Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

Chapter 197: A Tale of Honor and Passion - 1

A few seconds later, music began echoing throughout the theater, signaling to all present that the show was about to begin.

Just then, a group of actors appeared from backstage, dressed in traditional costumes and makeup, representing nobles from an ancient kingdom who lived centuries ago.

Everyone fell silent as the actors took the stage and gave a bow before beginning their performance, which earned them a round of applause from the audience.

"Asher, Cecil, it's starting now!" Scarlet exclaimed in an excited tone as she watched with rapt attention, while the two of them also focused their gazes on the stage.

A man dressed in long, flowing robes of blue and gold stepped forward with a stern expression on his face. He stood proudly in the center of the stage as if he owned the world itself before raising his chin high and beginning to recite his lines from memory.

His voice resounded loud and clear as it rang across the theater, capturing everyone's undivided attention, including Asher, Scarlet, and Cecil, who had been waiting for the play to begin.

"The Sword's Embrace: A Tale of Honor and Passion is the story of the young knight, Aiden." He introduced his character as the main lead and all the other characters.

Soon the play began with a child struggling as an orphan in an impoverished, dangerous part of the city, struggling to survive.

The audience followed along with interest. With the use of formations, they changed backgrounds and showed scenes in detail that would make it seem as if those backgrounds and things existed at the moment.

Aiden, the lead role, encountered the royal knight while stealing food, which he was sharing with an old lady. He took notice and saw a glint of hope and kindness beneath Aiden's grimy exterior, and decided to give the boy a chance to prove himself and change his fate.

"Hey, kid!" The imposing man called out as he stopped Aiden by placing his large hand on the scrawny child's shoulder. "What do you think about becoming a knight like me, lad? It might be hard work, but I believe you're more suited for it than being a criminal on the streets. Why don't you follow me?" He spoke.

Aiden looked at the stranger with uncertainty and then glanced around at his surroundings, which looked desolate, before agreeing with a nod.

"...I'll go with you."

After hearing the answer, the royal knight, Liam, patted the head of the orphan boy and nodded with satisfaction before leading him back to his house, where he introduced himself and his daughter, Elaine, to Aiden.

Aiden was surprised to discover that this man was not some run-of-the-mill guard but someone with actual influence over others within his profession who could provide for him.

Liam took him into his home and treated him as though he were a part of his family, teaching him how to read and write; he even taught him sword skills so that the youth could join him when he grew up, following in his footsteps.

Scenes of him growing up followed, as did his training with a sword as a child, showing his dedication and effort towards the craft.

His growth into a man was shown through different flashbacks of the experiences he had before his swearing of an oath and becoming a knight serving King Mason along with Liam.

The play proceeded with a series of scenes depicting Aiden's service as a knight of King Mason, showing his courage in battle and his loyalty towards his king in everything he did.

This drew a positive response from the audience, who felt proud of Aiden for his actions. Everyone cheered him on during every fight he participated in.

Then the scene changed once more to show the king sitting on his throne, surrounded by several other nobles standing around him. The man playing him held himself in a dignified manner that made him seem like someone who ruled over others instead of being just another pawn in the game of politics and intrigue.

"Your Majesty, Princess Sarina, has come of age, and your son is still missing after his defeat in the border war many years ago. Don't you think it's about time to arrange marriage talks for her? After all, we need an heir to ensure the stability of the kingdom as well." One noble said with confidence, earning the king's attention.

"Yes, Your Majesty. It's time for her to find a good match now so that our future generations can continue to enjoy peace and prosperity." Another one chimed in with agreement, followed by various others echoing their approval.

The king frowned before responding. "I understand your concerns, but I will not force her into marrying someone she doesn't like. Besides, my son is still alive somewhere out there... Until he shows up again, there will be no arrangements made with anyone else."

"But Your Majesty!! The people of our kingdom need to feel assured about their future after all." A woman asked while bowing low before her sovereign lord.

Her voice sounded soft yet firm as it flowed across the room filled with noblemen whose gazes lingered upon her beauty; some even dared to take a peek or two at her exposed cleavage, visible due to her tight dress.

This lady seemed rather beautiful herself, wearing red robes that hugged her curves in all the right places without revealing too much skin at the same time, which made it difficult to keep eyes off her gorgeous figure.

However, unlike other noble ladies who were more conservative with their outfits, this woman didn't hesitate at all to flaunt her assets. Instead, she went all out by displaying her natural beauty, which could make any man fall head over heels in love with her.

The moment she appeared on stage, all the males watching the scene started cheering for her character. They even whistled at her and called out her name, making it obvious that they desired more scenes with this lady, who had captured their hearts with ease.

However, the VIP boxes or the stage were covered by a formation that blocked all the sound from crowds, making sure that the actors or honored guests weren't disturbed.

Asher and two girls gave one glance to the crowd before focusing back on the play.

The woman was none other than Queen Elizabeth, the King's second wife, and the mother of Princess Sarina. He married her after his first wife died from the shock of finding out that their son went missing after a disastrous border war that shook the whole kingdom.

She was younger than him by several years, but she was also quite capable when dealing with people. Her cunning nature allowed her to become one of his most trusted advisers, helping him maintain peace within the country by using every means necessary; whether it be diplomacy or warfare.

The queen raised her head and smiled at her husband with a gentle gaze that seemed to captivate everyone around them while speaking, "I agree with the others, Your Majesty... Please consider this matter more carefully. Our people will feel safe if they know there is someone who can continue ruling over them. That is why this is important to our nation, isn't it?"

The king listened to her words with patience before nodding his head in agreement.

"I see... Well, I will keep in mind what you just said and think about this some more later on."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The queen replied while bowing to him once again before straightening herself up without taking her eyes off the king.