result was clear: the court declared Alaric unfit to rule, and Erythian took his place as king.

Alaric remembered the chaos of that day as if it were yesterday. The palace was overrun with soldiers loyal to Erythian, their boots echoing through the halls as they seized control. Alaric had tried to fight, he reigned a parade of fire with his wings upon the soldiers but it was no use, he was caught of guard and found it hard to fight off over 1,500 of Erythian's men all by him self, it was difficult even with his wings.

And then came the most devastating blow.

Iva, who had tried to find shelter at the time of the uproar, was caught in the crossfire. She was struck down by a soldier's blade, her lifeless body crumpled at Alaric's feet.

"No!" Alaric screamed, cradling her in his arms.

Her blood stained his hands, her once bright eyes now dull. The light that had kept him going, the one person who had truly believed in him was…gone.

Erythian stood over them, his expression unreadable. "Alaric I'm—" he said, his voice cold.

Alaric looked up at him, tears streaming down his face. "You'll pay for this," 

"This was never meant to happen" Erythian explains 

"I swear it." Alaric whispered.

Knowing there was nothing he could do.

Erythian slowly turned and attempted to walk away when Alaric grabbed him from the rear, violently turned him around until Erythian was facing him, Alaric gives him a slash in his lower abdomen (with a sword)

Right after this, he knew he had crossed a line and there was no coming back, but he didn't care because his main goal was to take Erythian's life, in thesame was that Iva's life was taken under the jurisdiction of his own commands.

Alaric left Erythian there to die but the Royal guards found him.

Up until today, that scar has been on Erythian's abdomen and it had been proof what transpired that day between the two brothers.

The days that followed were a blur. Alaric was exiled from Zethro, his title stripped away, his name reduced to whispers of treason. He wandered the Lands.

Alaric's charm became a weapon, his wit a tool for manipulation. He learned to survive in this world that had cast him aside, gathering allies who shared his hatred for Erythian.

But the scars of his past never faded.

Now, standing in the dimly lit chamber where he had lured Erythian, Alaric felt a flicker of the anger that had fueled him all these years.

"You don't look so smug now," he said, his voice dripping with venom.

Erythian glared at him, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. "This will not undo anything Alaric, you don't have to do all this?"

Alaric's jaw tightened. "This isn't about undoing the past. It's about making you pay for EVERYTHING you did to me and everyone else".

Erythian stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "I did what I had to"

Finally, Alaric spoke, his voice quieter but no less intense. "You took everything from me, Erythian. My throne. My home. My sister. And for what? To prove you were better than me?"

Erythian didn't respond.

Alaric laughed bitterly. "And even now, you still can't own up to the reason for why you did it"

Erythian's gaze hardened. 

Alaric's fists clenched at his sides.

"Enough," the queen said, her voice firm. "I'm still right here" she added.

They both stood down in response to The queen's command.

"Do you think Iva would still recognize me now?"

Scarlet looked at him, her eyes filled with something that almost resembled pity. "I think she'd want you to remember who you were, Alaric. Before all of this."

Alaric nodded, though he wasn't sure he believed her. The light that had once filled his life was gone, and in its place was only darkness.

But one thing was certain: he wouldn't rest until Erythian paid for what he had done.

Not just for himself, but for Iva and for the kingdom they had both lost.