As those words echoed through the room, Edward couldn't believe his ears.

"I, as the Chancellor, bearing the power bestowed upon me by the Grand Duke, order you to seize the traitor!"

Edward was still in a daze as the soldiers moved without hesitation. The maid who had been helping Edward put on his royal regalia quickly distanced herself, as if fleeing from a deadly snake. She stared at Edward, fear clearly visible in her eyes.

Before he could react, Edward was quickly apprehended and carried outside the palace. A crowd had formed at the gate, shouting insults and throwing things as Edward was led through them. Many of the thrown objects were just rotten vegetables, but some rocks were mixed in, bruising Edward as he passed through the angry mob. He felt the pain but ignored it, too stunned to give a proper response.

His uncle's words echoed in his mind, words spoken just a month ago: "A person's intelligence is much lower in a crowd than when he is alone. If you want to rule effectively, gather a crowd and give no individual person time to speak his own mind."

Edward could see the truth of those words now. The same people who had mourned the king with him and supported his ascension to the throne were now throwing rotten kitchenware and rocks at him. Looking at them now, one wouldn't even know that they had once been his supporters.

With great difficulty, Edward was moved through the crowd until he finally reached the Bell Tower. Multiple soldiers surrounded the premises, and when they saw Edward approaching, the royal guards around the Bell Tower quickly seized him and threw him inside.

He fell onto the cold, hard ground of the tower as the heavy door slammed shut behind him. Edward looked at the door as the weight of the situation gradually started to settle in. It was clear as day that his uncle had found a way to inherit the throne by proving that Edward and his siblings were unfit to rule. Since no one protested, it was obvious that the ministers were in on it. Even the Chancellor, whom Edward's father had trusted dearly, was the one to deliver the news.

Of course, this so-called sudden betrayal didn't come as much of a surprise. During the preparations for the coronation ceremony, it had become evident that Edward had few supporters. What surprised him was that his uncle was the first to act. But he didn't have time to dwell on it—he knew that after his uncle became king, he wouldn't leave the tower alive. He had to quickly think of a plan to escape and, if it wasn't too late, find his siblings before they met their demise.

Stumbling through the dimly lit corridors of the Tower of London, Edward felt the cold stone walls pressing in on him. He finally reached a dank, musty cell where someone was being held.

Relief washed over him when he saw who it was—his brother, Rick. Although Rick had a pale face and a crude splint on his arm, at least he was alive.

"Thank God you're still alive," Edward whispered, kneeling beside Rick.

Rick tilted his head, trying to sit up straight, wincing from the pain. "Haha, it won't be for long," Rick said, grinning slightly.

Edward quickly moved forward to help him sit comfortably. "They got you good, didn't they?"

"Don't get me wrong, but at first, I thought it was by your orders, thinking maybe you'd see me as a rival for the throne."

Edward looked at him with a strange expression, and under his stare, Rick felt a pang of shame.

"What did you expect me to think after being woken up by soldiers who refused to talk and even broke my arm to make sure I wouldn't be able to resist?"

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Fair enough, but still, I'm hurt that you'd even think like that."

"Sorry," Rick's voice sounded very apologetic.

"After losing Father, I don't want to lose any of you," Edward said as he tore a piece of cloth from his attire. He reached for the splint on his brother's arm, removing the dirty one. He then told Rick what had happened to him and what he thought of the situation.

"At least they told you before taking you and didn't even break any bones," Rick said, and they both laughed, though it was a bitter laugh.

"By the way, where did they take Lizzie?" Edward asked, realizing he hadn't seen his little sister in over a month. In fact, he hadn't seen any of his siblings recently, as he had been busy with his studies.

"They didn't tell you? I thought you knew."

Edward stopped tying the splint and looked Rick in the eyes. "Knew what?"

"They took her away on vacation. You know how down she's been after Father's death. They said it was to clear her mind."

Edward looked at him in silence for a full minute. "We have to save her," he finally said.

"Better said than done. Let's first get ourselves out of this place, alright?" Rick replied.

Edward grinned. "What?" Rick asked, feeling uneasy for some reason.

...

The day proceeded as expected. After deeming the crown prince ineligible to inherit the throne, only the Grand Duke had the needed qualifications. He ascended the throne and became the new king of England, the patriarch of the York family, and was crowned as Richard III.

The coronation lasted until night. The first imperial decree given was to prepare the public execution of the traitors. The second was to search for any stolen properties from the royal treasury. The third and final decree was to summon the traitors before the king.

The orders were carried out swiftly. All the properties of Edward and his brother were thoroughly searched, and the two brothers were offered an audience with the king, one at a time.

Rick was the first to go. It lasted for about twenty minutes before he returned. Then it was Edward's turn. They took him out of the tower and carried him to the royal court. The moment he arrived, his uncle ordered everyone to leave the room.

All the guards and ministers quickly left, none of them looking Edward, who was kneeling in the middle of the room, in the eye. After a short while, no one was left in the room except for the king and the crown prince.

"As your teacher this past month and your uncle, I am quite pained to see you like this," Richard III began.

"Pained?" Edward spat. "If you're that pained, why not do us both a favor and let me go?"

"I would like to, but you see, you have something of mine. If you return it, then consider yourself a free man."

"And what might that be, teacher?" Edward asked smugly.

"The Greater Key…"

"I don't hav—"

"And don't play dumb. I already know you have it," Richard III interrupted, his voice cold.

Edward gritted his teeth, but Richard III continued, "Come on, you know there's no reason for you to refuse. My brother always told me, 'People who play stupid games get stupid rewards.'"

When Edward heard that, he couldn't help but remember his father's last words to him. His face instinctively revealed grief.

"Oh, judging from your expression, he must have told you that too. Crazy how he loved that saying, huh?"

"Release my brother and tell me where you put Lizzie. I don't really care what happens to me, so those two will do," Edward bargained.

"Finally, that's why you are my best student. You see reason quickly. But before anything, I will first confirm you're not lying."

"Fine by me. Go into my study and touch the bottom of the main table. You'll find a hidden compartment; that's where it is."

After hearing that, Richard III ordered his soldiers to draw a small droplet of blood from Edward and bring it to him. He also told them to search the hidden compartment.

The orders were carried out swiftly. The blood was quickly drawn and brought to Richard III in a cup, and two soldiers went to search the study room.

The courtroom fell silent, but after a minute or two, the silence was broken by the loud sound of an explosion.

it came from Edwards study.

Richard III's face revealed no surprise, as if he expected it. "As expected, you blew up the book. A clever one, aren't you?"

Edward smiled. "Although I know you planned this, at least I won't die like a dog who gave away everything."

"Well, you guessed correctly. This blood of yours can restore the book, and after you die, it will be of no use, just like you are right now."

The soldier who drew the blood from Edward returned. "Your Majesty, reporting two casualties and one wounded."

"Dispose of the bodies and take this traitor away. He is of no use anymore," Richard III commanded.

"As Your Majesty commands," the soldier replied, grabbing Edward by the arm.