The Royal Palace of Nardodia
"Your Majesty, I heard a report saying that the Queen of Qalagon is on her way to the northern border," Colson Leland informed King Aryan who was standing near the window in his chamber. "It seems like the Queen is planning to lead the soldiers herself."
"I expect that at the least," Aryan Tripas stated and looked at his right-hand man. "Arin Helev is still alive but he is in no situation to lead the war. Iria Helev is not the type to sit still in such a situation. After all, she was the Masked Commander."
"Though Azamet and Alora will be aiding us, our soldiers might be anxious if the Commander of the opposing side is the Masked Commander, Your Majesty," Colson Leland pointed out. "Will you allow her to lead the war?"
"Thousands of soldiers are surrounding her," Aryan Tripas stated. "It's not possible to harm her. Besides, after what happened to Arin Helev, they will be very careful."
Colson Leland nodded his head at the King's words.
"Is there still no news on Emor?"
The official shook his head. "The guards are still looking for him."
"Do you think he is taken away by the Qalagons so that they can use him against me?" Aryan Tripas said and heavily sighed.
He didn't know what to do!
"What will you do if that really happened, Your Majesty?" Colson Leland asked. "What if the Masked Commander use His Highness to her advantage?"
"I don't know," Aryan Tripas replied as he shook his head. "Emor is my nephew and my successor, the future ruler of Nardodia. If I lose him, all the work I put in those years to reinstate my Tripas family back to the throne will become futile. If that really happens, then what will be the use of trying so hard? It's not like I will live forever."
Colson Leland narrowed his eyes when he heard the King. Though he had served Aryan Tripas for more than two decades now, he still finds it hard to understand him at times.
The King was cruel and scheming and he knew that. However, despite being so abusive towards his nephew at times, how he truly cared for Emor was more than evident at other times.
Why was he so complicated?
"When will the troops from Azamet and Alora arrive?"
The official was snapped out of his thoughts by the King's question. Then he quickly responded, "In five days."
"That's good enough," Aryan Tripas remarked with a nod. "No news from Jerivia?"
"King Zaro Aventine is busy dealing with the rebellion, Your Majesty. If it goes on, he might eventually agree to take your hand."
"I wonder who is the one behind this rebellion," Aryan Tripas muttered. "It happens just when the Jerivian King is making an attempt to strengthen his kingdom. It's very suspicious."
"No matter who did this, it's also good for us, Your Majesty," Colson Leland pointed out. "If Jerivia is weak, the young King will be cornered to turn to us for help. It's not like Qalagon will help him and even his father-in-law, the King of Nathania will want him to choose us rather than Qalagon."
Aryan Tripas only nodded and shifted his gaze back to the outdoors.
What really happened to Emor?
It's been days and he was starting to get anxious.
* * *
When the sun set, Colson Leland left his mansion with one guard. Riding horses, they rode past the market, the residential areas and the farms before they finally reached the outskirts of the capital. By this time, around 3 hours had already passed since they left.
Finally, the two men halted their horses when they reached a small inn named the Grien Inn. The inn appeared to be out of business but the two men gets off their horses and simply walked inside.
On the interior of the inn, there were 5 men who bowed to greet the official. However, without saying anything, Colson Leland walked past them and he didn't halt until he reached a particular room. All the other rooms were locked from the outside except one and the official was standing before the door to that room.
Colson Leland stood still in front of the door until he finally opened it. Then he walked inside where one young woman who was inside darted her eyes to him.
At the sight of him, the woman quickly stood before him. Maybe it was to block his view of the man lying on the bed.
"Alena."
"Stay away from Emor," Alena warned him in a stern voice. "Did you come here to kill him?"
Slightly tilting his head to the left, Colson Leland glanced at Crown Prince Emor who was still lying unconscious on the bed. He hasn't regained his consciousness since that second assassination attempt.
"If I want him to die, he will already be dead," he said to Alena in a surprisingly calm voice.
"You already attempt to kill him twice! How do you expect me to believe you when you even take me away just to lure him?!"
"Everything I do is for Nardodia and the King!" he snapped. "The Crown Prince might be your friend but you are also a soldier trained to revive our kingdom. Don't you know that all His Highness did is stand in the King's way? At this rate, our kingdom will fall into the hands of the Qalagons again!"
"Emor knows what he is doing," Alena argued. "He also loves Nardodia. All he wants is to stop His Majesty so that he won't become a tyrant who is on the same level as his late father."
"He is colluding with Arin Helev! Don't you understand what that means?" the official asked. When he glanced at the Crown Prince once again, what the King told him in the evening crossed his mind.
After two attempts on the Crown Prince's life, he finds himself in a difficult situation.
It seemed like the King couldn't imagine a future without his nephew who was his heir.
He already spent the past few days wondering what to do with the Crown Prince and now, after hearing that from his King, he wasn't sure if he can fulfil his plan anymore......
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