Chapter 364 Chapter 364
After receiving the bad news about the failure of the duke, the king was so angered by the failure that he had begun thrashing everything in his room.
The sound of shattering crystals and porcelain echoed in the vast chamber, while the Royal Guards that delivered the letter watched in complete silence. None of them dared to utter a word, as the king's rage was known to be uncontrollable.
They have no wish to receive the fury of the king. So they just stood there like statues as the king smashed everything that he can get his hands on.
The king's eyes were blazing with fury, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He was pacing back and forth, muttering angry curses under his breath. The failure of the duke was not only a blow to his pride, but it also meant that the capital was now vulnerable to its enemies.
The territory of Baron Ragab is only a few days of travel from the heart of the kingdom, which would mean that the enemy would be on them quickly. He was sure that the baron would certainly not fight for his cause, especially after knowing that one banner being flown by the enemy army was that of the House of Darkhariss.
The baron fought against him in order to ensure the safety of one member of that house and he was certain that, given the chance, he would join hands with the enemy to take him out.
Suddenly, the king stopped in his tracks and turned to face the Royal Guards. "I want his head on a spike," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Send out a decree that the duke is to be executed for his incompetence. I will not tolerate failure in my kingdom."
The Royal Guards exchanged worried glances, but none of them dared to oppose the king's orders. They knew that he was in no mood for dissent, and any objection would only lead to their own demise, or worse. With a quick bow, they turned on their heels and left the king to his rage.
As the door slammed shut behind them, the king slumped down on his throne, his anger slowly dissipating into a sense of despair. He knew that executing the duke would not solve the problem at hand. His enemies were still at his doorstep, and he had no one to turn to for aid.
He needed a new strategy, one that would allow him to defend his kingdom against the impending threat. But what could he do? He had already exhausted all of his options.
Just as he was about to give up hope, a figure came out from the darkness. "Do you need my help?" A very charming soft voice fell upon the ears of the king, which quickly soothed his anger.
The door creaked open, and a figure stepped into the room. It was a woman, dressed in a simple gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair fell in loose waves around her face. She was a woman of great beauty, but the wings that were tucked behind her and the curved horns on her head speaks very well of her identity.
A click of a tongue escaped the lips of the woman that just entered the room. She stared in annoyance at the woman who was standing behind the king.
Invisible sparks were created between the two women as they stared at each other. The king sat comfortably on his throne in silence. "I like you better when you are in chains." The queen of Ereia muttered as she stared daggers at the demon.
"And I like it better when you are out of the picture. Hiding in the shadows and just looking at what is happening without intervening. You and your kin should just stick with which you are best at, which is hiding." The demoness retorted as she approach the king with graceful steps.
The women began exchanging heated words, which annoyed the king. "Both of you out!" the king roared. Finally, silence reigned in the room, which was in a total mess like a whirlwind just went by and tossed everything around before disappearing.
The king sat in silence on his throne. The crown that was supposed to be on his head was at his feet as he stared at it. His thoughts were in a complete mess. He did everything just to sit upon the throne; he destroyed everyone that was against him. And it wasn't even a year after he had ascended the throne and with how things were progressing with the war, he would be quickly dethroned.
The army that he had sent to the Kingdom of Alberna just vanished and the newly raised army of the duke was destroyed. What only remained to defend his crown was the original army of the kingdom.
Alone inside the throne room, the king sat there in silence. It was already bright outside when he came out. All the hours he spent thinking of a way to combat the threat to his kingdom were useless. He had no other options but to deploy his remaining troops.
The Royal Messengers received orders and headed to the army camps near the capital to relay the command of the king. After receiving their orders, the commanders mobilized their troops and began preparing to move out.
Commander Ishaq was tasked with accompanying half of the Ereian Royal Army under the lead of their commander.
Although he hated the annoying smirk of Barika, Ishaq can't do anything about it. It was the king's order.
As the army began their march towards the lands of Baron Ragab, the king could feel a sense of dread building up inside him. He knew that this would be a long and grueling battle, one that would test the limits of his army and the leadership skills of his commanders or so he thought.
As he watched his soldiers march out of the city gates, the king couldn't help but wonder if this was the last time he would see them alive. He had sent them out to fight a war that he wasn't even sure they could win, and the thought of losing them all was too much for him to bear.
Without an army, he was certain that the nobles who were at odds with him would take the chance to take him out. He couldn't risk being without protection or he'll be dead before he even knew it.
But he had no choice. He had to deploy half of the Ereian Royal Army to defend his crown. As he watched the last of the soldiers disappear into the horizon, the king turned around and headed towards the residences of the nobles who were causing some ruckus.
Right behind the king was what remained of the Ereian Royal Army. Another cleansing was on its way.