The Guildmaster was royally pissed, and his anger could be felt by everyone close to him.
The Guildmaster of the Demon Slaying Squad, Jericho, was furious. He had just received word from his men that Prince Feanor had plotted against them and tried to sacrifice them to the powerful demon, Astaroth. Jericho's men had managed to defeat both the Prince and the demon, but the offense against their guild remained.
Jericho's rage boiled over as he shouted at his men to prepare for the march toward the Imperial Palace. They would demand answers from the Fey King himself - Aladhwen Elrond. This was not the first time the Guild had faced challenges from those in power, but this offense was particularly egregious. The Prince had betrayed their trust, and the Guildmaster would not let it stand.
As the Demon Slaying Squad marched towards the palace, Jericho could feel the weight of his responsibility heavy on his shoulders. He was not just leading a group of skilled fighters, but he was also the voice of the people who relied on the Guild to protect them from the dangers of the demon realm.
Finally, they arrived at the palace gates, and Jericho demanded an audience with the Fey King. The guards were hesitant, but they knew better than to deny the Guildmaster's request. They escorted Jericho and his men through the palace grounds to the throne room.
When they entered, Jericho could see the Fey King sitting on his throne, surrounded by his courtiers. While the King looked rather baffled by the sudden appearance of his visitors, the Guildmaster wasted no time in getting to the point.
He recounted the betrayal of Prince Feanor and demanded to know how such a thing could have happened. Aladhwen Elrond listened silently and then stood up to address Jericho and his men.
The Fey King stood up from his throne, his expression serious. "Prince Feanor's actions were a grave offense not only to the Demon Slaying Squad but to the entire kingdom," he said, his voice echoing through the throne room. "I assure you that he will be dealt with severely."
The Fey King called for his guards and ordered them to bring Prince Feanor to the throne room. Jericho and his men waited patiently as the Prince was brought before them. He was bruised and beaten, with a look of terror in his eyes as he faced his father.
The Fey King's gaze was cold as he addressed his son. "Prince Feanor, you have committed a grave offense against the kingdom and its people. Your actions have caused great harm to the Demon Slaying Squad, who have been charged with protecting our citizens from the dangers of the demon realm."
The Prince cowered before his father, but the Fey King's voice was unrelenting. "Your punishment shall be severe," he said. "You are hereby stripped of your title and your lands. You will be banished from the kingdom and will never set foot in these lands again. Your actions have brought great shame to our family and to our kingdom, and you shall bear the consequences of your deeds."
With that, the Fey King ordered his guards to take the disgraced Prince away. Jericho and his men watched as he was escorted out of the throne room, never to be seen again.
"I am deeply sorry for what has happened," said the Fey King. "Prince Feanor acted alone, and he has already been punished for his crimes. I can assure you that the demon realm is not a threat to our kingdom. The Demon Slaying Squad has my utmost respect and support, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this never happens again."
Jericho nodded, satisfied with the Fey King's response. He knew that the Guild would always face challenges, he was still upset by what happened but at least they had the support of their king, and they would continue to protect the people from the dangers of the demon realm.
With that, Jericho and his men left the palace, their heads held high. They had stood up for themselves and for the people they protected, and they had won.
Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber deep within the palace, six Fey Princes celebrated Prince Feanor's downfall. They were the King's other sons, and they had long resented their brother's arrogance and entitlement. They had always believed that he was unworthy of his position and had long awaited the opportunity to see him fall from grace. As they raised their glasses in a toast, they whispered conspiratorially amongst themselves, plotting their next move.
They knew that their father was getting old and that soon it would be their turn to rule. They were determined to seize power and take the kingdom in a new direction, one that would serve their interests above all else.
Prince Ardan (Crown Prince): "It's a shame about Feanor. He had so much potential, but he threw it all away."
Prince Eolande (Second Prince): "I always knew he was reckless. It was only a matter of time before he got himself into trouble."
Prince Calanthor (Third Prince): "But we must be careful not to become complacent. There are still those who would seek to undermine us."
Prince Gwynneth (Fourth Prince): "Indeed. We must be vigilant, and always stay one step ahead of our enemies."
Prince Tathariel (Fifth Prince): "But how can we do that? Our enemies are everywhere, and they're always plotting against us."
Prince Faeril (Sixth Prince): "We must use our wits, and our influence. We must build alliances with the other noble families, and gain their support."
Prince Ardan: "And we must also make sure that our people are behind us. We need to show them that we're the best candidates for the throne."
Prince Eolande: "But how do we do that? We can't simply rely on our titles and our birthright. We must prove ourselves worthy."
Prince Calanthor: "The procession battle is coming up soon. This is our chance to show our strength and our cunning."
Prince Gwynneth: "We must come up with a strategy that will outwit our opponents. We need something that will give us the edge."
Prince Tathariel: "But we must also be careful not to reveal our hand too soon. We don't want our opponents to catch on to our plans."
Prince Faeril: "I've been doing some research on the procession battle. There are some tactics that we could use to our advantage."
Prince Ardan: "What tactics?"
Prince Faeril: "We could use decoys to confuse our opponents. We could have fake chariots and effigies, to draw their attention away from the real battle."
Prince Eolande: "That's a good idea. But we must also be prepared for any surprises. We can't afford to be caught off guard."
Prince Calanthor: "Agreed. We must have contingencies in place for every possible scenario. We must be ready for anything."
Prince Gwynneth: "But we must also remember that this is just one battle. We must stay focused on the bigger picture. We must continue to build our influence, and win over the hearts and minds of our people."
Prince Tathariel: "And we must do it all without attracting too much attention. We don't want Father to suspect that we're plotting against him."
Prince Faeril: "Indeed. We must be subtle, and patient. Our time will come, but we must bide our time until then."
Prince Ardan: "Agreed. Let us continue to work together, and build our strength. One day, we will take the throne, and we will rule this kingdom as it should be ruled.
Prince Ardan raised his glass. "To our family's continued prosperity," he said, his voice filled with false sincerity.
The other princes joined in the toast, but in their minds, they each mocked the others for their transparent pretenses.
Oh, they're not fooling anybody here. This conversation was fake, and so were their expressions and their words.
They all have their personal motives, at best, these are all just pleasantries. The Princes don't like each other that much since they all see themselves as competitors for the Throne.
Prince Eolande thought to himself, "Ardan may act like he cares about the family's prosperity, but all he cares about is securing his own position as the next in line for the throne."
Prince Calanthor sneered inwardly, "And Eolande may act like he's above it all, but he's just as eager to get his hands on the throne."
Prince Galadriel rolled his eyes at the other princes' hypocrisy. "They all talk about the good of the kingdom and the family, but they're all just out for themselves. At least I'm honest about my ambition."
With that, the princes finished their drinks and made their excuses to leave. As they each departed for their respective homes, they each plotted their next moves, knowing that their competition for power and status within the family was far from over.
What the Princes don't know is that there is another Prince...
One that had been exiled the moment he was born. They also didn't know that if this Prince wanted to take the throne, it'd be akin to taking a lollipop from a kid.
They're lucky that so far, this Prince had no intentions of participating in this silly little fight for the throne because he had other matters to attend to.
