Chapter 163:
One Step Forward
Nearly a month after the incident in the forest. It was finally time to reclaim the kingdom in the eyes of the public. There was only a short amount of time to alert those of the capital of the prince's return, stirring unrest, interest, and a unique sense of chaos in the kingdom as Eva's rebels had reclaimed what remained of the Yursear Kingdom.
Led by a group of trusted rebel knights, Clarence traveled in an unmarked carriage with Silas, the only familiar face outside the carriage was Jasmine, who kept the group in order as they hurried as quickly and as covertly as possible to the capital without drawing attention. Her usual jovial demeanor was replaced by a seriousness that shocked the pair, but they stayed quiet, keeping their thoughts to themselves as they made the difficult journey to the capital.
At the end of the short journey, Clarence was led to the heart of the capital, a simple hood covering his embellished royal clothes with a light set of armor hidden underneath. He stood behind the capital stage, his figure hidden by the large, blueish banners made to celebrate his return. Silas stood by his side, his tailored blue tunic and embellished light armor made him look beautiful, shining brightly against his green eyes.
"Clarence, are you ready?" Sensing Clarence's distracted state, Silas called out to him, his eyes constantly darting around to keep an eye for those who did not belong. Fortunately, only the two men occupied the space.
"I think so." The prince, standing in his formal royal attire, was dressed to speak to the people of the Yursear capital, hoping to address the kingdom for the first time since his dethronement. The tailored gold collar hugged his neck, hiding the wound Silas had made, almost completely healed now. "Thank you for coming with me, Silas. Hopefully, with me being here, I can get through to the people somehow."
Silas smiled in response to Clarence's nervous bearing. "I think you can. But, changing public opinion on the elves will be the most difficult thing. With Eva's help, it doesn't sound so far-fetched now." Clarence would be taking his true position as king, even just as a figurehead controlled by the rebels. He cooperated far more than anyone expected, allowing Eva smooth travels to reconstruct the kingdom to allow the Yursinean elves to step foot back into their birth kingdom.
The rebels had already taken large strides to change public opinion, particularly targeting corrupt nobles that were opposed to the kingdom's changes. Now, the ones that previously were against such changing ideals could only follow along, fearing a possible rebellion from their vassals. Rebels now outnumbered the loyalists, and there was nothing that could stop the momentum of the rebellion.
"Be careful of the loyalists. There are still nobles that are not on our side, and now that they know you're cooperating with us, they may try to assassinate you in retaliation. Take caution, and my knights will be there to watch over you." Preparing to face the people in the kingdom on the makeshift stage, Silas and Clarence both thought of Eva's warning, her words ringing like a bell in their ears. Tension was high in the air, due to Clarence's first public appearance, but there was also a sense of danger lingering around them, causing Silas to feel particularly uneasy.
Clarence took to the stage, rebel guards scattered around the area to protect him like loyal knights. The elven rebels, much like Silas, were disguised using the familiar gems, still unable to show their true appearances in the kingdom from lingering elven hate. It was only a matter of time, however, before public opinion would begin to shift.
Watching Clarence from the side of the stage, his eyes scanning over the area carefully, Silas listened to Clarence's prepared speech, written by himself and Eva to retain his positive public appearance. His words garnered much support and confidence in the group. The more he spoke, his tone even, confident, and powerful, the more the large group of people in the capital were swayed by his persuasive words. "-my appearance today is just the start of rebuilding our kingdom. It is time for the war to end, and peace to prevail!"
As the space was filled with cheers and clapping, amid the crowd full of bright smiles and hope, there was a glint coming from the top of one of the nearby rooftops, and the sight of a metal arrow tip was enough for Silas to move from his position at the edge of the stage directly to the prince's side, using mana to strengthen his steps.
"Watch out!" Silas shouted, the gem around his neck glowing faintly as he pushed Clarence down, the two hitting the stage like a sack of flour.
Another arrow came perfectly timed, flying towards the pair at that very moment, threatening to stab Silas in the chest. Raising his hand, his eyes burning like a flame, Clarence used his mana to create a violent wisp of magic, forcing the arrow to deflect away. The metal arrow flew by their heads, landing into the wooden pole behind where Clarence had just been standing. The pair only had a moment to look in the direction of the arrow before they were forced to scramble to their feet, avoiding yet another arrow in their direction.
"They're over there!" Clarence yelled, directing the rebel knights before he was pulled away. Hurriedly, Silas wrapped his arms around him and dragged him behind the stage, allowing Clarence to wrap his arm around his waist in the process. They stood with their backs to the wall, only a short area where the attackers could find them. Their breathing was heavy, anxiety filling their veins.
"There's more of them!" Listening to the sounds of shouts and crashing bodies, the pair held their swords, unsheathed in their hands, prepared to fight as necessary. Still retaining his human appearance, Silas could only say with a bitter frown, facing Clarence as he stared towards the nearby carriage. "We need to move!"
There's no telling how many of them are there… and if they can be effectively held off. Silas thought anxiously, holding his sword with his back to the solid wood of the stage, keeping his eyes everywhere.
"We'll take care of the attackers, you two take cover!" Jasmine yelled from a distance, unable to see the two behind the stage. Her own bow was loaded in her hands as she yelled to the pair, shooting down the suspicious man from a distance, grazing his shoulder with her sharpened arrows as the other knights pursued the suspicious figure.
"If things get bad, take the carriage and go, Clarence!" Silas whispered, unable to face Clarence.
Standing to the back of the stage, Silas caught the eye of one of the attackers. The man ran with his sword, ready to yell their location to his comrades, but Silas quickly silenced him with the wave of his sword, effectively silencing his vocal cords. The man fell to the ground in a heap, his throat gurgling as blood pooled around his dimming frame.
"More are coming," Silas said, peeking over the side of the stage to see two more men approaching the stage area, no doubt trying to find Clarence. "Dammit! We need to get you out of here! Come on!"
The distance they ran felt like forever, their hearts beating fast as they stood by the carriage for only a moment before the two familiar men came to try to assassinate the prince. With their backs touching, Silas and Clarence protected each other, raising their swords with perfect cooperation, their blows divisive, landing quick ends to the battles before either could be injured.
"There's so many of them…" Silas muttered under his breath. They had prepared numerous times for such an attack, and all the soldiers were aware this mission could cost them their lives, but the prospect of a new future, a new home, could only drive them further.
But Clarence, holding some childish naivety still, could only think to himself repeatedly at that time, No matter what happens, I'll never let them take Silas away from me. I'll slaughter them all.
Screams rang out from the area, and people began to run, afraid of being harmed. Any of the lower nobles left in the capital were quickly rushed out of the area by their servants and guards. Much like those nobles, Silas could only move Clarence back towards the carriage, running as he shifted his movements, protecting the prince the best he could until they were out of the line of fire of the archer. "Get in the carriage, Clarence!"
The prince, having been forced in the direction of the carriage, felt his irritation growing at his stubborn lover. "I'm not leaving you here! I promised your mother I'd protect you!"
"Listen to me!" Silas bit back his anger as he said with a trace of anger.
"No! I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you!" Dampened by the screams, Clarence's plea made Silas pause, the sounds of in the distance nearly fading as he watched Clarence stand by his side behind the stage, only a short distance away from the carriage. "I'm staying here with you!"
At the end of the heated argument, finally positive news was heard. "There he is! He's down!" There was another cry, this time, coming from Jasmine. A group of rebel soldiers ran in the direction of her voice before there was another cry, this time sounding like the scream of a slaughtered pig. "Is everyone safe?"
"There was no point in me hiding." Clarence finally said, staring towards Silas, "I'm not a coward anymore, Silas."
Holding Clarence by his side, Silas released the shaky, tense breath he had been holding as the grip on his left hand tightened. Clarence had still held his sword in his left hand, staring forward in the direction of the voices, where the squeals could be heard. "I want to see the son of a bitch that tried to shoot you. I'll kill him with my own two hands." Clarence spoke aloud, stepping away from the carriage as he faced Silas, a pool of mana dancing around his figure like smoke.
"Clarence-" Silas began, but the prince had already tightened his grip on the other man's hand as he dragged him forward, very much like Silas had done before as the area fell into a strange, tranquil stillness, leaving a morbid taste in the air to follow the scent of blood. There was only a short pause before the square fell silent. Standing by the carriage, Clarence led Silas forward, towards the square where the struggle had sounded from.
The archer had finally been captured, screaming and hollering as if he thought he would have died before being caught. The man, a young human man, was tied and held down on the ground, laying on his stomach with his arms tied behind his back like true livestock. His hair fell into his face, his face bloody as the blood of his comrades stained his chain armor, the sound of liquid squelching under him as he attempted to move before he was forced down by the boot of a rebel soldier.
"Stay still, you fucker." The soldier commanded, but the man only continued to squirm, his face full of dread.
Approaching the bloody scene, Silas's nose wrinkled. Fortunately, from what was visible, the only dead bodies were that of the attackers that had come to disrupt the event. He walked by Clarence's side, keeping his head high to avoid the sight of the bloodshed staining his formal boots under the sole of his feet. The prince, walking by his side, seemed unbothered by the scene in front of them as he led Silas forward, his sword still drawn, as if it were attached to his skin.
"Is this him?" Clarence raised a brow, his temperament chilly as fresh winter snow as he stared down at the archer, soaked in blood and terrified. The man attempted to utter a curse at the prince, but he was silenced by the bottomless blue eyes that fixed on him, unmoving, unfeeling, and lingering like the blood staining his garments.
A soldier to the side confirmed Clarence's thoughts. "This is the last one. The rest died before we could question them."
"I don't know anything! I don't know anything, really! Please, let me go!" The man pleaded, his words uncooperative in the eyes of the rebels. "I only did this for money! I don't know who paid us, but we were given money to kill the next Yursinean king! That's all!" Cocking a brow, the prince seemed even more uninterested in what the man said. Clarence attempted to read the man's expression, but there was nothing else he could pry from the man. He no longer had any use to them.
"Anyone that harms him will die". Under the eye of the rebels, Clarence lifted his sword, staring down at the man as he mouthed an unspoken phrase, falling only on the eyes of the archer who watched as the sword sliced down with wide eyes, his final moments filled with the sensation of the sword stabbing his chest.
The area was filled with silence before the rebels cheered, marking the death of those who opposed the Yursear Kingdom's new rule. The smell of blood and corpses did not damper their excitement in the slightest, but Jasmine, standing to the side, motioned for a group of the knights to begin moving the bodies out of the middle of the square. "Civilians can't handle something like this. Make sure you clean this up properly." She commanded, waving her hand as the designated knights began their hurried cleanup before their rapid departure. "I'm glad you two are okay, by the way."
"Thanks, Jasmine. I'm glad you're okay too." Silas smiled weakly in response to Jasmine, her face tired, but filled with some relief of its own. In return, the prince let out a jealous huff, his gaze pointed at Silas.
Staring at Clarence, whose face was dark, He could only lift his hand and pat his back, moving the sword in his hand back to the sheath at his side with slow movements. "It's over, Clarence. It's finally over."
Ignoring his sword that still stood tall in the man's chest, the prince turned to face Silas. Stepping forward, Clarence's arms wrapped around Silas's waist, pulling him into a tight embrace as he rested his head on Silas's shoulder. "Can we stay like this for a moment?"
In quiet agreement, Silas fell still, his hands falling to his sides as Clarence rested his head on his shoulder. Out of view, a small, relieved smile rested on the prince's lips. They were finally safe again.
…
After the princess's arrival to the Zavior estate, all the rebels felt as though time flew by, leaving all but the last menial preparations to be made. Alywin, Philomena, and Charlotte were welcomed warmly by the Zavior estate, particularly Angeline, who was excited to make more friends within the kingdom, having been trapped in the Zavior estate for so long due to her elven heritage. The group of nobles, initially surprised by the rare appearance of a mountain elf, quickly adapted to the estate due to Angeline's warm welcome, leaving Camille to deal with Holland and Beau Laurent.
"Oh, you should try this on next! It would look marvelous on you!" Angeline gushed, holding up a dress she had personally sewn, filled with ruffles and frills.
Philomena, her voice equally as gushing, responded, "It's so cute! I can't wait!"
As usual, Alywin and Charlotte were resting at a nearby table in Angeline's room, their expressions mixed as they stared at the two, who appeared like long-lost sisters, having formed a quick friendship over their short time at the estate. Though Philomena and Charlotte were close, Charlotte felt as though Philomena had finally found her place outside the kingdom, somewhere where such an innocent soul could be safe and live a happy life outside the confines of the political unrest in the kingdom.
Unlike me. Charlotte thought with a pause, playing with a cookie on her plate. She and Alywin had spoken at length regarding their wishes when their lives finally calmed down. Both still desired to see Clarence again, for wholly different reasons, but both desired the closure the uptick in the war never provided, including Malcolm's involvement. Next time I see Clarence, I plan to slap him at least once and get our marriage annulled. I no longer want to be married to him, even in name only. I want to marry someone who truly loves me…
While the group was all treated well, they worked hard to share what information they knew, assisting in rebuilding the Yursear Kingdom as they prepared to release letters of their support of Clarence's rule for all the Kingdom to see, including the Yursear Kingdom's allies.
Even Beau, while not particularly thrilled with the idea of staying at the Zavior estate, was treated decently due to Holland's intervention. Since their arrival, however, the two men were stuck like glue, so much so that during the interrogation sessions between Camille and Beau, Holland would sit in the room with them, interjecting as he pleased, finding joy in annoying Camille. Though his presence was frustrating, Camille was certain Holland was protecting Beau for some reason or another, and found it easier to ease her suspicions for the time being in order to keep her sanity in check.
"At this point, I would rather keep Captain Laurent at my estate than you, Holland." Camille spat, rubbing her forehead with impatience as the three of them sat in the dining room, having just finished a heated discussion regarding the Yursinean nobility system. "Anyways, the information you've provided will be of great use, Captain Laurent. It seems that your role is not as large as we previously thought." Camille added, her expression flat.
Sitting back in his chair, feeling his headache receding somewhat, Beau fell silent as Holland asked, "Now that our noble guests are on board with the plan to back Clarence, what will we be doing from here?" Eva had failed to mention far beyond this step, knowing they all had anticipated some degree of failure by this point. However, to their surprise, there was no such thing, and instead, their influence only grew as everything fell into place, nearly perfect.
"As you all know, Clarence is in the capital now giving his speech. We won't know what will happen with that for another day or two, but once we do, it'll be time to start phase two of restructuring the kingdom." Camille began, tapping her fingers on the side of her armchair, unafraid of sharing such trivial information with Beau now that he was taken in by Holland. "My noble contacts have already made arrangements to support Clarence's return to the throne, however there has been some push back from the Bethellian Kingdom regarding Princess Charlotte's condition."
Holland nodded, "They must be worried if she's still alive. She did marry Clarence, after all. I'm sure they wouldn't want to lose their foothold in this kingdom now."
"Of course. Princess Philomena's family has already been contacted, however both sides have agreed it's best for her to stay where it is safe. In return, they've promised what little support they can provide as a Yursinean territory," Camille stated directly. "The Cyneric family has made no attempt to contact Alywin, so I believe they may have fled the kingdom in the chaos. No surprise. They were always a loyalist family."
"That's no surprise from the Bethellian Kingdom." Staring forward, Beau corrected, "But, Maarit Country is its own kingdom, is it not?"
"It's only a kingdom in name politically." Camille shook her head with a frown. "Even then, Princess Philomena's position is still helpful to us for the next step in our plan." She paused, looking to the side towards the two men as she added, "We'll need to bring this group back to the palace soon."
"Back to the palace?" Beau's expression was dark as the bottom of a fire-scorched kettle as he responded, "After coming all the way here, you expect us to bring our group directly back to the palace?"
"While I understand your thinking," Holland spoke up, surprising Camille as he responded, "Surprisingly, I agree with Camille. If all goes well with Clarence's speech at the capital, I think inviting the princesses back as guests would be the best way to reinforce the relationship between their kingdoms and ours." He paused, his fingers knotted together in front of him as he added, "This, however, should be their decision to make. It wouldn't be fair to force the four of them back after traveling for so long."
With the discussion at hand, Camille stood up, her legs outstretched as she moved towards the door, motioning for the two men to follow her. "If we're asking their opinions, it would be best to have the two of you doing the asking. I do not want to pressure them more than I already have."
"Are you ready to do this again?" Holland asked, turning to Beau with a frown.
Beau, staring forward with some irritation, could only respond with a tired, "I have no other choice."
…
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Hi all. It took me some extra time to get this out due to my schedule this past week, but thankfully I was able to make it and get this out this week. My confidence in my writing has taken a hit, but I feel that is my own mental health hitting me down ahaha I've mentioned before I'm mid-management, and lately I've been hating my role and feeling pressure from nosy colleagues and poor upper management decisions.
In all honesty, the stress of my day job has had me in tears for the past three weeks. For that reason, I will be taking off some time from work this next week, giving me some time to myself to rest and take care of my mental health, which, admittedly, has not been great. I won't be online at all and I will be resting, so next chapter will be out most likely March 11th or 18th, depending how much time I have to write post-break (￣ ￣|||)
Until then, I will see you all in the near future ( = ⩊ = ) Take care, all.