Yukio's POV

As I strode through the portal, I noticed the gloomy and oppressing atmosphere in the Kings Palace and from the servants who were all bowing to me hurriedly before scurrying off, leaving me in a state of shock. Long gone the brightness of the atmosphere that I could feel in the palace and beyond that I was used to when I was young, when I was running around, playing around with Ronan and Rowan, and now the walls seemed to feel caved in, and the corridors dark, making it seemed as if the palace become a haunted house. I stared around the place, still frozen with shock, unaware that someone was bumping into me until it was too late, and I was tumbling onto the ground, falling onto the floor face first, and I heard a soft apology from someone whose voice that was familiar, and I forgave the person with a soft smile on my face when I realized who it is.

It was Seline.

"It's okay Sel, I don't mind. Now we just wait for the others." I said with a soft smile and Seline nodded, stepping to the side and waiting for the others to walk through the portal, and we all walked determinedly towards the throne room, and I could see some of my friends were starting to tremble as we ascended up the stairs, hesitating midway through, huffing and panting, and I knew why they feel that way because the oppressive atmosphere of the palace that had not been felt before when the old High King used to be alive, and I asked everyone to stop, taking a break before we all ascended up the stairs again, managed to make it all the way to the throne room without someone falling unconscious.

"We made it!"

"Yeah, we did!"

"Hey, did you see that?"

"Yeah?"

"..."

"......"

I drowned out all the excited voices of my friends as I stared at the throne room, at the guards guarding the throne room, feeling myself froze up because of the nostalgia I felt at seeing the doors of the throne room, the same one when I was taken in to see the old High King when I was accused of stealing the royal insignia which I did not steal, years of suppressed memories of that moment came flowing into my mind from the time I was deemed guilty of stealing the insignia, that time when I was being put into the cell with the bare minimum of necessities, that time when I was hoping that one of my faean friends would visit me and tell me that I was going to be released, that time when I was losing hope when I saw that no one, save Seline, had visited me, to that time when I felt bitter due to the resentment towards my friends and Rowan for not visiting me, and I did not notice that Seline was calling my name. I snapped myself out of the throve of memories, seeing Seline pointing to the door of the throne room, and I nodded, walking into the throne room with Seline and all of my friends, and seeing my friends being stopped by the guards when my friends, Seline and I approached the new High King.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this?!" I asked the High King in shock, seeing the High King peering at me, his gaze bearing into mine, and I gulped nervously, wondering why that pair of eyes look so familiar, and I felt the pressure on me lifting as I saw the new High King strolled back towards his throne and sat down, mentioning to the guards to leave and the guards left, leaving my friends, Seline, the High King and I in the throne room.

"Long time no see, Yukio." I heard the High King said and I glanced at the high king with an eyebrow raised, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu because there is only one person in the royal family other than Ronen, the dead older fae prince, who knows my name.

"Who....are you?" I asked warily, haring a soft, melodious chuckle coming from the high king and the high king rose from the throne, taking off his face mask, and my eyes widened as years of memories of my time playing with that person began to fill my head, shocking me to the core, and the fogginess in my mind slowly lifted as my memory started to clear.

"Hello. My name is Rowan."

"It's been a long time eh Yukio? My name is Rowan Nightshade and I am the new High King of Serendel after the passing of my father, Willow Nightshade, the old High King of Serendel, and I am here to provide the proposal of your lifetime, to find the person who is behind the killing of the faes, humans, and my father."

Dun Dun Dun! There you go folks, Rowan Nightshade of Serendel, the new High King of Serendel! It's quite a surprise eh? Well anyways, sorry for the double update because I was busy this month, the month of March due to my assignments, especially when I have six subjects! Six! I really hope that you like this and the previous chapter and I'm so sorry for my sloppy writing due to my assignment shebang and my poor time management but it will improve in the next few chapters so don't worry and have a good weekend. See you guys in the next chapter! Bye!

                                                                                                                            XDXD

                                                                                                                             Sakuya Hana