In a tranquil chamber within the temple, a healer cast soothing spells as he worked to heal John's injuries before the test. The Prime Minister, seated before John, spoke with a measured tone, "John, if you would, could you tell us in detail about the incident that occurred? Even if you choose not to, we will still be investigating. This event will be used to eliminate any external influence within the palace. And while we already know the culprit, we would like to hear it firsthand from you."
John let out a sigh, "I understand. As you are aware, it was my eldest brother who orchestrated this attack. He aimed to delay my arrival at the test and cause me to miss the trial. However, it seems his followers were not as eager to follow his orders, which led to this outcome," John said, gesturing to his numerous injuries.
The Prime Minister nodded contemplatively, "Your Highness, I believe the first prince did us a favor in a way by taking this action. It should result in many nobles who support him remaining hidden for a while," he said, looking at the Emperor with a resolute expression.
The Emperor replied with a contemplative expression, "Indeed, it is unfortunate that it had to come to this. But you are right Prime Minister, this incident may serve to weed out those who seek to disrupt the stability of the palace. I will make sure to keep a close eye on those involved and take necessary actions." He added, " John, I am sorry for what happened to you, but I trust that you are in good hands with our healer, you have my full support."
**********
Meanwhile, outside the chamber, the High King stood, listening to the conversation between the Emperor and John. He muttered to himself, "Well, this confirms it. If we want the empire to remain stable, there's no way we can hand it over to someone who can't even handle their people."
With his thoughts settled, Galen returned to the trial chamber, where almost the entirety of the radical nobility were in a state of panic. Count Aureus, a tall blonde man, approached him, "Your Highness, what did you find out?"
The High King replied, "Greetings, Count Aureus. It seems like the youngest is truly our only option. The eldest is an incompetent buffoon who can't handle his faction members, and the second is an idiot who couldn't tell if he was being puppeteered or not. John seems like our only choice."
The count nodded, "That does seem to be the case, however, I doubt the nobles will take kindly to that, with him having the blood of a woman from unknown origins."
Galen replied, "While the words you speak are true, I believe the incident today will significantly reduce the power of the nobles, at least within the palace, allowing us to create reforms that will further take away their authority. Furthermore, as you may be aware, I will be taking John with me to keep him safe until he can go to the academy and build his political strength. I doubt any of these fools would dare attempt anything stupid in my duchy, as I've already executed their spies once. Doing it again wouldn't be very difficult."
The count added, "Now we can only hope that the gods show some degree of favor to His Highness, the youngest prince. If not, all of this will have been for naught." Both of them looked at the statues of the major gods that stood in the temple. The High King concluded, "For that, all we can do is pray that John has the potential to attract the eyes of the gods." His grip around his arm tightened, and the weight of the future of the empire rested on his shoulders.
*********
In one corner of the temple, the first prince could be seen standing at the window, his expression twisted in a scowl. Suddenly, a man with a panicked expression approached him. "Your Highness, what shall we do now? The Emperor seemed to have realized you were the one behind the assassination attempt," the man, Count Bayer, said with a worried tone.
The first prince replied through gritted teeth, "Count Bayer, what do you think I'm trying to do if not think of a solution? Call the Duke of Arvandor here, now. What the hell were his minions thinking attacking the young prince when the orders were simply to hold him back? Worse yet, they got themselves killed, leading the trail directly to us."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will go call him at once," Count Bayer said as he quickly walked away from the prince. The first prince let out a sigh, massaging his forehead as his thoughts were in a jumbled mess. "Ah, this is such a mess. And father's face back then... I mean, he wouldn't punish me too severely, right? I am his eldest son, after all. But I can only imagine what will happen to my faction and its people within the palace. We can't save them now, doing that would only gather more of father's ire, something I don't need," he thought to himself, his mind in a whirlwind of uncertainty and fear.
He knew that he had to come up with a plan, fast, to mitigate the damage that he had caused. He didn't know if he could fix things, but he was determined to at least try. He would have to talk to the Duke of Arvandor, who he knew had powerful connections, and try to come up with a way to lessen the blow. He would have to be smart and strategic if he wanted to come out of this situation with his head held high. He paced back and forth, trying to steady himself, knowing that his future and the fate of his faction depended on the next steps he took.
5 minutes later.
"Your Highness, I have brought the Duke of Arvandor with me," Count Bayer said, bowing as he introduced the tall old man with black hair, streaked with white.
But before the Duke of Arvandor could even offer a greeting, the first prince interrupted him, his tone sharp and furious. "This is no time for pleasantries, Duke. You know as well as I do that your people screwed up big time. Do you have any explanation for this? And do you have anyone who will take accountability for this incident? An investigation of an assassination attempt within the royal palace won't go away easily, no matter how much we want it to. So, what's your reply to all of this?"
The Duke of Arvandor remained calm, despite the first prince's anger. "Your Highness, please calm down. I have already arranged for someone to take the blame the moment I saw the injured John walk in. As for the investigation, I believe it would be best for us to lie low for a while. As for the mistake that happened today, I have no answer for you. That was a mistake on my part, to try to get rid of a potential obstacle in the future," he said, his head hung low in apology.
The first prince let out a sigh, his anger dissipating slightly. "You should have at least talked to us about this before taking such a rash move. Now, your plan has backfired and not in any small way," the prince said, walking towards the old man. "You should have consulted with us."
"Your Highness, I understand the gravity of my mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I apologize for any inconvenience and trouble this has caused. I had only meant to ease your path to the crown," the Duke replied with a remorseful expression, his head hung low in shame.
The first prince's expression hardened, and he spat out, "Get lost. I don't wish to see your face anymore. And make sure the person you're making the fall guy can handle torture, we don't want our names coming up in this. While I'm sure father is already aware, without evidence he won't be rashly prosecuting you." The first prince gestured dismissively with a wave of his hand, a clear disrespectful gesture that the Duke chose to ignore due to the current situation.
"Yes, Your Highness," the Duke said, bowing slightly as he walked away towards the group of nobles who seemed to be waiting for him. The first prince let out a sigh, "Haaaaaah, this is a headache," as he turned around and looked out the window once more, his mind full of worries and regrets.