fiction

"The entire kingdom came to the arena expecting blood. / Chapter 10 / 20

Chapter 10 - Dawn of the True Realm

King Aldric looked up at the blade, his body shivering uncontrollably. The madness in his eyes faded, replaced by pure, naked terror—the same terror he had felt in the arena three weeks earlier.

"Mercy..." Aldric rasped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Caelen... please... I am your uncle... your own blood..."

"My name is Leo," the prince said, his voice cold and steady as steel. "And the boy you tried to murder in the nursery sends his regards."

Leo did not execute the helpless tyrant. Instead, with a swift turn of his wrist, he slammed the heavy pommel of Sunfall into Aldric’s temple, knocking the usurper unconscious.

"Take him," Leo commanded as Lyra and the guards stepped forward. "Lock him in the lowest cell of the dungeon he built. Let him live out his days in the darkness he forced upon this kingdom."

The rebels seized the fallen king, dragging him away in chains as the surviving mercenaries dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Three days later, the sun rose over a peaceful capital.

The smoke had cleared, the fires had been extinguished, and thousands of citizens gathered in the central square outside the High Cathedral.

Leo stood on the elevated balcony overlooking the city. He wore no opulent jewels or gold-embroidered robes—only simple silver armor and his mother's velvet cloak. Beside him stood Lyra, Chancellor Evelyn, and the leaders of the provincial houses.

Grand Chancellor Evelyn stepped forward, holding the ancient golden crown of the realm. He turned to face the young man who had walked out of the arena sand to reclaim a stolen kingdom.

"Do you swear to defend the people of this realm, to govern with justice rather than fear, and to honor the blood that built these halls?" Evelyn asked, his voice echoing across the silent square.

"I swear," Leo replied firmly.

Evelyn placed the crown upon Leo’s head.

May you like

My sister flung my ten-year-old son's Christmas gift across her marble kitchen, and the tiny wooden roof snapped against the tile. My brother laughed. Timothy crouched to collect the pieces, but I caught his hand before he could touch them. By morning, an envelope would make my sister's hands shake.

My sister flung my ten-year-old son's Christmas gift across her marble k...

For twelve years, my mother had persuaded everyone in our hometown that I'd turned my back on my family to build a career in the Navy. At my father's memorial service, she publicly shamed me in a packed church and ordered me to take off my military uniform. I was ready to walk away when a retired general rose from his seat with Dad's final letter in his hand and said, "Before you humiliate your daughter one more time, Helen, these people deserve to know the truth."

For twelve years, my mother had persuaded everyone in our hometown that...

My husband sl3pped me across the face in front of his entire family and shouted, “Get out of my house! You don't belong here anymore!” Behind him, my mother-in-law smiled with satisfaction, certain she had finally succeeded in driving me away. What neither of them knew was that I secretly owned the mansion they were standing in—and the $10,000 my mother-in-law spent every month on designer clothes, luxury holidays, and personal comforts came straight from my bank account. They thought they were throwing out a helpless woman. They had no idea they were about to lose everything…

My husband sl3pped me across the face in front of his entire family and...

Leo turned to face his people. He raised Sunfall high into the sky, and the blade burst into a magnificent, blinding radiant light that bathed the entire city in warm, golden sunshine.

The crowd erupted into an absolute roar of applause and celebration. Flags were waved, tears were shed, and bells chimed across every tower in the realm. The age of terror and tyranny had ended; the reign of the True King had finally begun.

Share

Related Stories

Chapter 11 - The Serpent in the Northern Snow

Chapter 12 - Blood on the Frozen Pass

Chapter 13 - The Secret of the Black Codex

Chapter 14 - Shadow over the Eastern Border

Chapter 15 - The Trap at the Sulfur Vaults

Chapter 16 - Into the Inferno

Other posts

gifts to “the grandchildren who made us proud this year,” and my two kids sat on the carpet with empty hands while their cousin tore open a tablet, sneakers, a drone, and gift cards. My eleven-year-old daughter kept smiling because she thought maybe her name was on the next box. My nine-year-old son whispered, “Dad, did Santa forget Grandma’s house?” Then my brother’s son leaned toward them and said, “Guess you didn’t deserve one.” My mother laughed like it was cute. My father looked at me like I was the problem for noticing. I did not yell. I did not ruin dinner. I helped my children put on their coats and drove two hours home through freezing rain. By morning, I had sent one text that finally ended the role my family had assigned us.

Oct 09, 2026

gifts to “the grandchildren who made us proud this year,” and my two kids sat on the carpe...

For seven years, I paid my parents' propane and electric bills because Dad promised their Vermont farmhouse would someday be mine. At Christmas dinner, he read his new will aloud and left the house and twelve acres to my sister. Then he gave me his old hair dryer, and everyone laughed. I left without revealing the Christmas present hidden in my coat pocket. Three weeks later, during a brutal cold snap, Dad came knocking at my door...

Oct 16, 2026

For seven years, I paid my parents' propane and electric bills because Dad promised their...

The evening before our wedding anniversary, my husband confessed he had fallen for someone else.

Sep 01, 2026

The evening before our wedding anniversary, my husband confessed he had fallen for someone...

I found out I was erased from my family’s Christmas EVERY YEAR on Instagram — until the will made them remember my name.

Sep 25, 2026

I found out I was erased from my family’s Christmas EVERY YEAR on Instagram — until the wi...

My Son Kicked Me Out for Refusing to Apologize to His Wife. Three Days Later, She Called Demanding My Money, but My Answer Changed Everything.

Oct 19, 2026

My Son Kicked Me Out for Refusing to Apologize to His Wife. Three Days Later, She Called D...

"“Your Husband Hurt Me, Then Told the Police I Threatened Him,” My 71-Year-Old Mother Whispered at 2:30 A.M.—I Didn’t Cry or Scream, Because I Knew Something That Could Bring His Entire Story Crashing Down.

Aug 19, 2026

"“Your Husband Hurt Me, Then Told the Police I Threatened Him,” My 71-Year-Old Mother Whis...

At a family dinner, I stood up smiling and announced I was pregnant. The whole table went completely silent — then my mother-in-law suddenly let out a laugh and yelled: “She’s pretending to be pregnant just to milk money from us!” Before anyone could even react, she seized my hand and pushed me off the hotel rooftop to “prove” I was faking it. Broken and barely conscious, I came to in the hospital with my husband by my side, pale as a ghost and shaking. But the moment the doctor stepped in and opened his mouth, the words he said made the entire room freeze in utter disbelief and horror.

Aug 26, 2026

At a family dinner, I stood up smiling and announced I was pregnant. The whole table went...

At Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law pushed my plate away and said, “Leave—this table is for people who bring money into this family.” I turned to my husband and asked if he agreed, but his cold silence was the biggest mistake of his life, because two months later, my father’s true net worth destroyed his entire bloodline…

Oct 20, 2026

At Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law pushed my plate away and said, “Leave—this table is...