To reclaim his throne, Alaric had to become a ghost in his own house. He learned to move through the shadows of the servant tunnels, avoiding the gaze of the "New King" who now paced the halls with a manic energy, setting traps and learning Alaric's own habits to keep him out. The Reconstruction
King Alaric was not a cruel man, but he was a comfortable one. He spent more time admiring the intricate carvings of his throne than he did walking the muddy streets of his kingdom. He believed his walls were impenetrable and his guards' loyalty was as solid as the stone they stood upon. He was wrong. Goodbye My King
The impostor stumbled, his stolen crown slipping from his head and tumbling into the clouds below. Alaric reached out, not to save the man, but to catch the final shard of the gem as it fell. To reclaim his throne, Alaric had to become
With the gem restored to his own brow, the guards' eyes cleared. They saw their true king standing before them—haggard, mud-stained, but real. As the impostor was led away, Alaric looked at his throne. He didn't sit down. Instead, he turned to his people, finally understanding that a king is defined not by the walls he hides behind, but by the service he provides to those outside them. He spent more time admiring the intricate carvings
Alaric stood in the rain, looking up at the levitating towers of his home. He had no army, no wealth, and no weapons—save for the knowledge of every secret passageway and hidden loose stone in the castle walls.