The Crimson Prince Awakening - v3 Chapter 72

Will

“There’s another reason why I’ve come for you.” Jonathan confessed as he rustled Will’s hair. “I wasn’t the only one who noticed you missing from your room.”

“The king wishes to see me?” Will wasn’t surprised. He was wondering how long it would be until he was summoned. “I suppose it has been a while since we last spoke.”

Before turning to leave, Will noticed Maya hanging out in the background. Even though she tried to hide it, he knew she wanted to speak with him.

Will tapped his dad on the shoulder lightly. “Hey dad, I need a little time alone with Maya before we set off to see the king.” he said as his dad had just started walking. Will saw understanding in Jonathan’s eyes as he winked.

“Don’t take too long.” He said as he continued walking towards the castle gates. “I’ll wait for you at the throne room.” With that, he left the group of wielders and went back into the city.

Will watched Jonathan disappear into the city gates before turning back to Maya. “Hey, so how’s your year been?” He said with a joking smile on his face. He waited for an answer for a while, yet instead of responding, Maya threw herself on him.

“Don’t you ever do something so stupid again!” She yelled as she convulsed into tears on his shoulder. “You have no idea how worried we all were!” She let out the anguish she was feeling for the past year.

Will pat her slowly on the back as she tried to regain her composure. Her breathing came in long racks of sobs. “I know, Maya.” He comforted her. “I was here the whole time.” He felt her breathing slow slightly. She looked up at him with a tear stricken face. Her eyes held a questioning look. “You have been at my bedside every night. For the first few months, you didn’t even leave my side.”

“How could you know that?” Maya asked as she calmed slightly.

“I am glad you stopped wearing that dress.” He said with a small smile. “Even if it is just for while you are training. We really do have to expand your wardrobe.” he brushed a curl of brown hair out of her eye.

Maya sighed slightly, finally regaining control over her emotions. She let Will wipe the tears from her eyes. “You promised you would do that.” She pointed out, as if she were waiting for the right time to bring it up. “You have a promise to keep, William Ragnos.” She teased.

Though her words were playful, Will knew she had been waiting a long time for him to make good on his promise. To her, he wasn’t just buying her clothes, he was giving her a new identity. One without all of the pain and darkness she had to endure for so long.

“After this audience with the king, we will make good on that promise.” Will vowed as he took Maya’s fragile hand in his own. “We will take off to my world and have a little break.”

Will’s promise was like a breath of fresh air to Maya. After all the time that had passed, she was more than ready to shed the skin of the corrupt wielder and finally be with him. “Maybe before that, you should check out Ember.” She said with a smile. “Leo has been working diligently over the past year to ensure your plans for the city happen.”

Even where they stood, Will could make out an outline of a city in the distance. Though he knew Leo had been working on the project, he hadn’t had enough time to visit the new community while he was in a coma.

“If you wish that to be our next stop, we can check it out before we leave.” Will looked from the distant skyline back to the city in front of him. “But for now, my father needs to be updated on the events that are to come.”

Will took the hand that was in his own and started walking with Maya towards Ebonhart. He had much he had to discuss with his father, most of it he knew the king would not approve of. Though he didn’t look forward to the outcome, he knew what he had to do.

“Hey,” Will heard Jake approach from behind. “Wait up.” Will turned to meet his brother. “You just get back, and the only thing you do is spar with me?” He sounded genuinely saddened.

“Sorry man.” Will said as he let go of Maya’s hand and embraced Jake. “So much is happening right now, it’s hard to know what exactly to do first.

Jake withdrew from the embrace first, he had a smile plastered on his lips. “I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me.” He became serious. “Without you, I wouldn’t even be here.” He remembered Will taking his consciousness into his own body when Aremesis tried to banish him. “I will make it up to you.” He vowed as he turned back to the sparring group.

“It seems he’s grown a bit.” Will whispered to Maya as he took her hand once more. He of course knew of Jake’s agreement with Aremesis. Ragnos himself had formed the union between the god and wielder of darkness. He knew the battle which was about to take place was not one which could be taken lightly.

Maya nodded as he watched Will’s brother, who was now getting the sparring groups paired off to start training once more. “Something happened to him after you left.” She said simply. “He’s taken on much more responsibilities with the crusade.”

Will knew much of what Maya was talking about. He had seen his brother working alongside Leo most days over in Ember. Though, he didn’t know much of what was happening in the city, he knew that they were gone for most days, only coming back to spar with the rest of the wielders.

He had also seen Jake with Michael, sorting out payment for the many workers along with Roland who brought the valuable resources to the city for construction. Most nights that Leo returned, Will accompanied him in his astral form while his best friend buried himself in blueprints.

Will noticed that he hadn’t seen either Leo or Bianca since getting back, he questioned Maya as they walked towards the gate.

“Leo is in New York heading the New York Crusade.” She said with a smile. “He finished Ember a few months ago and said he was bored. So far as I know, he set up an embassy at Michael’s manor for a group of wielders. Roy and Bianca are there as well.”

Will smiled at the thought of Roy and Bianca. He had been around every once in a while and saw them holding hands while walking down the street in Ebonhart. It warmed his heart to think that Bianca had finally moved on. He couldn’t think of a better fit, considering what his plans for the future held.

As they neared the gate, they heard the hustle and bustle from every day life beyond the city’s walls. “Are you ready for this?” Will squeezed Maya’s hand. If anyone was nervous, it was him.

Maya gave Will a comforting smile as she lightly pulled on his hand to continue moving. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can introduce me to pizza.” She said with a dreamy look on her face.

Will chuckled at the sight. The would-be queen of darkness who brought terror to the kingdom and surrounding population. She who destroyed the families of their new allies and could have killed him with a glance now stared longingly towards the heavens in the hopes of delicious pizza raining down upon her.

Snapping Maya out of her reverie, Will continued forward towards the gate while shaking his head slightly. He couldn’t hope for better entertainment from television.

“Halt!” Will heard a voice ring out from atop the wall. He looked up to see the familiar armor of a Crimson Knight. “State your business within the city!”

Will looked questioningly up at the knight. Surely this man knew who he was. He looked down upon himself to notice a tattered white shirt and blue jeans. He didn’t even have shoes on. Rolling his eyes, he mentally punched himself for not putting on proper attire before rushing over to the training field.

Will saw Maya getting ready to address the knight. Before she could, Will squeezed her hand slightly. She looked over at Will in confusion.

“Let me have a little fun before seeing father.” He said with a devilish grin on his face. Maya only let out an exasperated sigh. Shaking her head slightly, she waved her hand towards the knight. “He’s all yours.”

“I am here to see King William Ragnos.” Will bowed slightly. His theatrics made Maya roll her eyes. “He requests an audience with me.”

The knight from above gave Will a once over. Giving a slight snort, he continued his interrogation. “State your name.” Will could tell by the look of annoyance on the knight’s face, he thought Will to be a beggar or someone of lowly stature requesting an audience with the king for support.

“My name is Prince William Ragnos the Second.” Will announced with a mock bow to the knight. Though he believed it to be funny, the knight did not.

“You would think this kingdom had been through enough already!” The knight shouted as he motioned for the doors to be closed off. “Now we have a beggar proclaiming to be a prince!” He looked down upon Will. “Be on your way, and don’t let me see you again!”

“What is going on here?” The knight turned his head to see his superior coming out of the guard shack at the top of the gate.

“Sir!” The knight saluted to the senior knight. “This boy proclaims he is the Crimson Prince.” He waved his hand below to Will.

The senior knight strained his eyes to make out the lineage cross around Will’s neck. “Hold there,” He said as he turned to the edge of the wall, where there was a stairwell leading down to the inside of the gate. “I’m going to need to see that lineage relic.”

“No need to come down.” Will said as he activated his aura. Crimson and gold outlined his features as he flew to the top of the wall. Releasing his aura, he took the cross from his ċhėst and showed it to the senior knight. “See?” He had on a smile as he brought the cross up to the face of the knight.

Suddenly, both knights faces paled as they looked upon the true heir to the kingdom for what felt like the first time. They saluted him and apologized profusely.

While Will made a commotion from the wall, Maya shook her head in embarrassment from below. “Have you had enough fun yet?” She yelled as the gates started to open.

Will patted the shoulders of the two knights. “Not to worry men,” He said in a playful tone. “It was all in good fun.” Though it seemed he was having fun, he dropped his hand and looked into the eyes of the senior knight. “Though you should never shut the gates for anyone who looks to be in need of help. Is that the kind of kingdom we live in now?” He said seriously.

“I apologize for the actions of the Crimson Knights, young prince.” The senior knight said quickly.

Will liked this knight. He did not push blame upon his underling, instead he took the blame upon the knights as a whole. “What is your name?” Will echoed the previous knight’s question to the senior. He was curious, since he had never laid eyes on this man before, yet he had just earned the respect of a prince.

“My name is Sir Christopher, Senior Knight of the Crimson Knights, my prince.” He saluted Will once more. “It was my pŀėȧsurė to fight alongside your father during the siege of the castle a year and some time ago.”

Will placed his hand upon the knight’s shoulder. “Keep being the standard for the knights.” He said simply as he hopped down from the gate on the other side.

Maya walked through the archway and returned to Will’s side. “Ready?” She asked as a smile returned to her lips.

“I suppose,” Will said with a glint of excitement in his eye. “Lets not keep the king waiting.”