Epilogue
DUKE ALGRENE WAS CHARGED with attempted high treason and put under arrest. His mercenary company, which was arrested soon after, had already been thrown into the dungeon. His soldiers were indeed skilled fighters, but perhaps due to low morale, not many of them even bothered to fight back.
There were still several men among them who, confident in their own might, put up quite a struggle, but they were all knocked out. Lingsha blasting them all away played a big part in this.
“If anybody wants to be blasted even further, come at me! Ohh, yes!”
When they saw Lingsha bare her teeth in a big grin and cackle in their faces, quite a few of them surrendered on the spot. In the end, Duke Algrene’s mercenary company was a hired mob, nothing more. They weren’t loyal enough to help their master.
“Still, I’m shocked that Duke Algrene fell for our trick—I thought he was so careful.”
I imagined that he had a contingency plan to call off the attack if things turned south. Since he knew we didn’t trust him, he was always watchful, always waiting for his opportunity. Simply put, he was conservative in his actions.
When we told him the ice cream was poisoned, he was the epitome of calm. He surely didn’t think he would slip up so easily.
“And that’s why we made use of Berklein’s supporters,” Eric said. “If Berklein’s supporters—who hated our guts—acted like we were dead, even distrustful Algrene would have to believe them. They had no reason to help us. Though they did have reason to help Dale.”
When Berklein told me about his supporters, Eric decided to incorporate them into our little subterfuge. Hearing the testimonies of Jill and Berklein had confirmed to us that Dale was indeed our ally.
Honestly, I was surprised when Eric suggested that Jill be the one to deliver the details of our plan to Dale.
He had said, “Don’t worry, Leia. Your sister will deliver the message to Dale. I’m sure of it.”
Trusting Eric’s confident expression, I went along with it, but that was my biggest concern with our plan.
“Leave it to me, Sister. I’m not sure I can even begin to make amends for the pain I’ve caused you, but I will deliver the message right away.” Jill’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
We were so indirect with our communication for good reason. Eric had determined that there was a spy among Dale’s ranks. Naturally, Eric could just ask to speak with Dale privately, but that would practically signal to our enemy that Eric and Dale were now allies. It was crucial to our plan that the brothers’ relationship remain ambiguous. We would be in dire straits if Duke Algrene were to discover the truth.
“I didn’t think that many people would show up…”
“Everyone aside from Baron Almer was an extra cast by Johann. We couldn’t deprogram so many people so quickly.”
Johann had done a lot of work for us behind the scenes while he was suspended. When he heard of the plan, he deduced that Algrene would once again stage another fake attack and have his mercenary company arrest them.
Since that very plan had been used against him once already, Johann was hyper-vigilant. He discovered all the areas where Algrene’s assassins might hide, and he visited them all in advance and rounded up the assassins before they could act. Eric was overjoyed and said that Johann’s efforts were outstanding.
“And that first intruder who came for the king wasn’t actually executed after all, was he?” I asked.
“That’s right, and I fell hard for that deception. The dungeon warden took the blame for that, but I’m not going to prosecute him.”
We were shocked to learn that Dale had only pretended to execute that intruder. Instead, he placed the intruder under house arrest and pursued a private investigation himself.
That intruder’s family was taken hostage. In exchange for their lives, he was ordered to get caught by the mercenary company and go to the dungeon. The cruel lows to which Algrene would stoop were beyond words.
Due to those circumstances, the intruder was exonerated. He was only another victim of Algrene’s selfish conspiracy.
The dungeon warden hadn’t executed the intruder but a different condemned man. This was also by Dale’s request; another secret kept from Eric. Visiting Jill every day had made him quite close with the warden. He told us later how it was fortunate that they were able to become friends.
I recalled his words, “I just couldn’t stand the fact that your heart was broken from the strain of your relationship with your sister, Leia. I am well aware that I crossed a line and meddled. But I knew the pain of having a difficult relationship with one’s sibling…”
Dale wrote the whole thing off as him meddling. He said there was no other reason…but I wondered. I doubted anybody would go so far just for the sake of meddling, but he wouldn’t tell me anything more. Perhaps he didn’t want to tell me the real reason.
It’s just, what I felt in Dale was a deep love. Whether it was compassion or some different feeling, I didn’t have the courage to ask. I got the sense he didn’t want that part of him to be acknowledged.
Of course, I was very grateful to Dale. Thanks to him, Jill was spared a death sentence as well. Eric told me that it was mostly due to the fact that she was deemed to be a victim of Berklein’s brainwashing, but her sentence was also lessened because of how cooperative she had been with the investigation after her arrest.
From that conversation, it became clear to me that Dale had been supporting Eric from the shadows all along. He had a reason to become friendly with the aristocrats who hated Eric. He had befriended the Great Four and made them believe he was their ally so he would be aware at the earliest possible moment when their plans to harm Eric would go into motion. He also kept his distance from Eric because he was waiting for the dukes to let down their guards and show their true colors. He had chosen this path at a very young age, to live his life in service as Elshaid’s second prince and as the crown prince’s younger brother.
Just like Prince Eric, Prince Dale’s chosen path was overgrown with thorns. He could never reveal his true intentions to the brother he loved, and devoted himself to a life in the shadows. That’s no small feat.
He never strayed from that path, even when he was suspected of being his brother’s enemy. Even though he did it for his own flesh and blood, I wouldn’t describe it as anything less than incredible.
“Now I have a debt to Dale I can never repay,” Eric said.
“I know you can repay it someday,” I responded. “If you make Elshaid a better place, Prince Dale’s efforts will all have been worth it.”
“Yes, you’re right, Leia. Thanks.”
He smiled at me with a smile exactly like the one Dale had in the moment when he revealed everything to Algrene. A smile that signaled relief that he would no longer have to hide his true feelings from his brother.
Now that Eric knew Dale’s true feelings, his heart surely felt a bit lighter too. It showed in the brightness of his smile.
“But I’m sure Dale is in love with…”
“Prince Eric?”
“Er, it’s nothing. Dale…wasn’t the only one who saved me. Leia, you woke me up inside. In truth, the biggest debt I owe is to you. Without you, I know my spirit would have been broken.”
Eric was terribly depressed when he had no choice but to suspend Johann. And it’s true, I did give him some helpful words then. But I knew something Eric didn’t: Eric had pulled himself up by his own strength.
That’s why I didn’t need his gratitude. I just wanted him to fulfill his destiny.
“You are too kind, Your Highness. But I speak for myself, and perhaps for Prince Dale as well, when I say that seeing you live a life pursuing the justice you love so much is more than enough thanks.”
After a moment of hesitation, Eric said, “That’s right, you always give me a push when I need it. But that’s why I appreciate your encouraging words more than anything.”
The prince needed me. That fact alone was an honor more than I deserved. He probably spoke so highly of me because he knew that I would soon have to leave the palace.
Unfortunately, my time as his bodyguard was never meant to last forever. His Majesty told me so directly.
Algrene and Berklein, those that threatened Eric’s life, had both been caught. The rights reform was about to go into effect. Once that happened, Eric would almost certainly no longer need such strong protection.
In other words, there was no longer a reason for me, a saint, to be his bodyguard.
When I first came here, I felt nothing but confusion. But now that I’m leaving, I’m sad.
If I could have had my way, I would stay. I loved it here, where His Highness, Lingsha, and Johann were. I loved that I could be myself here.
Your Highness, I’m so sorry. I’m afraid I’ve lied to you.
I lied when I said that seeing you live a life pursuing the justice you love so much was more than enough for me. What I really wanted was…