King Griffin was seated in the throne hall as he looked absent-mindedly at the double doors. So much had been going through his mind since the moment Isadora came back. Would she really give up her title to him? She was weak after all. What type of leader could she even make? She was good at swords craft but he knew she was weak, as a Crescian. To the human realm, she would be termed as a warrior princess, but this was Crescia. And yes, she was not that weak. In fact, she was far much better than some Crescians who had already discovered their inner power. To unveil it was just a milestone, to control it was a hard job. That’s why it was important to unleash one’s inner power when they were still young.

The double doors swung open catching Griffin’s attention. And there, two knights walked in holding reins before two pigs streamed in the hall. These were Griffin’s two knights who had attacked Alexander in Valoria. He had gotten them from Valoria, of course with fraud means, to question them about something that had been bothering him lately. He stood from his seat, a look of disgust planted on his face.

The ’pigs’ were fat and dirty all over. Their fur was covered in dirt, mud and their own stool, producing a foul smell. Even the knights could not help but cover their noses. Griffin nodded at the knights by the door and they shut the double doors. Only two knights, who had brought the pigs, and Griffin were left inside the throne hall.

"We brought them as instructed Your Majesty," one knight hurriedly said. Flies had now begun visiting the hall probably enticed by the foul smell.

"I hope you did everything as instructed. Are you certain no one saw or followed you?" He asked taking a few steps closer to where the pigs were standing. One of them looked at him with its nose lifted and let out a snore.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We made sure no one saw or followed us here," the other knight responded.

"Good," Griffin said. His gaze shifted back to the pigs that were now snoring at him. He smiled knowingly before he brought his hands forward, conjuring a small ball in his hands that looked like ice, but it was made of air. The ball grew bigger with each passing second before he unleashed it on the pigs. A loud growl resonated in the room before everything turned silent. The area turned somehow smoky and it was difficult to see now.

The knights wafted the smoky air as the area resumed clarity with the smoke escaping through the open windows. And there, on the cold floor lay two naked men, coiled in a foetal position as their hands covered their private parts. They were looking around in shame.

"Get them some clothes!" Griffin ordered. One of the knights nodded and left to bring clothes for the duo. They just lay on the floor, their gaze darting between the knight and Griffin.

"Your Majesty? We are sorry we failed you. We deserve to be punished!" One of them, with blonde hair and broad shoulder, said. Griffin chuckled lightly at that. He had already given them a deserving punishment and they wanted more? But they deserved to be punished more as well. They were part of his elite group and they got defeated by a Valorian! For that, they would face death! But not for now. He had some questions at bay for them.

The other knight walked in shortly holding a bundle of clothes in his hands. Griffin gestured for him to give the clothes to the naked knights.

"Go take a bath and get dressed. Make sure you eat to your fill before you come to meet me. Hurry now, don’t keep me waiting." The knights trotted out of the palace holding the clothes in one hand while masking their private parts with the other hands. But their asses were well displayed as they exited the throne hall.

"Bring them to me after they’re done," Griffin told the other knights who nodded in turn before they walked out of the hall as well. Griffin slouched in his seat as he poured more wine into his cup. He drank the contents in one gulp and raked his fingers through his hair.

Damn! He cursed. Being a king was tough, yet he wanted more. He wanted to be more than a king. And now that the chance to expand his territory had availed itself, he was not going to let it slip that easily. He would meet with some of the kings later in the day and discuss the way forward. Of course, he would use the rule to convince them. But he knew Valoria was not short of allies as well.

Valoria was the richest kingdom in the continent and almost every other kingdom wanted to trade with her. Well, except for Crescia. The beef between the two countries couldn’t let them exchange commodities. Crescia chose the long method to acquire Valoriian goods and so did Valoria. They better each other’s goods from neighboring kingdoms at a high price than trade directly. That was the norm for centuries ago.

After a while of waiting, the two ’pigs’ from earlier walked in the hall, now dressed in their knight’s uniform. They looked fresh and clean and their hair was perfectly combed. Griffin was glad they had washed the foul smell off their bodies. Well, the devil would be happy today to receive cleansed pigs. Griffin thought and chuckled darkly.

"What took you so long? Have a seat, please," he said gesturing them towards the parlor. The knights looked at each other, confused before they approached the parlor, still cautious. It was unlike Griffin to invite just anyone to sit with him in the royal parlor. It was meant for people with high status in the kingdom and visiting kings would sit there as well to discuss politics with the Crescian Kings. It was an honor to be invited to sit with a king in this parlor!