Historically, there were at least two major wars that Rexton had fought.
The first was the war against Pyrs almost a century ago.
At that time the plains of Rexton were divided and ruled by landlords. But when the Pyrs invaded, the landlords banded together to fight back. The fight was initiated and led by Rexton I. The fight was successful, and they won. The plains decided to truly unite and form an empire named after their first leader.
The second is a coup if indeed the incident can be called a coup.
This war took place almost ten years ago. It is not clear how it happened or how it started. People are also reluctant to talk about the internal war which is then more commonly referred to as this coup. However in the official history books, it is stated that it happened like this:
[King Rexton IV and Earl Dryas Whitley teamed up to strengthen their influence by forging a contract with demons. The younger brother of King Rexton IV and Beulah Sacred Temple knew this despicable thing. Resistance ensues, and victory is won by the truth; the younger brother of King Rexton IV and Beulah Sacred Temple. Then on the advice of Beulah Sacred Temple, to avoid making a contract with the demon, the land of Whitley was scorched. The death sentence for King Rexton IV and his family was handed down.]
"After that, King Rexton IV's younger brother ascended the throne. So that at this time the Rexton Kingdom is ruled by King Rexton V," Axelle murmured while writing.
Axelle then put down his quill and let out a long breath. His blue eyes which were as bright as the sky looked out the window. His gaze was far away towards a faint towering shadow among the palace's lush forest.
King Rexton V is Axelle's uncle.
Axelle is the second child of the late King Rexton IV. In truth, he was a prince, but now he is just an outcast prince.
"At least I'm still alive."
That's what Axelle always told himself. Not only that, he even got and was allowed to live in a small castle far from the center of the Palace. On top of that, he still got the money and necessities a noble would need, complete with servants and knights who still secretly swore allegiance to the late King Rexton IV.
You could say, Axelle's life is still good. The law in the Rexton Kingdom was indeed merciful to children.
In normal children, at least.
On the children of demon control families… he doesn't know.
"I beg of you, Your Majesty. Let me at least see Rheannon."
"What will you do when you saw her?"
"I just wanted to see how she is because I'm her uncle! For God's sake, Rheannon is only 10 years old and you just locked her up?!"
"Watch your word, Duke Colton. There's Whitley's blood running through that girl. After what happened, you think I can trust a demon's controller?"
"A 10-year-old can't control demons! Rheannon knows nothing!"
After the upheaval of the coup, there was a time when Axelle overheard the conversation. From there he knew, if not only he was a child who "gets punished". Whitley's little girl, Rheannon, was also taken from her parents. Keep away from society. Considered the daughter of a traitor.
But, how are things now?
It had been almost 10 years, and Axelle had never once seen Whitley's little girl. In fact, Axelle met more often with her uncle, Duke Ithel Colton, who was still looking for Rheannon.
Is she still alive? If so, where?
"His Majesty couldn't possibly have killed her, right?" murmured Axelle to himself, staring at the shadow of the tower.
The tower's shadow disappeared just as the sky turned cloudy, as it had always been.
***
"Prince Axelle, what are you doing here?"
Axelle jumped in surprise at the sudden rebuke. An Official Palace Knight with a cold stern face stood behind him.
"I just…" Axelle looked towards the south of the palace forest, far away at the shadow of the tower that could be seen in this fine weather. "Is there a building at the south of the Palace forest?" he asked then.
The answer that came out of the knight's mouth sounded automatic, "Nothing."
Axelle looked back in the direction she had been looking at. Tonight he deliberately infiltrated his small castle to confirm the existence of the tower. Shadows of towering buildings, pointed roofs, and small windows.
Is it just a shadow? Or is this knight loyal to King Rexton V lying?
"It's getting late, you'd better go back. His Majesty wouldn't like it if he knew Your Highness was out at this time of night," said the knight.
Yes, of course so, Axelle thought.
But even so, in the end Axelle returned to her castle without a fight. As he looked behind him, he knew another knight was confirming if he had really returned to the castle or not.
Axelle's search for the Whitley girl is done secretly. No one knew, not even the inhabitants of the castle itself. At least, until now no one knows.
And because of that, Axelle's quests were very limited. It took him up to two years to search Rheannon all the way to the Palace dungeon—which then turned out to be nothing. While the search outside the palace is even more difficult, considering that Axelle is under house arrest. But from the conversations he often overheard, he was sure that Rheannon was still around the palace.
Hopefully so.
Because if the tower wasn't a mere shadow, then Rheannon Whitley was there.
"Elias." Axelle called the butler of the castle. A middle-aged man he had known since childhood. "Is there a building at the south of the Palace forest?" He repeated his question earlier.
"What makes Your Highness think like that?" asked Elias with a meaningful smile.
"Sometimes I see things when it's sunny," Axelle said uncertainly.
"Your Highness' divine talent is indeed good then. Even some of the knights whose divine talent is specially trained are rare to see," said Elias. "About the tower that Your Highness saw, I can't say much."
"Can you see it too?"
"No, Your Highness. I was only told if there was something there."
"No one ever told me," Axelle muttered. "Is it something to keep secret?"
Elias nodded. "Yes, that's true," he said. "In the generations before Your Highness, children were often told that the south of the Palace forest was a demon's base. And, yes, that's true; the south of the Palace forest is an area ruled by demons."
"That means… the tower is the abode of the demons."
"That's right. That building—or the tower, if Your Highness sees it—is visible at certain times due to the influence of the demonic power of the ruler of the place."
"Wait, then, why doesn't the palace carry out expulsion or purification of the territory?"
Sometimes, the demon does rule a place that is close to people or even in a place where there are people. Usually, people will carry out evictions or call the temple to ask that the place be purified. But in certain cases, the demons will be left alone as long as people don't interfere.
Merely, this was the territory of the palace. It felt strange to let be a demon resides in the palace.
Elias's expression turned somber. "Because that place is a prison." Axelle's eyes widened when he heard that. "At least, it used to be. Since the late King Rexton IV ascended the throne, the prison has fallen out of use because it was too… cruel."
Either Axelle should be relieved or not. Because after all, that means the prisoners who inhabit the prison have to face the demon. No one knows what the demon can do to these poor people.
"Back then..." Axelle repeated.
King Rexton IV was known for his compassion. A kindhearted king, even to his prisoners.
But what about King Rexton V? Does he have the kindness of Axelle's late father, considering that King Rexton V had the heart to usurp the throne with such dirty slander?
The king couldn't have locked a 10-year-old girl in there, could he? thought Axelle anxiously.