Chapter 102: Bold Words
Chapter 102: Bold Words
Cian was not happy with the situation but could do nothing at the moment, just like his father. The more excited those in the royal court became, the graver was his expression.
Arlan went to Cian and stood beside him. Amidst the cheerful voices filling the entire royal court, he assured Cian, "Your sister will be fine."
Cian didn't respond to Arlan's words and heard him say again, "I can assure you that for your sister, this one devil is far better than these humans around you. You should understand it by now."
Arlan's words somehow worked on Cian's muddled and chaotic brain as he turned his gaze towards Drayce, who had just put his blood-covered sword inside its scabbard. He could not help but remember the past few days, this young king's strange protective behavior towards his sister.
As if sensing his gaze, Drayce, too, looked at Cian, and their eyes met. The confident young king with a cold face covered the distance between them and stood facing the frowning crown prince.
"I would trust Prince Cian to bless those lowlives with the punishment they deserve," Drayce commented with a low voice.
Cian looked at those terrified criminals kneeling and crying on the ground while looking at the dead body of their companion. They had seen a glimpse of their future; after all, a crime against the royal family was nothing short of death.
Cian gritted his teeth as he remembered what Drayce said about what those lowlives did with his sister, and sudden anger swept over his brain. 'They dared touch my sister, tried to kill her, and even talked ill of her.'
"Rest assured, King Drayce," Cian spoke as he called for his personal knight, "Eliot!"
With this loud call, the noise within the royal court finally calmed, and the ministers looked at Cian. Sir Eliot hurried towards him and bowed. "Your orders, Your Highness?"
"Take them to accompany those traitors," Cian ordered coldly.
Those traitors who betrayed Abetha and coordinated with the enemies in his abduction were currently imprisoned in the torture chambers. It would be befitting to throw these lowlives there until they confess everything they know.
Sir Eliot turned towards those kneeling men as the other knights joined their captain to take them away.
Knowing that it was torture and the death penalty awaiting them, the silent cries of those men turned into loud wails as they kowtowed on the floor. "Your Highness, forgive us! Please forgive us! Your Highness, we were wrong! Have mercy on us!"
There was no reaction from Cian as he could only feel disgusted and angry towards them. The knights pulled those men to leave the hall.
While getting dragged out, they pleaded to King Armen. The man who seemed to be their leader no longer kept his silence. "Your Majesty, forgive us! We were only following orders! They said if we lie, we can save our lives, and they will reward us for helping to get the witch out of this kingdom—"
"Stop!" Cian ordered the knights and approached those men.
Minister Darus and Minister Warin looked at each other with pale faces, fearing that these loose-lipped men would expose their identities.
Darus Count bowed towards King Armen. "Your Majesty, those men are not trustworthy, and we should not trust any of the words said by them."
Before King Armen could say a word of response, Cian walked past Darus Count, ignoring his protest, and went towards the sobbing leader. "Who was the one who ordered you?"
"Minister Warin! It's Minister Warin! He said, no, he promised us wealth, and even if we were imprisoned, he would save us if we lied!" the man replied in a hurry to save his own life.
Minister Warin cried out towards his king as if he was wronged, "Your Majesty, we should not trust their words. They are lying!"
Again, there was chaos within the royal court. The Minister from the Left, as well as those in his faction, had turned silent, while the ones who supported the King found the chance to mock this minister.
"How can he plot against the princess of this kingdom?"
"He even tried to malign the Third Princess's character."
"Is he the one who plotted to scare the Third Princess, that evil mastermind of what happened in the tower?"
In his panic, the sweating Minister Warin looked towards the other ministers for help. However, those in the aristocratic faction pretended not to see his pleading gaze, afraid that they would be pulled alongside him for slander and treason against the royal family.
Darus Count finally opened his mouth to beg, "Your Majesty—"
"Minister of the Royal Investigation Bureau, Minister Canmore!" King Armen called out, interrupting Darus Count. It showed he was not in a mood to hear anything more.
The trustworthy minister, Osbert Canmore, stepped forward. "I await your orders, Your Majesty!"
"Arrest Minister Warin and find out everyone else who is involved in this," King Armen ordered.
Minister Warin understood he had no other way but to obey the King, and there was no use of pleading. Darus Count assured him with his gaze to not worry, and Minister Warin had no other choice but to believe him.
Minister Canmore instructed the royal guards, and they took away Minister Warin along with the men who framed the Third Princess.
In just a single court session, two ministers from the Royal Court were found guilty and were arrested.
Once the guilty were arrested, the atmosphere within the Royal Court had turned heavy and somber, as most of the ministers were shocked with the sudden turn of events. Two high nobles were found guilty and detained in a blink of an eye; it was a powerful show of the authority of the royal family.
King Armen looked at Lord Eudes, and despite the lack of words, the advisor understood what his King meant. Lord Eudes stepped forward as he looked at the rest of the ministers. "For today's council meeting, all the agendas have been cleared. We are now putting this royal court session to an end. Dismissed!"
"Your Majesty, please wait!" Darus Count took advantage of the lapse before King Armen exited the hall and bowed to the king before he continued talking, "Your Majesty, on behalf of everyone, we would like to know when we can expect the wedding between the Third Princess and King Drayce." He pulled out a wide smile and looked at the other ministers standing in the court, "I believe you wish to know the same."
Everyone agreed to it and said in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty, we all wished to know it."
Darus Count continued, "It is a fortunate thing for our kingdom to have a strong relationship with a powerful kingdom like Megaris, and we all wish it to happen as soon as possible. After all, the uproar in the capital and what everyone had gone through, the series of unfortunate incidents that had kept the people of our kingdom in fear and trepidation, this union would be a worthwhile cause of celebration to soothe the people's minds and hearts."
Despite the minister's seemingly honeyed words, King Armen remained impassive.
"As you are probably well informed, Princess Seren is not keeping well with her health. This is a concern we can decide later once she is better. Besides, the matter of her engagement has yet to be decided. Talks of marriage are still too soon."
King Armen's reply left no room for consideration, and Darus Count finally stepped back as he could no longer insist on the issue.
However, King Armen's relief was short-lived. Just as he thought it was over, Drayce spoke out loud to address the issue.
"As soon as she is well enough to travel, we will arrange the wedding at once as I have to leave for Megaris, and I don't wish to return to my kingdom without my queen."
King Armen was dumbfounded, and he glared at Drayce, who didn't look like he would back down. This young king took the decision regarding his daughter's life on his own and was not sparing him any chance to get back at him with logical reasoning.
With a shaky breath, King Armen tried to calm himself. "King of Megaris," he stated with a flat tone, as if he was about to lose civility any moment now, "I understand you would want to return to your kingdom at once as it's not good for a king to stay away from his kingdom that long. But a wedding at such short notice is not possible.
"I also understand King Armen's attachment to his daughter, and he must want to prepare the best wedding for his daughter, but I believe if King Armen truly puts his heart on it, he can arrange everything for his daughter in just a blink of an eye."
"This is not the main concern!" King Armen's eyes flared in anger, but he kept his tone civil, especially since they were being watched by both royals and nobles alike. "In Abetha, we don't marry girls till they are eighteen. Seren is just seventeen, and it would not be appropriate to marry her off. It is more proper to have her engaged with you until after her coming-of-age ceremony."
His words didn't affect Drayce's determination as he responded, "If that is what worries you, then I will give you my word that we won't consummate our marriage till she turns eighteen."
The straightforward and bold reply from the young king made the entire royal court feel at a loss for words.