Sion kept his gaze fixed on the king as he continued circling him and his eyes narrowed. He knew he could not do anything reckless, especially with the position he was currently in; he needed to be careful, since he had no friend or support—he was all alone.
He looked around at the intense gazes following him, especially the nobles that were supporters of the throne, ones that had more power and say about what happened in the palace and what did not.
He met the king's gaze as he came to a stop in front of him and Sion's brows furrowed as he waited for him to speak.
"You were not the one we intended to summon. But the gods or something worse than them chose you. The magic was not wrong, that much I know for sure; it simply answered a different call and I am usually always right when certain things are concerned, yet this time I had it wrong."
His eyes narrowed as he looked down and his aura around him flared, one that was mixed with red and purple, causing many of the others in the throne room to lower their gaze and Sion's eyes widened.
He felt the pressure coming off of him; it was only a small fraction of his power, but it was enough for Sion to know he was a real threat, one that he did not want to get on the bad side of at the time, since he was literally defenseless against him.
"I want to know what you are, what more you could be capable or if you are really just useless."
Sion turned slightly, not fully giving the king his back. "I don't know yet. But I plan to find out and I assure you I am not useless; if I were, I would not be alive right now."
The king studied him for a long moment, then gave a faint nod.
"Good. Then let us see if your purpose… aligns with mine. I will be giving you a task since I am building something and I am picking people to join an academy to be my personal well... Who knows what they will be in the future?"
Upon hearing his words, Sion's eyes narrowed, he had a feeling he was in trouble and he knew deep down what he was trying to say, yet he decided to wait and see where this would go.
"Now that that's been said, I won't pretend to know what you are yet," the king said. "But your arrival… It's disrupted more than just the ceremony that I had conducted yesterday. There are factions who see your presence as a threat, while other," he glanced at a few other nobles among the court. "...as an opportunity."
The nobles subtly dipped their head, expressions unreadable as they kept their gazes fixed on Sion, who did not even flinch and just kept on listening.
"But let me make one thing clear." The king's voice rang louder through the throne room. "This realm bows to no gods. Only to power."
The room was silent, yet heavy with unspoken words. That was something he already knew; it did not take much to see how corrupted everything was among these people and he did not like it one bit. It made him remember things that made him more than just uncomfortable from what he had seen in his previous life.
"You will remain under palace watch for now," the king continued. "Your existence must be… evaluated. If you prove yourself useful, you may yet earn a place. If not..." His tone sharpened. "We dispose of wild variables."
Sion did not flinch at his threat; he simply nodded with his eyes narrowed. He knew what he was doing and he would not show any sign of intimidation or weakness.
"I want answers just as much as you do," he replied. "I didn't ask to be brought here, but now that I am, I do not intend to run." His eyes swept across the nobles and mages, all watching him with veiled intentions. "I don't plan to be used by anyone, no matter who they may or may not be."
A ripple of quiet surprise moved through the throne room after they heard what he said to the king, not even flinching away. The king gave a short laugh.
"Very well. You'll have your answers; we all will in due time. But not all at once."
He turned to one of the mage-commanders. "Assign him quarters, one with my men, a quiet wing and get the paperwork ready for him to join the academy and the special unit. No special treatments unless I say so."
The mage nodded and gave Sion a cautious glance before stepping away to carry out the order, knowing that defying the king or adding a note was not an option; even if they did not like it, they had to remain quiet.
Just as Sion turned to follow the mage, another voice interrupted.
"Your Majesty, there is something that I would like to know, so if I may speak?" A dark-haired woman stepped forward, a high-ranking noble by her attire, though her eyes were sharper than most.
Without guessing much, Sion could tell she was an entitled noble who believed they were above anyone else. Though he was not about to address her, he would play his cards carefully.
The king raised an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed. "I hope you are about to speak something with sense, lady Irelva?"
"I assure you, I am and I apologize for the interruption. Why allow him to wander free at all? He could be a plant, a vessel, or a time-bomb sent from enemies. We know nothing of his origin, and he has already caused unrest," She said.
"Which is exactly why he will remain under the palace's eye," the king replied. "A leash is more effective than a cage and I suggest you think more next time about why and how I do things."
Lady Irelva studied Sion with cool scrutiny, then gave a reluctant nod.
Sion's gaze roamed over those by her side, knowing that his time here was not going to be easy and nobles like her would make it hell for him. Soon after, the guards approached to escort him out of the throne room.