Lior Croft: The Storm They Never Saw Coming!

THE KING'S COURT

The tall wooden doors of the king’s court slowly opened with a deep creaking sound.

Two guards walked in, their heavy boots hitting the shiny marble floor. Between them was Lior.

His heart was beating fast, almost painfully, but he forced himself to breathe slowly. He had to look calm. He had to look strong.

The guards stopped in front of the throne and bowed.

“Your Majesty,” one guard said, “we have brought the man you asked for.”

They stepped aside and left Lior standing alone in the huge hall.

Lior lifted his eyes.

There, on the throne, sat King Aldric Croft.

The king was a tall man with broad shoulders and hair mixed with silver.

His beard was neat, and his crown,made of black iron and gold, looked heavy on his head. His eyes were cold, sharp, and unreadable.

He stared at Lior like he was looking at a stranger.

The palace around him was grand and beautiful. Black stone pillars rose high into the air, wrapped with golden carvings.

The ceiling was painted with scenes of old battles and victories. Sunlight came through colorful stained glass windows, making the floor shine with red, blue, and gold light.

To the king’s right sat Delilah Croft, his second wife. Lior’s stepmother.

She wore a dark green dress that sparkled like a snake’s scales. Her back was straight, her chin lifted, her face hard and serious as always.

She now sat in the seat where Lior’s mother, Laura Croft, once sat.

Seeing her there made Lior’s chest tighten.

To the king’s left sat Crown Prince Frederick Croft, Lior’s stepbrother.

Frederick’s eyes were full of anger the moment he saw Lior. His jaw was tight, and his hands were gripping the armrests.

And next to Frederick sat Rhea Smith, the mayor’s daughter.

She was beautiful as always, golden hair, soft brown eyes, a pink dress that made her look like a rose.

Once, she had been madly in love with Lior. She had promised she would always stand by him.

But when he was exiled, she didn’t even try to find him.

Now she looked at him like he was no one.

Lior gave her a small smile.

She didn’t react.

He turned to Frederick and smiled wider, almost teasing.

Frederick shot to his feet with rage.

“So this is the low‑level brat who claimed I stole his girlfriend,” he shouted.

Gasps filled the hall.

Lior raised an eyebrow. “As impatient as always. Nice to see you too, brother.” He thought to himself, his lips formed a small smile.

“Sit,” King Aldric said sharply, as he shot a stern gaze towards prince Frederick.

Frederick froze, then slowly sat down, though his eyes still burned with rage.

The king took a deep breath and lifted his hand.

“Let the court session begin.”

A man holding a long parchment scroll stepped forward, his boots echoing across the marble floor.

He cleared his throat and addressed the young man standing before the throne.

“State your name and where you come from.”

“My name is Lior.”

A subtle shift rippled through the royal court. Several nobles straightened in their seats, exchanging curious glances.

It was a name no one had heard spoken in five years.

“I need your full name,” the scribe pressed.

“I am Lior Raz. I come from Ravenshire Village.”

With that, everyone was relieved. They couldn't believe for that for a moment they thought this was Lior Croft the exiled prince.

He wouldn't dare come back to the kingdom. He might be even dead by now.

“And your business here?” The scribble continued.

“I came to visit an old friend.”

The man scribbled the final note, bowed, and stepped back into line.

Silence settled over the hall until the king, who had been watching quietly, leaned forward on his throne. His voice carried the weight of authority.

“You accused the prince of stealing your girlfriend, whom you claim to be Rhea Smith. You also called the crown prince a bastard. Guilty or not?”

“Guilty,” Lior answered without hesitation.

“So,” the king continued, “do you have any proof to support these claims?”

Lior lowered his gaze. “Sadly, no, Your Majesty. I was foolish… overwhelmed.

For five years, the only thing that kept me going was the hope of being with Rhea one day.

When I heard she was getting engaged, I broke down. The words I said, slipped out in anger and pain.”

His jaw tightened as he spoke, the ache in his chest grew with every word.

The king turned his attention to the young woman sitting beside the prince. “Rhea, do you know this man?”

Lior’s heart pounded. He turned toward her, searching her eyes for even the faintest spark of recognition. Just once, he hoped she would see him, truly see him.

“Please of all people, you should be able to recognize me, Rhea, “ Lior thought with hope.

Rhea held her gaze for a long moment. Something softened in her expression… a flicker of memory, perhaps.

Lior felt his hope growing.

Then all of a sudden, she smiled a cold, dismissive grin.

“No. I don’t know him. How could I possibly know this nobody?”

The words struck Lior like a blade to the chest. His breath hitched, rage rising like a storm.

“Settle down, kid!” Arkanos’s voice echoed in his mind. “This is not the time for your big reveal.”

Lior took a deep breath to calm himself.

The king continued as if nothing had happened.

“As for the laws of this kingdom: admiring someone is not a crime. But accusing a member of the royal family of a crime they did not commit is punishable.”

He raised two fingers.

“You have two options. Pay a fine of one million dollars and walk free. Or serve as a palace servant for one year and pay a fine of two hundred thousand.”

“I choose the second option,” Lior said. He didn’t have a million dollars, not even close.

“Very well. Guards, take him away.”

As the guards approached, Lior turned his head and looked directly at Delilah; The king’s real advisor, cloaked in the body of a wife.

Their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat. Something about him tugged at her memory.

“Could that be Lior?” she wondered. “No… Lior wasn’t that handsome. And he certainly wasn’t that strong.”

She dismissed the thought with a smirk.

“No one is a threat to me. Not now. And once my son becomes king, I’ll have true power.”

The guards seized Lior’s arms, but he didn’t resist.

His eyes lingered on the court, on Rhea, on the prince, on the king and then he was led away, the heavy doors closing behind him with a thunderous boom.