From Ruin to Reign

From Ruin to Reign

Jon Bell

5.0
Comment(s)
View
10
Chapters

They threw a prince into the river. A warrior climbed out. Seven-year-old Marcus watched his parents die, betrayed by the uncle he trusted. Cast into beast-filled waters, left for dead, he should have perished. Instead, he survived-and began plotting revenge. For ten years, hiding his royal identity at a remote academy, Marcus trains in secret, driven by one burning purpose: make them all pay. But when he finally returns to reclaim his throne, he'll uncover a truth more devastating than any betrayal: his parents are alive, and his suffering was their plan all along. Now Marcus must decide. Will he become the monster his enemies created, or the hero his broken kingdom desperately needs?

From Ruin to Reign Chapter 1 The Betrayal

The sound of swords filled the royal palace. Seven-year-old Marcus stood behind his parents, his body shaking with fear.

"Brother Cassian, why are you doing this?" his mother Helena asked. Her voice was full of pain.

Cassian laughed. It was a cold, evil laugh. The uncle who used to tell Marcus stories now looked like a monster. His eyes showed only hate and greed.

"Why? Sister, the throne should be mine!" Cassian shouted. "Father gave it to your husband instead of me, his own son. Do you know how that feels?"

Alexander, Marcus's father, stepped forward. "Cassian, I never wanted the throne. I was going to give it to you when you turned twenty-one. You didn't need to do this."

"Lies! No one gives up power!" Cassian yelled. "I will not wait. I will take what is mine today!"

He raised his hand. Hundreds of soldiers moved forward with their weapons. These men had served the kingdom for years. Now they wanted to kill their king.

Marcus felt his father's hand on his shoulder. "Marcus, stay with your mother. No matter what happens, don't leave her."

"Father, I'm scared," Marcus whispered.

His father looked into his eyes. "Being scared is okay. But you must be brave now. Can you do that for me?"

Marcus nodded, even though tears filled his eyes.

Alexander drew his sword. The blade was black with silver markings that seemed to glow. "Helena, take Marcus and run. I will clear a path."

"No!" Helena grabbed his arm. "If you die, I die with you. We are husband and wife."

"Think of our son!" Alexander said urgently. "If we both die, who will get justice for us? But if you live and protect Marcus, our story continues. Please, live for our son."

Before Helena could answer, Alexander used his power to push them back. Then he ran at the soldiers.

"Kill them!" Cassian ordered.

The soldiers rushed forward. Alexander moved through them like a wild animal. His sword flashed and men fell. Blood covered the white marble floor. But there were too many enemies. For every soldier he killed, more came.

A spear hit his shoulder. Alexander broke it with his hands and kept fighting. A sword cut his leg, but he didn't stop.

"Father!" Marcus screamed.

His mother held him tight. "No, Marcus! We must go. Don't waste your father's sacrifice!"

They ran. Behind them, the fighting continued. Marcus looked back and saw his father surrounded by enemies. Weapons stabbed him from all sides, but he still fought.

They reached the palace gates. Alexander had made a gap in the enemy lines. When Helena looked back, her husband was on his knees. He used his sword to stay upright. Blood poured from many wounds.

"Go!" Alexander shouted. "Go now!"

Cassian walked behind him with a green sword. Poison dripped from it. "Brother, I cannot let you live. Nothing personal."

"Cassian," Alexander coughed blood. "You will regret this. My son will grow strong. He will return. And you will pay."

"Big words from a dying man," Cassian said. "Don't worry. Your wife and son will join you soon."

The poisoned sword stabbed through Alexander's back into his heart. Marcus felt his chest hurt as he watched his father fall.

"No! Father!" Marcus screamed.

His mother picked him up and ran faster. Tears covered both their faces. Behind them, Cassian was shouting orders.

"Find them! Bring them back, dead or alive!"

They ran through the city. People looked away, too afraid to help. The few who tried were killed by soldiers.

Helena was breathing hard. She wasn't a warrior like her husband. She was getting tired. But she kept running because stopping meant death.

They reached the edge of the city. In front was the Tiber River, wide and dark. A bridge crossed it, but soldiers were coming from both sides.

They were trapped.

Helena put Marcus down and pulled out a short sword. "Marcus, listen. No matter what happens, you must survive. You must live and grow strong. One day, you will avenge us."

"Mother, what are you doing?" Marcus asked, fear in his voice.

Helena smiled, but tears ran down her face. "I'm making sure you escape."

The soldiers got closer. Their leader, a fat general named Brutus, laughed. "Lady Helena, surrender. If you do, I promise your death will be quick."

Helena's eyes turned ice cold. "You want me to surrender? Never!"

She moved fast. Her sword cut the ropes holding the bridge. Then she grabbed Marcus and pushed him over the edge.

"Mother, no!" Marcus reached for her, but he was falling.

The river was far below. Marcus hit the water hard. The cold shocked him. The river pulled him under, and he couldn't breathe.

When his head came up, he looked at the bridge. His mother was fighting the soldiers. Her sword left trails of frost in the air. For a moment, she looked like she might win.

Then spears stabbed her from behind.

"Mother!" Marcus screamed, but water filled his mouth.

The last thing he saw was his mother's smile. Even dying, she smiled at him. Then the river carried him away.

Marcus tried to swim, but the current was too strong. His small body was thrown around. Water filled his lungs. Rocks hit his head. Everything went dark.

His last thought was a promise: *I will survive. I will grow strong. And I will make them all pay.*

Continue Reading

Other books by Jon Bell

More

You'll also like

Contract Marriage With My Billionaire Boss

Contract Marriage With My Billionaire Boss

feesa
4.9

"We're friends," I said, voice barely steady. Aaron's lips curled, slow and cruel. "No, we're not." "Friendship's too pure for this." His hand slid to my waist, hot and claiming as he yanked me flush against him. "Do friends kiss like this?" He kissed me. Hard. Possessive. "Or grab each other like this?" A squeeze to my ass. A gasp. "Or think filthy little thoughts?" His breath burned against my ear. "Touch themselves to it?" My cheeks flamed. My body betrayed me. "Stop lying, Venus." His voice was a growl. "I feel it. Every time I'm near you." I whispered, "But you don't even like me." His smile was pure sin. "I don't have to like you to fuck you." Then the offer: "Let's get it out of our system. No lies. No strings. Just truth." He grabbed my chin, eyes lit with hunger. "Say the word, princess." A whisper against my lips- "I'll ruin you." And God help me... I wanted him to. --------- Aaron Sinclair needs a bride to claim his inheritance. Venus Carter needs a miracle to save her dying mother. What begins as a cold contract marriage spirals into a dangerous game of buried trauma, stolen identities, and forbidden attachment. He's ruthless, closed off, and refuses to love. She's resilient, lost, and refuses to stay unloved. But when secrets unravel revealing a stolen childhood, a tragic past, and a vengeful stepmother, their fake marriage is the only thing standing between them and destruction. In a world ruled by power and silence, will love dare to speak first or break them both instead?

The Billionaire's Blind Bride: No Mercy

The Billionaire's Blind Bride: No Mercy

Emma
5.0

I married Clive Harrington, the coldest billionaire in Manhattan, under a strict contract that forbade any emotional burdens. When I needed a high-risk surgery to save my sight, I checked into the clinic alone, hiding the procedure from a husband who saw me as nothing more than a legal asset. I thought I could handle the darkness in silence. But while I was blind and bandaged in my hospital bed, my biological mother called, screaming that if I didn't produce a Harrington heir by the end of the fiscal year, she would cut off the life-saving treatments for my disabled sister. I was crawling on the cold hospital floor, desperately feeling for a cane I had dropped, when I touched a pair of expensive leather shoes. It was Clive. He was supposed to be in London closing a multi-million dollar deal, but there he was, watching his "contract wife" groveling in the dark like a beggar. He didn't walk away in disgust. He carried me to a five-thousand-dollar-a-night VIP suite and sat by my bed, listening in chilling silence as another voicemail from my mother filled the room, calling me a "useless broodmare" who was only worth the trust fund disbursements my marriage secured. I expected him to remind me of Clause 34B or hand me divorce papers now that I was "damaged goods." Instead, I felt his thumb brush a stray tear from my cheek, his presence shifting from a statue of ice into a predatory shield. "I thought I was just currency to you," I whispered, my voice trembling behind the gauze. "Just an investment." Clive didn't answer with words. He picked up his phone and called his head of legal with a single, terrifying command: "Kill the Douglas family’s credit lines. Every debt, every lien—trigger them all. If they want a war, I’ll give them a massacre." As he leaned down to kiss my bandaged forehead, I realized the contract was dead. My husband wasn't protecting an asset anymore; he was hunting the people who had dared to touch what belonged to him.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
From Ruin to Reign From Ruin to Reign Jon Bell Fantasy
“They threw a prince into the river. A warrior climbed out. Seven-year-old Marcus watched his parents die, betrayed by the uncle he trusted. Cast into beast-filled waters, left for dead, he should have perished. Instead, he survived-and began plotting revenge. For ten years, hiding his royal identity at a remote academy, Marcus trains in secret, driven by one burning purpose: make them all pay. But when he finally returns to reclaim his throne, he'll uncover a truth more devastating than any betrayal: his parents are alive, and his suffering was their plan all along. Now Marcus must decide. Will he become the monster his enemies created, or the hero his broken kingdom desperately needs?”
1

Chapter 1 The Betrayal

05/02/2026

2

Chapter 2 The River's Secret

05/02/2026

3

Chapter 3 The Truth Behind the Lie

05/02/2026

4

Chapter 4 The Academy

05/02/2026

5

Chapter 5 Hidden Strength Revealed

05/02/2026

6

Chapter 6 The Spy's Report

05/02/2026

7

Chapter 7 The Visitor

05/02/2026

8

Chapter 8 Breaking Through

05/02/2026

9

Chapter 9 The Assassin's Choice

05/02/2026

10

Chapter 10 The Truth Revealed

05/02/2026