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AFTER the knight’s whispered report to the crown prince, Riddhe Sutherland’s trial was put on hold as the most important representative, namely Fritz, left the throne room.
The plan seemed to be going well. Returning to her seat, Alicia glanced at Chancellor Yggdrasil over the sea of people as he sat next to the empty throne.
The man had tried to follow Fritz when he’d left the room but was told to stay back by the prince himself. Though she couldn’t hear their conversation, Alicia saw that Fritz didn’t even look at the chancellor once, waving a hand as if to dismiss his argument.
In any case, they’d succeeded in the first step of creating a rift between the two. But she was still concerned. What had made the crown prince leave so urgently?
A long time passed. Something major must have happened to warrant this, and it could be a setback for their side. Ideally, they should have continued striking while the crown prince was disoriented and won the battle.
That said, they’d come well-prepared for this possibility and had several backup plans. Now, if only they could find out what was happening outside…
Just then, the door opened, and the crown prince reentered the throne room. Everyone stood while he made his way back to the throne, and once he was seated, he signaled for the rest to do the same.
“We’ll pick up where we left off. Take the stand, Alicia.”
She stood and returned to the witness stand next to Riddhe. “Is everything all right? Has anything happened outside?” she asked.
“Nothing that concerns you or anyone else here.”
Stonewalled, Alicia just curtsied. In response, Fritz raised his voice to address the room. “As the representative of the empress, I hereby grant Princess Alicia’s request.”
The chancellor’s brow twitched as the crowd murmured.
“If I may speak, Your Highness,” surprisingly, it was the third representative, the scholar, who spoke up. “I’m afraid Your Highness is not the only representative of this trial. Following the rules set by our ancestors, the decision to grant a request from Her Highness Alicia should be decided by all three representatives…”
“Are you saying that you are dissatisfied with the decision of the crown prince of Erdal?” Fritz asked calmly, though the gaze he leveled at the elderly scholar was freezing cold.
Sensing the crown prince’s aura, the man gave up, lowering his head as he murmured, “I was out of line.”
“You’re forgiven… Now, I was going to summon my mother, Elizabeth, to this sacred trial, as per Princess Alicia’s request, but…”
A feeling of unease grew in Alicia’s chest, but the crown prince raised his hand before she could speak. Seeing Fritz’s signal, the door to the throne room was pulled open, and guards armed with swords rushed in. Several nobles screamed at the sudden threat.
“Princess!!”
A flash of silver, and Robert had leapt to the center of the room. The other escort knights quickly followed, shielding Alicia and the chained and defenseless Riddhe.
“Robert—!”
“Please stay back, princess. This looks bad.”
Despite his smile, Robert’s gaze was sharp and alert as he scanned the room. She could see the Erdalian guards reflected in the shiny surface of his sword.
The guards had formed a line, moving to surround Robert and the Heillander escort knights, with her trapped in the middle.
Another group of guards surround Beatrix and Charlotte. She glanced at the chancellor on the dais, only to see a grim expression on his face. Apparently, this was a surprise to him as well.
The room fell silent as the last guards got into position, and then the sound of scraping metal echoed as they all drew their swords and pointed them at her.
“Princess Alicia of Heilland, Lady Beatrix Crowne, and Charlotte Yggdrasil, you are now being charged,” Fritz declared as he stood from his seat and stared down at Alicia.
“Charged? What do you mean?” Alicia asked as calmly as she could.
“My mother, Elizabeth, empress of Erdal, has gone missing from Mylene Hall.”
Alicia stood resolutely, trying to hide her shock. The chancellor, on the other hand, decided that he could no longer be a silent bystander. He stood and moved next to Fritz.
“Your Highness, what do you mean that Her Majesty is missing…?”
“It means exactly what it means.”
After checking on the situation at the castle gates with the knight, Fritz took a detour to Mylene Hall to see his mother. Did he intend to summon her to the trial as per Alicia’s request or to convince her to join his side? It didn’t matter because there he’d learned the shocking truth.
“When I arrived, it was clear Mylene Hall had been attacked, and Her Majesty was missing. It was a secret mission executed with brilliant precision, but one of the guards we found told us about the assailant and his unusual black hair.”
Riddhe sucked in a breath while Robert tutted. Alicia’s hands flew to her chest as she clasped them tightly together.
Of course, the mention of black hair made all of them think of one person, but if he was in Erdal, why hadn’t he rushed to meet with Alicia? Why did he abduct Empress Elizabeth instead?
Alicia shook her head.
It was impossible to guess Clovis’s motives behind this bold step. But if he was really the assailant, then she shouldn’t have to worry. As she’d told Robert before the trial, Clovis had never disappointed her in the six years since he became the princess’s adviser.
He would always put Alicia first.
Knowing his feelings, she knew she could trust him.
“Our men are already tracking Her Majesty down and will be able to rescue her soon,” Fritz continued. “If you’re smart, you’ll know that your best course of action now is to put away your swords and follow my orders obediently.”
Robert looked over his shoulder at Alicia and shook his head slightly. She knew what he was implying. If they surrendered now, Alicia would be thrown into prison. She wouldn’t be able to keep her promise to Nigel Otto, and if she didn’t return by the stipulated date, King James would be forced to make a move that could lead to war.
Alicia nodded in understanding.
“Fine, but Your Highness, are you certain Her Majesty was really abducted?” she questioned.
“What?” Fritz frowned at her challenge, then flinched as he caught sight of her strong, sky-blue gaze.
“Her Majesty is a strong and courageous woman, not the type who will meekly submit to a despicable abductor even when threatened… Are you certain she didn’t leave Mylene Hall of her own volition, on her own two legs?”
“What…?!”
“If you can’t answer that, then I see no need for us to comply with your orders.”
Fritz’s expression twisted at her words, but before he could raise his arm to signal the guards, Robert moved. Quick as a flash, three Erdalian guards staggered back from the force of his swinging sword.
“Well said, princess!” he shouted as he grinned at Alicia. “Men! From now on, we’re on a rescue mission to safely bring Her Royal Highness and Lord Riddhe Sutherland back to Heilland. But mind you, do it with as little bloodshed as possible!”
Robert moved again. Before Alicia could grasp what was happening, she heard a small scream and the sound of something breaking next to her. Turning in a panic, she saw the chains that bound Riddhe were broken, and he was looking dumbfoundedly at his freed hands.
“Over here! Quick!”
“Y-Yes. Let’s go, Your Highness!!”
Recovering from the shock of having Robert’s sword slice so closely to his wrists, Riddhe turned to Alicia and urged her forward. However, Robert was not there. Looking around, she saw him attacking the guards surrounding Beatrix and Charlotte.
True to his word, none of the Erdalian soldiers he’d felled were dealt fatal wounds. With his flawless movements well-versed in combat, Robert could use the tip of his sword to knock away his opponents’ weapons, stunning them and mowing them down in an instant. As expected of the man hailed as the reincarnation of the Sword Saint, his impressive skills showcased why he was able to become the commander of the knights of the Imperial Guard at such a young age.
Breaking through the circle of guards, Robert reached out to the women.
“Come! Run with us.”
“Y-Yes!”
Charlotte immediately understood Robert’s intention. She grabbed Beatrix’s hand and rushed after the knight. With Robert fighting off the guards trying to block their path, the pair caught up to Alicia and Riddhe.
“Your Highness!!”
“I’m glad you’re here, Charlotte! Let’s go!”
“Wait! Charlotte!!”
Charlotte glanced back at the sound of Fritz’s voice for only a second, a hint of sadness on her face, before she turned away again. Sensing the determination and strength in the girl’s grip, Alicia gave Charlotte’s hand a squeeze as they hurried to the exit.
The Erdalian nobles gathered to witness the trial were also rushing to escape from the battle, getting in the guards’ way and making it difficult for them to chase down Alicia and her group effectively. Then, amidst the chaos, something strange happened.
The escort knight clearing the way for Alicia’s group was the first to stop. Next, the Erdalian guards froze before readjusting the grip on their swords and adopting a cautious stance. Their gazes wavered as if unsure whether the escaping Heillanders or what lay beyond the doors was a bigger threat.
“What now…?!” Riddhe groaned as he moved to stand before the women, attempting to shield them despite his lack of a weapon. Alicia peeked around him to look into the hallway, rumbling with heavy footsteps that seemed to shake the floor.
The next moment, a wave of black rounded the corner as countless people rushed towards them, causing the nobles who had just escaped to scream and hurry back into the throne room.
“Wh-What’s that?!”
“Just get back, Riddhe boy!!”
Robert yelled as he grabbed Riddhe by the shoulder and pulled him backward. In a similar fashion, Beatrix wrapped her arms around Alicia and Charlotte as the girls stepped back and the escort knights moved to the front line.
The Erdalian guards rushed to the doors to close them, but before they could, the door shook with the impact of numerous people slamming into it and flying open. Men poured into the room.
“What’s the meaning of this?!!”
“Over here, Your Highness! Men, protect the crown prince!”
Chancellor Yggdrasil held Fritz back as he shouted at the guards. Alicia’s group stayed alert as well, glaring at the intruders as they filled up the space.
The men parted to clear a path, and the clopping of hooves echoed on the floor as a majestic black horse entered the throne room. Everyone gasped, eyes wide, as they stared at the rider. Alicia was the only one whose eyes were on the black-haired man by the rider’s side, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’m here to retake my throne.”
Empress Elizabeth, escorted by Clovis Cromwell, declared coldly as she raised her sword and pointed it straight at Fritz, who stood frozen on the dais, then Yggdrasil. Her red lips quirked into a smile.
“…Game over, usurper.”