The Reign Has Ended?
King Divoc sat in his throne room all by himself. He knew his reign was coming to an end. At least, that’s what the word was throughout the kingdom. He had come into power by happenstance and foolishness.
The people of the kingdom weren’t paying attention. They saw who he was and ignored his incredible power over them until it was too late. And once known, he was acknowledged as the King, with Queen Tnairav by his side.
And how the people tried to get rid of them. Countless anarchists and alchemists created potions and poisons to end the King’s reign sooner. Though some of their attempts might have succeeded, the populace hesitated to support these actions. They chose to spend their time looking for who to blame.
Divoc and Tnairav continued to rule unhindered.
The King and Queen gave birth to many children as added protection. Children that grew up very fast, through magic and following their parents’ lead, continued the reign of death and destruction.
In doing so, civil wars broke out. One side against the other, even though no one supported the king and queen. The people couldn’t agree on what to do or if there even was a problem.
Each had their way of coping. Some chose to ignore the King and Queen.
“They will get old,” they cried.
“Ignore them. We should live how we want to.”
“All things come to an end.”
“Just move on.”
“This was a fluke. Once they’re gone, it will never happen again.”
Others said, “We must get rid of them now, be vigilant, and build our defenses so rulers like this never control us again.”
“We must learn from this experience before it’s too late.”
The fighting among the people continued and continues to this day.
King Divoc saw this all. But he also saw that the tide was turning. His power had waned over the years, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew his time was running short.
So rather than waiting for the inevitable, he and the queen chose to go into hiding rather than wait to be destroyed. They knew that there would come a time when the kingdom would become lax again. They knew that someday they could return and use their power to take more lives. If not, maybe one of their offspring would or someone else like them.
“These people have no thought of what the future holds for them. They only think of themselves, their riches, and the present. They fail to learn,” said the king.
“Our time will come again,” comforted the queen.
And so it was. And so it is. Only time will tell.
