Word count: 1746

~Akara

Tai's mother arrives in the Jade Province after a few days.

Since she strolled into Tai's estate last night, she has seemed withdrawn and quiet, although silently determined. She has spent so many years staying as far from him as possible, and now, she is being forced to face him for the greater good of this Province.

Now, we stand at the top of the stairs leading down to the cell. Marek is with us, in case Tai gets angry, although I suspect he won't today.

At least not when he sees his mother.

"Are you ready for this?" I ask her, feeling the anxiety seeping off of her. Her face reveals nothing, though, her expression artfully crafted to appear unaffected by her emotions.

"To see my son again?" she says, releasing a soft sigh. "I'm not so sure, but it needs to happen."

"You're doing the right thing. You will be a wonderful Queen," I tell her honestly. So much so, maybe living in the Jade Province again wouldn't be so bad. But my heart now yearns from the Emerald Province. Marek and I can start a life there with no one who will recgonise us, and no enemies anywhere near.

Maria turns her head to look at me. "I'll find out about this weapon, Akara. I won't allow that many people to lose their lives."

"Thank you," I murmur.

Slowly, we walk down the stairs toward the cell. All I can hope is this interaction goes positively. If not, then Maria may be right. We may have to kill him.

Tai looks up upon hearing approaching footsteps. "Mother?"

"Taius. You are looking well," Maria says, stopping in front of the bars. Tai scrambles up into standing position, his shock palpable. It's impossible to tell whether it's a positive shock, or a terrified shock.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, looking between his mother and I. He knows that if she is here with me, then it can't be for his own good.

"Akara has helped me understand that running from you, and my responsibilities is no longer going to work. I need to step forward and ensure you can cause no more harm," Maria says calmly. Her strength and ability to keep her cool is impressive. I have no doubt she will be a wonderful Queen for this Province.

"Harm? Mother...what happened my brother was an accident," Tai insists, gripping the metal bars tightly.

"You and I both know it wasn't. No more lying, Tai."

"I was trying to help him," he rests his head against the bars, looking close to banging it. I can see the tale he has wound beginning to break apart right in front of him. He can't keep it up much longer, but he knows that if he admits it, there will be no positive outcome.

"You were trying to become powerful, by testing your technology on him. He should never have been your victim. No one should be," Maria exclaims. She's right. Had Tai not tried to cure his brother, he would have done it to far more innocent people only to have the same result.

"And they won't be...anymore," he assures her.

None of us buy that.

"And what about this weapon I've been hearing about then, hmm?" She presses. Tai pales. I doubt he knew his mother was aware of his invention. His gaze drifts to me, coming to realise exactly who brought this to her attention.

He turns back to his mother, shifting comfortably. "It's to save more people than it will hurt."

"And who's to say?" I cut in, unable to reign in my hand. Marek rests his hand on the small of my back, trying to soothe me. It's no use, though. It's unbelievably frustrating to watch him try to talk his way out of this, even if I know he won't be successful.

"It could end the war..."

"That's not up to you, is it?" Maria snaps, folding her arms over her chest. When I told her about the weapon, she was thoroughly disturbed. She has spent most of her time since fleeing from Tai and Kailor in the Scarlet Province. Had I not found her, there is a chance she would have died once the bomb was set off.

Tai shakes his head. "There is nothing else I'm working on."

"You have the rest of your life to work on technology that could help people, rather than harm," Maria reminds him. Tai is fully capable of doing good, if he chose to. There is no guarantee that he will, but it would be one way to start redeeming himself.

"I'll never be out of this prison," he mutters, gesturing around the small space where he has already had to spend a couple days in.

"You may be, one day. Once I take over the throne." Maria says.

Tai startles. "What?"

"I am the right heir, and I not?" she says, opening her arms wide, as if the power radiates off her. Tai looks horrified, realising how right she is, that there is no possible way to argue against a marriage between a King and a Queen.

"I...well-"

"Yes, I am. And I have decided that I wish to return to the throne, upon Akara's prompting," she tells him, turning to look at me with an uneasy smile. I nod, trying to convey that she is doing the right thing.

"But father left it to me," Tai growls, grip tightening on the bars. Marek looks ready to step forward and tell Tai to calm down, but I put my arm out in front of him. Nothing can interrupt this conversation now.

Maria looks over at him. "Your father doesn't make the decisions anymore."

"And what about me? What happens to me?" he asks weakly.

When I look at Tai now, hopelessly standing in this cell, I can't help but feel pity for him. Not because I don't want him to be punished, and not because I don't think he deserves it, but because he's so helpless and pathetic now. I once loved him, and now I see him for who he truly is. It feels as though I've been enlightened.

"You should tell her what you did to your sister," I mutter. Tai blinks, almost as if he was so wrapped up in what is going to happen to him, he completely forgot that he had his sister murdered.

"It had to be done. Don't tell me, Akara, you think she deserved to live?" He starts pacing through the cell.

I sigh through my nose. "She didn't deserve to die like that."

"She tried to kill you! I did the right thing," he insists.

Whenever he tries to convince me he is a good person, he insists he did it in my favour. I don't believe his true motivation for killing Vaia had anything to do with what she did to me anymore. He was angry, wanting revenge for her stealing his throne. If he truly cared about me, he would have come to me first.

"You killed Vaia?" Maria whispers. Vaia did some terrible things, but she is still her daughter, and she never got to see her again before she died. I can only imagine how devastating that feeling must be...

Tai groans, running his hand down his face hopelessly. "I had to, mother. You must understand she did far worse than I did."

"My daughter deserved to be punished, but you should not have decided that she was to die," Maria snaps, her voice raising for the first time since I met her. Tai shrinks back, although determination still blazes in his eyes.

"I am King. My word is what goes around here," he mutters.

"You are not King any longer." Just hearing Maria say those words relieves all the tension off my shoulders. This time it's going to work, I can feel it.

"Will you hang me?"

"No. I believe in rehabilitation. I am certain I can help you, but it will take some time to earn your freedom," she tells him, softening her tone. Tai doesn't appear to be any more relieved by that information. Part of me wonders if he would rather be killed then have to spend the rest of his life with his own thoughts.

"You're going to lock me in a prison forever?" He braces his hands on the concrete wall, as if he can push through it to escape.

"Well, that depends on you," Maria says. "Where is this weapon you've been working on?"

Tai goes silent for a long moment. "Mother..."

"Tell me. And I'll consider upgrading your conditions." he gestures into the pitiful state that is the cell he is in now. He will be moved from Zavian's property eventually, but I can't imagine anywhere else he would go would be much better, unless he decided to take his mother's offer.

He backs away from the bars of the cell, leaning against the wall before slumping down onto the floor, all hope having been stolen away.

"It's already in the Scarlet Province. I can write the address down for you," he mutters.

"Well done Tai. This is the start to you now doing the right thing," Maria murmurs.

I can see the pain in her eyes as she turns away before any emotion can show. This is hurting her, badly. I understand, because seeing Tai like this does hurt.

Part of me wonders what else I could have done. Maybe I could have stopped this before it got out of hand, before he started to lose his mind. I may not have been able to save his brother, but had his mind not been lured into gaining more power, he may have been able to lead a happy life.

I just hope one day, he will be able to.

Tentatively, I approach his cell. "I'll see you again, Tai. When you're ready."

"Have a nice life, Akara." He doesn't even look up at me.

Everything wants me to stay there, to say something more to comfort him, but there's no point.

So, summoning a deep breath, knowing I'm sure I will see him again in my lifetime, I turn and walk with Marek up the stairs, leaving Tai behind.

🧡••🧡

Remember that you can always find this story 10 chapters ahead on Radish (:

You will find it under King's Possession Season Three!!

~Midika 🐼💜