The Royal Sword part 4

*warning: Everything you read here are works of fiction

                Edric gulped. He let his back slumped to the leather cushion of the chair as he looked up to the white metal ceiling of the sphere room as if looking for answer to a question he did not possess. His ears picked the distance voice of his father as his mind replayed back the time when he was only a small kid. Part of him was glad that it wasn't entirely his father's fault that the people hated him so much.

                "Father... was that why people hated  you?"

                Edric wiped his face with the sleeves of his robe. He left the chair and made his way towards the entrance of the sphere room with the red book in his hand. Determined to show the people the truth and stop the recent attack on his family. He make his way towards the door before looking over his shoulder back to the sphere room behind him.

                And he frowned.

                He stepped out and closed the door behind him, with his fists clenched. He took a deep breath and let it washed away his feelings. He needs to address the people of his kingdom and he cannot convince them if he is angry. That's what Jii had taught him when he was young. The only thing he ever remembered the master Care Taker taught him.

                He make his way  back to the entrance to the vault and up the stairs back to the stone wall staircase. He pushed a button on the wall of the archive before stepping out to confront Jii who stood with his arms crossed and his eyes mad.

                "Your Highness" said Jii, his voice firm.

                Edric looked up to Jii but said nothing. He stepped up the staircase and brushed the master Care Taker to his side.

                Jii quickly took a step forward and grabbed hold of the prince's shoulder. His fingers dig deep.

                Edric winced. He glared at the master Care Taker. "Don't, Jii."

                But Jii only tightened his grip, forcing the prince to shift to his side to lessen the pain. Jii grabbed hold of the red book with his other hand and pulled the prince closer towards him.

                "No, your Highness. Jii know what you are going to do, and Jii cannot allow that" said the master Care Taker. He groaned and pulled the prince back into the archive, closing the door behind him shut.

                The master Care Taker shoved Edric to one of the seat near a bookcase and took a seat directly opposite of him. Jii pulls out the white handkerchief on his breast pocket and wiped his spectacles with it before replacing back to his face.

                "Your Highness" said Jii, no longer the firmness in his voice that he showed before. He cleared his throat and wait for any reaction from the prince.

                Edric rubbed his shoulder as he reseat himself on the chair. He glared at Jii sitting across him wiping his spectacles. The edge of his lips jerked.

                "Your Highness, you must understand one thing" said Jii. He placed his hand on the leather cover of the red book. "This... is a secret none must get hold of". He placed the book on the table between him and Edric.

                Edric frowned. He pressed his body forward. "And why is that?"

                Jii sighed. He opened the book and flipped through the pages towards the center of the book. "Because of this" he said and showed Edric pages at the center of the book that were glued together. Jii tored through the glue and produced a key. He then spread the torn pages open, revealing an entry written in dark red ink.

                Edric's face contracts. "What is the meaning of this?" he said after reading what was written on the page. He turned his head to Jii whose hand placed the small golden key on the table next to the book.

                "This was written by your father several months after the Imams had sealed whatever demon sleeping inside the sword" said Jii.

                Edric turned the book to face him and read the entry again.

                "Third day of... I forgot... where... where am I?"

                "Jii, Jii called for those bastards. How dare he... they sealed my powers back into the sword and locked me into this prison! I... I need my powers! I need the sword! I need to help my people!"

                "No... My people... I killed them... for power"

                "NO! They all deserve to be sacrifice. I saved them from the Altherans!"

                "But, I am their King. Protecting them is my duty..."

                "No! Protecting MY kingdom is my duty! Their duty!"

                "I... I cannot stand it anymore, please. Please let me go. I need the sword."

                There was a pause in the entry followed by another entry, which Edric could only guess were made later.

                "It has been months, too long that I have forgotten how long it was. My strengths has left me. The power... corrupted my soul. Turned me into a monster. I asked Jii to seal it along with this book but told everyone that the sword has been destroyed so that none would seek it anymore. Let this be my last entry and let my warning go to those after me. Do not fall to the temptation of power of the sword for it will only destroy you and never tell anyone of its existence."

                "To Edric my son. I am sorry. I have shamed you when I should have made you proud..."

                Edric was taken aback by the last sentence written on the page. He turned to face Jii who was looking at him with the sad eye of a father looking at his child.   

     

                "So you see, your highness..." said Jii. "You cannot tell of this secret to anyone else. You must honor your father's wish. He had tasted the sword and its power and he had fell to its temptation. "