“Who would you have governing Alaran space?” I asked.
The question went unanswered until one voice at the front of the group raised his hand.
“The cult of Tenage should reign. For too long, we have ignored our spiritual life. People have lost faith in the god and goddess.”
“I agree with you. But the monarchy does not stand in the way of spiritual freedom. We acknowledge our makers, Tenage and Veshar.
The Ul dynasty’s reign over Alara has lasted for two thousandtenris.What makes you feel your spiritual order is the way forward?” I inquired. “We need warriors, not monks to protect our planet and its resources.”
He had no comeback to that and looked around at his fellow cultists with a furrowed brow. Some of them pushed forwardwith scowls on their faces. Others began to yell at me in disrespect.
But despite minor grievances, they could not provide legitimate grounds to depose the King’s reign.
All too soon Alaran space and our planet would be undermyreign though I wished that were not the case. Unfortunately, the god and goddess had made that choice for my family eons ago.
My patience grew thin from answering the same questions over and over. I thanked them for coming and headed toward the palace when chaos erupted behind me.
I turned around in a hurry and found myself staring at a cult member, his weapon raised and aimed at me.
Consumed by anger, I made an impulsive lunge toward him, my guards swiftly joining in to disarm him and take him down.
I didn’t even notice the jolt to my shoulder.
“Prince Trex’Ul, you’re wounded,” Xilta called out.
The piercing screams of the cultists and the imposing presence of my guards overwhelmed my senses, leaving no room for his words to register.
My head snapped sideways, my heart pounding, as I saw Xilta’s hand reaching out to me. “We need to get you inside,” he said, his eyes darting around us.
“I’m fine,” I growled, my voice betraying my annoyance.
With a pinched expression, he directed my attention to my shoulder, causing me to look.
Peering at the gaping wound, it surprised me by how little I could feel it. The moment I processed what had happened, a searing pain engulfed me as the wound burned.
It wasn’t as if I hadn’t experienced pain before. I’d been through it all - stabbed, bludgeoned, and even shot.
However, the sensation of being struck by a laser weapon was completely foreign to me. The damage inflicted on my shoulderleft behind a gaping void that extended through my entire shoulder.
My mind raced through the various scenarios that would happen if I failed to survive. I promised Grace I would not be harmed.
Ihadto survive. For her.
Grace,I cried out in my mind.
There was not a lot of blood coming from the wound, but it scorched my skin into a charred mess. I hissed as one of the guards grabbed me and pushed me toward the palace doors.
“We’ve caught your attacker. Come with me, your highness.”
My temper flared again, my face growing hot, as I turned to look over my shoulder to see who had shot me. Surrounded by my guards, their pleas for me to go back to the palace prevented me from seeing the subdued figure.
The excruciating pain of the deep wound made me clamp my teeth together to suppress a groan, and a cold sweat broke out on my brow.
“Get him to the infirmary,” I heard someone say as the edges of my vision darkened.
My feet gave out and the last thing I saw was Xilta’s worried wide-eyed face.
30
