The tall and imposing doors of the Throne Room swung open with a slight creak, extending a silent invitation to three guests. Count Constantine Crueder, accompanied by his dedicated personal assistant and unwavering guard, strode purposefully through the expansive, sunlit hall. Their destination: the thrones, where King and Queen Ruan awaited the arrival of their visitors.
"Good morning, Your Majesties. Count Constantine Crueder has arrived to seek an audience with you, as indicated in our recent correspondence."
The king acknowledged the man with a somewhat dismissive nod, motioning for him and his retinue to approach.
"Lord Constantine, have you made progress in resolving the matter concerning the vanished princess? It has been nearly a week, and regardless of her current status, news of her disappearance could tarnish both my and your reputations simultaneously."
The Count shook his head, his aged face etched with a bitter and disappointed expression as he responded,
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid my knowledge is built upon mere assumptions. With the hired mercenary, tasked with escorting the princess, now deceased, there remains no one to bear witness to the unfortunate events of that fateful evening."
He paused, pivoting to gesture toward his assistant, signaling him to join him. The count's assistant complied with a quick nod, covering the distance in just a few broad steps. He then placed a large, old wooden box in front of his lord. Constantine continued,
"However, a couple of nights ago, I received this. The contents of this box may be startling, but I venture to assume that it is imperative for Your Majesty to witness what lies within."
Euris rested the side of his face on his left hand, his elbow casually leaning against the ornamented arm of the throne, and spoke,
"Very well. Open the box."
The count's assistant nodded solemnly and carefully lifted the wide wooden lid, unveiling the macabre contents: two decaying heads, remnants of deceased men.
An overpowering stench of rotten flesh instantly permeated the hall, prompting both the king and his wife to recoil in disgust, hastily covering their noses. Constantine elaborated,
"This gruesome delivery arrived at my mansion anonymously. Alongside these grisly remains, there was a note enclosed, although it regrettably lacked any meaningful information."
The king rose to his feet, taking a deliberate step forward to afford his eyes a closer inspection of the gruesome contents inside the mysterious box. His deep green gaze fixated on the black and purple flesh of the male heads, and a somewhat bizarre grin stretched across his thin lips. With a fluid turn on his heel, he returned to his seat, releasing a long, weary sigh.
"With this and the discovery of the mercenary's body in the forest, I harbor no doubts about the identity of the individual orchestrating this heinous act. Only one person would possess the audacity for such brutality: Mad Dog Tillian Valentine."
Count Crueder, thick, bushy eyebrows raised in bewilderment, grappled to comprehend the king's words and asked in a confused tone,
"Mad Dog of Valentines?! But what does it mean, Your Majesty? What could he possibly want with someone like Princess Aideen?"
Euris shifted his gaze to Fleur, who had remained silent throughout the conversation. The queen assessed her husband's expression for several moments before delivering her wordless response – a subtle, irritated frown accentuating thin, reddish eyebrows, accompanied by a brief nod.
The king, nonchalant, shrugged his shoulders as he redirected his attention to the count,
"Well, he is a madman after all. There is nothing wrong with one deranged person desiring another. Birds of a feather flock together."
Constantine found little satisfaction in such a casual reply. Taking a deliberate step forward, he pressed on, his tone growing more assertive,
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but what exactly does that mean for me? I don't wish to overstep, but you must recall that my political support comes with certain conditions attached."
A deep frown etched across Euris's face between his eyebrows as he responded in a cold, almost intimidating voice,
"Don't you know the law, Lord Constantine? If I were you, I'd be more concerned about my personal safety than my political stance. Tillian might be a madman like his father, but he is no fool. I'm certain he won't turn his nose away from a widowed princess."
Count Crueder's face paled as the king's words sank in. Yes, he was familiar with the law, and unfortunately, that knowledge did not work in his favor.
Especially not with someone as unhinged as Duke Tillian Valentine.
Nevertheless, Constantine's status, or more precisely, the political influence his house still wielded, remained valuable to the king as long as the count drew breath. Despite being aware that he was overstepping, Lord Crueder decided to take a chance,
"Your Majesty... A deal is a deal. As of now, with the House of Nobles divided in your favor and only Anathaen as your foreign ally, thanks to the marriage between Her Highness Princess Catriona and Prince Gwidon, I don't think––"
"Watch your tongue, Lord Constantine."
Fleur Ruan finally spoke, her voice sending chills down the visitors' spines with its icy undertone. Euris, attuned to his wife's intentions, covered her clenched fist with his hand in a subtle comforting gesture and chimed in,
"The contract between the Roya Family and you, Lord Constantine, was to secure your vote for His Highness Prince Yanad as the Crown Prince of Geraldion in exchange for the royal dowry, which, as far as I'm concerned, is still in your possession. Even though Aideen's abduction puts me in a rather difficult position, I have no intention of reclaiming my money. However,"
The king paused, savoring the moment of the count's bewilderment, before concluding,
"Tillian will make his move. I don't know what he is planning, but I do know one thing for sure – whatever his intentions are, your life is in danger. You can only pray that it is nothing but a madman's obsession."
As the audience came to an end, leaving Count Crueder in a state of both disappointment and utter fright, the Throne Room descended into silence once again.
Gracefully, Fleur Ruan left her seat, interlaced her fingers together, and stood before Euris, who silently observed his wife's solemn demeanor.
The queen asked,
"What are you planning, Your Majesty? No matter how pathetic he is, losing Count Crueder's vote will diminish Yan's chances of becoming the next King. Will you truly allow that mad dog to end him?"
Euris responded with a confident smirk,
"You worry too much, Fleur. Once he arrives in the Capital, I will compel him to stay longer while dispatching the knights to the North. We will retrieve the princess and secure her in the Temple as originally planned, attributing her 'apparent insanity' to the shock of the ordeal. I suppose... It's about time I make it clear to that dog that he shouldn't bite the hand that feeds him."