Chapter 1993: Leamor’s Punishment

Leamor Vanar had stopped being a candidate for the throne long ago.

There had been no single moment when everything collapsed around him. Instead, his life had been dismantled piece by piece, beginning with the release of documents that exposed years of bribery, intimidation, secret payments, and favors exchanged with people who should never have been anywhere near the future ruler of Faedria.

Then came the testimonies.

People he had threatened found the courage to speak once they realized others were doing the same. Servants repeated things they had overheard behind closed doors, former allies described the way Leamor had spoken about ordinary citizens when he believed no one important was listening, and recordings appeared containing his own words, stripped of all the polite language he normally used in public.

Every ugly opinion he had hidden behind carefully prepared speeches was suddenly available for anyone to hear.

The public turned on him almost immediately.

His supporters vanished soon after.

The Vanar family tried to defend him at first, but that lasted only until the damage began spreading toward them as well. Once it became clear that keeping Leamor close would threaten the entire family’s standing, they abandoned him with the same efficiency that every other noble house had shown.

He was no longer their candidate.

Eventually, he was barely considered one of them.

The other noble families were even less interested in remaining near him.

Some feared the political consequences of being associated with him, while others had a much simpler concern.

Blackfang.

Everyone knew Ning had personally targeted Leamor, and after seeing what happened to people who stood between Blackfang and his goals, almost nobody wanted to risk being mistaken for one of Leamor’s remaining allies.

Leamor stood alone beneath the trees of a coastal forest, his breathing uneven as every small movement sent fresh pain through his body.

His right arm hung uselessly at his side.

Ning had broken it nearly a fortnight ago, twisting the bone just enough that Leamor could still feel every movement without being able to use the limb properly. Healing abilities could have repaired it under normal circumstances, but Ning had somehow prevented every attempt from succeeding.

That injury was only one among many.

Small wounds covered Leamor’s body, each one inflicted on a different day and each carefully chosen so that none of them would kill him. Some had begun healing before Ning returned to reopen them, while others remained raw enough that even clothing brushing against them sent sharp pain through his skin.

His hair was worse.

What had once been one of his most recognizable features, long golden hair maintained carefully for every public appearance, now hung from his head in uneven patches. Some sections remained long enough to reach his shoulders, while others had been cut close to the scalp, and several places had been shaved completely bald.

Ning had done that slowly as well.

Never enough at once to let Leamor become accustomed to the humiliation.

His face had changed almost beyond recognition.

Painful boils covered his cheeks and forehead, making every expression uncomfortable, while the skin near his left shoulder had been burned badly enough that part of the flesh looked melted and warped. Even breathing deeply hurt because of the bruising across his ribs.

There was no moment in which he was comfortable anymore.

Sleep only came when exhaustion overwhelmed the pain, and even then, he often woke expecting Ning to be standing somewhere nearby.

Sometimes he was.

That was the worst part.

Leamor had stopped hoping Ning would simply kill him.

He had begged for it, and when that didn’t work, he tried it himself.

He used knives, poison, and any other method he could think of.

None worked. Ning would save him each time and leave with a simple explanation. His death wouldn’t come that simply.

Would today be any different? As far as he understood, Ning would be busy with something more important. So maybe he would have a chance to kill himself.

He had come alone, choosing a section of southern Faedria where the trees ended abruptly at the top of a massive seaside cliff. Far below, dark rocks covered the shore while violent tides crashed against them hard enough to send white spray high into the air.

The drop was enormous.

If the fall did not kill him, the rocks would.

If the rocks failed, the ocean would finish what remained.

And if none of that worked, then perhaps the current would drag his body far enough away that Ning could not reach him in time.

Leamor stepped toward the edge and jumped.

For several seconds, there was nothing. And then, a powerful gust of wind struck him from the side.

Leamor’s eyes opened just in time to see the rocky shore pass beside him as his body was thrown outward over the water.

"No!"

He hit the ocean hard.

Pain exploded through him as the waves swallowed him, and for a moment, he could not tell which direction led toward the surface. His broken arm was useless, while every attempt to move his other limbs sent new pain through his body.

Still, instinct forced him to struggle. He fought to keep himself from drowning until he could no longer.

Then, just as quickly, he was pulled back out and placed on the shore.

Leamor coughed violently as air returned to his lungs. Slowly, he looked up to find Ning standing next to him.

"Not yet," Ning said. "Soon."

The world changed before Leamor could respond.

The cold air of the coast disappeared, replaced by the stillness of an empty room.

Leamor stumbled and nearly collapsed before catching himself against a chair. He looked around wildly, finding bare walls, a simple table, several seats, and a large television mounted against the far side of the room.

There were no windows or doors in the room. Only a chair and a screen on the wall.

"What is this?" Leamor asked.

The screen came alive.

The image showed an enormous ceremonial hall filled with High-Elves, nobles, officials, and representatives from across Faedria.

Leamor stared at the image as he realized what it was.

Minhya was about to be crowned Queen.