Chapter 68-List

(DUKE WINTER’S P.O.V)

After hearing Rosemary talk about a list that Count Livens had, we continued to discuss our next move. I looked back in Rosemary's direction.

“Rosemary, my dear, do you remember how many people were on that list?”, I asked.

Rosemary shook her head, “My mother might remember since she was the one reading it. I just happened to see his picture, while she was holding it.”, she said.

Moises walked over and placed his hand on the top of Rosemary's head.

I leaned back into the chair and placed my right hand on my chin while I thought to myself.

“We need to find out more about that list”, Nathan said, while looking in Moises direction.

Moises nodded his head in agreement.

I looked at Prince Christian who looked to be in shock from hearing this new information.

“Christian,you are in disguise right now, what is your natural look?”, I asked.

“My natural hair color is strawberry blonde, my eye color is light gold. I just decided to use a dark gold as my disguise.”, he answered, while looking directly at me.

“How often do you keep in contact with Count Livens, while you're hiding inside of the rebel group?”, I asked.

“Once a week, we meet up at a cabin inside of the town of Yunnan in the eastern forest”, he said.

I looked over at Nathan and Valian, Nathan, Valian, do you two think you can join him for the next meet up?”, I asked.

They both nodded.

I looked back towards Moises and gestured for him to come closer to the desk. He walked over and stood in front of me.

“Sage will be going to a tea party at the Haverhill Dukedom estate. After the meeting with Crown Prince Antonio, Rosemary and I will be heading to the western border to check on the rebuilding of some of the villagers' homes. You should join us”, I said.

Without answering he turned around facing Sage and then turned back towards me. I held my right hand up before he could speak.

“She will have some knights escorting her,” I said, while trying to reassure him.

(PRINCE MOISES P.O.V)

I was feeling reluctant about letting Sage go to another tea party, but I know it's necessary in the noble society, if you plan to gain supporters.

I nodded my head to my grandfather. I looked over at Sage, who was still standing next to Rosemary.

“Sage, do you want to attend the tea party? I asked. “The Haverhill Dukedom is most likely trying to give you a hard time”, I said.

Sage nodded her head, “Yes I want to go”, she said.

I sighed, and looked back at my grandfather.

“She'll be fine, if they try again we will handle it accordingly”, he said.

“Fine”, I said, as I gave in.

Grandfather looked over at Sage and Rosemary and called out to them.

“My dears, you two should get some rest since it's getting late, you'll have a long day ahead of tomorrow”, he said.

Sage and Rosemary nodded their heads. Before leaving the office, I noticed Sage glanced back at me. I'll go to their room once I'm done here, I thought to myself.

After they left, I walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Christian.

“Jackson, get a room ready for Prince Christian”, grandfather said.

Jackson bowed, “As you wish, sir”, he said and raised his head up and left the office.

Grandfather gestured for Nathan, Yeshiva and Valian to have a seat on the couch opposite of Christian and I.

“We need to find out everything Count Livens is planning, he has to be working with or for someone else”, Nathan said.

“I agree, this might be bigger than we thought, but the question is who is he working for. There are only three factions: the noble faction, aristocratic faction and the neutral party. It could be someone else in the aristocratic faction that is betraying Marshall ”, I said.

“If Prince Christian picture was in the to be killed list, it could be Prince Marshall's list. He was planning to attack the rebel groups before the coronation. I think the list that had Nathan in it, was Count Livens list.”, Valian said.

I leaned back in my seat, “I remembered Natalie saying that Count Livens said he needed this war to happen. Since the Crown Prince of Kalpana, will be coming tomorrow, we can find out if he's working with Count Livens”, I said.

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Grandfather nodded his head, I looked over at Yeshiva.

“Yeshiva, I want you to go with Sage as her guard tomorrow.”, I said.

Yeshiva nodded his head.

We continued to discuss our plans for tomorrow. A few minutes later, the door to the office opened and Jackson came into the office.

“My lord, Lady Natalie and Sir Masiro have returned.”, he said.

I got up from my seat and left the office.

(NATALIE'S P.O.V)

While traveling back to the Winter Dukedom, my father explained the mission he gave to Jemas.

Hearing that, Jemas and the other clan members were going to harass Count Livens throughout the night was satisfying to hear.

“I just order them to keep breaking into any room he is in, and to attack him but not kill him. we can find out who's on his side or not by the way he respondsto the attacks,”, my father said.

“What about the other nobleman who's acquaintances with him? What's the plan?”Peyton asked.

“We can discuss that with Duke Winter”, father said.

I continued to look down at the list Duke Vernon's wrote for me that named some of the noblemen who attended the conference. There were twenty-five people in total, and besides a few people that I did know, the rest were unfamiliar to me.

“Should we send a spy to each household?”, I asked, looking over at my father.

“I'll contact Gloria and see if she can find some more information on each noble household, but let's see what Duke Winter has to say”, he said

I nodded my head.

We traveled for another hour until we pulled in front of the castle. We parked the truck and exited out of it. My father handed his keys to one of the guards. We walked towards the castle and made our way inside. I noticed Moises coming towards us after turning my head in the left direction.

“Natalie”, he said and gestured for us to follow him.

We followed behind him to the office on the first floor. When the door opened I noticed Duke Vernon was sitting behind the desk and Nathan and Valian were sitting on the couch. I looked over at another man who looked familiar but was trying to figure out from where.

“Valian”, I heard my father say.

I noticed Valian trying to avert his eyes away from our father. Something tells me, he hasn't been home in long time.

“So this is where you've been”, father said, while smirking.

I heard Valian gulp loudly and saw Nathan who was sitting next to him chuckling a bit at him.

We walked into the room and Moises gestured towards the young man was sitting on the other couch.

“Natalie, this is Prince Christian”, he said.

My eyes widened, then I remembered his photo in Count Livens documents.

“You're the guy in the photo”, I said.

“Rosemary already told us, you found his photo in the rebel groups documents Count Livens had.”, Moises.

I nodded my head.

“I thought he was hiding in the eastern rebel group”, I said.

Christian stood up and bowed his head, “I found Prince Moises after searching for him. I was just lucky enough to find him in the western rebel group”, he said.

Before I could ask him anything else. He raised his head up.

“I have no intentions on becoming King, I just want to find my mother”, he said with a sad expression.

“We're also looking for your mother”, I said.

He nodded his head, “I'm aware of that, I just want to stop Count Livens before he does something to my mother. He's been searching for her since she ran away, "he said.

I was confused but didn't show it. I wasn't sure if he was trustworthy yet, but keeping an eye on him would help us know his true intentions, I thought to myself.

After being distracted by Prince Christian, I started to tell them everything we found out. I walked over to the desk and gestured to Moises to follow me.

“Duke Winter, before the meeting with Count Livens, my father met up with one of our clan members. He mentioned Count Livens commissioned our clan to attack the Winter Dukedom after the coronation”, I said.

“What the hell”, everyone shouted, causing me to look back at them.

My father stepped forward, “I ordered my squad members to harass him the whole night”, he said, while looking amused.

I saw Valian snickering while he looked at our father.

“What kind of harassment did you order this time dad?”, he asked.

“To continuously attack him throughout the night without killing him”, he said, while smirking.

I walked over Moises, “that's not all, after we left the meeting. My father went to meet one of his former acquaintances, and we learned a nobleman paid some assassins to go after Sage before her debutante and succession ceremony”, I said.

Duke Winter suddenly rose out of his chair.

“Do we know who the nobleman is?”, he asked.

I shook my head.

“We ended up getting a list of the people who attended the conference”, I said.

Duke Winter held his hand up, “We should pay close attention to the Haverhill Dukedom, Prince Marshall maternal family.” He said and looked directly at me, “Sage was invited to a tea party for Duke Haverhill's daughter, Lady Nidia Haverhill. Sage will attend the tea party tomorrow since other noblewomen will attend.”, he said.

I nodded my head and turned towards Serbia. I gestured for her to come over. When I looked back at Duke Winter, I noticed he was studying Serbia as she got closer to the desk.

“This is Serbia, I helped her escape out of the palace dungeon. She's pregnant with Prince Marshall's son”, I said.

“Pregnant for Prince Marshall?”Duke Winter asked, with a shocked expression.

Serbia nodded her head, “I was a maid at Count Livens estate. He hires orphans as sex slaves for noblemen”, she said.

“Orphans?, are any of them from the western region?”Nathan asked after walking over to where we were standing.

Serbia nodded, “I'm also from the western region”,she said.

“Shit, there's a lot of young women missing from the village that's orphans”, Nathan said, while balling his fist.

“Serbia dear, what's your family's name?”Duke Winter asked,” You look very similar to someone I knew a long time ago”, he said.

Serbia looked over at Duke Winter.

“Alastair”, she said, “my name is Serbia Alastair” she said.

I noticed Duke Winter's facial expression changed.

“Do you know anyone by the name Julian Alastair?”, he asked.

Serbia nodded, "He's my father, He died 8 months ago in the territory war with the Kalpana Kingdom”, she said.

Duke Winter's eyes widened, he stood up and looked directly at Jackson.

“Get a room ready for her now”, he ordered Jackson.

Jackson bowed and left the room.

“What's going on grandfather?”Moises asked after walking over.

Duke Winter looked over at Moises, “Moises, the war that happened 22 Years ago. Do you remember the name of the commander of the Kalpana Kingdom that went missing?”, he asked.

“Yes it was Julian .”, Moises paused and looked over at Serbia.

His eyes widened, “Holy fuck, don't tell me”, he said and looked over Duke Winter.

Duke Winter nodded, “Her father, Julian Alastair was the Grand Duke of Alastair Dukedom, the current King of Kalpana younger brother”, he said.

“Holy shit is that why the Kalpana Kingdom keeps attacking the western border?”Nathan asked.

I thought to myself for a second and remembered the men that were at the Count's villa.

“The woman”, I mumbled.

“What?”Moises asked.

“The knight that was at Count Livens villa was looking for a woman. The head maid told him she was gone”, I said.

“Do you think the woman they're looking for is Serbia?”Moises asked.

I nodded my head.

I was about to speak until the door opened and a few maids came rushing into the room. We looked over in their direction and saw them panting and had panicking expressions.

“What's going on?”Duke Winter asked.

“My lord", the maid said while panting and trying to catch her breath “The princesses just killed some intruders", she said.