Klaus didn't hesitate, but pulled the katana out of its sheath and threw open the door. Three of his escorts were pressed against the wall, and they were surrounded by Abel's soldiers. Gorald covered Lilith and Egor with his body and fought off five at once. Egor was shaking, and the light sword in his hand could not determine its target.
"What's going on here?" Klaus exclaimed when one of their soldiers pounced on him.
"I don't know," growled Gorald. "They just suddenly attacked us and tried to break in."
"We should have let them through," Klaus muttered through his teeth, collecting the discharge in his left hand, and with the katana in his right, cutting the throat of the daredevil who dared to come too close.
"Your Highness, I wouldn't do that," a voice was heard from the side.
Klaus turned his head sharply towards his companions and saw a warrior coming out of the wall behind them. He pressed the blade of his sword to Yegor's throat.
"Let him go!" the prince growled. Gorald followed his master's gaze and turned his head sharply. How could he have missed him!
"He came out of the wall," as if understanding the big guy's bewilderment, Klaus threw at him. "Earth magic?"
"A useful invention," the second one said as he came out of the wall, but Gorald had already seen the threat and abruptly pulled Lilith to a safe place.
"Guard her," the prince ordered, and he himself slowly walked towards the one who was holding Egor. "I told you to let him go."
"Your Highness. Remove the lightning and drop the weapon if you want your puppy to stay alive."
Klaus looked at the soldier with a murderous look and allowed the discharge to return to his hand.
"Weapon," the soldier pointed his chin at the katana and, for emphasis, pressed the blade to the prisoner's throat so that Egor involuntarily cried out. The katana fell to the floor. Two people attacked from behind. Klaus did not resist.
Having made sure that the prince was tied up, the man pushed Egor towards Gorald and Lilith, who were standing surrounded, and blood was running down the big guy's hand.
"If you want your master not to be hurt, then drop your weapon."
Gorald threw away the heavy sword without arguing and all three were immediately forced to their knees.
"That's better," a familiar voice was heard behind Klaus, but he could not turn around.
Abel slowly walked around and stood opposite the prince. A malicious smile played on his face. He no longer looked like a clingy teenager. Now he radiated hatred.
"Brother, you turned out to be not as strong as they say about you," he spread his hands.
"Shut your fucking mouth, you son of a bitch!"
"Or what? I heard about your new friend and how you take care of him. An unremarkable slave, to whom you gave three circles on his brand. I thought that these were all rumors, but I see that they are not. What a pity that you did not really leave him in some village. But it even suits me."
"What do you want, Abel? Do you understand what awaits you for a direct attempt on the heir?"
"Let me think," the younger Deffendre pretended to think, "a reward? Or no, the granting of new lands. Or maybe even a place on the council of six?"
Klaus understood everything. The king saw Abel's weakness and took advantage of it, knowing that the boy would do what he was ordered to do without thinking for the sake of recognition and status, and if everything did not go according to plan, he could easily be executed for treason. Only Abel himself did not understand that he had become just a tool and if he was not executed for treason, he would be removed in another way. Ichiro Deffender did not need witnesses.
"You're just a madman," Klaus spat out and received a noticeable kick in the solar plexus from his brother's polished boot.
"You're a arsehole!" Egor shouted, still kneeling, his hands tied behind his back.
For his cry, he received a blow to the back and fell forward, loudly hitting his helmet on the stone floor.
"How dare you open your filthy mouth!" the soldier shouted.
Adel turned to Egor.
"Well, what a devoted slave! Take off his helmet. I want to see the face of the one who killed the crown prince."
Egor was lifted again and his helmet was taken off. The guy looked angrily at Abel.
"You attacked us!"
"Yes." The instigator agreed, "but only because he knew, he," Abel pointed his finger at Klaus, "would not allow you to suffer. What did you do that our unapproachable, cold and unsociable prince is ready to shove his pride up his ass and kneel down, just to save you? Don't look at me like that. I can even reward you for being so weak and worthless. Thanks to you, I will do what I have long dreamed of!"
Egor was silent, his face lowered to the floor. He felt bad, and not because he was tied up and did not know his future fate, although that too. What worried him most was that this bastard was right. Egor was a coward and could not defend himself, and Klaus had to save his skin again.
"Don't bullshit him!" Klaus spoke up. "If he was worthless, would I have let him be around me?" Klaus grinned. "You know that I choose my circle carefully. I've known it since childhood."
Abel's face twisted, and he turned to Klaus again, swung his arm and punched him in the cheekbone. It hurt, and the prince's head jerked back sharply, but he quickly returned it to its place and looked at Abel.
"You were a weakling, and you still are."
"Klaus, don't provoke him," Egor begged and received another slap from his guard.
"I'll make you watch your friend get gangbanged, and then I'll kill them all in front of you, and I'll torture you for a long time until you beg for mercy! Arrogant bastard! How dare you? Look at your situation! Now I'm here! Do you hear? I'm the boss and your life is in my hands!"
While Abel was trying to pull himself together, Klaus looked him in the eye, but addressed another person.
"Gorald, you remember that you obey me unquestioningly?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he responded.
"Then I order you. Take them away from here at any cost. My room. Lilith, crush the amulet. This is your master's order."
Abel looked from Klaus to his retinue. There was incomprehension in his eyes.
"Lilith? So you also brought a woman with you? Brother, you are completely crazy if you think that they will leave here. They are tied with a rope that blocks magic and are surrounded!"
Klaus did not listen to him, he jerked downwards sharply, and something flew up from the prince's hands and fell to the floor, rolling straight to the prisoners.
"Lilith now, quickly!"
The girl followed the example of the master in a panic and fell to the floor, pressing with all her weight on the amulet "Break, break" she begged silently. The fall and the soft body would never have crushed the button, but it somehow cracked.
While the soldiers and Abel were cautiously looking at the ball rolling on the floor, lightning bolts burst from under Lilith. The guards were confused, the girl tried to protect herself, but the bolts did not harm her. Gorald did not waste time, he stood up abruptly, which made his guard retreat a few steps. Before anyone realized it, the big guy threw himself on one of the lightning bolts with his back, exposing the rope, which began to smoke and break.
Gorald's hands were also damaged, but he didn't pay attention to it. He grabbed the first weapon he could find and rushed at the still shocked soldiers, picked up the ball, cut Lilith's rope and thrust the portal at her.
"Everyone here!" Abel screamed hysterically. "Protect me! Don't let them take the prince."
All the soldiers grouped together and followed the order, thereby depriving Gorald of the opportunity to help the master. The man remembered the order and understood that Klaus knew how everything would turn out.
Without thinking, the man picked up the tied up Egor. Lilith was already standing on her feet, still protected by the discharges. She was not in any danger, but he could not approach her.
"One minute!" the prince shouted, and Gorald realized that the lightning would soon cease to be an obstacle for the soldiers.
"Let's run," he shouted to the girl, who stood rooted to the spot.
Egor screamed and struggled, so Gorald did not untie his hands. He threw the boy over his shoulder and ran into Klaus's room. Lilith followed him in, and the lightning went out at that moment. Abel managed to notice this.
"Grab them! The magic is no longer working."
The three rushed to the door, but Gorald had already opened a portal, pushed the girl in and entered himself with Egor on his shoulder. The soldiers hesitated, but they could not disobey the order. One managed to jump into the bright white light before it went out.
Klaus exhaled with relief. A mocking smile spread across his face. Abel was furious. He kicked the prince in the chest again. Then again and again, until Klaus finally fell, coughing up blood.
"Take him to the basement!"