Chapter 15: When Loyalty Falters

Chapter 15: When Loyalty Falters

Chapter 15

When Loyalty Falters

For the next few days following Sylas reveal to the Prince, and prior to the Barons arrival, the former continued to goad the young Valen into thinking Baron Cyrs was the penultimate villain, the bad guy among the bad guys. Even though, in reality, Sylas wasnt even certain of the exact amount of involvement the man had with the whole thing, it didnt matter. He realized hed likely require another restart, if not even a few extra ones after, and decided to play it hard-by-the-heart this go-around.

Whenever the Prince would probe deeper into the issue, such as for the Barons motives, Sylas kept it incredibly vague, weaving and dancing around the issues until the Prince was absolutely certain of the Barons crimes. Sylas referenced past ills and injustices and being sent so far away from everything as some of the reasons, though never going into details as details were the death of a con.

By the time the Baron and his family were to return to the castle, Valen was fuming, having gathered over twenty of the most experienced guards to wait for the entourage and arrest them immediately. Interestingly, Sylas mused, Tebek was among the guards; since Sylas didnt really leave the warm quarters, he wasnt aware of how the man was faring. From the exhausted look and the bags under the mans eyes, it was evident that he was not holding up well.

Sylas shrugged and decided to let it be; he effectively had a noose around the mans neck and could tighten it whenever he wanted t with some blackmail. It was always better to have an extra pawn rather than to be missing one.

Just the same as before, Sylas imagined as he wasnt actually here when it happened, six horse-drawn carriages, each pulled by at least two and at most four beautiful, large, brown stallions, strutted in through the open gates. Peaking from beyond the curtains of the leading carriage was a familiar face that Sylas had goaded into killing him just a week agoBaron Cyrs himself. A look of shock and confusion was evident in the expression, as though his mind was having trouble processing what his eyes were seeing.

He didn't even seem to realize that the entourage was slowly being encircled by the guards as he stepped out of the carriage, still appearing quite dazed. Once the guards, however, effectively blocked him and his family, he was finally woken from the haze, his expression turning cold as he glared about. Quite a few guards got startled, but they held their ground. No matter how important a Baron was to commoners like them, Prince a Prince was a figure of beyond.

What is the meaning of this?! Are you fools attempting mutiny against your Lord?!! the Baron roared angrily at the guards, his voice bellowing out throughout the castle.

No, Prince Valen finally stepped out, drawing the attention and ire of the Baron toward himself. Baron Cyrs Bendor, first of your name, I, Sixth Prince Valen Desdor, third of his name, charge you with the act of treason, oath betrayal, anti-crown sentiment, and conspiring with foreign forces to undermine the Ethernia Kingdoms authority. Please do not resistotherwise, we shall use force.

S-sixth sixth Prince? the Baron mumbled, carefully inspecting the youth that stepped out. He had, in fact, seen the Prince onceit was during the Coronation of the Crown Prince. Since it was from a fair distance, however, he didnt immediately recognize the youthadditionally considering the fact that the rumor was that the Sixth Prince was deadbut upon closer inspection he was certain. The man in front of him was, in fact, the Sixth Prince. His world spun in that instance, a thousand thoughts overflowing his mind. Y-your Highness! he immediately fell to his knees. He immediately understood the general framework of what happened.

He also understood that this was the end of himhe had been played, by everyone. The Sixth Prince he hid deep. Waiting. Biding his time. All to unearth the scheme. At the moment, not of that mattered to him, however.

Meanwhile, Valen and Sylas remained standing in front of the dungeon cell, staring at the downtrodden Baron.

I ask you this, Baron Cyrs, Valen broke the silence. Did you abandon your humanity?

no, Your Highness. The Baron replied after taking a deep breath, likely realizing that his tale would determine both his and his familys fate.

Then, I ask you this, Baron Cyrsis handing over a castle of your fellow men to hellish Ghouls not you abandoning your humanity?

No, Your Highness, the Baron said.

Then what is it, Baron Bendor? with the increased chill in his voice, Valen began referring to the Baron with his familys name, clearly unhappy with the man. Sylas almost wanted to whistle with how impressed he was; the Prince around him was a loose and chirpy and an awkward man for the most part, but everywhere else, he always showcased the true bearing of a Prince.

It was a betrayal, Your Highness, the Baron replied hurriedly. But not of humanityjust of our Kingdom.

elaborate. Valen also seemed to have realized there was a story there, and since Sylas explanations were always vague, he hoped hed finally get a full picture from the Baron himself.

As you may have guessed it, I did not drag my family and come here of my own heart, Your Highness, the Baron said. No man, sane or otherwise, would. This place this place is haunted by hundreds of years of misery and agony. It is where families send their sons to die, even if they claim they send them here to defend the Kingdom.

I was forced here, the Baron continued, bitterness emerging in his voice. But not because I betrayed the Kingdom or even committed a crime. Your mokhm, Her Majesty, the Baron quickly corrected himself when he recalled that Valens mother certainly wasnt the queen. As you know, annually visits lesser estates as a form of relaying honor to them. The chosen family becomes a symbol, then, since the Queen herself visited them and blessed them.

Valen nodded. That was, indeed, the case. It was one of the many rituals that the Royal Family used to maintain its grip on the Kingdom.

Well, Her Majesty, turned out, liked my estate, Cyrs added. She liked it a lot. So much so, in fact, that she implied shed like it as a gift, house, ranch, servants, and all. She didnt When I failed to pick up on the hint, she left displeased. A few days later, Imperial Writ was declaredmy family was charged with improper behavior against the Queen, and our estate was being confiscated while we were being exiled to the Castle Ethwar for ten years. She fuckin did. I did not betray humanity, Your Highness, the Baron reiterated again. I betrayed the Kingdom because the Kingdom betrayed me.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om