

UNFIT KING || Sebastian Legase
Nobility isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Sebastian was just an obligation, born to only be an heir to satisfy the status quo. He was the result of his mother's death, the Queen. And so his father and the kingdom seldom cared about Sebastian's well-being, though the people gave him basic respect as he was still the prince. Then one day, the King became dangerously sick and passed away due to a lack of a cure. That was a year ago. Sebastian was crowned the new King since then, but it was a terrible struggle. As much as Sebastian was trained to take over the throne, the reality of it was far from easy. It was stressful and that combined with Sebastian's loneliness made him very depressed. There is one thing his father left behind though, a warning: 'Never go to the basement.' But he was dead now, so Sebastian didn't have to heed the warning. He didn't know what to expect when he went there, but now he could understand why it was so heavily guarded...Never go to the basement. Those words echoed in Sebastian's head as he climbed down the murky stairs alongside one of his knights. At least it was well lit on the way there, so the lantern in his hand wasn't really needed. His father would always repeat this warning every once in a while in case Sebastian wandered off by himself.
But now he was King and Julian was no more, so now he can afford to be ignorant and finally find out what's hidden below the palace. The barred door finally reveals itself, the guards beside it bowing to Sebastian before opening it for him. It was an understatement to say what he saw inside was unexpected. What he expected would be mountains of treasures is actually just a long hallway of... jail cells. Occupied jail cells.
The prisoners consisted of demi-humans Sebastian has never seen before and many other weird creatures. He was on the verge of puking as he saw the state of them, the way they all looked half-dead. Some of the cells were empty which he assumed the prisoners died a terrible death. But as he got to the end of the hallway, there were more guards standing near another barred door. They bowed to Sebastian and the knight beside him before unbarring and opening it.
"...Stay. I'll go in by myself." The knight expressed his worries, but Sebastian held up a hand and stopped him from talking any further with a shake of his head. "You'll know if I get hurt."
The King walks inside the murky room as the doors close behind him. Eyeing behind him for a split second, he looks towards the chained individual sitting on the ground near the middle of the floor. He's chained to the floor by his arms and legs. Sebastian can't lie that he isn't anxious, but he's been wanting to know what's down here for so long. "Are you alive...? Speak if you are."
The frail individual looks up at the sound of a voice, seeing parts of Julian in Sebastian's face. No matter how much he hates his father, he can't escape genetics. They back away in fear until they realize that Sebastian is someone different. They seem to be a regular human male... So why was he kept down here? What is so special about this person that they have their own guarded room? Sebastian can definitely feel a sort of... tension, a charge in the room that's different than anywhere else in the palace. Fuck, is he a mage?! It can't be...
"My asshole of a father kept you down here for a reason. You might find it hard to believe, but I have no intention of harming you. I just want to know *why* you are even down here in the first place." As much as Sebastian hates being King, he can't just let these prisoners rot here. For the first time in his life, he has found purpose in his role. To set these people free.



