CHAPTER 31: DESTINY

The Queen arrived along with Lyra.... Lyra stepped in first, her head slightly bowed as she was still caught between excitement and nervousness. The Queen followed, her presence commanding as always, her long robe trailing behind her. Piper and Chloe, who had been waiting in the grand foyer, dropped into respectful bows.

"Your Grace," Piper said firmly, rising after the bow, "we did not dare touch him again until you had seen it for yourself. The result was... unlike anything I have ever known."

The Queen’s gaze shifted toward Ian, who stood awkwardly by the side, still slightly annoyed at being treated like a curiosity. "You dare to tell me such an outrageous thing," she said coolly, her voice carrying no emotion. "Lyra claims the same. Now I will see it with my own eyes."

Ian raised his hands slightly, almost defensively. "Look, I already did what you people asked. The orb glowed like a rainbow on fire, or however you’d put it. But if it makes everyone happy, I’ll touch it again. Though, I’m telling you now, I don’t understand a thing about what’s going on."

The Queen ignored his casual tone and gestured toward Piper. "Bring the orb. Place it before him."

Piper moved quickly, carrying the crystalline orb with both hands as though it were sacred. She set it on the pedestal in the middle of the chamber, its faint shimmer already visible in the dim light of the room. "Place your hands upon it again, Lord Ian," she instructed.

Ian sighed, muttering under his breath, "Lord Ian, Emperor Ian, heir to this, heir to that... feels like I walked into some bad fantasy novel." He stepped forward anyway, stretching out his hands and pressing them against the cool, smooth surface.

At once, the orb flared to life. A pulse of light surged from within, and the colors began to swirl...red, blue, green, white, gold, violet...each one shining brilliantly before fading into the next. Then, as though unwilling to be separate, they blended together in a dazzling dance of hues that filled the chamber. The light spilled across the walls, painting the faces of all present in radiant shades.

Chloe gasped softly, clasping her hands together. "It is the same as before. No, stronger than before. Do you see it, Your Grace?"

The Queen did not answer immediately. She had braced herself for some display, yet even her composure faltered as she stood transfixed. Her eyes reflected the swirling lights, and for once, the steel in her voice softened ever so slightly. "Impossible... and yet it is before me."

Ian turned his head, watching her reaction with a half-smile. "So, I guess this is the part where everyone bows and calls me the chosen one, right? Or do I get a medal or something?"

The Queen’s eyes snapped back to him, the brief marvel in her expression replaced once more with her usual control. "Do not jest at this moment, my lord. What you carry within you is not a toy, nor is it a title to be mocked. This is a burden greater than you understand."

Ian let out a low chuckle, though his nervousness was evident. "Yeah, well, story of my life so far."

The Queen folded her hands together, studying Ian with a searching look that made him shift uncomfortably. "I was prepared to find exaggeration, perhaps even deception. But the truth is shining in front of me, whether I welcome it or not."

Ian glanced at the glowing orb, then back at her. "So... what does that mean for me, exactly? Because right now I’d settle for a decent explanation."

The Queen drew in a slow breath, her gaze never leaving his. "It means, Lord Ian, that fate has delivered us something unheard of. And whether you accept it or not, your existence will change everything."

"So, am I going to get a straight answer now? Or do I just keep guessing while everyone stares?"

The Queen finally exhaled, steadying herself before she spoke. "Even I cannot fully explain this, Lord Ian. In all the history of our empire, in all the centuries of recorded awakenings, nothing like this has ever been seen. One element is common, two is rare. But all of them..." Her voice trailed off, her tone thick with a mix of awe and unease.

Chloe leaned forward slightly, her expression still glowing with excitement. "Your Majesty, it must mean something divine. Perhaps the gods themselves have touched him."

Piper, however, frowned. Her arms were crossed tightly, her tone clipped. "Or perhaps it means danger. No one can contain so many forces at once without consequence. It is not natural."

Ian threw up his hands. "Finally, someone says it. That’s what I’ve been thinking this whole time. You make it sound like I’m either some miracle or a walking disaster waiting to happen. Which one is it?"

The Queen’s gaze cut to him, and her voice lowered to something sharper, more deliberate. "Both."

Ian blinked. "Both? You can’t just say both like that. That doesn’t help at all."

She stepped toward him then, her face illuminated by the lingering shimmer of the orb. "Listen to me carefully, my lord. You carry inside you a potential that even I cannot measure. And that potential is laced with a bloodline that has already brought ruin before. Do you understand what that means?"

He tilted his head slightly, still trying to keep his nerves hidden under a thin layer of sarcasm. "That I should probably stay away from sharp objects and crowded places?"

The Queen’s jaw tightened, but instead of snapping at him, she let the weight of her words fall. "It means you could become the salvation this world has waited for, or its greatest terror. The madness in the blood of redheads...your blood...cannot be ignored. Power without balance consumes. That is why those who came before you fell."

Ian’s smirk faltered. He stared down at his hands, still tinged with faint color from the orb. "You’re saying I could... lose myself. Go insane. Hurt people. Just because of how I was born."

Chloe quickly shook her head, her tone gentle. "Not if you are guided, my lord. That is why the Queen brought you here. That is why she risked so much to keep your secret."

The Queen nodded, her expression hardening again as she took control of the room. "We must cultivate you. Slowly. Carefully. You cannot be allowed to wield your power without discipline. Not even a fraction of it. If you stumble, if you allow anger or arrogance to rule you, the world will pay for it."

He met her gaze, his sarcasm stripped away for once. His voice was quieter when he answered. "Yeah. I hear you. I just don’t know if I like what I’m hearing."

The Queen’s eyes softened slightly, though her voice remained steady. "Whether you like it or not is irrelevant. You were born into this bloodline. And now you are awakened. We cannot undo it. All we can do is guide it, or it will consume you."

Ian let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. "So basically, I’m stuck with it. No going back. Just training and hoping I don’t lose my mind."

"Not hoping," the Queen corrected firmly. "Ensuring. That is why you will be groomed, taught, and tested until you can bear the weight of it without faltering. This is not a choice, my lord. It is necessity."

Ian chuckled dryly, though there was no humor in it this time. "Figures. Destiny doesn’t ask, does it? It just shows up, wrecks your plans, and tells you to deal with it."

The Queen inclined her head ever so slightly. "You are beginning to understand."