Chapter 524 - Declaring Martial Law

Berengar stood at Henrietta's bedside. His white dressed shirt was stained in the blood of his most recent victim, his hands had practically been dyed red with the sanguine substance. Despite this gruesome appearance, he wore a stoic expression as he gazed lifelessly at his little sister. 

After staring in silence at the girl, who was in a comatose state, he kneeled beside her, where he grabbed hold of her dainty hand and kissed it before turning away from her. He could no longer bear to see his little princess in such a state. 

He knew that the Kingdom of Austria did not yet have the technology to keep someone on life support for an extended period of time, and though she had an amble supply of IVs to sustain her fluids, if she did not wake up soon then it would be a matter of weeks before she starved to death. 

Ewald, the court physician of the von Kufstein Dynasty, had a solemn expression on his face as he gave his King a status update on his sister's condition. 

"Your highness, we have done everything we could. The projectile was removed, and we have successfully stopped the bleeding. However, at this point, whether she lives is up for God to decide..."

Berengar scoffed when he heard the last words of the Physician's statement. God? What did God have to do with this? If such a being really existed, then how could he stand by and allow such a sweet and innocent princess to be murdered in his place? No, God didn't exist. If he did, then he was either dead or simply did not give a shit about his creation. 

These were the thoughts that dwelled in Berengar's mind as he ignored his physician's words and merely nodded his head in silence before exiting the Princess's room. Whether Henrietta would live or die, there was nothing Berengar could do now.

Grief had become to overwhelm the young monarch's mind as he exited his sister's quarters and took a bath alone. Tears streamed down his eyes as he struggled to choke back his sorrow. Now that he had vented his wrath upon the assassin's body during his little torture session, despair had taken its hold over the King's heart. 

While Berengar was washing the blood from his body, Linde had taken control over the Palace. Both the Royal Guard and Royal Intelligence were now under her command. The redheaded vixen entered the chamber where the assassin was being held. By now, he had most of his fingers removed, and the guards had worked on his toes. 

When she saw the two guards engaging in such brutality, the Second Queen of Austria raised her hand and prevented any further harm to the assassin.

"Halt, this man is an important asset for Royal Intelligence! Though Berengar has gotten some vital information from this assassin, the King is an amateur at best in the art of interrogation. Have this man's wounds treated, and send him to a black site for further interrogation."

The guards immediately ceased their torture and swapped glances with one another before the senior of the two men began to speak his concerns.

"But the King himself has ordered for this man's execution-"

Before he could continue to interject, Linde glared at him with a murderous gaze, instantly causing his words to cut short. She crossed her arms beneath her hefty bosom before giving her orders once more, in a voice filled with absolute authority.

"The King has left me in charge of his affairs while he spends what little time he can with his sister before she departs from this world. Whatever orders he may have given you before were done in a compromised state. You will obey my commands, or I will find someone who will. Do you I make myself clear!?!"

The two men instantly snapped into attention as they saluted the Second Queen before responding. 

"Yes, your majesty!"

After saying this they immediately began to search for a medic to treat the man's grevious wounds. While the guards were gone, Linde smirked at the assassin with disdain. She grabbed ahold of his hair and pulled his drooping head up so he could look in her eyes.

"Whatever pain that Berengar has inflicted upon you, I assure you that my agents will increase by a thousandfold. I promise you I will learn all the secrets that you hoard in that smooth brain of yours, and only after I have gained the information I need to redeem myself in the eyes of my master will I permit you to die!"

After saying this, the guards returned with a medic who treated the horrific acts of violence that were inflicted upon the Assassin. As for Linde, she left the room and returned to the ballroom with a squad of Royal Guards towing behind her. 

The guests had panicked since the assassination attempt had occurred. The only thing keeping them from outright rioting was the threat of the royal guards, who kept a close watch over them to ensure that nobody acted against the Crown during its investigation. 

When the Second Queen entered the room, a sense of relief washed away the fear and anxiety that had begun to sway the minds of the King's guests. They all remained silent and obediently waited for her to update them on the situation. Linde cleared her throat before gracefully informing the guests as to everything that had occured.

"I will update you all on the situation at hand. Note that this information is subject to change as we gain more intelligence about this devious plot against our King and his family. I assure you that Berengar is safe and sound. He regrets his inability to inform you in person, but he is currently with his sister. 

Unfortunately, Princess Henrietta is in critical condition. At the moment, the Court Physicians are doing everything they can to save her life. The Palace is secure, and the Assassin is in the crown's captivity, where he will be interrogated for information involving his treasonous act.

An investigation is ongoing as I speak, into the background of this man, where he got the weapon he used in this attack. We are also looking into how he sneaked it past security to prevent further incidents like this in the future. I assure you we will find everyone related to this attack and punish them accordingly.

For now, you may all return to your homes, or wherever you may be staying within Kufstein at the moment. However, when you return, you will all be placed under house arrest. Where Austrian Intelligence will speak with every one of you regarding this incident. 

As of this moment, the King has declared martial law, in doing so, he has dissolved Parliament for the foreseeable future. I want to make this clear; we have identified several high-ranking officials in the Government, and the Military as being partially responsible for this assassination attempt. Thus, the Crown will work tirelessly to arrest these traitors and castigate them for their crimes. 

Only after Order has been restored to the Kingdom of Austria will the Crown Restore Parliament. Until then, it is your duty as citizens of Austria to report any information you may know regarding this attack and its perpetrators to your nearest Police Station. We will brand anyone caught withholding information about this Assassination Attempt as an enemy of the state, and punish them accordingly. 

That is all I have to say on the matter!"

After saying this, Linde turned away and exited the ballroom. The people gathered began to chant in discontent. However, she did not listen to a word they had to say. She had far more important matters to attend to. If she did not find and eliminate the corruption in Austria's society that had allowed this attack to take place, then Berengar was bound to hold her accountable for Henrietta's condition. 

For the first time in a long time, Linde genuinely prayed in her heart. She pleaded with God to allow Henrietta to live, as the redheaded beauty could not bear the thought of taking the blame for Henrietta's fate. After saying a silent prayer, Linde left the Palace and entered the headquarters of Royal Intelligence where she would work tirelessly for the next few days to identify her targets, and eliminate them. 

As for Berengar, he spent a significant time in the bath by himself. Only after the guards had escorted all of his guests from the premises of the Palace did he emerge from his solitude. Where he quickly retrieved the rest of his family from the bunker beneath.

They were all shocked to find out what had happened, and Berengar spent the rest of the night in bed cuddling with his wives. Only the warmth of their bodies could heal his wounded heart in any significant capacity. 

One thing was certain: Austria was about to enter a bloody period of its history.. The extent of Berengar's cruelty towards his people would be determined by whether the Princess of Austria survived this ordeal.