色戒无删除版

Zandro closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he opened them once again and looked at them. "The magic tower will be established together with those rules and none of you can object to this decision otherwise I will suspend you from your work in the palace. You are well aware that I can do that, right?"

Since the king was determined with his decision, the council members had no choice but to agree with him. Although they hold power in the kingdom and influence in the palace, they still knew that the king held the highest power. It was not yet time for them to go against the king.

With that matter settled another issue needed to be addressed and it was also a crucial piece for the establishment of the magic tower. 'Who will be the master of the tower?' This was a question that needed to be answered before the gathering would end.

All eyes then fell on the man who was there to listen and watch them. Kieve shrugged his shoulders because he knew what they were thinking. They must have thought that he would become the tower master but he had zero intention of becoming one. He was already the high mage of the kingdom and becoming a tower master was not suited for him.

"Kieve Alastair will not be the master of the tower. He is already working for the royal family but rest assured because he and his family will register to the magic tower. The tower master will be Elvira Khevan." This announcement from the king delivered a sigh of relief to the council members.

They were glad that the high mage won't be involved with how the magic tower works. Now, they will have room to move once again. Kieve smiled at the relief on the faces of the council members because he was not the tower master.

After that, no more objections were heard from them and the meeting ended calmly as they slowly accepted that a magic tower would be established. The news that confirmed the establishment of the magic tower made the people's excitement and hopes soar high. They had a high expectation of the magic tower especially with the goal they presented to the people.

After three months of preparation, the magic tower was finally established and its base was in the capital. The towering structure that casted shadow to the nearby building was grand and intimidating at the same time. It was a place that would invoke awe and fear to the hearts of the people depending on how they would view the tower in the next few years.

During this time, the king also created the Pillars of Light. It was a group of mages from the magic tower that directly worked for the royal family. They were tasked to assist the high mage on his work and ensure that peace would continue to reign in the kingdom.

This was the start of the tragic event that would then lead to the fall of the House of Alastair and would push Cygnus into the unending darkness of the abyss. Three years after the changes that happened, greed started to eat at the heart of the kingdom. With all the power in his hands, the king started to want more.

His values started to diverge from what he had been doing from the past and Kieve started to notice these changes. The king would often remark words that Kieve wouldn't agree with. It would spark an argument between them and the gap that started to appear between the king and his trusted high mage started to be visible to the wolves who were surrounding them.

Eventually, Zandro stopped consulting with the high mage and put his Pillars in a higher pedestal than the high mage. The discord between the two became glaringly noticeable that the aristocrats started to plot against the high mage since he still held significant power and influence. They still regard him as a thorn in their throats even after three years of his unwavering service to the kingdom and loyalty to the king.

Two years have passed and the position of the high mage became a laughing stock to the people who knew of his status inside the palace. Although he was still performing as cleanly as he had for the past years, people inside the palace started to regard him as someone who didn't belong there. His position started to lose its meaning.

Accusations started to circulate around the palace and amongst the nobility. They kept on submitting reports and requests to the king to investigate the matter of the House of Altair performing dark magic. Throughout the years, dark magic became forbidden as it only caused harm to the people.

This accusation was heavy and it was even backed with evidence that the king could not ignore it. Add to that the report that the House of Altair was also planning for a rebellion to dethrone the king. The dark magic was then reported as a tool for the rebellion.

Kieve denied all allegations and stated all the reasons why he would not set up a rebellion against the royal family. He argued and reminded them of his loyalty and the work he had done for the kingdom. Some of the nobles who knew him and his family pleaded for an investigation which was approved by the king.

"How about a vacation to any nearby kingdoms, my love?" Kieve suggested out of the blue which caused a frown to appear on his wife's face.

"What's the matter, Kieve?" She raised her hand and caressed her husband's face.

He leaned on her touch and closed his eyes to savor her warmth. Kieve had been on edge for the past few days, no, it was for the past weeks and it didn't go unnoticed by his wife. She was privy to what was happening in the palace and she knew that her husband was under pressure.

"They will be coming for us soon and I don't want you and the children to get caught up with the waves of war that is brewing in the deepest pits of this kingdom." Kieve opened his eyes as he looked at his wife's ocean blue eyes.

"Even if we escape, will we be able to live in peace?" She laid her head on his chest and the mage held her tightly within his embrace.

"It would be difficult but you must. I will erase your trace and the children's identities will be altered. I will do my utmost to protect the three of you." Kieve's embrace tightened a little bit and so did his wife's.

There was nothing they could do because the hands of death were already upon them. "I will prepare them and inform the children about this. It's just a pity because Cygnus's birthday is just around the corner."

"He will understand. Cygnus is a smart boy." Kieve had a relieved smile on his face as he leaned down and gave his wife a peck on the lips. "You will be leaving as soon as possible."

Kieve's wife nodded her head and hugged the man once again before she stood up and went to see the children. During this time, a visitor came to visit him. He gladly received the man inside his study but the foreboding feeling gnawed at his heart when he saw the man's expression.

"Forgive me!" The man immediately bowed and even kneeled on the ground as he asked for forgiveness.