Wes

I stood below the steps of the royal throne next to me was the royal knight's Commander Sir Joseph and his second in command Sir Kathleen, a gorgeous woman with long blonde locks and a foxlike face, her skill with an estoc was second to none and was one of the strongest royal knights. Above us, King William Terramanz waited impatiently for his last guests.

Casting my gaze to the throne room and I observed Prince Bertrand and his companions. Bertrand was talking to Granny gesturing at his clothes while Granny nodded and occasionally pointed somewhere on his body with her cane. Linett, Osmond, and Sir Raphael looked exhausted and were leaning on each other for support. They were informed yesterday that as punishment for Bertrand refusing to become the heir to the Sagitta Kingdom they would no longer be receiving any traveling funds. Linett their money manager was no doubt up all night figuring out how to manage their money from now on and where to sell Bertrand’s possessions. I heard that Bertrand had bowed and apologized to his companions and that he would take responsibility by letting Linnet sell his possessions. Sir Raphael was offered a position back in the royal knights by King William as he was no longer responsible for Bertrand, but Sir Raphael refused and said he would like to continue traveling with his companions. It lead to an argument with the King as Sir Raphael was still one of the best knights in the Kingdom and his Majesty wanted him for the negotiation with the Orion King Peter Rayne and no doubt for whatever trouble the Vigil Syndicate caused next.

They will have a difficult time ahead of them now that they will no longer be supported by the throne, but I do not think they will break. Not one of them even thought of leaving each other when they heard the news and instead went to work figuring out how to continue their travels. Their camaraderie is strong, and linnet has a good head on her shoulders they may become little more than traveling merchants, but I do not think they will mind. Now that Sir Raphael is no longer obligated to write to the throne I will no longer be able to read his reports which seemed more a story he was telling than a dry recounting of events. Sir Raphael has become quite a good writer and I rather enjoyed reading about their travels. Perhaps I will advise him to write a novel about their adventures. I am sure there would be several people who would enjoy reading about the adventures of a prince and his misfit companions myself included.

I turned to look at Ludivine and her companions. Ludivine seemed to be trying to appease Lady Sirena who seemed angry about something and the twin's Sir Jean and Sir Luc who I had forgotten how to tell apart seemed to be trying to appease her too by rubbing her shoulders and massaging her hands.

Perhaps she is upset that Lady Alexandria and her companions have yet to show up. She will be working together with them, so I hope she does not have a bad impression of them. She will be in charge of the mission to kidnap the duke, so I do not think she is quick to anger and hot-headedness. Just thinking about the boldness of Infiltrating a hostile kingdom and kidnapping a duke to use as a hostage for negotiation has me shaken and in fear of what a man who would suggest such a thing is capable of. King William told me he has plans for Oberon and Valeria, but I cannot help but think that they are not the type to submit themselves to others so easily.

Although King William had informed me that Sylvain would be here I could not keep the anger and disgust out of my expression when I saw Sylvain. He was in a wheelchair and was flanked by his two knights and a physician was taking care of his wound as he winced and occasionally left out an echoing moan that everyone chose to ignore. The only comfort that I found in Sylvain's presence here was that I got to watch him writhe in pain.

This animal was in Brigette’s room! It is a horrible thing to wish on someone that I raised as my own, but I cannot help but wish that the assassin had followed through with killing Sylvain. The king told me of what they found out about the assassination, and I cannot imagine what the Vigil thugs are thinking by making Sylvain think it was Alexandria who sent the assassins. So much of what they do is a mystery to us that I fear no matter what we think we know about them it will never be enough to stay ahead of them.

Finally arriving the door to the throne room opened and Lady Alexandria and her companions stepped in seeing that everybody was already here and waiting Sir Foltest looked away and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Directly behind them, Valeria pushed Oberon in. I tried to meet Brigette’s eyes and when I did I was surprised I did not see any fear or anger in her eyes over what happened yesterday but joy and amusement.

She has grown; Juliet would be so proud looking at her now.

When the group approached the King, everybody had their eyes on them some angry others relived but most were curious. They bowed or kneeled except for Oberon of course and his attendant Valeria who had pulled out a comb at some point and began combing Oberon's unruly hair not even looking at the king.

This girl! What does she think she is doing in front of a King does she not have any respect for him?

King William stared them down his gaze lingering on Oberon and Valeria before dismissing them than speaking. “Now that we are all here let me tell you all what we learned about the assassination yesterday. First, We believe it was done by the Vigil syndicate.”

Nobody seems surprised and other than Sylvain who looks like he is holding something in no doubt wanting to tell the King that it was Lady Alexandria they seem to believe it. I thought observing their reactions.

“Second, We believe it was not a real assassination attempt at all, but a staged failed assassination made to make Sylvain believe that Alexandria was going after him. The reason for this we do not know but that is what we concluded in our investigation.

This time everyone other than the people who were already made aware of it was surprised and began talking amongst themselves. Even Sylvain seemed to be contemplating something before shaking his head and speaking to one of his knights.

The knight pushed his wheelchair forward and Sylvain went before his father and spoke with difficulty. “Father! How can you say it was staged when I was stabbed! Look at me I could have died yesterday!

The King merely glanced at him then waved for Sir Joseph to explain. Sir Joseph looked at him and spoke impassively as usual. “Not could have died. Should have died. The assassin had you dead to rights in that room and instead of slitting your throat stabbing you in the heart or any other ways he could have killed you he stabbed you in the abdomen once then escaped. By all accounts, there is no logical reason to explain how he failed to kill you unless we assume that he did not want to kill you but make you believe he wanted to kill you. You said the assassin asked you questions that made you believe he was sent by Lady Alexandria, and you seem to believe it, so we are assuming that was his intention all along.”

Sylvain glowered at Sir Joseph not convinced but told his knight to take him back. Before returning he Glared at Lady Alexandria and her companions his gaze lingering on Brigette before being scared off by Sir Foltest who ran a finger from the right side of his temple to his lower lip.

King William spoke again when Sylvain returned to his place. “Sir Kathleen tell us the results of the hunt for the fake assassin.”

She stepped forward winged helmet held to her side and spoke “Unfortunately, we could not catch him as he ran not to the palace gates but to a wall where we then saw him crawl into a hole in the wall which we then discovered was a small tunnel that led out of the palace. We sent some people through it and send another group to leave through the palace gates in search of him but that is when we lost sight of him. I ordered the tunnel to be covered up and currently, I have people inspecting the surrounding palace walls looking for any other such tunnels or anything else that seems off. I also sent some people earlier today to the city to look for traces of the assassin and to ask people if they saw any signs of him last night. I am no craftsman, but I believe the tunnel has been there for a while as I do not believe it could have been made in just a few days so perhaps the assassin is not the only Vigil agent that has been inside the palace.” She finished her report bowed and stepped back.

The news of the tunnel worries me in could mean that the Vigil syndicate has been spying within the palace for quite some time. I hate to be suspicious of the staff but there are so many of them that it is hard to keep track of times and it would not be difficult to simply masquerade as one of them. I will have to conduct some investigation of my own and ask the more experienced staff to report anyone they think is suspicious.

“Thank you, Sir Kathleen. I expect to be informed of your findings in the city as soon as you receive your report and if so much as a sizeable crack or hole is found in the surrounding palace walls I give you leave to hire craftsmen and construction workers to fix them.

King William turned to his audience and stood. “I have asked you all here today my children and their companions telling you all this before anyone else because I have something to say to you all that I will not be telling everyone else later today. But first I feel like it is my duty to try one last time.” He said then looked at Bertrand.

“My first son Bertrand, you are by rights my heir so I will ask you for the last time will you accept your responsibility and take your rightful place as my heir?”

Everybody looked at the first prince Bertrand who stepped up to the King looking every bit what a prince should with his long stark black hair, soft green eyes, youthful face despite being 30 years old, and fashionable outfit. He had a beautiful appearance that rivaled many women and indeed he had many male and female admirers. He met his father’s eyes with a seriousness not often seen in him.

“It is selfish of me I know, and it has caused trouble for the Sagitta Kingdom that I willingly ignored but I cannot find in myself the desire to become king. The truth is I hated being born with the family name Terramanz and the expectations and responsibilities that came with it that I often dreamt of simply running away never to return. However, I am incompetent with most things and would likely not survive and when it comes to being a king I would not even be able to manage even a small territory and you know that as well father which is why I had never been sent on an excursion to do so like the rest of my siblings. In the last 8 years traveling the Kingdom to maintain good relations between the throne and its vassal lords with my companions I have had many adventures, experiences, and have met unique individuals. During that time, I realized that all I ever wanted was the freedom to make my own choices which I was not often able to do growing up here. So, father, I will once again choose to refuse to become your heir and continue my travels with my companions. Even if we are no longer being supported by the throne we will continue to help maintain a good relationship between the throne and its vassal lords as I believe that is the least I could do for all the trouble I have caused.” Bertrand finished speaking with such conviction that everyone was momentarily stunned.

I observed his companion and he saw that Sir Raphael and Osmond had tears in their eyes though the reasons for their tears I could not guess. Linnet who was between Osmond and Sir Raphael looked misty-eyed through her glasses, but it was hard to tell. Granny who was beside them smiled tiredly but looked at Bertrand proudly.

King William sighed and spoke. “I have to admire your conviction on refusing the throne but have to curse you for the trouble you caused. As you will no longer be supported by the throne I was not going to force you to continue to maintain good relations so I will thank you for promising to continue to do so.” King William smiled tiredly. “You are well-liked with the lords and they often tell me of how they enjoy hearing about your adventures. I believe you would have been a fine King with the proper help and support to compensate for what you lack. But I will no longer force the issue. Thank you for speaking honestly Bertrand.”

Bertrand gave a deep respectful bow and returned to his companion who hugged him and gave him pats on his shoulder.

King William now addressed the entire throne room. “Since my rightful heir has refused the throne I am forced to choose another. By rights, my second son Sylvain is next in line, yet I am hesitant to name him my heir.”

Does that mean he has chosen Alexandria as heir! I can only hope so.

I observed the room once more and saw that most had expressions of anticipation and curiosity only Sylvains faced showed anger and he was attempting to stand but his knights and physician held him down.

“I wanted to name Alexandria my heir but am hesitant in doing so as I feared the precedent it would set by skipping the person next in line, no doubt angering and making nobles consider doing the same.”

I watched Lady Alexandria and judging by her look of concern perhaps she had similar thoughts to her father. Sylvain was red with rage no doubt wanting to speak up but seemed smart enough to know now was not the best time.

“I fear we are approaching a time of great turmoil and a strong leader will be needed to guide the Kingdom through it! So, I ask you to prove yourself worthy Sylvain, Alexandria, we have enemies within and enemies in the Orion Kingdom show me your worth by fighting them and not each other, I will choose who I believe is the best!”

A good idea your Highness! Alexandria is already involved with the mission to kidnap the Duke of Betelgeuse and I am sure will do a better job at facing off against the Vigil syndicate than Sylvain. With this, the nobility will have no arguments against you choosing Alexandria over Sylvain.

“I do not know how long I have left to live; my health wanes and I cannot be certain I will live long enough to make a decision. So, in the case of my death, I leave the responsibility of choosing who will inherit the throne to my rightful heir Bertrand!”

Everyone was shocked me included and Bertrand most of all.

Bertrand stepped forward and spoke hesitantly. “Father I am sure there are others who are more capable and worthy of choosing who inherits the throne. Like old man Wes!” He said pointing at me.

Are you trying to have me killed! If it were up to me I would be killed within the day your father dies!

King William chuckled. “You have chosen to reject your responsibility to be my heir so I will not allow you to refuse your responsibility of choosing who should inherit the throne instead of you. After your 8 years of travel, I believe that you know our Sagitta Kingdom better than most and will choose correctly. If you think Wes knows better than you then choose as he would.”

Bertrand seemed conflicted but eventually nodded his head and spoke. “Very well, I will accept this responsibility.” He hesitated again but spoke. “Does that mean we can expect support from the throne again? It would make taking up this responsibility easier for me to accept.”

Bahahaha! The king laughed tearing up a little. “It seems that you picked us some merchant-like behavior. An influence of your companion Linnet no doubt. We can discuss it later but for now, you and your companions are dismissed.” He then looked to Sylvain. “Sylvain you and your companions are dismissed as well get some rest and give thought to what I said.”

Bertrand and his companions left immediately and seemed happy they may still receive support from the throne. Sylvain on the other hand looked shocked and angry but eventually left as well. Leaving only Alexandria and Ludivine with their companions in the throne room.

“When is the soonest you all can leave for Leonis?” King William said.

“My companions and I are ready to leave as soon as possible, Lady Sirena especially is restless,” Ludivine said.

“I Want to brief my team about the upcoming mission and prepare for it as soon as possible.” Lady Sirena said tapping her spear on her shoulder impatiently.

“Valeria and I will need to get our affairs in order here so we will not be able to depart until the evening, but I will not make you wait for us Lady Sirena feel free to go ahead of us,” Oberon said apologetically.

“I believe Sir Foltest said he has some things he wants to do before we leave so we will depart in the evening with Oberon and Valeria as well,” Alexandria added.

“You and Brigitte are going to Leonis as well Alexandria?”

Alexandria nodded. “You said to prove myself worthy and I will. Though I will not be part of the mission to kidnap the duke I can still learn of the Orion Kingdom and their strength from Margrave Allard. Besides, Brigette and I discussed last night that it would be a fine idea to catch up with Ludivine and enjoy some plays in Leonis.”

I will have to discuss with them not to forget to make arrangements on who will manage Aquilae and its castle while they are gone.

King William nodded then addressed Ludivine “Very well, Ludivine you and your companions are dismissed and are free to depart to Leonis whenever you like.”

Ludivine curtsied and addressed Alexandria. “We shall take our leave and make to Leonis. Sister, Brigette when you arrive will show you the best plays that Leonis has to offer.” Lady Sirena nodded to Oberon, Valeria, and Sir Foltest perhaps saying that she would wait for them in Leonis. With that, they took their leave leaving only Alexandria and their companions in the throne room.

King William stared at Oberon. “Truthfully, I wanted to talk to you Oberon, and since you seem allied with Alexandria and her companions they should stay and listen to what we say.”

I know that his Highness has been keeping an eye on Oberon and his activities so I wonder what he will want to discuss