And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 11

A heavy, stifling silence filled the Audience Chamber of the Royal Palace. The ornate pillars and the portraits of past kings were now nothing more than decorations reflecting my mounting frustration.

Remaining seated upon my throne, I crumpled a letter in my hand as if I were strangling a mortal enemy.

“We find it regrettable that troops were dispatched without prior notice. Should you desire the release of the prisoners, we shall demand appropriate reparations for the damages incurred.”

The handwriting was elegant. The prose was calm, calculated, and devoid of even a trace of emotion. It felt as though she were looking down on me, and it was unbearably infuriating.

“…Damn it!”

Before I realized it, a roar had torn through my throat. The sound bounced off the high ceiling, echoing repeatedly. The flames of the candelabras flickered, trembling slightly as if frightened by the fury of their King.

“To be defeated so quickly…!”

The Knight Commander, kneeling before the throne, visibly stiffened. His display of weakness only rubbed my nerves raw.

—Weak.

—Pathetic.

To think I entrusted the King’s sword to such men.

“What were you doing?! Everything is ruined because of your incompetence!”

I hurled the letter at the Knight Commander. The white paper fell miserably onto the stone floor. He didn’t even try to pick it up; he simply kept his head bowed, desperately squeezing out a trembling voice.

“Your Majesty…! There were no fatalities on either side. The captured men are being treated with dignity. We must pay the reparations immediately—!”

Do you intend to survive on her mercy?! To be held in the palm of an enemy’s hand—permitted to breathe, given food, and then released to return home? Do you not understand what a humiliation that is?!

If it were me, I would not choose it. To lose one’s sword, to drop to one’s knees, and to be allowed to live under the gaze of an enemy, I will not permit it. I will not allow men who carry my authority to be spoken of as beings who clung to the mercy of another nation. Never that.

“You lost because of your own stupidity. I won’t give them a single coin!”

My voice, spat out like venom, sliced coldly through the hall.

“Write this in the reply: ‘We cannot comply.’ That will suffice.”

The Knight Commander looked up, startled. His pale expression tried to convey the gravity of the situation. But I didn’t care!

“Your Majesty, if you do that, the soldiers—!”

“SILENCE!”

I let out an angry shout that felt like it would tear my vocal cords. The prestige of the King is more important than the lives of soldiers. That is the sole and absolute truth in this room. How could he not understand that?

“Prepare the second wave! We will make Luciana kneel!”

I stood up from the throne, raising my voice. Apostle of the Goddess or whatever she may be, she is ultimately just a young slip of a girl. She only appears capable because those around her are competent.

Yet, in the depths of my chest, a feeling I refused to acknowledge was swirling. Her army had been disciplined, taking no unnecessary lives. She moved her troops not through fear, but through understanding and trust. It was a method that I, the King, had never managed to achieve. That fact gnawed at my heart.

“Your Majesty! It is a disaster!”

The doors were flung open violently as the Prime Minister rushed in. Just looking at his face sent a chill of foreboding down my spine.

“What is this commotion?! Now is not the time for—”

“Eisenberg has…!” The Prime Minister fell to his knees, his voice trembling as he made the announcement. “They have absorbed the surrounding territories and declared independence as a ‘nation’! They call themselves Veridia!”

In that instant, my mind went blank.

“To declare independence without our recognition—what is the meaning of this?! Furthermore, to establish a nation, one needs the signatures of at least three foreign powers! It’s impossible to achieve that in such a short time!”

My shouting voice was raspy, surprising even myself. The more I strained to maintain my dignity, the more clearly I felt the ground crumbling beneath my feet.

“It seems they have already gathered signatures from more than three countries. Furthermore, several of our own territories have defected to Veridia; their numbers have reached a third of this kingdom.”

“I-Impossible…!”

My blood boiled with rage, and my thoughts were tossed about like a storm.

“What could they possibly gain by joining such a country?! E-even if the Grand Duke is behind it, that little girl is the King!”

The murmurs of the loyalists reached my ears, but I couldn’t process the words. What? What on earth is happening?

“We are currently conducting a detailed investigation. Please wait a little longer.”

The Prime Minister’s detached report only served to grate on my nerves further.

“Don’t mock me!”

I swept a nearby vase off its stand. The ceramic shattered across the floor, miserably staining the red carpet. My fingertips trembled. Rage and impatience were intertwined.

“…My plans… they have been completely derailed.”

As I muttered those low words, the air in the hall grew even colder. My subordinates held their breath; silence reigned.

That girl—Luciana. A being who, all by herself, shook the King’s order and the very shape of the nation. Such a thing should not be allowed to happen.

—But. I cannot win with anger alone. Not emotion, but strategy.

When I realized that, the Prime Minister spoke cautiously.

“Establishing a nation and crowning a King are not things that consist of mere formality. According to the law, a coronation cannot be held without Your Majesty’s approval. Even Luciana should not be able to bypass that.”

I see. I slowly sat back down and placed my hands on the edge of the throne. The flames of the candelabras swayed, illuminating the faces of my subordinates. I could see their expressions gradually tightening.

“Listen.”

I spoke quietly, but with an irresistible force.

“We will formally recognize her ‘independence.’ In exchange, we will make her sign a treaty.”

A trap, in the name of the law.

“The conditions for recognition will be only those favorable to our country. I will never permit an independence that encroaches upon our sovereignty.”

Law is a weapon. And manipulating it is the King’s prerogative. On the surface, I will grant her freedom. But in reality, I will bind her with obligations and restrictions. A cage. A beautiful cage, decorated with gold.

“This afternoon, summon the Crown Prince,” I ordered lowly.

The Prime Minister bowed his head, and the attendants began to move in unison. In my mind, the articles of the treaty were already being assembled.

Taxes, tribute, borders, armaments. They were all blades designed to shave away her “independence.” This would work. With this, that girl would realize that freedom only exists as far as the King permits. And that I am the one who holds the key to that freedom.

Even after leaving the Audience Chamber, my anger did not subside. I had devised a plan, yet a persistent, unpleasant sense of unease remained in the corner of my mind—one I couldn’t wipe away. Unconsciously, I found my feet taking me toward the Queen’s chambers.

At the heart of the palace lay her private room, situated in the spot with the best sunlight. Standing before the door, I felt the previous tension unravel as if it were a lie. I knocked, and a soft voice answered immediately.

“Please, come in.”

Inside, the Queen looked up at me, an embroidery frame still resting on her lap. She gave me a gentle smile. A gaze that knew nothing, doubted nothing. She knew nothing of the dark side of this court, nothing of the blood and the schemes.

“Your Majesty…”

The moment she saw my face, the Queen’s brow furrowed slightly. “Are you alright?”

That was it. Not a word of blame or prying. Just a question filled with pure concern.

“…Yes,” I answered shortly, walking toward her. “I just received some troublesome reports.”

The Queen rose quietly, came before me, and tentatively reached out her hand. Her hand was slender and soft. A hand that could grasp neither a sword, nor the law, nor a scheme. Yet, that hand certainly supported me.

“Please, do not push yourself. You always carry too much on your own, Your Majesty.”

I gave an involuntary, bitter smile. “There is no need to worry. I decide the matters of the state. That is the duty of a King.”

The Queen did not push any further. She did not try to understand politics. She did not try to offer an opinion. She simply believed in me, the King, and stayed by my side.

“If you say so, Your Majesty…” she said, smiling.

A Queen who could do nothing. Yet, because she could do nothing, she remained untainted. The only pure person in this court. I gently pulled her into an embrace. Her delicate frame fit easily into my arms. In that warmth, my irritation faded just a little.

“There is no need for concern. Everything is in the palm of my hand.”

I said it as if to convince myself. The Queen gave a small nod.

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

Her voice was infinitely kind. A being who could not live without me. To protect the one I held in my arms, any scheme, any sacrifice, was justified.