Iria's question rendered King Tobias's frozen.
His eyes grew wide when her question echoed in his ears!
What did she just say?!
"Please answer me," the Commander pressured the King. "My father was your best friend. You grew up together and he was the one who's the most loyal to you. In his life, you always come first, Your Majesty. He prioritize you more than me though I was his only child. He was that devoted to you. But why? Why did you kill him?"
"Iria... " Tobias Aventine muttered and took a step forward but... the Commander took another step back.
"Answer me first," she demanded, looking at the King right in the eyes. "I heard you admitting it that day. So, don't try to lie to me. It won't help."
She heard him admitting? King Tobias recalled his conversation with Orius three days ago here in his chamber.
She heard everything?!
"Iria, I never -"
"Why must it be my father?" Iria Alewine grunted, interrupting the King before he could say more. "What crime did he commit for you to kill him? You're the King and you have power over the life of your every subject. But as the daughter of Commander Darien Alewine, I ought to know the reason why my father had to die while all he ever did was serving you."
Seeing the pain in her eyes, the guilt that haunted the King for the past three years increased by many folds!
Darien Alewine died three years ago and... he was indeed the one who caused his death. He still remembered the look on Commander Darien's face when he realized that he, his best friend was the one who created the trap for him that day.
The pain he witnessed in his friend's eyes that day was similar to the one he witnessed in Iria's eyes now. That made King Tobias unable to say anything.
"My father sacrificed everything for you and Jerivia, Your Majesty," Iria said in a low and downhearted voice. "If you want me dead, I will understand... because my heart wavered many times because of a man. If you want me to pay for it with my life, I will gladly give up my life. I won't complain but my father was different."
Her revelation made the King raised a brow. "What do you mean?" he asked.
A man? Who was she...
His face turned pale when the Qalagon King crossed his mind!
She loved him?! Arin Helev?!
"I never know that, Iria. I have -"
"My father was different," Iria repeated, ignoring whatever the King was saying. With her respect for him gone, she had nothing to fear anymore.
"Even when I was born, he can't stay beside my mother. He was busy protecting the kingdom with your order. He never had time for me because he was always fighting for you and Jerivia! His loyalty to you was unrivalled but... how can you do that?
"Jealousy? His growing power and influence?" The Commander scoffed and said, "You know very well that all those things didn't matter to him at all. Serving you and protecting the kingdom was all he ever cared about!"
"I know," Tobias Aventine uttered. "I shouldn't have done that and I regret it all the time. I... "
"What's the use of that?" Iria Alewine asked. "It's not like it will bring back my father."
"Iria... " the King called out, desperate. "What do you want me to do? I will do anything to earn your forgiveness. Please... give me a chance. I don't want to lose you, Iria."
Iria Alewine stood still and narrowed her eyes at the sword which she hanged on her waist. It was the same sword that the King gave to her when she decided to follow in her father's footsteps. Then she unsheathed the sword and threw it to the floor.
"Do you know why I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and take over the army?" she asked and met the King's gaze. "It's because of my respect for you. For all the kindness that you showed to me ever since I was a child, I decided to repay you by serving you for life. But now... that respect is gone and I can't continue anymore."
"Please don't... " King Tobias pleaded as he shook his head. "Don't do this."
"I won't change my mind," Iria Alewine insisted. "If you want to stop me, you will have to kill me like you killed my father. That's the only way."
With that said, Iria Alewine turned around and left the chamber. Despite the King's continuous calling of her name, she ignored him for the first time in her life.
Once the door was shut, King Tobias felt so weak and he abruptly sat on the floor. In his mind, his friend's face that day lingered and... he still remembered how everything happened.
When he reached the place where his friend was fighting for his life that day, Commander Darien came to a realization that the one who wanted him dead was none other than his best friend... his King.
As the most capable warrior of the continent, the soldiers who fought against him were no match for him but... everything changed when his friend appeared. The pain he felt due to the backstab was enough to break the heart of the famous Commander but...
What the Commander did next was the thing that still haunted King Tobias even now!
Darien Alewine walked towards him and offered him his sword. Then he dropped to his knees before him.
"If you want me dead, you should just say it and I will let it happen. You don't have to arrange all this attack, Your Majesty. You're my King and I'm bound to follow your order, no matter what it is."
While his words put him in a daze, Commander Darien looked at the sword on his hand - the same sword that he offered to him just now. Then Darien Alewine hold his hand and pressed the sword against his right chest!
He gave up his life to fulfil his wish.
Though how things ended shook the King to the core, he had to be on his right mind to clean up the mess. To make it look like the doing of the Qalagons, he ordered to put some things with the Qalagon symbol in them.
It would be hard to believe that a swordsman managed to strike the most capable warrior at that vital point. So, they made it looked like he died due to an arrow shot wound!
The King managed to cover everything but... it never stopped haunting him. Though his friend took his own life, he was the one who let that happen. He was the one who killed him. If he didn't show up that day, those soldiers will never be able to kill the skilled Commander!
* * *
Dawn arrived but Iria Alewine was still awake. She sat alone inside her tent, thinking of one thing.
For the first time in her life, she wanted to put aside everything and leave. She was determined to do that but...
Much to her surprise, Rion rushed inside her tent with a pale face.
At this hour?! It was already a miracle that Rion was awake now but... what he told her was the thing that never once crossed her mind!
"Commander! His Majesty is found dead in his chamber just a while ago!"
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