Lukas and Zane were still working in the forge, finalizing the upgrades to their weapons, when a message from the capital reached them. It arrived by way of a trusted courier, a young soldier who had been stationed on the eastern frontier. The boy's face was grim, his hands shaking as he handed Lukas the sealed scroll.
"From Lady Aurelia," the boy said quietly, his voice tight with unease.
Lukas broke the seal and unfurled the parchment. His eyes scanned the letter quickly, his expression growing darker with each word. Zane, noticing the shift in Lukas's demeanor, stepped forward.
"What is it?" Zane asked, concern etched in his voice.
Lukas handed him the letter, the weight of the situation sinking in. Zane read aloud:
"Rumors have begun to spread. The nobles claim you ran away from the battle, abandoning your forces to die. They say you've returned to the capital in disgrace, a coward hiding from the Dark Commander. I've done what I can to quell these lies, but the whispers grow louder. You must act quickly, Lukas, before your name is tarnished beyond repair. —Aurelia"
Zane's jaw tightened. "This is the work of the prime minister and that snake of an advisor. I knew they wouldn't sit idle while you gained power."
Lukas's mind raced. He had stayed behind in the capital to strategize and prepare, but he hadn't anticipated the political forces conspiring against him so soon. The prime minister, the advisor, and possibly even the king had spies everywhere, and their reach extended far beyond the battlefield.
Rumors were dangerous. In Valeria, a noble's reputation was as important as their strength. If the court believed that Lukas had fled from the battle, they would lose faith in him—and worse, the loyalty of his allies could begin to waver.
"The timing is too perfect," Lukas muttered. "They're using this to cripple me before I can return to the frontier."
Zane crossed his arms, his face stern. "What do we do? Aurelia's already trying to protect your name, but if the rumors continue..."
Lukas's thoughts turned to Aurelia. She was undoubtedly facing the court alone, standing up to nobles and defending his reputation. But even her strength couldn't hold the tide forever. The nobles were hungry for power, and any sign of weakness in Lukas would be a weapon they would use to dismantle his influence.
"We act," Lukas said, his voice firm. "The time for subtlety is over."
---
At that very moment, Aurelia stood in the grand hall of the royal court, her face a mask of composure. The nobles gathered around her, their whispers like venomous serpents, slithering from one ear to another. She could feel their gazes—some filled with skepticism, others with malice.
"The rumors are quite persistent, Lady Aurelia," one noblewoman said with a thin smile. "We've all heard the stories. Lord Lukas fled the battlefield, did he not? Abandoned his troops to fend for themselves against the Dark Commander."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on the hilt of her rapier, which she had worn into the hall as a symbol of her defiance. She knew these nobles were testing her, pushing to see if she would crack under the pressure.
"Those are nothing more than lies," Aurelia responded, her voice calm but firm. "Lukas has not fled. He remains in the capital to prepare for the next phase of the battle. We are dealing with an enemy far stronger than anyone here realizes, and only a fool would believe that Lukas would abandon his men."
A male noble, Lord Greston, sneered from across the hall. "And yet, here he is, hiding in the shadows while the rest of the frontier bleeds. Perhaps he's waiting for the dust to settle before he makes his grand reappearance. How convenient."
Aurelia's temper flared, but she kept her emotions in check. "Lukas will return to the battlefield soon. And when he does, the lies you've spread will be nothing more than the bitter ramblings of jealous men."
"You speak so highly of him, Lady Aurelia," the prime minister's voice cut through the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. He stepped forward, his gaze cold and calculating. "But where is your proof? Where is Lukas now? Surely, a man with his reputation would have nothing to hide—unless, of course, he truly has something to fear."
The tension in the room grew palpable, and Aurelia knew that every word spoken here would ripple through the court like wildfire. She couldn't back down, but without Lukas present, the rumors were gaining traction.
"I have nothing to prove to you," Aurelia said, her voice low but dangerous. "Lukas will clear his name when he deems it necessary. In the meantime, I suggest you tread carefully, Prime Minister. The kingdom needs strong allies, not opportunistic vultures."
The prime minister's smile was thin, predatory. "We shall see, my lady. We shall see."
---
Lukas paced the room, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The court was turning against him, and if the rumors continued to spread unchecked, his position would be undermined before he had the chance to prove himself.
"We need to get ahead of this," Lukas said, his mind racing. "We need to stop these lies before they destroy everything."
"And how do we do that?" Zane asked. "The court is filled with snakes, and they're all waiting for a chance to see you fall."
Lukas paused, his gaze focused. "We turn their lies against them. If they want to spread rumors, we'll give them a story they can't ignore."
"What do you mean?" Zane asked, his brow furrowed.
"I'm going to stage a return to the capital, not as someone defending against these rumors but as the one in control. I'll show them I'm not just a fighter—they'll see that I can navigate the political games just as well as I can command a battlefield."
"And what about Aurelia?" Zane asked. "She's already fighting for your name."
"She's strong, but she can't fight this alone," Lukas said. "I'll need her by my side. Together, we'll dismantle whatever scheme the prime minister and the advisor have set in motion. But first, we need proof that the Dark Commander is not just an enemy to us but a threat to the entire kingdom."
The system pinged in the background, a notification appearing.
[New Objective: Uncover the Dark Commander's Influence within the Court.]
Lukas smirked. "Looks like the system agrees. It's time to dig into the truth behind these rumors."