#part 43

Take this thread, where the righteousness of choice and the pain of consequence and rot of forgiveness and stench of fear has taken us: to an abandoned kingdom of tormenting terror, its roots buried deep in the world of the dead. A place into which a mere mortal soul crashed into, cast by violence and cruelty… smelling of him who had made this place great.

A kingdom which is no longer abandoned.

A kingdom whose former king chose to return after that mortal soul was torn away, and has found his empty throne occupied.

Time in the Dark World does not run parallel to anything else. Time in the Dark World does not even run consistently with itself, so was it really a surprise, in this thread where it all went wrong, that the Once and Former King should find the human who gave him hope now exercising the lack of it?

Should find that human embodying the one choice he never wanted, the one choice he fought to prevent. The choice he sacrificed himself for, gave up his throne for , traded with the devil himself to eschew?

The King’s throne is occupied. There is a new king. A second king. A cruel king who gave up hope, who lost his on the edge of a sword and in the writhing of maggots, whose bitter and burnt choices drowned in the muck of uncountable fallen years.

Most give up, here. It is not surprising. And yet.

The Once and Former King knows how humans are: changeable. Malleable. They learn. They grow. Even this one, who has chosen the worst of himself and carved its map into his skin, can still grow. So the Once and Former King tells himself as he bows the knee, as he joins Arthur’s side, and shows this man how to be more cruel and more dark and more punitive, all for the opportunity to whisper in his ear, to dust off forgotten truth, to reminisce (as if making mere conversation) of what compassions there once were.

The Once and Former King believes this hope will take hold. He believes because it once took hold of him, buried its roots deep into his soul so that he recalled their scent when they bloomed, even in this worst of places. Though for now, the seeds he casts bounce off hardened ground, free for the birds to eat, leaving Arthur's soil unrooted.

It doesn't matter. He will not give up on this man. This is the thread where it all went wrong... but it does not to stay that way.

Arthur has already drowned.