The sun came up over Valtheris. It did not bring any warmth.
The city was big and hard like stone. Its light did not make the stone feel any softer.
The capital city of Valtheris was huge and it did not yield to anyone its towers went up into the sky like blades.
Banners of red and gold were hanging from the walls of the city they were not moving in the still air of the morning.
At the center of the city was the hall.
This was the place where power did not have to be loud.
Because the power was total.
The big doors of the royal hall opened.
They opened at the time.
Captain Varik walked into the hall.
He was alone.
His footsteps were echoing off the marble floor as the guards stood still on both sides of him.
They were watching him.
They were measuring him.
At the end of the hall was the throne.
The King of Valtheris was sitting on the throne.
The Queen, Elen was sitting beside him.
She looked calm. Collected she was wearing royal silk and she had a quiet authority about her.
You could not see the girl she used to be, at not from the outside.
Captain Varik stopped at a distance from the throne.
He went down on one knee. Lowered his head.
"My King " he said.
The king told him to report.
The king's voice was calm and controlled it was the kind of voice that did not need to be loud to be in charge.
Captain Varik lifted his head a bit.
"We found the Third Princess of Kaelmyra near the town of Durnholde " he said.
The hall was quiet.
People were paying close attention.
The princess was with three guards and one other person Captain Varik said.
He stopped for a moment.
Then he said, "The other person had a weapon that was manifested on the symbol on his right hand."
This changed something in the air.
You could not see it. You could feel it.
The king leaned forward a bit.
"Go on." he said.
Captain Varik told them everything.
He told them about the fight. How the soldiers were not killed.
"He breaks my soldiers' swords and he didn't even kill them." he said.
The king asked Captain Varik what he thought.
Captain Varik did not wait.
"I think it was him my king…" he said.
The hall was quiet.
The words that Captain Varik said were like something that should not have been said.
"The Hero." Captain Varik said.
The king did not change his face away.
He tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne.
It was a movement but it was on purpose.
"Are you sure that was him?" he asked.
Captain Varik said, "Yes, my king, no one could ever tell that was not him after seeing the holy crest symbol on his right hand."
The king leaned back in his throne.
"Leave us." he said.
Captain Varik waited for a fraction of a second.
Then he bowed.
"I will do as you say, my king." he said.
He stood up. Turned around.
Then he walked out of the hall.
The doors closed behind him.
Now two people were left in the hall.
The King of Valtheris and his Queen.
The silence between them was long and heavy.
"You heard what he said." the king said.
The queen did not say anything away.
She was looking ahead.
Her face was not moving.
"Yes, my dear." she said quietly.
Her voice was steady.
It was perfectly controlled.
Her hands were tight.
They were resting on her lap. You could see that they were tight.
The king said, "People often talk about the dead coming back in stories, but it all of those stories are fairy tales that are not real."
The queen looked down.
Just for a moment.
"I saw it on my own eyes, we killed him after he slay the demon king." she said.
The king looked at her.
He was sharp and interested.
"That sounds like, you are sure of what you are claiming." he said.
The queen looked up again.
She was calm.
She was collected.
"Then I guess we have to kill him again." she said.
The king was quiet.
He was studying her.
He was not looking at her like a husband.
He was looking at her like something more dangerous.
"If it is really him…" he said, "Then everything will change."
The queen did not say anything.
Because she already knew.
She was thinking about something that happened a time ago.
It was a town. It was a sunny day. There was a boy who did not look like a hero. He became one anyway. She had made a promise to him. It was a promise. It was not said loud. Then she broke it.
The king stood up. He was moving slowly. "Get ready " he said.
He stepped down from his throne.
Each movement was measured.
"If the Hero is alive…" he said, "Then he is not a memory that we reminisce anymore. He is a threat."
The queen closed her eyes.
Just for a moment.
In that moment of darkness, she saw him.
Not as a legend.
Not, as a weapon.
As he was before everything happened.
Then she opened her eyes.
"We should not think that he is not a problem." she said.
The king smiled a bit.
"I never think that he is." he said.
Outside the royal hall the city was moving like it always did.
People did not know what was happening.
Beneath the surface things were changing.
Orders were being given.
Messengers were getting ready.
Armies were moving.
Plans were being made.
Because the truth was out.
The Hero was alive.
This time Valtheris would not make the same mistake again.