Chapter 182: The Peace Coup (Part 1)
Shera's perspective
I was very worried and nervous about my husband's situation, John had gone drinking with my brother and his subordinates for hours without returning to the Palace. Worrying about John having an affair was also in my mind but maybe that was just my illusion because I know something very wrong was secretly happening during this time.
John had gone to drink for hours without returning, I was very worried about that reason, at least he must make a phone call to let me know how he was doing, it was very weird. Maybe John was on his way back here, he didn't give me a phone call but this time was very late, maybe he was too drunk on his journey to return here so he didn't call me, I hope so!
"z.z.z." - I could hear sleeping sounds from the one who was lying beside me, that was Stella - my sister in law
Sis Stella asked me to sleep with her tonight since she always slept alone, the bed was wide so I was not too worried about the size to spare for my sis because of her pregnant belly. So happy to get pregnant, I would like to have kids with John someday but seemed like he had delayed the time we would have children by confiding it to me before going to drink, I understand John, I accepted.
Maybe my husband was thinking about becoming a good ruler by developing more things in his land, having kids after 2 more years maybe would not bother my mind. But now I only wanted to see John come back home, I was lying on the bed while looking straight to the roof, hoping my husband would return as soon as possible, so worried!
I could not say that I was not sleepy, this time was late and I have been closing my eyes for a few minutes napping before opening them again to look at the door to wait for John. To say shortly, I just had opened my eyes a few seconds ago and now I was still waiting for John to come home, I was very worried about him so I could not stay in the bed any longer, must find John immediately!
I have slowly gotten down from the bed to not disturb Stella's and Reimi's sleep, after getting down from the bed, I walked slowly toward Reimi with the intention to take her Advisor, I hope my husband was going home. Maybe I should put Reimi on the bed before heading to call my husband, my servant was supposed to stay up late to guard but I ordered her to sleep because royal guards were guarding strictly around the Palace at nighttime.
Reimi...what a good servant, she never demanded anything but only wanted to marry my husband, anything but my marrying and having kids with my husband was forever unacceptable, I would not accept. But lastly, she must be treated better, I would ask Reimi to have at least 3 rest days tomorrow because I would like to let her be free...and also because I wanted to let no one disturb me and my husband's time.
I was wondering what would my current family look like if it has John, me, my brother, my sister-in-law, my father, my mother, my uncle and Reimi if I adopt her as my little sister.
Reimi was now sleeping while sitting at a table on the right side of the room, she was pressing her face down on the table and slept very well, must be too tired after working hard. I slowly sneaked to Reimi and then picked up her body, slowly walked back to the bed and put Reimi down beside my sister-in-law, my servant never rolled around while sleeping, she would not cause trouble.
After putting Reimi down on the bed, I started looking around her wrists to find Advisor to call John but didn't see her anywhere, maybe Reimi had put the device somewhere, I thought. Because she would sometimes sleep while putting Advisor somewhere to let her do the guard on behalf of Reimi, I slowly returned to the table because I thought Advisor was being put there.
The room was quite dark because candles and lanterns had been turned off to let us have good comfortable feelings for sleeping but now I could see well in the darkness. Because my eyes had been closing and opening many times while sleeping so they had gotten used to looking in the darkness, I later found Advisor...but she was off!
Yeah...how careless I was because I asked Reimi to turn off Advisor while sleeping to save the battery, no time for excuses, I must call my husband. I immediately picked up Advisor and then pushed the power button to turn her screen on, a very bright green screen later showed to my eyes, Advisor was loading the programs.
"Uhhhh..." - I was quite unpleasant because of the bright screen but the light later got reduced and I felt more comfortable, Advisor would have consciousness as she was turned on
After waiting for the screen to finish the loading progress for a few seconds, the main screen popped up and I was quite nervous about John when I saw dozens of notifications, now I hope my husband was fine. Advisor later entered the figure of the notifications and I saw a long list of Sarah's video calls...maybe she was bragging about having a night to drink with my husband, must get rid of her fast and carefully.
"Pip! Pip!" - Another call from the girl Sarah, I would kill her if she dares to touch my husband, letting John go alone was the most stupid decision that I had ever made, must not be away from my husband anymore!
I immediately answered the call and the screen popped up on Sarah's face, at first, I thought she would be bragging about having a night's drink with my husband but I was wrong. Her face seemed very worried and also had blood in her hands which blood had covered a bit of the call's screen, I thought my husband was in danger, my heart was beating hard!
"Princess, please return immediately!" - I was quite worried so I could not concentrate on what Sarah was talking about
"Princess, can you hear me?! I have been calling for you for an hour but didn't have your response!"
"John is in danger, he fell while protecting us and is now lying on the bed! He is in a coma!" - After hearing my husband was in danger, my hand accidentally dropped Advisor
"Smash!"
"Please return to Veta fast, we need you, Princess! Princess! Please hear me!"
"Reimi! Reimi, wake up! We need to go home now!" - I was very panicked so I ran straight into Reimi and then lifted her, yelling at her to tell her to wake up to go back home to see my husband, John was in danger!
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It took us less than an hour to return to Veta by using a Royal carriage, because I and Reimi were very nervous and panicked so we ran out of the carriage as it reached home. My feet were very rushed while running inside the castle, my brother could be seen standing around some women soldiers but I didn't care, John was the most important to me!
"Please wait for me, my Highness!" - Reimi kept calling me to ask me to wait for her but I could not stay calm so I was running very fast
"Sher-"
I ran past my brother without looking at him and then bumped into the front doors and headed inside the castle, I rushed to the Lord's zone as I entered the castle, I must see John. When I was about to come to John's room, there was a bunch of maids crowding around, that scene annoyed me so I shoved some of them and then opened the door and headed inside immediately.
"John!" - I called for John as I walked inside
"..." - Later I was shocked, around the room were white cloths and water crates which were placed around the place while John was lying on the bed with his bandaged head, the wrapped cloths had the blood
Sarah was sitting on a chair beside the bed, she lifted her face at me with her tears dripping and then lowered her head while trying to stop sobbing, John was unconscious. Later, my ears heard the door opening as if Reimi had entered inside, she also went silent like me, I must stay calm, my husband would be fine, John would be fine!
I slowly walked to the bed and then kneeled down on the floor while picking up John's right hand, his hand was still warm and he was still breathing as I leaned my fingers to his nose, I was very glad to know. But now, my husband was losing consciousness, the blood on his head seemed to be drained out quite much but had stopped completely, someone had used healing magic to cure John, he was still alive, so glad!
"John...please hear me...please wake up..." - I called for John but he didn't answer
"John...please wake up..." - This could not be an accident or something similar to it, my husband must have been harmed by someone bad, I must protect John!
"Lord Rigen, please wake up." - Reimi also came close to John and then held his left hand
"John...please wake up..."
"Don't leave me, John..." - I kept saying those words though doing that would not make John wake up
"Princess...Reimi...he has gone out of danger...but still not waken up." - Sarah said to us with a low and sobbing voice, she must have known which had harmed my husband, must ask her!
"Tell me...Sarah...why my husband became like this? How did he become like that?" - Now I didn't want to be far from John anymore!
I kept holding John's hand while tearing and kneeling on the floor, he was in a coma as I could see, something bad had caused John to be like this, I hope he would be fine. Reimi was quite a headache so she covered her forehead while her other hand was holding John's left hand, now I must skip the daily paperwork of John to take care of him until he wakes up, must not sleep tonight!
"Sigh..." - Sarah didn't answer anything though I had asked her but she kept sighing
When I was hoping my husband would wake up, strangely that I heard the door opening so I looked at the door and saw Hatano walk inside with an Alrotz bag in her right hand. Generally, after the school massacre, John had hidden the Alrotz military bags alongside his previous world's weapons in a secret place in the castle where only he, Hatano and Sarah know the location of the belongings.
As Hatano walked inside the room, she stepped toward Sarah and put the Alrotz bag down, opened it and pulled out small white box things for some reason, I felt it was strange. After taking those white box things, Sarah put them on an empty side of the bed while opening some boxes' covers and pouring out bark things as if those things were medicines.
When Sarah was still checking the bark things on the table which I considered medicines, I sensed something strange about Hatano so I peeked at her and saw her blank eyes. Hatano was still emotionless as always as if she didn't care about John's life though my husband was her military commander, how disrespectful she was, I hate her!
"Sigh...these pills can't be used to help him...but thank you, sis...for picking those medicines as I asked you." - After checking the medicines for a few seconds, Sarah thanked Hatano while trying to calm her voice down
Now I noticed that the boxes which had the medicines which Sarah examined earlier had different symbols on each box, if these medicines could not save John then only I could, I would not leave him. The wooden lantern which was lit on the desk suddenly turned off because of running out of oil, Reimi had fastly used fire magic to light up the room while trying to find the oil box to pour into the lantern.
"Thanks for the help, Lady Hatano." - Reimi thanked Hatano when she held the lantern while my servant was searching the cabinets to find an oil box to light up the lantern
A few seconds later, the lantern had been lighted up again and Hatano put it on the desk while Reimi was searching for the candles to extend brighter lights in this room. John was fine as I could see...but maybe I was fooling myself, my husband was very in danger when he was unconscious, I must stay calm because I must stand still to take care of him, only I can do it!
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
A silence later overwhelmed the entire room when there was no talking but only cracking sounds as if someone was doing something, I later noticed that Sarah was checking the pills. She was checking those medicines while looking at her Advisor's screen with her ears wearing airpods as if her Advisor was guiding her about something, what Sarah was doing?
"Is there...anything I can do...for John?" - I asked Sarah when she was checking the medicines, both of us later stared at each other
"John is now at least out of the danger, Princess...please don't be worried, I am checking if I can use these pills to help him or not." - Sarah replied to me with an exhausting voice, she was very tired
"Now we need to wait until he wakes up...maybe tomorrow...or...John has been saved in time so please don't be worried, Princess."
"..." - Stop fooling me, Sarah! Both of us were very worried about John
"I want to stay up this entire night till my husband wakes up..."
"Please don't push yourself, Princess...let me do that instead, that was my fault for not checking the rope well." - Huh?
"What do you mean, Sarah?" - Now I suddenly had the time to realize that Sarah while calling me said John fell from somewhere and became like this, I must know the entire story!
"Yeah, Lady Sarah! What do you mean earlier?" - Reimi also came behind me and asked Sarah with a questioning voice, she and I were confused about what had happened to John
"Ummm...to tell the entire story is quite...long and complicated...maybe I will brief it as short as possible for the two of you."
"Alright...we were ordered by His Majesty to go with him to No Man Zone, to an abandoned area...to have a meeting with the Kings from the elven and beastmen Kingdoms."
"The purpose of the journey...was about to forming an alliance with them...to ask them to help us if Attenta and its vassal states attack Warsaw."
"The meeting went well and everything seemed to be okay still many mysterious men came out from nowhere and attacked us..."
"Wait a minute, Sarah! You said you and John were in a meeting, not a drinking?!" - Why did John lie to me? No...my brother lying to me would be more right because my husband only obeyed to do what His Majesty's words
"John said to you that? We never go to a drink but only have the meeting, Princess."
"Please let me ask you something, Lady Sarah! Why do we have to ally with those non-human Kingdoms for defending ourselves against Attenta?" - Reimi later asked Sarah the same question that I wanted to ask her, why do we have to do that?
"I...don't know how to answer, John briefed me that there would be a war occur for the next 5 months, or would be more later in the next year."
"He also explained that we would be in a war against Attenta and other vassal states...that's all I know to tell you, Princess."
"A war?" - Reimi was quite nervous when she heard about this story, I was quite shocked too...maybe that was the reason why my husband asked me to delay the time when we would have kids, poor him!
"But we are in a good relationship with Attenta, right? Why would we have to make war against them?" - Now I noticed that this was why John always asked me to fund the most of money on Veta region's military force every time I replace him to do the paperwork
"I don't know how to answer you detailedly, Princess...John also asked me to evacuate you and the people to the elven Kingdoms in case Veta is falling into the enemies."
"Does the Prime Minister be related to the war, Lady Sarah?" - Reimi asked Sarah another question, when I got married, I only cared about John but not my homeland's affairs
"Maybe my brother was trying to get rid of that old man...but the Prime Minister himself had realized my brother's purpose so a very big upcoming war may be the answer, Reimi."
"Sigh...call my brother in here, Reimi! I want to ask him everything that has in my head..." - I ordered Reimi to go outside the castle to call my brother inside to meet me
"Understood, my Highness...but what's about Lord Rigen?"
"Returning here with water and some food for me, I want to stay up all night to take care of him in case he wakes up...got it?"
"Yes, my Highness." - Reimi slowly looked at John for a few seconds with hesitant on her face
"Reimi, come here..." - I stood up and then hugged Reimi, being jealous was no need anymore, now my husband needed me and my servant to cure him, we must join hands together to save John!
"Please don't hesitate, John needs me and you this time, go to do what I ordered you earlier, we would save him together." - I slowly patted her head to comfort her
"Understood, my Highness! I will go now."
Reimi later got off my hands and walked outside to call my brother to get here to let me question him, although saving John in a blink of an eye was impossible but I would do my best, but I must know the war. More exactly would be I must know the reason why we would have to go to war with Attenta and its vassal states, John must be kept out of the war because he would face many deadly things on the frontline.
"Ummm...Princess?" - Sarah asked me when I was staring at the door
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"You're still kneeling, why don't you have a seat while waiting for John to wake up?" - Sarah later grabbed a nearby chair and put it beside her, maybe I would sit beside Sarah while watching my husband
"You sit too, sis."
"Shakes head!"
"Ok..."
I slowly stood up and walked to the chair beside Sarah and sat on it while keeping my eyes on John every time, if my husband could wake up this time was very good news to me. The Prime Minister was the cause of my father's death and also the cause of the missing of my uncle, if his life has any problems because of our Warsaw, Attenta would surely invade us immediately.
I didn't want to leave my homeland but also didn't want to leave my husband, but he was a ruler so he had the duty to remain in the castle alongside the soldiers to evacuate the people before heading to battles. I have little knowledge about warfare, maybe people would be announced to evacuate first and then the soldiers and the lords would barricade a large defensive system in and outside of their castles against the seizes from enemies.
Alright, I have made up my mind after a short time of thinking, I must have the detailed information about the reasons for causing the war first, Reimi would be the one to help me in this investigation, must hurry. Because the war would come soon within 5 months or more late in the next year so Reimi must investigate fast and precisely, but where should I send her to investigate now?
Maybe I would send Reimi to the Palace and my previous school, even to Stansa and Spera, every place for her to investigate which had the links with my brother, John, Sarah, Hatano, my brother and even myself. A short time after sitting on the chair, I came toward John to touch his hand's veins, his chest and his forehead to check for his health, he was still breathing weakly, but it was good that he was still alive.
I later returned to my seat and Sarah was checking the medicines as if she was thinking about using them to help John or something, she later strapped her Advisor to John's hand. Advisor was now scanning for John or something, the room was quite silent when we were all worried about John, my husband would be fine because I would take care of him, must cure him at all costs.
"Oh, it's done." - Sarah said in her surprising voice and came to her Advisor and pulled her out and kept staring at the screen
"About 30 minutes later, please aid me to lift John when I put some pills for him, Princess...these pills can be used to help him."
"Nod!" - Sarah later returned to her seat when I nodded to her
"Anyway, Sarah! I want to know the entire story, you haven't told all of it yet, I want to know the entire story."
"Yeah...Princess, we got attacked and later managed to get to an alternative exit in that area, the exit room had a roof well with a long rope which was strapped on the top."
"So the three of us had defense the place while the other Kings were climbing on the top to escape...after only had us left, I asked John to escape first but he refused."
"My sis told me that she would stay to aid John so I heard her and then escaped, I was intending to stay at the well to wait for him but later my sis came up and told me to lead the Kings to safety...so I heard her."
"While evacuating the people to safety, I heard screamings under the well, I didn't notice much and after saving those people, I heard my sis inform me that John fell down there."
"She only explained to me that the rope was old and weak so it got shredded as John was climbing...we later returned to the place and found him lying on the ground with blood all over the place."
"Is it dangerous to John?" - Falling from a high distance would be very dangerous, I was so glad when John was still alive
"Don't worry, Princess! Though he lost a lot of blood but the elves managed to cure him in time...just the problem that he is unconscious till this time."
"We later parted to not complicate the situations and King Ralla promised to me he would send the best medicines from Jung Kingdom to Veta in a short time to save John."
"That was what had happened in two previous hours, Princess...John would be fine so please don't be too depressed, we would save him together."
After having the conversation, we went silent once again, I kept looking at John and then noticed that the door had opened and saw Reimi come inside...but she was alone. Only her hands were holding a metal plate of bread and two water bags, Reimi slowly put those items on the desk and then walked toward me with a very depressed expression.
"I'm sorry for being useless, my Highness...His Majesty refused to meet you and also got away." - What!?
"He is so irresponsible..." - Sarah was quite shocked when my brother didn't care about his family
"Reimi, I want you to do for me something."
"Yes, my Highness! Please say out your orders."
"I want you to make an investigation in the Palace, my previous school, Stansa, Spera and anywhere that you see to have the information for me to research about the upcoming war."
"Understood...I will do my best to investigate everything, my Highness."
"You look tired now, Reimi...why don't you sit on my thighs to sleep a littl-"
"Ummmm...Lady Reimi, may you come outside for me a bit? I have something to say to you." - I heard a woman's voice called my servant, it came out from the door so I leaned my eyes out of Reimi to look
I could see that was Ilis, it was strange that she wanted to talk with my servant about something, Reimi later stared at me as if she was waiting for my direction order.
"Go and see her, Reimi...remember to question her...if she shows too much suspicious." - I slowly whispered to Reimi
"Yes, understood." - Reimi made a slight nod and turned back, heading to the door calmly and closing it
Sarah later looked at John to check on him and then walked to the desk to grab some bread and fastly gave me some pieces to eat, I nodded to thank her and grabbed the bread and bit some, my belly was a bit hungry. Now the sleepy feeling was not showing to me anymore, I must wake and be conscious all the time until John woke up and I could be sure that he was very safe for me to not cure him then I would have a good feeling to sleep.
We later both ate the bread while checking for John until we finished eating, John was still unconscious this time, the night had changed to the next day or something, I didn't know when John would wake up. Reimi had gone outside for more than 10 minutes without returning, maybe she was having some big problems with Ilis or something, that maid was quite strange to ask my servant to go out to speak with her.
"I've returned, my Highness! Sorry for my lateness." - The door suddenly opened and I saw my servant walking inside while her hands were holding two big red wrapped boxes, what were those things?
"What are those boxes, Reimi?" - I asked Reimi when she was putting those wrapped boxes on the desk, because I was curious so I came to remove the cloths and found out the boxes had things inside which looked like medicines or something
"The Queen suddenly came here this late night to send me these things as she heard about the news of Lord Rigen...these are the best medicines in the Palace according to her."
"Where is my sister-in-law? I want to see her now." - My sister-in-law was very kind when she cared about us though we did not share a bloodline...and my brother was very irresponsible, I hate him!
"The Queen also wanted to visit Joh-, I mean Lord Rigen but I refused because he needs to be alone with you so...your sister-in-law had left."
"Sis Stella could be a good person for you to collect the information about the war too, Reimi." - I wanted to thank my sister-in-law but also wanted to ask her about the court affairs in the Palace, she was an Attenta person
"I'm sorry for my uselessness, my Highness." - Sigh...apologizing would not make any difference
"Stop apologizing, Reimi...doing that would not make any difference...try to be more careful would be better."
"Thanks for your advice, my Highness."
"Ah..here." - Reimi later made out a face as if she was having something that she was missing, her hand later grabbed out a small list of paper
"The Queen gave me this paper before going, she said we must follow the instructions of the time if we want to give Lord Rigen some pills, I hope it would be useful." - Reimi later gave me the list of paper
After receiving the paper list from Reimi, I focused my eyes on the line of papers which has words on them, reading the instructions to know when I should give John the pills. While reading the paper, Reimi came to John and touched his forehead to check on him, I only hoped my husband would wake up a short time later, that was all I want this time!
"Don't worry, Reimi...John would be fine, shy don't you take a seat?" - Sarah asked Reimi to sit somewhere
"Shakes head! Thanks for your kindness...but I refuse to take it, Lady Sarah." - Reimi shook her head and kept standing beside me to guard, she was a bit sleepy, maybe I should ask Reimi to sleep
"Reimi...why don't you take a short nap? Staying late would not be good for you...don't worry about John, I'm here for him."
"As you wish, my Highness...thanks." - Reimi thanked me and closed both of her eyes while standing straight as if she was trying to sleep while standing
"Ummmm...did you see my sis, Princess?" - Sarah suddenly asked me so I looked around to check for Hatano, but didn't see her anywhere!
"No, what's wrong?"
"She was just here earlier...maybe she left without saying anything." - Sarah kept sitting with her face showing her nervousness, she later stood up for some reason
"I will go out to check on my sis, Princess...please take care of John." - Sarah asked me to watch John and then I nodded, she later headed to the door
"Where did she go this late? Sis is very strange this time, now I mus-, ahhh, sis." - While walking to the door, Sarah saw Hatano open the door
"Sis...why are you armed?" - Sarah asked Hatano when she was her strange appearance
This time was very strange, Hatano was holding an M21 Sniper Rifle on her shoulder while her right belt was strapped with a pistol, an Alrotz bag was on her back and ammo pouches were strapped all over the belt. Hatano was very insolent to me, those things were her weapons which were confiscated by John when he considered her dangerous to his team, now she dared to steal those weapons when my husband was in danger!
"The Four of July has come, Sarah...I hope you and others will be pleased to see the parade, we would march some battalions." - Huh?
"What's wrong with you, sis?! John is in need of help but you didn't care about him! You even dare to make the parade despite he banned it!"
"John is incapable because of his problems...he cannot manage things...but I can, now I will in charge."
"How dare you, you fricking insolent!" - Reimi yelled at Hatano when she found out about John's subordinate's bad behavior
"Stop being like that, sis! You are making us mad, no parade until John gives you another order."
"John is the Lord, I'm his Advisor...he is now lying there...according to the laws, I will temporally replace him."
"I ban that, Hatano." - I warned Hatano
"As your Lord's wife, now I will be in charge, you have no right to make orders but I have."
"But I'm officially his Advisor...do not cross me, I don't want to waste my time with you...Princess."
"Yarrrgggghhhhh! Arrrrrggghhhh!" - Reimi was so mad so she charged at Hatano but later being beaten to the face when Hatano used the rifle butt to hit her
"Reimi!" - Sarah and I rushed to Reimi to hold her from falling, Hatano was very violent, Reimi's teeth were bleeding quite much when Hatano hit her so hard
"From now on, I'm both Lord of Veta and Spera when John is still in his bed...I'm Commander." - Hatano said to me with a warning speech and slowly closed the door, the candles and the lantern in the room suddenly turned off and the room went dark