The news that a Fenchel heir rescued the first daughter of the Flissing spread out like a wild fire within Keviel soon enough. It became the topic for folks to talk about. For normal folks who were normally starved of entertainment, it became a hot topic.
“Milord!” Theo bowed to Ewald who had just exited the front door of the manor.
“Come on, man. Theo, let us be informal when it’s just the two of us.” Shrugging, he replied.
Grinning, Theo replied. “As you wish.” Then he approached him and patted his head.
“Good job, kiddo! This will do wonders for the fame of the Fenchel house.”
“Why does it make you happy though? It’s not like you gain anything from it? Or do you?”
“Perhaps not directly, but the higher the Fenchel goes, the better for us vassal houses especially for marriage proposals.”
“I see.”
The Flissing incident had made other noble carriages make diversions to avoid such an issue which caused them to arrive a bit later than expected. Regardless, all noble carriages arrived safely, and the royal party was about to commence.
Meanwhile, Ewald was taking a walk around the city and found several things that amused him. He was by a blacksmith shop that was displaying several equipment outside. There was a shield which had a red gemstone in the center.
“Mister, what’s that shield?”
The blacksmith looked up and down on Ewald. Seeing how well he was dressed, it was clear to him that he was a noble kid or at least a wealthy merchant’s son.
“Well, I am glad you asked!” He replied with glee. “It’s a magical shield! Whenever your enemy hits the shield, it hurts your opponent.”
“How much will it hurt? I assume that is a fire crystal?” He asked innocently.
“That… is unknown. I haven’t tested it, you see. And, yes, that’s a fire crystal.”
“What about that sword?” He pointed at a longsword that had a blue gemstone in the middle of its hilt.
“Oh, that is also a magic sword! It has got a water crystal in it.”
“How does that sword work?”
“It washes your hand when you wield it.”
There was a brief moment of silence from Ewald. He eventually asked, “And that helps how?”
“It’s a common complaint from warriors!” The blacksmith claimed. “Their hands get sweaty. So, I’ve come up with a solution!” He looked very proud of himself at this point.
“Shouldn’t you use a wind crystal instead of a water crystal? I mean, it will only make your hands wetter? I suppose it will cleanse your hand but what’s the point of that?”
The blacksmith froze on the spot with his mouth open. He would stay so for a good ten seconds before scratching the back of his head.
“Hahaha!” He laughed loudly. “A small miscalculation from me!”
Sure, sure.
He moved on to other shops. He was window shopping since he didn’t have a single coin on him which reminded him.
“Yeah, my allowance. I should press for it.”
Thus, he took the matter to Elias.
“Allowance, I suppose it’s overdue at this point.” He pulled out a small leather pouch from a drawer of his desk.
“This pouch has 100 iron coins, basically a silver. All yours.”
It would have been much lighter to carry a single silver coin. However, there was a chance that a merchant might outright refuse to deal if one purchased an item of a small value and then used a silver coin.
Taking the pouch, Ewald remarked. “It feels pretty heavy.”
“It’s basically a scrap of metal after all. You may want to carry less at once.”
There was a small hook on the pouch which was used to hang on a belt. Placing it on his belt, he patted it a few times.
“When is the party, may I ask?”
“Oh, about that. It will begin, starting tonight.”
Ewald tilted his head. “Why does it sound like it will last more than one night?”
“Because it lasts for a whole week.”
“Party for a whole week?”
“It’s not exactly a conventional party. Tonight’s party will be more like an introductory phase. We will greet each other, and that will be pretty much it.”
The royal party commenced on that evening.
About fifteen people were gathered in the lobby of Keviel castle. The lobby was basically an extravagant large hall. Two long stairs were located on its back with deep crimson carpet covering it all the way to its grand entrance. There were two large doors on each side but they were firmly closed for this occasion with a pair of guards in full plate standing in front. Finally, there was a large chandelier hanging from its tall ceiling which housed about a hundred candles within.
Edmund and Ewald were dressed in their finest attires as they walked into the lobby.
“Will the king be here?” Ewald whispered as they walked in.
“No, not on this occasion.”
A bald and stocky man flanked by a boy and girl greeted them immediately.
“Lord Fenchel! We meet again!”
He was Baptiste Flissing, the current head of the Flissing. The boy and the girl were his two eldest children. After Edmund and Baptiste exchanged a simple greeting, the children introduced themselves to each other.
Ewald bowed lightly with a palm on his chest.
“Ewald Fenchel at your service.”
The boy did the same, a light bow with a palm on his chest.
“Daniel Flissing at your service.”
The girl curtsied while holding the hem of her skirt.
“Flora Flissing, I am most grateful to have met you.”
Flora was the one Ewald had saved a while ago from the giant werewolf. She would have said more if it wasn’t a formal occasion. She had long straight blond hair tied at bottom with a red ribbon. Her eyes were dark green. Baptiste scanned Ewald thoroughly and gave an affirmative nod.
“You have two fine children, Lord Flissing,” Edmund said with a smile on his face.
“I would say the same to you, Lord Fenchel.”
A tall gentleman with well combed black hair and a mustache approached. He bowed lightly with a palm on his chest.
“Lord Fenchel, Lord Flissing, it has been a while.”
It was Aaron Weber, the head of the Weber house. They ruled fort Nanlon and Tantan.
“Likewise, Lord Weber.”
Aaron had no one with him.
An elderly man approached them shortly afterwards. He had a cane with him and had a bit of trouble walking. He was Ludwig Mesurii. He was the grandfather of Loukia and the current head of the Mesurii who ruled Vikku.
“Lord Fenchel,” Ludwig said weakly as he bowed with his hand on his chest.
“Lord Mesurii,” Edmund replied curtly.
Ludwig glanced at Ewald. His glance didn’t seem malicious however. After meeting with more noble members, the first night of the royal party had come to its conclusion.
On the second night, the guests were allowed to enter the east wing from the lobby. Food and drinks were lined up on long tables on the edge of the hall with a large circular red carpet in the middle. The first night was all about introducing each other. This second night was casual chit chat. A major difference from the first night was that wives of nobles were allowed this time. Of course, not everyone had a wife. Edmund didn’t have one, and it seemed Lord Flissing didn’t have one, either. It didn’t mean they had no women. It simply meant that they had no official wives.
Edmund was having a conversation with Benjamin Strobel. The Strobel was a noble house that ruled Alrez and Vedo.
“So, there have been movements from Siwen?” Benjamin stroked his chin with a concerned look.
“Indeed, it has been mainly scouts, but we all know what scouts do,” Edmund replied with a glass of wine in his hand. “The Flissing is getting ready in fact.”
“It does not bode well then.”
While Ewald was just listening to their conversation, he felt a stare at him. Looking around, he spotted Flora Flissing who was staring at him. She was with her father who was conversing with Aaron Weber. She beamed a smile as soon as their eyes were met. He was forced to smile back.
Has she fallen for me? That would complicate things.
He didn’t know anything about her. Looking at her height, he figured she was around his age. She was taller however.
After about an hour of chit chat, a butler walked in and stood in the middle. He had a wine glass in his hand which he tapped to gain attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for some action,” He announced. “Shall we dance?”
Couples started to dance in the middle. Obviously, Edmund was observing the scenery since he was single at this time. Lord Flissing joined him. He was also single. It was this point that Flora extended her hand toward Ewald.
“Shall we dance?" She asked softly and confidently.
He glanced at Edmund who nodded discreetly.
“Of course, milady.”
Because it must have been pretty rare for two kids to dance, the other adult couples cleared the way for them. Thus, they ended up dancing right in the middle with pretty much everyone’s attention on them. That bothered Ewald greatly. Alas, there was nothing he could do but just go with the flow. Since Flora seemed to be having the moment of her life, he had to go along. She seemed to love the fact that everyone was looking at them or her.
And, thus, the second night of the royal party concluded shortly after.
A bombshell was waiting back at the manor.
“A marriage proposal from the Flissing?!” Both Edmund and Ewald exclaimed in shock as Fabian showed them the official document he had received while they were away at the party.
“It’s legitimate if that is what you are wondering. The Flissing house has proposed a marriage between Ewald Fenchel and Flora Flissing.”
Edmund began to rub his temples. Flora was the first daughter and eldest child of Baptiste, meaning it was a significant alliance the Flissing was proposing.
“She turns twelve soon, meaning she will soon reach the age of consent,” Fabian explained. “I do realize there is a gap in age, but the Flissing don’t seem to mind. It is my impression that the daughter is pushing for this.”
Edmund glanced at Ewald who shrugged.
“Probably because I’ve saved her?” Ewald assumed.
“That is probably the case here,” Fabian agreed. “Additionally, it looks like Lord Flissing has been looking for a suitor for a while without much luck. He probably overlooked Ewald here due to him being eight years old.”
The real reason was that he didn’t exist until very recently. Lord Flissing wasn’t aware of his existence. Regardless, there was some truth in Fabian’s assumption. A man being four years younger than his potential bride was something that was frowned upon. Under normal circumstances, the age difference alone would have been enough to rip apart the marriage proposal. However, having no suitable candidate within her age range at the moment, coupled with her rather high status of being the first daughter, narrowed down their choices down to only one: Ewald.
Sensing that Edmund was clearly against the idea, Fabian had to wonder why.
“Edmund, you are clearly reluctant. Why?”
He could not tell his father the circumstances and the truth. Ewald was his adopted son who was in truth his nephew and that he had murdered his own daughter to clean up. Most importantly, he was trying to set up Ewald with one of his daughters to ensure that his blood would continue.
As Edmund continued his silence, Fabian pressed.
“This is a marriage proposal we cannot refuse without a valid reason. And, as far as I can tell, there is no valid reason to reject this, correct?”
“.... True.” Edmund agreed reluctantly.
However, Ewald spoke up.
“Would it be wise to accept a marriage proposal from a house that might collapse soon?”
Fabian narrowed his eyes. “The Flissing will collapse? Explain, lad.”
“The impending war with the Siwen Dynasty is what I am talking about. The Flissing will be facing them head on. There is a good chance that the house Flissing might collapse. Even if they don’t, there is a good chance that they will suffer losses.”
He took a few steps forward and continued.
“This marriage will force us to send aid when Dido gets attacked. We will be forced to help them rebuild. That is a financial risk. Additionally, they might outright request military aid as well.”
Edmund replied with a shocked expression, “That is … an acceptable reason. However, it is not something we can tell them as an excuse.”
“Probably not. But we should be able to stall the marriage by telling them that I am too young. We don’t need to reject it. Stall it and see how they fare during and after the war. Then we can make a decision.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Fabian and Edmund exchanged glances with Fabian giving a nod in the end.
“Still, they won’t like this since we are not accepting it right away,” Edmund said while taking the document from Fabian and reading it through.
“Then make me the bad guy,” Ewald declared.
“What?” Both Fabian and Edmund looked at him with widened eyes.
“Tell them that I was throwing a fit and was vehemently against the marriage. Tell them that we need time to convince me. I am just a kid who is throwing tantrums. This should give us something to stand on.”
A child, an eight year-old child, was using the fact that he was a child as a tool.
He added, “It should buy us some time.”
“Alright, I will go with your story,” Edmund replied and headed straight to his study to write an official reply. Once he was gone, Fadian remarked.
“You impress me, lad. Still, the marriage proposal itself is sound. The Flissing is of the same status of the Fenchel. Yes, she is a bit older than you, but it should pose no issue overall.”
Folding arms, Ewald recalled his impression of Flora. He was pretty sure that she would grow to be a beauty. But it was her personality that got on his nerves a bit. She seemed to be bold and daring. She proposed to dance and, if Fadian was correct, she was also her who pushed for this marriage. That itself was fine. When everything went smoothly, such a personality was fine. However, what if things took a turn for the worse? Would she be able to control her temper?
But all that was an excuse. He had a deal with Edmund. He was not his biological son. In order to continue his bloodline, they agreed on Ewald marrying one of his daughters. And there was little point in crossing Edmund this early especially when he was suspected to have murdered his own daughter.
“I don’t know her well enough to make a decision especially when I am young enough to have options. I have options. She does not. Or at least she doesn’t have as many options as I do.”
Fabian stroked his chin.
“That is also true, lad. The art of negotiation, eh?”
“Even if we have to accept it in the end, there is no reason to make it easy for them.”
Fabian smiled in return.
The third day of the royal party arrived. According to Edmund, this was where things would become quite serious. Noble houses would attempt to strike trade and marriage deals from this point on. Basically, the fun time was over.
On this occasion, both east and west halls were open to the nobles. The east hall featured the same setup like before, meaning it was basically a party hall. The west hall, however, wasn’t quite a hall. It had numerous rooms divided by a long hallway. A guard and a butler stood by its entrance, guiding nobles inside as they came by.
Negotiation rooms, I guess. Time to meet Lord Flissing?
As he expected, Edmund took Ewald straight to the west hall and then into a room where Baptiste Flissing was waiting inside.
Figured as much. He wouldn’t back down that easily.
His daughter, Flora, wasn’t present however. Since Ewald himself was allowed, he figured that women weren’t allowed.
Regardless, Baptiste welcomed them with open arms and a bright smile.
“Welcome, the Fenchels!”
There was a round table in the middle along with four chairs. There was nothing else in the room. Once they sat down, the air immediately became tense.
“You are stalling, why?” Baptiste went straight to the topic.
“My son is eight. Your daughter is eleven, soon to be twelve,” Edmund responded firmly.
“Yes, I do admit that the gap is a little unpleasant. However, the overall prospect of marriage is overwhelmingly good. Do you not agree?”
Baptiste and Edmund would glare at each other’s faces for a while without saying a word. Their silent standoff was eventually broken by Ewald.
“I may be young but I am not a fool, Lord Flissing,” He declared. “She is four years older and has attempted to control me. I did not like that.”
Baptiste grimaced as he heard him.
“I believe you’ve read my father’s response, correct, Lord Flissing?”
“Yes, I have.”
“I have not outright rejected the proposal. I would like to get to know her better before making a decision.”
Baptiste looked clearly displeased.
“She is soon twelve. Time is running out,” He said with a barren look on his face.
“Who else is there if I back out?”
“None. The next candidate is a twenty one year old whose wife has recently passed away and he already has three children with his former wife.”
There was no point for him to hide since this would have been easy to find out for any nobles. Edmund sighed deeply after hearing his reponse. He must have imagined himself in his shoes. That would have been a nightmare scenario. Flora would be treated like a second wife and could be harassed by her step children who might be similar ages.
“For a while, I had completely given up on Flora. When I learned that there was you and that you even saved her life, I felt it was fate. Do you not agree?” He pleaded. However, his plea was met with silence from both of them.
“A proper dowry will be made,” He added.
It almost feels like the dude is trying to sell his daughter off so that he can get his plate clean.
“Hmmm…,” Ewald groaned with his arms crossed. “Lord Flissing, I am not saying that I am going to reject her. I just would like to get to know her more.”
Baptiste retorted, “Unfortunately, that is not how noble marriages work. You cannot get to know her. She is an unmarried lady. She cannot hang out with a boy of her age.”
He felt Baptiste had a point. Of course, that didn’t mean anything ultimately to Edmund and Ewald. They had their own issues to look after.
“Well, we are not going anywhere at this point. Let us talk about this tomorrow,” Edmund mediated. This was a weird scene for anyone where a child was arguing against an adult regarding his own marriage.
On their way back, Edmund unexpectedly thanked him. Since it was a short walk to the manor, they had no guards. Thus, it was just the two of them.
“I am very glad and grateful that you played whatever cards you had to deny the marriage proposal especially when you didn’t have to.”
Ewald certainly did not have to go to the length he had gone to fight back. That much was true.
“Father, that is because of how much you’ve sacrificed.”
“Oh?”
“Your daughter, Icilia, is dead, isn’t she.”
Edmund immediately paused walking, and Ewald turned around slowly to face him.
“She has been assassinated, hasn’t she.”
Edmund closed his eyes slowly and his head dropped. Ewald had suspicions. He knew he had a young daughter. Yet, he had never met her. She was never introduced to him. If she was married off, her existence would have been mentioned at least. Yet, not a single person in the manor talked about her in front of him. It was as if she never existed in the first place.
“I see. Your reaction tells me enough. I am not blaming you. I hardly knew her. Regardless, you’ve gone that far to ensure my position. Thus, it is only just that I fulfill my end of the bargain which is to wed one of your own in order to continue your bloodline.”
He wanted to sabotage Edmund’s plan. At the same time, he couldn’t also just ignore the amount of efforts Edmund had made thus far. He was conflicted. One side of him wanted to sabotage his plan and marry a girl he would like. The other side of him wanted to pay Edmund for his efforts thus far. His mind wasn’t fully made up yet. On a flip side, the only girl he had been even remotely attracted to was Esther. He felt that she was hot the moment he met her. If he eventually would end up with Esther, then it would be fulfilling Edmund’s wish.
It took a while for Edmund to resume walking. His eyes looked teary although uncertain due to darkness.
“Man, it’s hard to be nobles, isn’t it,” Ewald said casually, changing the subject.
“You are doing an excellent job though.”
“Well, thanks for the compliment. Anyway, what are we going to do if Lord Flissing doesn’t back off? He seems pretty desperate to get rid of his daughter.”
“Well, you’ve made your position clear. Leave the rest to me.”
The fourth day of the royal party was the same as the third day, meaning more negotiations. This time, however, Edmund alone entered the negotiation room and left Ewald in the east hall where there was a party. There weren’t a lot of people however. Less than ten people were present. Among them, Daniel and Flora were there. Since Flora was Lord Flissing’s eldest child, Daniel would have been younger. He was probably right around Ewald’s age. He also had blond hair and dark green eyes like his sister.
When they noticed Ewald, Daniel gave him a nod while Flora beamed a gentle smile at him.
Did her dad not tell her that the proposal is going badly? Or is she putting up a face?
Regardless, he responded with a formal light bow.
“Lord Flissing, it is the first time we have a conversation.”
Daniel replied with a grin and a nod, “Indeed, Lord Fenchel. It would seem we are the only children this year.”
There were obviously more children than the three among seven landed noble houses. It was just that the three here were from first wives, supposedly.
“Our parents seem awfully busy, hmm?” Ewald said while taking a small plate and placing some food onto it. Flora observed him while Daniel approached him.
“I’ve heard of your heroic deeds. It must have been awesome fighting on the front line against a horde of werewolves,” He excitedly told him.
“I was able to fight them only because I am a wind mage. Without levitation, a child like myself wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
“Don’t be modest!” Daniel patted his back real hard which made him spew out a piece of cake he was chewing. Flora smiled at the comical scene.
“I heard that you shot something amazing at the giant werewolf and blew off its hand.”
It was the wrist that blew off according to what he was told. But then gossips were never accurate. That did remind him.
“How’s the maid?”
“She has been traumatized a little. We’ve given her a break. Hopefully, she will recover,” Daniel replied.
No wonder. She must have been scared to bits in that carriage. Still, she had the sanity and courage to let her mistress out while risking her own life. Loyalty like that should be rewarded handsomely, he felt.
They chatted for a while during which Flora said not a word but put on a smile all the time. He had a feeling that Lord Flissing had given her a warning or two about her attitude.
At one point, Edmund entered the east hall and signaled him to come. They were in the lobby, away from others’ ears.
“So, how did it go?”
“The talk is on hold for the moment. We will resume in a year.”
Apparently, Lord Flissing pushed for it still with numerous incentives. He fought back with a truce in return.
“If she feels the same after a year, we will resume the talk,” Edmund concluded.
“That doesn’t solve anything, does it? You have simply earned time unless I get married within a year. Marrying at nine?”
Edmund crossed his arms with a frustrated groan.
Ewald continued nevertheless, “If I do get married to one of your daughters, Lord Flissing will accuse you since we will be blatantly ignoring a better prospect on paper.”
“This is all that can be done for now. Hopefully, something happens in a year.”
He wanted to say “Wishful thinking” to him but kept his mouth shut.
The fifth day of the royal party was different. It was very similar to the first day where ladies weren’t allowed, and the nobles were gathered within the lobby.
“The king will greet us today,” Edmund informed Ewald as they arrived in the lobby.
It is about time I get to see him then. He is very likely my target to kill.
Ewald waited patiently until a group of guards came down from the stairs and formed a line, forming a protective barrier. Then a man donning a golden crown with numerous jewels along with a red cloak walked down gracefully.
All nobles got on their knees. Meanwhile, Ewald stole a few glances at him.
He looked fairly young, probably in 30s or at the most mid 40s. He had a very toned body which was noticeable even from his loose wardrobe. He had light brown hair and stubble with gray eyes.
There was a slightly elevated platform right at the bottom of where the two stairs met. He stood there, flanked by two guards in full plate.
“Arise,” He declared at which point all other nobles stood up at once.
“I welcome you to the party. It is good that the unity in this kingdom holds strong still.”
All nobles made a light bow with a palm on their chests.
The king continued, “The peace has enriched us for the past decade. However, it looks like it is about to see its end. As some of you are already aware, the Siwen Dynasty has been unsettling the border settlements. Lord Flissing, I would like you to reveal your reports.”
Lord Flissing walked toward the king, and the guards who formed a line made a way for him to pass. When he was about ten meters from the king, he turned around and began his speech.
“Numerous lookouts have reported that scouts from Siwen have been sniffing our defenses. My own spies inform me that they are drilling their troops. Their invasion is near. I predict three years at the moment with a force of about 45,000 men.”
The nobles were quiet. They all were aware already.
The king added, “We’ve crushed them before with far less force. We will crush them again. But it is imperative that we remain vigilant.”
After Lord Flissing bowed toward the king and returned to the crowd, the king granted a special decree allowing house Flissing to mobilize troops at will without any further authorization from the royalty. Interestingly, this decree covered the Fenchel as well. If any house mobilized their troops without an authorization from the royalty, it would be deemed as treason otherwise. The fifth day of the royal party concluded soon after.
“The Flissing and we were the original vassals for the king,” Edmund explained as they were walking back to the manor. “Rightfully so, his trust in the two houses is deeper than others.”
“Wouldn’t that also mean our troops are the first to face the invading army?”
“That is also true. But you don’t tend to suffer a great loss as long as you are defending a fort or a city. Our job will be earning time while the rest of the kingdom mobilizes.”
“Lord Flissing claimed the enemy army would be around 45,000 men. How many do we have?”
“House Flissing can muster about 5,000 men. 4,500 from us. 10k vs. 45k is alright since we will be the defenders. The king alone can muster about 7,000 troops alone. As a whole, we can probably muster a total of 25k with about 5k in reserve.”
“The king has repelled an invasion with far less force before. So, this one should be a piece of cake, no?”
Edmund wasn’t quick on his answer however.
“He used to have a genius advisor, a powerful earth mage. He is no longer with us. It is my understanding that his ingenuity had a big part in the previous victory.”
Ewald’s ears twitched. Could he be the one who came up with the idea for the reunification war?
“He no longer serves the king? Is he dead?”
“Not dead. At least, I don’t think so. He left his position not long after the reunification war. Rumors said they had some disagreements with each other. No one really knows what really went down between them.”
“Where is he now? What’s his name?”
“I know neither. Your grandfather should know his name though.”
Grrrr, nothing is ever so straight.
The sixth day of the royal party was different. The west hall, the negotiation room, was now shut. And the king joined the party. The nobles were using the lobby as well as the east hall. The nobles were having casual chitchats.
“So, you are the little hero who saved Lord Flissing’s daughter.”
The king approached Edmund and Ewald. Both of them got on their knees with their palms on their chest.
“I am called Ewald, your grace.”
The king gave an affirmative nod. “It’s always good to have a capable son,” He remarked. “Lord Fenchel, you are blessed.”
“I thank you for your kind words, my liege.”
“Stand.”
They both stood up. The king was no longer wearing his crown, presumably because it must have been pretty heavy. He no longer wore his crimson cloak, either. He gently patted Ewald’s head.
“I need the Flissing and the Fenchel to be strong and loyal,” He said. “Speaking of which, I was told that there is a marriage talk between the two houses. Is that true?”
Fuck, I don’t like where this is going.
Edmund, too, grimaced. It was clear that Baptiste Flissing had asked the king to meddle in. Before Edmund could respond though, Ewald spoke first.
“The truth is, sire, that I have someone else in mind,” He lied.
“Oh? Is that so?” He did look surprised.
“Sire, I am sure that you are aware of the recent event with my father and mother. Since that incident, he has decided that I should marry someone I like.”
The king stroked his chin. “I see…” He eventually nodded a few times. “However, it is a noble’s duty to make their house strong. The alliance between the two houses…, two of my most royal vassals…, is too enticing.”
Shit, he is not backing off.
Growling internally, Ewald pressed also.
“With all due respect, sire, the marriage Lord Flissing is proposing is not what it seems. At least, that has been my gut feeling.”
Time to make up some great lies.
“Ewald..?” Edmund was confused at this point.
“My liege, what I am about to tell you is quite sensitive for anyone to hear.”
The king looked very intrigued and led them to a private room in the west hall. Once inside, the king took a seat while Edmund and Ewald kneeled down.
“Continue,” The king demanded.
Ewald went on to explain how he ended up saving Lord Flissing’s daughter and how he found it a bit suspicious.
“Is it normal to find a pack of 40 werewolves led by a giant werewolf right near the capital?” He questioned aloud. “I don’t believe your soldiers were slacking at patrolling.”
“Of course, not. I do whatever I can to ensure relative safety in the vicinity of Keviel.”
“Now, sire, Lord Flissing has been working very hard…,” He paused for a brief moment before continuing. “A little too hard to push this marriage. I had a feeling that he wanted to get rid of his daughter.”
All Edmund could do at this point was just stay still and let it play because he had no idea where he was going with it.
“Would it be impossible to fathom… that Lord Flissing hatched a plot to get rid of Flora Flissing… But I got in his way?” He told the king very carefully and slowly.
The king narrowed his eyes and grimaced at once. He started to stroke his chin with his eyes downcast.
“Isn’t it strange that such a large pack of monsters appeared out of nowhere without a warning?” He pressed nevertheless. “And somehow they specifically targeted Lady Flissing’s carriage? Where it happened was odd as well -”
At this point, the king put a stop by raising his hand. He became silent for a while. “Continue,” He eventually told Ewald.
“The location of the attack, it was just right outside of range for a swift action. In other words, no matter how fast the guards reacted, they wouldn’t have made it in time. They would have barely missed it, leaving a ton of witnesses of the attack. I was able to reach the site only because of the levitation magic.”
As he continued on with his lies, he actually began to believe what he was saying. It was as if he was unintentionally unraveling a crime scene.
“I will not say more, my liege. I believe I’ve said enough to make a solid conclusion.”
The king would remain silent for a good five minutes. He, then, stood up at once and told them, “We shall not talk about the marriage deal anymore. Is it clear?”
Both Edmund and Ewald replied at the same time, “Yes, my liege.”
As he left the room, he said to no one in particular but they heard it.
“It is good to have a capable son, indeed.”
“Phew!”
Ewald crawled to a chair while Edmund swept his forehead as he stood up.
“I was nervous as heck, father.”
“So was I. I can’t believe you’d go that far.”
Fearing anyone might eavesdrop, they said no further on the topic during the party. Nevertheless, Lord Flissing did look pissed.
Once they got back to the manor, Edmund called Ewald to his study.
“How did you figure that out? After what you told the king, it all started making sense to me.”
“I didn’t. I was trying to come up with a lie. As I lied my way through, I felt like I was onto something. What I informed the king may not be true.”
“It sure does make sense though.”
“Yes, I was surprised at how it all started to make sense.”
Edmund laughed and said with a sigh of relief, “The marriage deal is pretty much off then.”
At the same time, Ewald felt sympathy for Flora. She may have known that her own father was trying to get rid of her. Whatever reasons Lord Flissing may have had for attempting to do so, it wasn’t right. However, he was looking at a man who had killed his own daughter right in front of him also.
The final day of the royal party was simple and short. The king made a similar speech as before about kingdom unity and the looming threat. He told his vassals to remain vigilant and whatnot. It was the standard shebang.
The long and excruciating royal party was finally over.