Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

116 | Amber Eyes

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THE AUDITORIUM FALLS SILENT as Max returns backstage where Red was waiting for him. After his supposed speech, no one was able to say a single word. Max actually wanted to say more, but he knew that it's best if he stops now before things turn to the worse.

     "Max..." Red calls out as soon as he spots Max, but Max ignores him and proceeds to walk towards the exit.

     Red curses underneath his breath and follows behind him, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Max, where are you going?" He asks, but as soon as he got a hold of him, Max immediately pulls away and says, "We're leaving this godforsaken house."

      "W-What? But the ceremony hasn't even started yet. How can we just leave? We were personally invited to attend it," Red insists, making Max look at him angrily.

     "Personally invited? You saw how they treated us. We are not welcome here. We were only invited because they wanted to see how superior they are to us; they wanted to see us fail. And come on Red, you're a duke for Pete's sake but they didn't even—"

     "Enough," Red immediately says, making Max stop midsentence.

     Red takes a deep breath and looks at Max who was still panting heavily because of the adrenaline rush. He knows why Max is angry and where his emotions are coming from, but leaving now isn't the way to go.

     "This has always been your problem, even before Mr. Brains & Brawn. You always think purely out of your emotions and not with your head. So what if things don't go your way? When you experience something like this, you'll just leave? Is that the kind of president you'll become?" Red sharply questions, and that alone made Max clench his fist in anger, not at Red but at himself.

     "Max, you will lead the House of Kings. You will be the face and the foundation that will hold us together. If you are weak enough to crumble just because of a few stares then you don't deserve such a position," Red finishes, and Max finally calms down.

     Max doesn't say anything for a while and looks down on the ground in defeat.

     "I'm sorry," he finally says. "I did let my emotions get the best of me. I shouldn't have acted too childish."

     Red stares at Max and sighs before patting his head to comfort him. "Now you're making me feel guilty," he says, making Max chuckle this time.

     "Look, our duty is to finish what we came here to do. After that, we can leave. But if it would make you feel any better, your speech earlier was very...you. As I was watching backstage, I felt immense pride, like you held our House's flag high. I almost bowed honestly," Red then says, and Max finally looks at him to give out a small smile.

     "Well, now that you've calmed down, let's go back," Red says, and Max nods his head and got ready to head back. But just when he was about to take a step...

     "Mr. Sinclaire," a voice calls out.

     Max and Red turn around and see the Elites vice president, Veronica Stilton, standing just outside the exit. Max was about to say something, but the vice president cuts him off and says, "Our president would like to have a word with you."

     The request made Red and Max look at each other with shock, but then Max looks back at Veronica and tells her, "Alright. Lead me to her."

...

Max doesn't even look at the vice president as he walks beside her to the president's office. Despite what Red said, Max was still mad at how they were treated. It might not have been the Elites directly, but they could have at least done something with the White Uniforms, considering how they're said to have the most power here in their house.