Chapter 136:
Loss of Loyalty
The days after Holland's escape led the palace to turmoil within the dungeons. Captain Laurent and his team scoured the palace and the outside wall repeatedly, but no trace of the injured man could be found, not even a drop of blood. The only escape route, the crack in the palace outer wall, was quickly discovered, but the crack was enough to incriminate Captain Laurent and his soldiers for their lack of foresight in Malcolm's eyes.
"You captured that soldier of Eva's, and you interrogated him for days." Standing in the throne room stood Beau Laurent, his head forced to face down, two of his own soldiers at his side as he was interrogated by the faux royal, Malcolm. "Now I've been told the man escaped. What happened to him, Captain Laurent?"
Standing at the bottom of the stairs in the throne room, being looked down on by Malcolm, a surge of anger dwelled deep in his heart. The man looked down on him as if he were a piece of garbage, his position as captain of the Moon Squad, one of the Yursear knights' most prestigious groups. This reputation had been tarnished by Holland's nearly impossible escape, the only man they had caught with a high enough reputation to directly speak to Eva, the leader of the rebels.
I should have been more careful. That damn Charon always manages to get away in some crafty way. Beau stared forward, holding his head straight as he stared ahead, at the stairs of the throne. How did his companion manage to fool all of the guards and escape with him?
Beau was not stupid. There had to be someone inside the palace that helped him. Holland could have never escaped on his own, not in his condition. With the only witness, a dead servant in the storage room and the confused guards having no recollection of the escape was enough to tell the captain someone had purposely sabotaged his plan, helping the rebels.
It could also be a convenient excuse to remove him from his position as captain. Malcolm had never liked him because of his loyalty to the royal family. He was called a bloodhound due to his nature of collecting elves and bringing them to the kingdom, like a dog fetching sticks for its owner. Though he was loyal, Beau's position was very much a threat to Malcolm, and Willis even held contempt towards Captain Laurent.
"He could betray you at any time. Use him until he's lost his use, then dispose of him." Willis had said, and Malcolm slowly began to agree with the other man's thinking.
Malcolm had already interrogated him heavily, asking various questions, all of the same meaning, before he said, "
As Beau was led away, Malcolm spoke in a pronounced voice, making sure his words were heard by the restrained captain. "For the time being, monitor the captain's movements. If he attempts to escape the palace, kill him." Malcolm waved his hand with a devilish smile, the light behind his glasses burning bright with a heavy hint of hatred.
The soldiers at Beau's side could only wordlessly agree, leading their captain out of the room before they released their tight holds on the man they had come to greatly respect in the past. Now that he was on Malcolm's bad side, it was time they distanced themselves.
"Captain Laurent-" One of the men began, as if attempting to apologize, but Beau only waved his hand, his expression dark.
"You did what you were told, like a proper soldier." He stated darkly, staring at the two men he had known as comrades. "You did as you were told."
With the last of their respect towards their captain, they let the man walk alone to his quarters, watching his back like predators, knowing what would soon come to the other man.
The captain's anger dwelled heavy in his chest, but he could only restrain his breath, clenching his teeth as he thought, walking through the servant halls to his quarters.
Having been sent under monitoring of his own, Beau felt a sense of irritation well up in his chest. He had constantly been fighting to retain his position, to show himself as a compatible knight, and to serve his kingdom as a loyal soldier, but he had yet to receive anything but empty rank in return.
The Yursear royal family was failing. Malcolm had only exploited one of the cracks in the already weakened foundation. It was only time before the Godfreed family fell from power, unless changes were made, effective changes. Captain Laurent had spent enough time within the kingdom influenced by politics to know his future here was finished. Come hell or high water, he would leave this place. There was no future here, only death and destruction. The morals he had followed had begun to sway. There was no loyalty to him, so there was no reason for him to remain loyal to the royal family, or what was left of it, anymore.
Entering his quarters, Beau quietly closed the door behind him, his heavy footsteps lightened with his conviction.
There are only a few people I can trust at this point. Beau looked through his meager room, carefully moving aside a batch of uncompleted mission papers that had been stacked neatly on his desk, now thrown to the side in a messy, scattered pile, like confetti. He paid no mind to the papers as he dug into the desk, searching for the hidden compartment pushed against the wall.
Smacking a small button on the side edge of the table, the tabletop swung open, and soon he was greeted by an array of fake travel tokens, paperwork, money, and an empty satchel prepared to be packed. Next to the satchel was a large dagger, tucked into a delicate leather sheath, dust covering the hilt.
I don't have any close family anymore, not any worth saving anyway. Beau thought to himself. I just need to find an opening to get out of here, before all the soldiers start monitoring me. Information would spread quickly in the palace. With the little time he had left, Beau gathered the hidden items into a satchel and placed them inside, including duplicate city tokens for the Yursear and Bethell Kingdoms.
The criminals he had punished in the past had tried to do the same as Beau now, but unfortunately, they were caught before they could escape their ill fortune. But Captain Laurent was smart enough to know attempting to escape through normal means would be beyond foolish.
One man in the palace still owed him a favor, a favor large enough for him to escape out of the palace before he would be captured by Malcolm's men.
It's time to see the old man. Beau thought, throwing his plan into motion as he placed his satchel hidden under his writing desk, stepping out of his room with a natural pace, attempting to keep the other guards' worry at bay until he could escape this bloody hell hole once and for all.
…
After discovering Clarence was an elf, the way Eva faced Clarence was different. The information was not shared outside of her, Angeline, and Silas, but knowing the man that despised elves for so long was one himself was enough to make her smile to herself with a hint of a sneer as she stared at the prince, who had yet to digest the meaning of his heritage.
"With the completion of the scarves, there is little time left before the soldiers are sent out. Are you certain we will have enough to disperse to the elven soldiers?" Eva asked, sitting within the meeting room with Clarence, Silas, and Angeline present, discussing the previous matter at hand. They were all aware of the scarves' power, but it was not yet time to reveal the power until the soldiers were prepared.
Angeline smiled, "With Clarence and Silas's help, I was able to complete them in time. Any soldier of elven heritage, known or otherwise," Angeline paused, her eyes trailing over to Clarence for a moment before they drifted back, "Will be able to use them to retain mana."
Silas sat forward, resting his elbows on the table, "How will the rebel soldiers be distributed during the battle? And how will you know those of elven heritage?" Many of the elves with little elven blood had immersed themselves in Yursinean culture, losing their heritage and identity in order to maintain their safety.
Eva looked towards Angeline, who spoke with an assured nod, "Maeir, Adora and I have been working hard on the group placements, so we'll discuss that before you're all sent out to the palace. As for the elven heritage…" Angeline hummed for a moment. "All of the rebel soldiers will receive a scarf, and for those who react to it, they'll have the ability to use it in battle."
There were many variables Silas had wanted to discuss, but seeing Clarence staring at him, he held back his words, hoping to resume the conversation with Eva at a later time, when Clarence would not be eavesdropping.
"We already discussed Maeir and Adora's placements, but we haven't discussed yours." Eva started, tapping her gloved hand gently on the table. "Prince Clarence will be entering the palace with your team, Silas. " Eva stared up from the table, the map in front of her gloved hands filled with ink marks, full of careful notes delicately prepared from years of research, planning, and waiting for the opportune time. She would not allow the fruits of her efforts to go to waste due to one incompetent ruler. "Silas will be watching over you as the group captain of the palace infantry to find Malcolm."
"Infantry? You mean-" Silas asked, surprised.
Clarence interrupted suddenly. "You want me to enter the palace with Silas's team."
"I'm glad you understand." Eva rested her hands on the table, "Your family's safety depends on your performance, Clarence. The faster you enter the palace with Silas's team, the faster you can save your family." She said directly.
Silas was familiar with Eva's tactics. She would not force Clarence to watch as his family was killed, but she would use their safety as leverage to assure the man would follow her commands. Clarence had gradually grown closer to Silas as well during their stay in Countess Zavior's hidden mansion. Silas was his protector, after all.
"Remember that this is a war, Clarence. The only reason I'm allowing you back into that palace is to kill Malcolm. If you attempt to take back the throne, we will kill you." Eva's eyes trailed over to Silas, then back to Clarence, her gaze carrying more weight than Clarence could bear. "This is the only way for the kingdom to return to the glory it once had."
Clarence's gaze fell over Silas, who was quietly discussing something with Angeline, who had suddenly distracted the other man. The pair was pointing to the map on the table with complex expressions. Seeing how knitted Silas's brow was, Clarence wanted to lift his hand and rub those wrinkles away, but his gaze returned to Eva, whose gaze had yet to leave his face.
Her expression was full of warning, If you want to protect him, then you should act in our best interest. The Yursear Kingdom had already harmed the elves once. If this rebellion were to fail, there was no telling what would happen to all of them, especially his family, and Silas.
I haven't gotten the chance to confess my feelings yet. Clarence thought soundlessly, nodding his head in agreement with Eva. I haven't even been able to prove myself to him. Maybe this way, I can prove myself to Silas, once and for all.
Clarence wanted to chase the feeling of warmth in his chest, the feeling of softness every time he stared at Silas, greeted with a smile. He wanted to wrap the other man in his arms and chain him to him, forever caging him in his embrace, like a chain. Silas had become his weakness. Suddenly, as if struck by a passing thought, Clarence knew he could only keep Silas safe, for his own sake.
The hate he felt before made him slowly realize his anger was only an undercurrent for other feelings, feelings he had deeply been trying to repress, not allowing himself to feel affection for the man that had long since been forbidden to him.
And Eva knew this.
Clarence had pushed himself into a corner, but in order to redeem himself, he would do anything, even if it meant his role within the Yursear Kingdom.
…
Days had passed within the Yursear Palace, but the days passed like a prison sentence, and Charlotte, Philomena, and Alywin were restrained to the inner walls of the palace. Charlotte had known little about Alywin's condition, other than Malcolm had restricted the man to his room like a slave. Philomena was worried sick for him, but they were well aware what would happen if they tried to help him.
The ground underneath their feet was already loosening, and the kingdom was beginning to crumble from the inside out. Charlotte's knight had long since been preparing their escape, and nearly a month after she had been restrained to the Yursear palace with Malcolm, a golden opportunity to escape fell into her lap.
"My lady, a letter from home arrived for you." A maid bowed deeply, handing the sealed letter to Charlotte before she withdrew herself, closing the door to her room with one last, deep bow. Holding the unopened letter in her hands, Charlotte retrieved her letter opener from Philomena and began to cut the top of the letter open before she paused, letting out an irritated sigh from the bottom of her chest.
As much as Malcolm had attempted to hide the tampering of the seal, there were small wrinkles on the ring of the wax edge, where a knife had been used to gently lift the wax, allowing him to read the contents before she received the letter.
"That bas-" Charlotte coughed, catching herself as she stared towards Philomena, whose eyes were glued to the letter. "It's a letter from my mother. Let's read it." Philomena sat next to Charlotte, her knight standing by the door to the room as she quietly narrated the contents of the letter to the present parties, her voice trailing off near the end of the letter.
"To my dear daughter,
I hope your time in the Yursear Kingdom has been well. I have been waiting for your return to the palace since your marriage to the future Yursinean king. We are very proud of you, Charlotte, and your accomplishments within the Yursear Kingdom.
In case you have forgotten, three weeks' time, I would like you to return to the palace with your lady in waiting for your youngest sister's coming of age ceremony. Sophia is looking forward to seeing you again.
It would be best to start your journey while the weather is pleasant…"
Charlotte's frown grew deeper the more she read the letter, the delicate cursive font far from brutish. However, there was a strange feeling welling in her chest, and the text written on the letter, while similar to her mother's style of writing, was unlike the woman she had known. Even some of the letters were too delicate to belong to her mother, who rarely graced her hand with the feeling of a pen. That was a job she usually left to her servants.
"What's wrong, Charlotte?" Philomena asked, watching as her expression fell.
Charlotte shook her head, "This letter, there's something strange about it. This cannot be my mother's." Basch stared at the letter from a distance, his eyes quickly scanning the parchment with a humble grimace. At a quick glance, he felt something was indeed strange.
As the trio quietly discussed the meaning of the letter, there was a quiet thudding sound from above their heads. Charlotte looked up as her knight moved the girls to the side, away from the origin of the noise. The more they listened, the more they heard, the sound gradually growing louder. Philomena nearly called for one of the knights outside before the painting to the far side of the wall moved itself, and she had to cover her own mouth to keep from screaming.
Basch, the only present knight, stepped forward, drawing his sword as he stood between the girls and the moving fame, his face full of vigilance.
As the painting moved, a hand reached out from behind the frame, followed by a low voice, full of fatigue. "Princess Charlotte, I'm here to help you. Tell your knight to lower his weapon, and I'll keep mine drawn."
"You are?" Charlotte asked directly, her knight standing between the two of them like an impenetrable wall.
The man standing in the room was dressed in all black, his skin nearly two shades lighter than the darkened clothes he wore, and his subtle elven features were enough to raise alarm bells for the two women as they stared at him.
If he tries anything, Basch will take care of him. Charlotte thought immediately, watching her guard with vigilance. For now, I want to know who he is and why he's here.
"I'm sure you already read that letter from your 'mother', and I know you're planning to escape the palace to return home." Theo stated with certainty, raising his hands to the sides of his heads without a fight, attempting to gain some trust. "The maids outside have been temporarily sent away. You can speak freely for the next few minutes." Theo added, watching as Philomena's gaze fell towards the door, questioning if their conversation would be overheard.
"I knew it." Charlotte lifted the letter, her left brow raised in interest. "This letter wasn't from my family, but the seal is real. Did you write this?" Knowing her own mother's handwriting, it could only be a forgery. The writing style, however, made it a nearly perfect one at that.
"You know your mother's handwriting, but Malcolm doesn't." Theo smiled, "And he's not in the position to refuse a Bethellian royal to leave the palace when summoned by her royal family." Charlotte's gaze tensed as he added, "Malcolm would never let you out on your own, after all."
"Why are you doing this?" Charlotte questioned the man. She had a vague sense of familiarity around him, as if he were someone Clarence had conducted business with in the past, but she held no such familiarity towards him herself. He was here for a reason, and that reason just happened to involve them. "You obviously have something to gain."
"My purpose is to help Alywin." Theo turned to Philomena, whose face grew more anxious by the minute at the mention of Alywin's name. "If I help you two escape, Alywin will be able to escape the palace too."
Philomena sat up, her face pale. "How is Marquis Cyneric?" She nearly would have stood to her feet if Charlotte had not held her back, her expression grim. "Has Malcolm harmed him?"
Theo stood near the other end of the room, just close enough to speak without shouting. "Alywin's presence in this palace is enough to cause him harm." There was unhidden closeness in his gaze, and it made Charlotte hum quietly in thought to herself as Philomena grabbed her handkerchief, twisting it in her lap as she attempted to keep her ever-changing emotions at bay, wishing to do whatever would keep her dearest Alwyin safe from harm.
Their conversation was brought to an abrupt end by Charlotte's knight, his gaze falling on the trio with a frown. "My lady, I think it would be wise to discuss this at a later time. The maids are returning to their posts." Basch interrupted their heavy conversation, his right ear facing the door, highlighting his stellar hearing.
"Then, thank you for listening to me." Theo said his goodbyes with haste, moving towards the painting on the wall as he stared towards the door to the room one last time with a frown. "I'll knock on the back of his painting tomorrow at tea time. If you knock in response, I'll consider our deal established."
Charlotte watched as Theo disappeared as quickly as he came, her hands covered in a thin line of sweat. Her heart began to beat, excitement welling in her chest at the thought of leaving the palace. She did not wholly trust Theo, but she knew his closeness to the other man was enough to use as leverage to keep her and Philomena safe in case things did not work out as intended.
Philomena opened her mouth to speak, but there was a call from a maid outside the door, and she could only say in a whisper,
"I trust him to help us."
"I don't think we have a choice either way." Charlotte whispered back before allowing the maid to enter.
…
Sorry for the delay and disappearance.... this is my busiest week for work due to my students' graduation/ prom, so they've been throwing me through the wringer. I'm also applying for a scholarship where I have to write everything in Japanese including a research proposal and in-person interview, which is utter ass, so I've been trying really hard to get that stuff done on a tight deadline ;n; I'm utterly exhausted :)))))
This was weakly edited, so some parts may feel a little choppy, but I hit all my major points to move the plot forward, so I'm happy :D I'm enjoying everyone's movements for now, but focusing on the future of the plot. One of my all time favorite scenes is soon to come too (with Charlotte's group)! If you thought the cross dressing was over quite yet... I still need to milk that tag ;D
If I disappear again, it's because my store opening/ scholarship app most likely. I'll be around, just not on any of my socials for a while. Though, I'm hoping to be back on track here/ streaming soon, I just need some sleep and time off work ^^; Thank you all for your continued patience, and I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter~~ >y<