Munir couldn’t sleep last night; anyone in his position would be the same. Whatever Azar had in that wooden box would lead him to the treasure. All night, Azar’s voice kept ringing in his ears. The treasure that Azar promised Munir, power and love, was too much for a young heart to bear. He would be lying if he said he never imagined what it would be like to be king. But most importantly for him, it would mean that Munir could have the princess' love. Since the day Munir met her, he had been starstruck by her beauty and kindness, but he could never tell her how he felt. She was the princess, and he was no royalty; this was never meant to be. And she never once treated him any more than a friend. For a long time, Munir hoped that it would be enough, just to be on her side, watching her be happy, hoping that one day those feelings would fade away. But the more Munir grew, the more his heart tightened every time he thought about the future where Elizabeth wasn’t in it. And now, all of that could change. If he took the treasure, he would become king, he could finally express his love for her, and finally, he could have what his heart always wanted.

When the morning sun's light finally pushed the darkness away, Munir couldn’t wait. He immediately put on his finest clothes and most exquisite jewelry and marched to the castle. There was one person he wanted to meet the most during a time like this.

**********************

“I’ll take this to father ….” The princess of Avalon, Elizabeth Leon, personally went to the kitchen and picked up a food tray. After the leak, Henry fired all of the servants around him. He became increasingly paranoid, fearing that anyone and everyone was a spy. At one point, he even thought his wife was plotting against him by poisoning his food.

The king, her father, hadn’t eaten anything for days, fearing an assassination. Finally, he was too scared to even drink a drop of water.

Knocking on the door, Elly called out.

“Father ! It’s me, open up ! I have something for you !”

“Did Geralt give you the report ?!”. The king quickly opened the door and answered, but Elly could hardly recognize the man standing before her. The king looked more like a sleepless madman than the person who Elly called father. Henry had lost so much weight in the last few days that his cheekbone was clearly visible, hair turning gray, the dark circles underneath his eyes, the long deep wrinkles running on his forehead and the slight trembling in his fingers due to days without a proper meal.

“No, he hasn’t …” Elly smiled faintly, putting the small tray of food forward. “But I brought you breakfast. I thought we could share it together, … like we used to.”

“Thanks darling …”. The king kissed his daughter on her forehead. “Another time alright, dad is busy at the moment.”. Henry took the tray and put it on the table.

“Father, you haven’t eaten or slept for at least three days. Please look after your health.”

“I know … I know … Things are just a little crazy right now, but daddy will handle them, I promise ….”

“Dad, stop !” She held her father's arm tightly. “Please, don’t listen to this madness! The Holy Grail ?! Just because someone could find it doesn’t mean they will automatically become king !”

“You’re still too young to understand, Elly.” Henry sighed, padding her on the head. “It doesn’t matter if it is real or not. It’s only a means for them to betray us. The Holy Grail would give them the perfect opportunity to stir up a war, and the people, those who blindly listen to legend, will support them no matter what.”

“If they rebel, you and your mom will all be in danger. And I won’t let that happen !”. Henry gently held his daughter's hands. “I know, I’m not that strong or brave, … I’m not the hero that you should admire. But promise, I will do everything to protect our family !”.

…

The princess stepped out of the room with a smile on her face. And as she strolled through the halls and passed the servants and her subjects, that smile and the calm, cool demeanor in her eyes never faded. But there was something odd about her; they could tell her pace was off. She walked much faster than normal, not to the point of someone in a hurry, but obvious enough for everyone to spot. When the door behind her was closed, and only silence filled her bedroom, Elizabeth stumbled to the ground, crying. She put her hand on her mouth and nose, trying desperately to stop the noise, begging herself to stop sobbing … to no prevail. The princess cried her eyes out alone until her tears ran out.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Someone was at her door. Whoever it was, they could not have come at a worse moment. Elly quickly wiped off her tears, forcing herself to smile and answered the door.

“Hello, princess.” A kind and charming voice greeted her, Munir. If it was anyone else, she would have told them to return to where they came from, but not a dear old friend.

“If you’re not too busy, how about we take a walk …”. Munir’s warm and sincere companionship might be just what she needed, … or so she thought.

Passed the halls filled with servants and noisy nobles, Munir and the princess reached the peaceful garden, where the sky was clear, the birds were humming their songs, and the winds were soothing the soul.

“The guide must be giving you quite a headache these days.”. The princess’s warm smile and soft feminine voice always made Munir’s heart race. It beat so fast and loud that Munir was always afraid that the princess could hear it when she was close to him.

“Nothing compares to what you’re going through …”. Munir asked sincerely. “I know that you must have heard this a lot but … How are you doing ?”.

And for that, Munir was wrong. He was, in fact, the first person to show her any genuine care since the cursed day of the lightning bolt. Everyone she met so far only wanted to know about her father's condition or, better yet, if she knew anything valuable for them to use against her and her father.

“It’s just like him to say so.” The princess thought to herself. For the years she and Munir had been friends, he had shown her nothing but kindness; this time proved to be no different.

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Elly shook her head slightly, “Everything is going to be ok ….”

“The world is going crazy by the day …”. Munir sighed, “ It’s crazy isn’t it, anyone could be king. Just imagine what a world that would be !”.

Then Munir asked the question that he soon regretted.

“Can you imagine, if I was to be king ?”. Munir asked with clear enthusiasm in his tone, wanting Elly to reply to him with encouraging words.

The princess paused for a moment, a frown creasing her smooth brow.

“You’re not ready to be king, Munir ….”

And like that, all of his enthusiasm was shattered.

“Ok, perhaps I’m a little young to be king but _.”

“Why do you want to be king ?!”. Munir had almost forgotten those eyes; it had been years since he experienced them. Elizabeth was no longer talking to Munir as a friend but as the princess of Avalon.

“What do you mean everybody dreams of being king _.”

“I’m not asking whether you want to be king ? I’m asking you why !?”. Her emerald eyes made even the bitter snow feel like boiling water. “Do you even know what it takes to be king ?”.

“Do you feel like someone just stabs you in the gut when you see your people suffer ?”

“Can you sleep comfortably at night, knowing that your people are starving ?”

“Everyone always imagines how great it would feel to be king, what they would do with their new wealth and power.”. Munir was almost twice the princess’ size, but standing in front of her at that moment, he felt like a leaf facing a hurricane. “They never ONCE think about what they could do for the country ! They never ONCE think about anyone else but themself !”.

“So Munir, rather than asking people, what kind of a king you would be ? Ask yourself first, why are you doing this ? Are you doing it for the kingdom, for its people !? Or are you doing it for power and the wealth that comes with it ?!”.

“Who are you truly doing this for !!!??”. The princess stared into his eyes.

With eyes like daggers stabbing Munir’s in the heart, voice like a blizzard, freezing his skin, the princess treated Munir like how she would treat any stranger, cold, bitter, relentless…

When their gazes finally met, Munir truly understood the difference between people like him, wealthy and nobles, to those of royalty. The way she talked, the way she reacted, she still maintained her elegance and gracefulness, but her words were sharp, cutting Munir deeper than any blade. He had to turn away from her breathtaking eyes; any longer, Munir wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure.

“I’m sorry, that was a silly question …”.

Unsurprisingly, Munir's time with the princess was cut short for obvious reasons. She was clearly no longer in the mood to talk, while he was too ashamed to continue.

Entering his room, Munir first came across a giant golden-plated mirror. And he almost couldn’t recognize the person in the mirror. Jewels all over his neck and fingers, his clothes alone cost more than a family of farmers could make in their lifetime, and yet, on his face was bitterness and anger. All that money and status, yet he was still unhappy, … he wanted something else, ... someone else ... even more than money. And he couldn’t get what he wanted just by being himself.

Munir walked to where he hid Azar’s wooden box and opened it…

…

The sun had risen again, signaling another new day had arrived in Tolemac. But that morning, everything was quiet. So unfamiliar to the people who had become accustomed to the noise and chaos from the royals of Tolemac. And everyone was afraid of that unknowing moment of peace and silence, waiting for the wicked to come knocking on their door… But nothing ever came.

“Your majesty !” General Geralt bowed, urgently presenting himself in front of the king. “There is someone here calling for a meeting with you. He said he knew where Holy Grail was !”

Like a tidal wave, Henry and the General rushed to the unknown man, alone. Up on the Hightower, someone was already waiting for their arrival.

“Greeting your majesty !”

“Munir !?!?”. Sitting comfortably in front of the king, with a faint smile on his face, wearing luxurious blue silk clothing, Munir greeted the king with a small wooden box in his hand.

“How did you _” Henry immediately asked.

“Does it really matter ?” Munir put the box forward. “Or do you want the treasure ?”.

“What do you want in return ?” the king and Geralt sat down. “And before you say anything that would make me cut your tongue, my daughter is out of the question !”

“What ?!!!” Munir almost choked. “I would never !”.

“Well, forgive me for speculating that the young boy, who has been fantasizing about my daughter since the first day you laid eyes on her_.”

“NO !”

“Alright then, tell me your price ….”

“Nothing, I’m giving it to you !”. Munir directed their attention to the wooden box. “Just take it ….”

“No !” Geral and the king quickly responded. “We weren’t born yesterday. If we don’t have something to give back to you right now, then we will owe you, and I don’t like where that could lead.”

“I won’t ask you for anything, just take it !”. Munir coldly said.

“You’re giving me the key to the treasure and expect me to believe you want nothing in return ?”

“You have ... you will ...”.

Both Henry and Geralt tilted their head sideway.

“You’re right. I do have feelings for the princess.”. Before the king’s eyes could drill a hole through his head, Munir quickly added, “That’s why I don’t want her to suffer like this. To see her own father losing himself, it will destroy her ….”

Munir left the wooden box behind, “You better hurry, the others are also given the same piece as you do right about … now !”

“You told the others about this !”. Henry shouted in a fury.

“No, my people are selling it.” Munir waved. “You better hurry, you don’t want to be second !”.

No time to be angry with Munir, not without risking his own throne, the king took the box and ran out of the room.

*************************

When the sun was high, the air felt like a scorching desert; soldiers marched from all corners of the city. They came from all factions, nobles, the councils, and even the king himself. They were all heading to one exact location.

“It’s quite noble of you to return the box to me.”. Azar told the young human sitting next to him.

“You're playing a dangerous game, I hope you understand that.”. Munir stood up and walked to an old dirty glass window. “They are all coming here for the treasure. And for your sake, I hope you got it.”

“The number seemed to be a lot more than what I asked for. There must be at least 20 of them coming here.” Azar smiled, scratching his chin. “And what is this I heard, you selling the information to every faction you could reach, earning yourself a good amount of fortune.”

“It’s not what you think _.”

“Please, no need to explain.” Azar clapped his hands slowly. “A matter of fact, I felt proud. That’s a smart move from your end. Exactly the cut throat business decision I would hope to see from someone like you. I’m glad I wasn’t disappointed.”

“I’m just following your order, using my connection to spread the words.”. Munir shrugged.

“And when did I tell you to sell the information for a mountain of gold ?” Azar grinned. “And telling them at the exact same time, not letting them a second to think otherwise. All of that ?”

“That’s simply a happy coincidence.”. Munir smiled back.

“But you didn’t charge the king, did you !?”.

“So ? I didn’t have the balls to blackmail the current king of Avalon, some would argue that means I’m not insane.”. Munir cracked a joke, trying to steer the topic.

“How unfortunate, he would have given you a hefty treasure for what you offer ….”

“Do I look like I need more gold and silver !?”

“Not all treasures are gold and silver, Munir.” Azar smiled, and Munir knew right away what he meant.

“I would never do such a thing, not to her …”. Munir shook his head slightly. “If she could ever love me, then I want her to love me for who I am, not what I am. She was right, being a king, that’s not me, I’m not fit to be king.”

“You’re right. You are not fit to be king.” Azar said clearly, then whispered faintly, “Not … yet….”.

Before Munir could catch those words, the rattle from nearby disturbed their conversation.

“They are arriving !”. Azar stood up. “You should go; things may get a little out of hand.”

Munir nodded, but before leaving, he said to Azar.

“I don’t know what you are about to do. But please think it through, make sure you don’t live to regret it.”

“How surprising, showing kindness to those who yesterday you were still cursing their names.”

“We make mistakes, that’s part of being human. And the greater we are the bigger our mistakes become. It’s easy and tempting to purely punish those who made mistakes, and they should be punished. But it’s also important to give them another chance to learn from their lessons, to become someone better, to right their wrong.”

“You speak so simple, like everyone could just forget what they have done.”

“No one can erase the past. Their crimes will be with them forever. No one can force you to forgive or forget about it, but you could learn to move on, perhaps even give them a chance to redeem themself. If I never had a second chance, … have someone to help me ...”. Munir looked at his left arm, “Do you think I could still be here ?”.

The noise kept getting louder and louder, to the point of Azar hearing the humans’ breathing.

“Just go …” Azar told Munir coldly.

….

Azar slowly walked down the old stone stairway covered in gray moss and dust, smelling like dead insects. Who would have guessed that one day some of the most powerful people in Avalon would lose their whole fortune just to be the first to step foot in this old and abandoned bell tower. Finally, Azar got to the front door. An old wooden door, barely able to hold itself together, now had to hold off against the king of Avalon and the rest. Azar stood behind the door and waited, and just as he expected, shouts were the first to stir the air, then came half-hearted excuses, and finally came the threatenings. Only when Azar could sense the tension rising to a critical point did he finally decide to reveal himself.

The door burst open, and the first thing that caught Azar’s eyes were Royal Guards standing in front of the door, stopping anyone from entering, Henry’s army, no doubt.

“I could never imagine the day when one of my most trusted councilmen would betray me like this, Phillip.” Henry wasted no time accusing everyone.

“I don’t understand, your majesty. I’m just taking a stroll, a nice simple walk on such a wonderful morning.”. Harry Phillip replied with such a nonchalant and taunting tone that it was clear he didn’t pay any respect to Henry anymore. Soon the rest followed his example, talking back to the current king with minimum care and respect.

“Ah yes, a stroll, with dozens of armed soldiers behind you !?”. Henry stared into their eyes and spoke loudly. But his words did not disturb them, not even a little. Instead, they all gradually stepped forward, weapons ready to be drawn. They all came prepared with weapons, mages, and plans for battle. Everyone was out for themself.

CLAP ! CLAP ! CLAP !

Azar clapped slowly but loudly, making sure everyone immediately focused on him.

“As much as I love watching you all kill each other.”. Azar smiled brightly as if he was greeting his dearest friends. “But before you burn all your bridges, wouldn’t you want to see what you’re fighting for first ?”.

Henry was the first to draw his sword, “Did you already have it ?”. The others soon drew their weapons toward Azar as well.

“Leave your men behind, dear king and nobles.” Azar calmly replied. “Follow me, I will lead you to where your treasure is.”

“Who are you !? And how do we know we’re not heading into a trap !?”. Harry Philips spoke even louder than the king, pointing his spear straight at Azar.

“Who am I …”. Azar gradually walked toward Philips. And even though weapons were drawn and soldiers were blocking his patch, as soon as Azar got close, they all stepped back. “Do you think you’re in any position to make any sort of demand ? Poor old Phillips ?!”

“I have lost your wealth buying that piece of the puzzle from Munir’s guide, didn’t you ?” Azar smirked, “Don’t try to hide it. I was the one the leaked the information in the first place ….”

“You _ !!!”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Philips,” Azar looked toward his soldiers. “And if you think you can take on me, the only one that can lead you to the treasure, then you can answer to the rest of them !”. Azar spoke loudly.

“I’m certainly very thankful to those who help me when such matters come !”. Then Azar lightly shoved the spear away and spoke directly to Philips. “And even if they don’t, do you truly believe that any of you here have what it takes to kill me ?”.

A wide and taunting grin sent shivers down everyone's spine. Anyone who could act like Azar was either crazy, powerful, or both; in this case, they were afraid he was the latter.

“Your people stay behind ... only those who seek power follow me …” Azar walked back to the bell tower. No one dared stand in his way.

Everyone took one careful look at each other. In the end, only 10 followed through and entered the old building. That meant there was no return; entering the old bell tower meant they would be directly opposing the king, no way of denying it anymore.

“Only half of you enter ? I’m surprised at your lack of ambition …”. Azar taunted the others.

Of course, Henry wasn’t having a blast walking among those who betrayed him publicly.

They all followed Azar until they reached the top.

“We’re here.” Azar simply told them. Looking around, nothing was there, a big old copper bell, 3 out of 4 fronts were blocked by other buildings, only one remained clear, giving a good view of Tolemac.

“What are you talking about? Where is the Holy Grail !?”. Philips was the first to ask, and the others soon joined in.

“Like I said, it’s right here. If you find it, ít’s yours !” Azar smirked. They quickly scattered to all corners of the room, flipping tables, knocking down old walls, anything they could get their hands on, like hungry dogs digging for their lost bones. The only reason why they did not start chiming down their competitions was simply because Azar was still standing there. He was foreseeing them with a cruel smile on his lips, arm crossed firmly and keeping a respectable distance between himself and the rest. After the first few minutes of relentless searching, they started to get frustrated, with no treasure to be found. And the first to stop blindly chasing the unknown and look up was Henry, the king himself. Once Henry met Azar’s judgmental’s eyes, he knew something was wrong. Azar did not have that characteristic look in his eyes anymore, no taunting arrogance, no berserker fire, no frostiness of Death’s door. At that exact moment, the human felt pure undeniable sadness in Azar’s eyes.

Azar also caught the human king’s gaze, then turned his head toward the opened window. Henry took that as a signal and followed Azar's lead, and once he saw what Azar was looking at, it was like all of the pent-up rages and fear just left his body. His emerald eyes widened, then suddenly closed with tears running down his face.

It did not take long for the rest to follow the same. Then, one by one, the humans gave up whatever they were doing and stood next to Azar and Henry to see what they saw.

“I don’t get it !? Where is the Holy Grail ?!!!!” Philips shouted loudly.

Azar shook his head slightly and calmly replied to the human with a smirk, “No Grail, just your treasure …”.

“What !!!??”. Philips turned to the others, and it was clear to him that the only one still out of the 'know' was himself. But whatever could it be? Right at the moment, in front of Philips, there was only a view of Tolemac, The Citlali.