"Is this news true?" Prince Herod asked anxiously to Captain Blake who was seated in his usual chair. He had rushed over to the Old Ugly as soon as he read the message and demanded to meet Blake. "How did you get this information when our own spies and scouts have not even spotted anything?"
"I have my means," Blake gave a shrug and replied. "I have done my part for our alliance. It is up to you to believe it or not."
Prince Herod slumped down on the chair behind him, his mind racing as he sought out possibilities and answers. Finally, he stood up and said in a tired voice, "If this is true... I have to warn the court..."
"For all our sake, I hope that your information is false..." Prince Herod paused at the door and said before leaving. "If not... This might be the greatest disaster the Iron Kingdom has ever faced..."
Prince Herod swapped out a fresh mount as he rushed back to the Iron Palace with his guards. Not long after, nine strokes of a bell resounded from the Iron Palace and echoed throughout the Capital. The Iron Lords and ministers hearing the nine strokes of the bell came rushing into the Iron Palace as the ringing of the Iron Palace's bell nine times in the Palace meant something on a kingdom level had occurred.
The seats inside the Chamber for assembly of the Iron Lords and ministers was quickly filled up. The first thing any of the Lords and ministers saw was the Third Prince seated at the head of the Chamber, looking impatiently at the giant iron steam powered sand glass on one side of the Chamber.
The Lords and ministers whispered amongst themselves as they inquired about the sudden urgent summons. Many rumors were spread but most of the Lords and ministers were thinking about one thing, that the Iron King has passed away. As the buzz continued, the Second Prince entered along with Lord Sincia and they took the seating for royals next to Prince Herod.
A look of barely suppressed glee was on the Second Prince's face as he sat down and glanced around the Chamber triumphantly. On the other hand, Lord Sincia preserved an aura of calm as he sat down and folded his hands on his lap and closed his eyes. Finally, unable to wait no longer, Prince Herod stood up and addressed the assembled court.
"I have called for an urgent assembly of the court as I have just received a piece of urgent news..." Prince Herod spoke out. The assembled court had quietened down when he stood up and now everyone's eyes and ears were on him. "I have received word that Protectorate forces are amassing their fleets for an attack on our borders!"
His sentence caused an uproar among the court. Some let out sighs of relief for they had assumed the worse for their King, others panicked as it would mean their territories would be ravaged by the Protectorate. Prince Herod banged the table with his fist and the Chamber quietened down again before he continued. "I will be leading my personnel troops and taking the 9th Fleet to support the border."
"All other Iron Lords not in assigned to the Tri State front are to return to their fiefs and raise all their troops to defend against the Protectorate!" Prince Herod ordered. "We have not much time! The Protectorate will attack us anytime soon!"
"Wait!" The Second Prince stood up and yelled loudly over the din of discussion that broke out after Prince Herod's announcement. Prince Najja glared at his brother and said, "On what basis are you ordering the Court to move their troops?"
"I have reliable information that the Protectorate are attacking!" Prince Herod growled. "Is that not enough?"
"Reliable information?" Prince Najja laughed, making his fats wobble. "Has our spies spotted anything?"
Prince Najja directed the question to one of the Iron Lords in the crowd. The Iron Lord who handled the spy network of the Iron Kingdom, stood up and bowed before he said, "No, your Highness... I have not received any news about any troops movements of the Protectorate."
"See?" Prince Najja declared triumphantly. "You have no right!"
Prince Herod's eyes glared murderously at Prince Najja who coughed nervously as he backed away from his brother's glare. Lord Sincia suddenly stood up and he shook his head sadly. "Prince Herod... I know you wanted the position of Crown Prince... But how can you use such a scheme against your own brother?"
"What scheme?" Prince Herod frowned as his eyes narrow suspiciously. He felt something was not right with the way his royal uncle was acting. "What are you talking about?"
"Clearly this is a scheme to gain military strength from the Iron Lords!" Lord Sincia sighed. "With at least half of our military facing off against the Tri State... You planned to make use of this... so called invasion by the Protectorate, so that you can gain command of the remaining military forces for your own use!"
"How could you?" Lord Sincia's shoulders slumped down and he sighed deeply again. "I know you could not bear the fact that your second brother has surpassed you and became the Crown Prince... But how could you make such a scheme?"
"Even if he is your half brother..." Lord Sincia shook his head sadly. "He is still your family! How could you pretend to say the Protectorate are invading and plan a military coup after seizing control of the border troops?"
"How could you betray your royal father? Your family? And the Iron Kingdom when it needed your talents the most against the Tri State?" Lord Sincia's words made the entire court glare at the Third Prince, many of them started to believe Lord Sincia's words.
"NO!" Prince Herod roared angrily. "I am not scheming nor planning any coup! The Protectorate at going to attack us and all you can do is still play politics?"
"Brother!" Prince Najja cried out, tears forming on his eyes and his chubby hands clenching his chest in shock. "H- How could you? Even... if we do not see eye to eye.. How... How could you wish me dead? If you really want to be Crown Prince... I... I can give you the position!"
Prince Herod cursed at the acting of his royal uncle and brother. He knew he had been outplayed by his royal uncle's wits and nothing he said could prove his innocence. Even if the information provided by Captain Blake was true, there was nothing he could do to prove it until the Protectorate attacks and by then, it would be too late to do anything!
"FINE!" Prince Herod slammed his fists on the table and the whole Chamber was silenced. "Since no one believes me... I shall take my own forces to the border!"
"And I hope all the Lords here to return to their lands and make all preparations for the Protectorate!" Prince Herod growled and he walked towards the exit. "When they come... I hope none of you cowers behind your walls and pushes with all speed to block the Protectorate from breaking throu-!"
"AHEM! Your Highness..." Lord Sincia cleared his throat loudly to cut off Prince Herod, not giving him time to finish his words. "I think... It is best for you and all of us... that you remain behind in your chambers..."
"What?" Prince Herod scowled. "You want me to remain in my chambers while the Protectorate attacks?"
"It is only your word that the Protectorate will attack," Lord Sincia said with a small smile. "While all of us would dare doubt your Highness's words... But it is still too far fetched for everyone..."
"If the Protectorate is really massing their troops, why has none of our spies and scouts even noticed anything?" Lord Sincia pointed out. "We have been fighting and defending against the Protectorate for many generations! Any move they make, we would know about it!"
"That's the problem!" Prince Herod snapped. "Generations of fighting but the tactics remained the same! The Protectorate has changed its tactics this time!"
"Those fanatics?" Lord Sincia shook his head. "Even so, moving troops of any size would be easily spotted by our spies, yet we received no word!"
"I am telling you, it is true!" Prince Herod insisted. "They did not mass at the border towns but in their inner cities! Of course our spies could not find out about them!"
"Then, how did your Highness find out about it?" Lord Sincia smiled further making his wrinkled face crinkle up. "Why none of our spies could find out?"
"I-" Prince Herod hesitated before he answered. "I have my own people in there!"
"Haha!" Lord Sincia gave out a bark of laughter before he shook his head. "Your highness... Do not treat us all as fools! We all know that no one... no one can infiltrate into the inner lands of the Protectorate without being discovered by those crazy fanatics!"
"Enough of this charade!" Lord Sincia said sternly. "Guards! Escort the Third Prince to his chambers and make sure he does no leave his chambers without instructions from me or the Crown Prince!"
The guards only after seeing the rest of the Iron Lords and ministers quiet approval, stepped forward and surrounded Prince Herod who glowered at them. "Damn it! If you do this, the Iron Kingdom will fall!"
"Take him away!" Lord Sincia gestured for the guards. "Make sure he stays in his room!"
"Lord Kiln! Lord Saber!" Prince Herod called out to his allies. "Do something! The Protectora-!"
The doors of the chamber slammed shut and Prince Herod's words were cut off. Lord Sincia let out a breath of relief before he turned to the court with a smile. "Please do not take this incident to heart... His highness, the Third Prince... is... suffering from over anxiety... With the war and the King..."
"Now, since everyone is here," Lord Sincia gestured around the chamber. "Let's not waste precious time! The Crown Prince shall be leading a fleet to the front against the Tri State and..."
-----
The Old World, Iron Kingdom's Capital, Iron Palace, Prince Herod's Chambers
"Damn the gods!" Prince Herod flung another vase off the table. The vase shattered and its pieces joined the hundreds of other broken fragments all over the floor. He stormed up and down his room before he sat down behind his work desk and took out several scrolls.
He quickly penned several messages on the scrolls and stamped them with his seal. After sealing them, he placed them into a scroll case and went out to the window balcony that overlooked an inner garden courtyard. The scroll case was dropped into a hollowed rain gutter and he stealthily replaced the cover before he returned to his chamber and laid down on his bed.
Thankfully, he had this method of sending out orders to his people secretly. The message would be picked up and delivered to those he addressed to. Hopefully, word of the impending Protectorate attack would spread and the orders he gave to his people, would have ready his ships for battle.
As he laid on his bed thinking, a sudden thought crossed his mind. Could the news from Captain Blake be false? But what reason does Captain Blake has to provide him with false information. Could it be that Captain Blake had been bought by Lord Sincia and the earlier farce was a plot against him and he had blindly fallen into their trap?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got until he could not stand it anymore and he stormed to the doors and banged hard against them. The barred doors remained stubborn against his fists and kicks as he vented all his anger at them. In the end, as he laid panting against the doors, the guards outside could only tell him to calm down.
"Calm down? Curse you all! Let's see how calm you all be when I am done with you all!"