The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 135: court’s peace would shatter .

Chapter 135: court’s peace would shatter .

Commander Eldric rode his horse at full speed, hoping to reach the princess before morning. Although traveling at night was generally unsafe, one could manage short distances under the cover of darkness. Fortunately, the heavens seemed to be blessing him, the moon shone brightly that night, lighting his path.

The commander had barely ridden for two hours when he realized he was being followed. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t tell if the other person was merely another night traveler or deliberately trailing him. Was it a friend or a foe? What unsettled him most was not knowing how long he had been followed.

He began to regret his decision to leave the camp alone. At the time, he had believed the princess was less than a day away. He only needed to ride for a few hours to catch up; what could go wrong?

Besides, most of the men present had just returned from the front lines to deliver provisions and were tired. It made sense to have them guard the remaining supplies, which were far more than what the princess’s group carried. But now, he regretted his decision. A few men might have been helpful.

"Should I return to camp?" he asked himself, slowing his horse’s pace. He turned back, but unexpectedly, he saw no sign of the person who had been following him. That only confirmed his suspicion he was indeed being followed.

Commander Eldric then abandoned the route he had planned to take to reach the princess. He decided to head toward a nearby village instead. First, he needed to determine the identity or intent of his pursuer before continuing. If that wasn’t possible, he would look for the right opportunity to escape.

He changed direction and began riding in circles, hoping to either confront or shake off his follower.

His greatest fear was that this person was a spy from Gube. They had kidnapped the princess for so long without initiating any negotiation. Either they were unable to leave the kingdom, or they had realized they’d taken the wrong person. That was why Eldric was unwilling to lead them straight to the princess, especially when he suspected such a scenario.

The man following him frowned. Something wasn’t right. He tried his best to keep up with the commander without being noticed or losing sight of him.

The two circled each other the entire night. Commander Eldric grew frustrated. He couldn’t identify what the man wanted, and he couldn’t shake him off either.

After a night of failed attempts, the commander reluctantly decided to return to camp.

---

Back to the royal palace the debate was still fierce.l

"I believe the best person for this position is the queen," Lord Eldric Hawthorne, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.

The hall fell quiet. No one had expected him to suggest the queen. After all, she was a woman. When had it ever been a woman’s place to rule, especially when capable men were present?

"Although the queen is intelligent, she must mourn the king during this time. How can she take on such responsibility?" one lord objected.

Suddenly, the three main factions united to oppose the idea of the queen taking power. They lacked a valid reason beyond the fact that she was a woman and, according to tradition, should be in mourning. The queen, watching them argue, had a faint smile on her lips.

Usually, if the king had been seated, he could have ended the debate with a single gesture. But now, with the council divided into four, no one was willing to listen to the other.

"Gentlemen of the Court," the queen finally spoke, seeing the argument had gone on long enough. A few among them had already received her hint the night before. Even if they pretended to support other factions, they quieted down the moment she spoke.

These were noblemen. No matter how fiercely they debated, they still respected royal protocol. Even if they looked down on the queen for being a woman, she was still a member of the royal family.

"My husband made preparations for this very situation. He stated that if he were to die before the war with Gube was concluded, Lord Williams of the Privy Council should act as the Hand of the King," the queen said. She knew it would be difficult for her to take power directly, so she named someone appropriate.

There was murmuring at her words, but she continued undeterred. "This is a time for us to unite as a kingdom. The king’s seal has already been sent to the Crown Prince. I believe he will soon send a message to appoint his Hand."

Hearing that the king’s seal was no longer in the palace caused further murmurs. They all understood, the royal family had already made careful preparations. There was really no room to take advantage of.

"The Crown Princess has been kidnapped, and the king has been poisoned. Someone among us seeks to stir internal strife. During this time, I will continue investigating my husband’s death. I will find the one responsible and show no mercy," the queen said firmly.

All the lords who had been eager to speak fell silent. Supporters of Duke Cedric and the Third Prince alike held their tongues. No one wanted to be accused of poisoning the king; that was treason. And no one would support a potential traitor as the next king.

Queen Mary smiled. "The king has just died, and we must mourn him. The people have already gathered outside the palace. Let us go and meet them."

All the nobles rose and followed the queen’s lead. But deep down, everyone knew the struggle was far from over. The peace was only on the surface. With the threat of treason hanging in the air, everyone treaded carefully, unwilling to be used or betrayed.

No one wanted to become the scapegoat.

The queen was certain there would be temporary peace within the royal council in the coming days. This fragile calm would buy her the time she needed to investigate, to find Princess Anastasia, and to recover the missing box.

Because the moment they realized the scepter of authority and the king’s seal were missing, the court’s peace would shatter once again.