Chapter 403 - An Act Of Insubordination

The gifts that the noblemen had brought for the King had already been handed over to the Royal Knights after entering the Palace grounds.

These gifts would then undergo a thorough inspection from the Royal Knights and only after that would they be brought before the presence of their King.

Following the noble hierarchy, the first man to go would be Duke Maldock Brodie who was already standing before the King as he waited for his present to be brought out.

"What have you brought for me this year, Maldock?" King Ophire teased his old friend who smiled but did not answer.

Soon, a young knight entered the hall with a large tray covered with a red satin cloth used to maintain the element of surprise for the King.

"A gift from your humble aide." Duke Brodie announced as he lifted the cloth, displaying what laid underneath it.

While the entire hall was silent, King Ophire chuckled heartily when he saw what was on the tray being held by the Knight kneeling before him.

A golden pen that Yvonne would recognize as a calligraphy pen was what the Duke had brought for the King.

Looking at his expressions, the men were sure that their King was pleased with this gift and they began praising the Duke for having great insight.

King Ophire nodded in appreciation of this present as Duke Brodie stepped aside, letting the other man come forward.

Duke Tanner was next and a new knight entered the Hall.

One glance and most men were able to make out what he had brought for their King.

"A new sword for my collection, Duke Tanner?" The King jested and Obinn Tanner chuckled with a nod as his gift indeed was a new sword.

"This one is special, Your Majesty for this sword would never need to be polished or repaired after using it." Obinn revealed why this long sword was brought in the presence of the King.

"Drench it in blood and it repairs itself." He added and heard gasps coming from a few men who knew what this sword was.

A talented swordsman cum smith whose whereabouts have been a mystery for decades was the only one who could craft this rare and powerful sword, 'Haemos', named after its thirst for blood.

King Ophire's eyes glittered with an excitement similar to that of a young boy's when he heard this information and he was eager to test it out.

'This would be useful to Draco!' He decided that this gift would be handed over to his brother who could use it better during his missions.

The two Dukes had now set the bar high with their presents and the noblemen hoped that they could live up to the expectations of their King.

Marquess Samed then brought out a painting he had acquired with the help of his sister, Duchess Tanner, the art enthusiast.

The King had high praises for him and so did the rest of the lower nobles.

Similarly, some brought out jewels, some pets, some had antique pottery.

Anything rare and valuable was found here today.

Finally, after the Marquess' was the turn of the Earls with the first being Rutherford.

When he stepped forward, everyone glanced at the entrance of the hall but even after a few seconds, no one entered.

"Did Earl St. Claire forget to prepare a present for His Majesty?" A mutter was heard in the crowd which elicited gasps and scornful looks at the man who had dared to act so insolently.

Howard was standing amidst the crowd and he had figured out who had spoken these words, glaring in the direction of Earl Blaise and his son who had victorious smirks as they stood at a short distance away from him.

Turning his head around, he had a worried look in his eyes as he alternated his gaze between his father and the King.

King Ophire had already noticed the person who had spoken up but he did not address that man in any way.

Instead, he looked at the Earl before him with his head tilted.

"Is this true, Earl?" He interrogated as a subtle pressure surrounded the man who was at the center of his attention.

If Earl St. Claire had truly not brought him a present then this could be interpreted as an act of insubordination.

King Ophire was not greedy for gifts but this presentation ceremony was used as a means to gauge how much these men revered and respected the Royal family.

So if this Earl had failed to do so then it would bring bad news for him and his family.

Rutherford could sense the stifling pressure that was coiling around him but he did not show any signs of weakness.

Looking at the King, he bowed his head just a little before defending his family's name from the slander that was used to attack him.

"Your Majesty, the present could not be brought into this hall." He announced the reason why no knight had come forward with the tray.

King Ophire's eyes flitted to his Steward for confirmation and received a nod indicating that these words were indeed true.

"If I could request the King to pardon me and please accompany me to see your present, I would be grateful." The Earl spoke eloquent words to improve the King's sullen mood.

Having received an answer from his Steward, King Ophire did not answer but rose from his Throne and stepped down the stairs.

His eyes then glimpsed in a certain direction where he knew the two boys were hidden then began striding out of the hall.

'Draco and Fritzen will not be able to see this.' He sighed as the blindspot only worked for the interior of this hall.

As the King with his Steward and Earl St. Claire began walking out of the Hall, so did the rest of the other attendees.

King Ophire stepped out of the Palace and the first thing he saw was a massive carriage which was used to transport heavy goods.

Standing next to it were six muscular men whom he had never seen which meant that they did not belong to the Palace.

'You dared to bring outsiders into my Palace?' He glanced at Rutherford with his eyebrow cocked up at this courageous feat that he had dared to perform on this day.

When the rest of the men finally arrived, they found the same scene and were also terrified at what the Earl was trying to do.

"Is he trying to attempt an assassination on our King?" Earl Blaise whispered to the man next to him.

This man glanced down at Earl Blaise, making his skin crawl after noticing the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Remember to watch your words if you want to return to your estate with a beating heart, Earl Blaise." He whispered back but the eerie tone he had used made the shorter man shudder in terror.

After this ominous interaction, Earl Blaise did not utter a single word and froze due to fear next to the same man as his feet would not move an inch even if he desperately wanted to flee from his side.

Since King Ophire and Rutherford were at the foremost spot, they had not heard these bold words or someone might have lost their life today.

"Men." Rutherford ordered and the six men bowed before getting into positions.

The carriage was still many feet away from them so he was not worried about anything.

One of the men stepped forward and unhooked the latch at the posterior of the carriage to unlock the entrance.

The Black Shadow Knights who were hidden became alert as the door of the carriage lowered while the six men held onto it until it touched the ground.

While everyone fixed their vigilant eyes on the carriage the six men climbed onto the ramp that was formed and entered the carriage.

King Ophire's curiosity was piqued when he heard low grunts coming from the inside getting louder.

As he continued to observe the carriage, he found the six men slowly stepping outside with something in their hands.

'A rope?' He furrowed his brows when he saw thick sturdy ropes through which they appeared to be pulling something out.

Rutherford glimpsed at the King then reverted his eyes to his men who were struggling to pull the item out.

'May everything turn out alright!' He prayed that no mishaps took place for the future of his family was at stake here.

King Ophire and everybody else watched as the men heaved one last time before something came rolling outside, leaving them with their mouths wide open in awe of the sight before them.