Never Going to Have a Happy Ending

People often say that victory belongs to those who win.

I used to believe that too.

But now I know better.

You can win the game and still lose everything that mattered.

You can sit upon the throne and still feel like a stranger.

You can become king and still wonder if your name was ever meant to be carved into the crown.

My name is Ares.

I am the King of Laceril.

At least, that is who I am now.

But this story begins when I was twelve years old.

Back then, I knew nothing about crowns, succession, betrayal, or the weight of a kingdom.

I was simply Ares.

The youngest child in the palace.

The child everyone pitied.

The child everyone loved.

And perhaps the child fate hated the most.

I was born on a stormy night, and my mother died giving birth to me.

I never saw her face.

Never heard her voice.

Never felt her embrace.

The only thing she left behind was my life.

My father, King Adrian, was a man admired throughout the continent.

To the people, he was a great king.

To the nobles, he was a terrifying ruler.

To me, he was a distant shadow sitting upon a throne.

He rarely looked at any of his children.

Not even his favorite.

My elder sister, Lila, was eleven years older than me.

At twenty-three, she already carried herself like royalty itself.

She was cold, proud, and fearless.

The nobles adored her.

The soldiers respected her.

And my father favored her more than anyone else.

When she walked into a room, people noticed.

When I walked into a room, they smiled and pinched my cheeks.

That alone should tell you everything.

Most people assumed all seven of us were King Adrian's children.

They were wrong.

Only Lila and I carried his blood.

The others belonged to the king before him.

King Eric.

My uncle.

Long before I was born, a minister betrayed Laceril and sold secrets to a rival kingdom. A war followed, one so devastating that even now people still sing songs about it.

King Eric died during that war.

My father returned victorious.

And with victory came the throne.

Afterward, Queen Iris and Lady Emma remained in the palace, raising their children under my father's protection.

Queen Iris had three children.

The twins, Loid and Ryuk, who were seventeen years old, and their younger sister, Shashaya, who was fifteen.

Lady Emma had two children.

Zach, who was nineteen, and his younger sister, Resu, who was thirteen.

Although none of them shared my blood, they were the closest thing I had to a family.

Loid and Ryuk constantly argued.

Shashaya treated everyone with kindness.

Resu followed Zach everywhere.

And Zach...

Well, Zach was the kind of older brother who pretended not to care while secretly looking after everyone.

Looking back now, those days seem almost peaceful.

We laughed.

We fought.

We complained about lessons.

We stole sweets from the kitchens.

For a brief moment, we were simply children.

None of us knew that the palace walls were hiding secrets.

None of us knew that the throne already had an owner.

And none of us knew that one day, I would become king of a kingdom that was never supposed to belong to me.

❖ AUTHOR'S NOTE ❖

Welcome to CROWNLESS.

This is the story of a boy who became king, yet never truly owned the throne he sat upon.

A tale of family, betrayal, war, secrets, and the heavy price of a crown.

If you've enjoyed this first chapter and wish to uncover the mysteries hidden within the walls of Laceril, please consider supporting this novel by liking, commenting, and adding it to your library.

Every vote, comment, and piece of feedback motivates me to continue Ares's journey.

And remember...

Not every king wears a crown.

And not every crown belongs to a king.

See you in the next chapter.

♡

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