Garinor considered what he knew about the prince. He had claimed the lives of countless others, incited an entire army to fight on his behalf even without the behest of the king, thereby flouting even the king’s command, and even now he had a dagger held up to his best friend’s throat. Garinor decided that justice would be served if the prince’s life was given to the scepter.
“Take the prince. His life is no more.”
“As you wish, Chosen One,” echoed the Voice one last time.
Garinor looked down at the scepter and saw the rubies fade against the glow of the other gems and then they went black. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and he witnessed a horrible sight. The prince’s features melted like wax and dripped to the cavern floor, vanishing on impact, until only the man’s bare skeleton remained. It was a sight Garinor would never forget.
The scepter released a low humming noise and it drew Garinor’s attention again. He gazed inside and witnessed as the topazes glittered brightly, like pieces of the sun trapped in glass. With a pervading warmth, the golden light expanded and filled the room. Garinor knew in his heart that the golden light was stretching across the land, declaring the death of the prince and acknowledgment of the true heir.
The artifact hummed for a while longer and then the scepter shattered in his hand like glass, scattering pieces everywhere. All the light in the room vanished except for the lonely torch on the wall.
Tomli awoke in an instant and he sprang away from the prince’s skeleton, rushing to Garinor’s side. “You did it!”
“I—well—it was a terrible thing to have to choose,” Garinor stammered. “And, you’re the king.”
The bright blue light was gone, but Tomli still had an inner glow radiating from him. He looked very much like a king at that moment, and all the noble deeds he had done to save Garinor made him realize that Tomli had always possessed that glow. He had always been the king, the protector of the people.
Taking the torch, they left the cave, arms around each other’s shoulders and smiling despite the terrible events that had surrounded them for so long. They bounded through the cavern feeling lighter than ever before and they reached the entrance in no time.
Garinor’s suspicions about the golden light proved true the moment they emerged from the cave. All around them, the ten guards fell to their knees, hailing their new liege. Tomli greeted them sternly and they returned to the Daggerfist camp where the prince’s hired guard was disbanded. Only a few offered themselves into King Tomli’s service, but all the Daggerfists rejoiced and clambered to be the first to be knighted by their king.
The honor went to Terrian, who had crafted the great ruse years past, knowing that to do so would put his own son into jeopardy when the prophecy became known.
“I don’t know how you’ll ever forgive me, son, for the perils I’ve placed before you by my actions,” Terrian bowed to Garinor.
But his son wasn’t bitter. “Father, you did what was best for the kingdom. I forgive you,” he said, though in his heart it would take a little longer for him to do so completely.
A celebration was held that night and the next day they set out to Paligar and then toward the castle where Tomli would take his rightful place as ruler of all the land.