Short Story: The New King
The new king smirked at the man, watching the guards force him to his knees. The chains holding his hands together clinked, reminding the whole room what this man was. A criminal. He wasn’t their prince nor would he ever be their king. This man was a criminal. A criminal and nothing more. Not any more and soon, he will be nothing more than a body. That made the new king smile even more.
He sat up straight, letting the light from the windows in the room shine on the golden crown that sat on his balding head. He grinned as the guards ripped the dirty bag off the criminal’s head. The young man glared at the king, nearly unrecognizable. His hair was cut short and stained a horrid grey from soot and ash, scars ran up his arms, disappearing under his torn shirt, but those eyes…those eyes that were glaring at him were the same. With a small gesture from his right hand, the guard behind the criminal slammed his hand down onto his back. He was not going to let this criminal ruin his chance at being king.
All of the power that came with the crown was…better than the new king could have ever imagined. He would never give it up. Who would want to? Everyone listened to him as long as he wore the crown on his head. It warmed his cold heart. The king laughed to himself, shaking his head. It would take a miracle for that to happen.
“Benjamin Roach,” The king said, watching the man clench his fists. Roach, the king chuckled to himself, what a fitting name for a little insect like him. It suited the man in chains. “Are you aware of your crimes?” He asked, hearing the spectators on the side mutter to each other. They had done the same when he had the guards drag the man in, face covered by the bag. He couldn’t risk people recognizing him.
The man continued glaring at the king with his famous green eyes, green eyes that had seen the truth. Anyone would recognize those green eyes. The criminal rose to his feet, ignoring the guard shouting at him to kneel. He was a defiant young man, but a dangerous one. He was a threat to the new king’s power. Benjamin held himself high, not once breaking his green gaze from the king.
“I have made no crimes.” He declared, letting his voice echo through the large hall. The criminal’s voice did not fit his appearance. If anyone recognized-no. That was impossible. Nobody would recognize him from his voice alone. The spectators started talking again, drowning out the guard’s warning to the man to kneel again. “I have done nothing against the laws of this country.” He said, the crowd falling silent to listen to the criminal. Why did they listen to him? The crowd started talking again, louder this time. A few of their words reached the new king’s ears.
He sounds familiar.
Do we know him?
Who is that boy?
Isn’t that voice…
The new king gave the signal to the guard. The guard kicked the back of Benjamin’s knees, forcing him to kneel before the king. The man muffled his grunt, but he didn’t cry out loudly or remain on his knees. Instead he rose again, a challenge flickering in the young man’s eyes and for a moment- a smile crossed the criminal’s cracked lips. He knew something the king didn’t. That was dangerous.
The new king stood up to shout as the man turned to glare at the guard, his head held high. The guard’s face paled, seeing the face of the criminal for the first time. The spectators gasped, recognizing those green eyes. All of his work. The new king knew it was a mistake to listen to that advisor…bringing out the man to publicly execute him. The advisor said it was just entertainment for the court. It was a trick. It was all a trick!
The guard backed away and dropped into a bow, bowing to the criminal. The king caught a few people in the crowd bowing as well. The king slammed his fist against the arm chair of his throne, the sound echoing loudly, but not loud enough to silence the people.
“No!” He screamed. “No! No! No! Don’t bow to that criminal!” He said, pointing a shaking finger at Benjamin. The room silenced, turning to the king who stared down at the man in chains. He pointed his accusing finger at the man, not caring who the criminal once was. Benjamin Roach was dangerous.
“You have committed crimes against the crown!” He roared. “You murdered the king who sat on this throne before me! You sta-”
“I have done nothing!” Benjamin yelled back.
His voice carried more power than the new king’s voice ever could, those green eyes of his freezing the new king in place. The people’s eyes turned to the criminal. They gave him their ears, letting the young man speak for himself. They would listen to him, but not the man who wore the crown.
“I did not kill my father nor did I kill my mother or brother as you like to claim.”
The crowd gasped and the new king growled. This was not good. Already, after such a small amount of time, the new king could feel his power slipping away. He was starting to question if he even had any power at all. It hadn’t even been a week and already this…this…this boy! This boy was taking it away! That made him dangerous. Very dangerous. He had to get rid of the boy before he took everything away!
“You did!” The new king screamed, his voice cracking. He slammed his foot down, but the sound was drowned out by the spectators whispering to each other. “You killed them!” The king screamed louder this time, hoping the crowd would listen to him. They didn’t. Their eyes turned back to the man in chains.
Benjamin turned his back to the king and faced the people, letting them see his green eyes. He held his head high despite the heavy chains on his wrist. He did not look like a criminal, even with his clothes and dirtied hair.
“I did not kill my family!” He said loudly, his voice carrying itself to the people. “Despite what my uncle claims-” He looked over his shoulder at the new king, those green eyes carrying an invisible power that made the king lose his voice. The king tried to call for the guards. “-I have not committed crimes!”
He stepped towards the people, the crowd parted, clearing a path for the criminal to walk through. One old man in the front reached his shaky hand out and touched the young man’s shoulder with a smile. Benjamin didn’t tell him to keep his hands off. Instead he bowed his head towards the elder and continued walking. Each person he passed, reached out to touch him.
The new king watched, his mouth opening and closing without any success in allowing any sound to come out. He pointed at the boy, hoping the guards would do something. They didn’t do anything to help the king.
The young man smiled at the people whose grimy hands touched him. He bowed his head to several as if he was thanking them for rubbing their hands on him. No. Not because they were touching him, because they helped him! Traitors! All of them! He needed to do something to regain control. He needed to kill Benjamin before he lost the crown.
The new king felt his useless mouth twist into a sour frown at the thought of losing his power, finally able to grasp his voice. “You killed them.” He whispered, trying to make his words boom through the room and yet, despite those words being quiet, the man still heard them. The crowd didn’t seem to catch them, but he did. Benjamin’s eyes shifted over to the new king, shaking his head.
“No, uncle. I didn’t kill them.” He said, stopping in the middle of a crowd. The people looked at the new king and then Benjamin. They were silent, just as they had been since he started walking through them. Those green eyes burned a dangerous fire that the new king knew far too well. Those green eyes that had seen the truth. “You did.” He stepped out of the crowd and they moved out of his way. “I watched it happen and you tried to kill me too, but you failed.” He said, stopping in the middle of the room. “Didn’t you?”
The new king tried to speak, but he couldn’t speak anymore. Not with those green eyes pinned on him. He shook his head, unable to speak his lies. The boy nodded and turned around, facing the guard that had hit him earlier.
“Punish my uncle for his crimes.” The boy said, not looking back at the new king. “Goodbye, uncle.” He turned slowly, casting a cold glance over his shoulder. “I’d tell you to greet my family for me, but you won’t be joining them.”
The new king stood frozen, his eyes shifting between the boy and the guard who drew his sword. He dropped to his knees, the crown falling off his head. “Please, mercy.” He mumbled. The boy’s eyes shifted to the crown for a moment, but he knew better than the man. He didn’t need a crown to command the people.
“No.” He said. He walked forward, the chains that should have labeled him as a criminal, clinking as he headed to the doors. The spectators followed their new king who wore iron out of the hall, leaving the man to die.