Kitanna
Chapter 100: A FAULT IN THE RITUAL

Chapter 100: A FAULT IN THE RITUAL

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: MIRACLES IN DECEMBER CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA VERSION~ EXO]

Note ~ please read the notes on the comment session. Thank you.

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The next day finally arrived for the ritual. Khelan, who had not stepped out of his room since after the court session, was now being dressed by his maids. He wouldn’t lie if he said the news going around about his birth did not affect him. He couldn’t believe he was not truly the son of the former king, and it made him feel small and angry.

Back in the days, he was not concerned about the throne. He wanted to live outside the palace, thinking now that it was maybe because royal blood did not course through his veins that made him hate his origin. Khelan gritted his teeth as he was being dressed; he would prove to everyone, especially Kitanna, that he was capable of handling the throne. He won’t let his origin define him. Khelan made a mental motivation.

Asides from Khelan, every other person in the palace prepared for the ritual prayer. It was time for the heavenly beings to decide who was fit to sit on the throne. As the rumor of the king being a bastard and the princess losing her mind spread, everyone was sure that the throne was finally going to leave the grip of the Morgairs. Even the servants had prepared their minds to serve the new person who would be king.

Bareea, who had been offering prayers long before the day of the ritual arrived, went to the shrine again to pray so that her son’s father would retain the throne. She didn’t want to go back to being a maid or, even worse, thrown out of the palace.

Almaria and Deonisia were the first persons to arrive at the east palace where the ritual would take place. Their chins held up high; they already knew the outcome then they finally settled down.

Khelan arrived with his first concubine walking beside him. Bareea held her child snuggly on her bosom; it appeared that the boy was sleeping.

Larel stepped in next; she scanned the ground checking for the princess but she was not yet there. So Larel moved to sit on her own position. Several minutes passed, and Kitanna was yet to arrive.

"Do you think she finally lost it?" Almaria asked Deonisia in a hushed tone, a tinge of excitement laced in her voice.

"Shh... Let’s not rejoice...yet." And just as the words left Deonisia’s lips, Kitanna stepped in.

Unlike the rumor that was being carried around about her, she looked sound in mind and body. She turned to where the other five members of the royal family had seated. She cocked her head to the side and went to sit opposite them. It was a position she had arranged for herself already, and beside her was Nix.

Mubera finally climbed the podium; her shrine maids all wearing white with their faces covered in masks surrounded her. They took out their bells and bowls filled with fruits and salt.

Mubera addressed the crowd that had gathered, which included the commoners as they were allowed to watch whatever would unfold. The ministers and court officials were also positioned according to their ranks, some of them waiting for the throne to be snatched from the Morgairs and given to their family. As everybody sat there with different lines on their palms, so were their wishes different. Everyone had their intentions for attending the ritual.

Mubera turned to give a subtle wink at the two women, and they nodded for her to start.

"We have gathered today to witness the first direct communication of the heavenly king with his people. He heard the cries of the people of Morado asking for them to be ruled by the right king. Stories have been going around in the kingdom, making us unstable. Today we will hear what the heavenly beings truly think. We now start the ritual of the summons." Saying this, Mubera joined the shrine maids to ring the bell and chant incantations.

Some of the commoners, with strong beliefs, joined the high priestess in praying. Almaria snickered and inched closer to whisper, "She is so into the act." The words fell on Deonisia’s ears, and the chubby woman smiled.

At the palace gate, some people entered, standing amidst the crowd; one of them had their faces wrapped with only her eyes visible.

"We came just in time," Cortez muttered to the girl beside him who was darting her eyes here and there.

"At this rate, you’ll only get caught. Nobody is seeing you, so relax," he held the girl’s trembling hands in his own.

Axilla was startled when the large warm hands enclosed her own; she gulped softly and tried to maintain her composure.

Panha, who stood not far away from them, trailed her eyes and saw that the Chief was holding the hands of this lowly girl. Was it because of her they came to Morado? She couldn’t help but ask. She decided to deal with eliminating the girl after she found her sister. Panha looked at where the royal family was seated; there were two younger women sitting beside the king, and none was her sister.

Mubera continued to chant the prayers before she began to dance. Then red liquid escaped her nose, staining her pure white dress. The commoners who took notice of this clasped their hands together and bowed, chanting in unison,

"Have mercy on us, Heavenly king!" The people chorused.

Almaria couldn’t help but let out a gentle scoff, "Mubera should be in the local theaters. How is she doing that?!"

After long minutes of waiting, the noisy sounds of the bells finally stopped, and Mubera raised her face looking at the people

of Morado. She began,

"Why?.... People of Morado!! Why have you turned my seed into a person of mockery? The seed of the Morgair, the true owners of the crown. Why have you let my child battle for the position that belongs to our lineage?" Her voice sounded mighty and strong.

Someone from the crowd shouted, "King Dunstan, it’s King Dunstan speaking to us through the priestess."

The commoners knelt down again, bowing their heads, "Have mercy on us, King Dunstan!" They chorused.

Mubera continued after there was silence, "You call my blood all kinds of names, turning the royal seed of Morgairs into a thing of mockery when the real offender roams about freely."

Almaria, Deonisia raised their shoulders. As expected, Kitanna would be announced the offender, and her past crime as an assassin would be called out which will make her punished.

Almaria turned to look at his son and mouthed, "Victory is ours," she said with a sweet smile.

Khelan smiled proudly, puffing out his chest. Once he is announced the supreme king, he’d make sure to send Kitanna on exile. He smiled confidently.

Cortez, who was in the crowd, tilted his head, "is it just me or are things about to get interesting?" He hummed.

Axilla broke her gaze from what was happening in front and turned to look at the man who held her hands tightly like she was a child. Cortez jerked his head forward telling her to look in front, and Axilla did.

Mubera’s heavy voice resounded in the gathering, as everywhere was now dead silent. "You let people of foreign soil... imposters sit on the throne when my only daughter is called insane!"

The words were like the first snow of December, chilling to the bone. Mubera’s voice sounded like the climax of an orchestra concert, the tension, the adrenaline... then the end...