Chapter 4

a new faction
​

The tension between Alexei and I immediately dissipated as soon as he knelt before me. His once raged eyes were now glinting with determination and hope.

“I swear my allegiance to you, Your Royal Highness,” he declared. “I, Alexei of House Revali shall be your loyal vassal until my demise.”

Although nobles would occasionally swear fealty, they had never knelt nor bowed down to the royal family as they were also part of the aristocracy. Only the middle and lower classes would do such acts as a testament to their loyalty, hence Alexei doing it came as a surprise. To lower his head in front of me meant he had already accepted his fate as my future betrothed and vassal.

“Lift your head, Alexei,” I ordered, to which he obliged. “As a consort candidate, this shall be the last time you bend your knee in the presence of my retainers.”

He heeded my word and gracefully stood up. “As you wish, Your Royal Highness.”

Now that Alexei and I were in agreement, I only needed Alastor’s full support to get the queen on my side. The nobles who were ones neutral would follow suit if I proved that I was a better sovereign than the king.

“Escort me to Alastor,” I said. “He must be waiting.”

He led the way to the main drawing room while my retainers followed behind. Fortunately, Sigrid and Kei had calmed down once Alexei pledged his fealty. Their unwavering loyalty was commendable, but sometimes, it could be a nuisance.

“Father is waiting inside,” Alexei said as he gestured to the door guarded by masked trackers.

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“I must prepare the host, Your Royal Highness,” he replied. “It is crucial to find an appropriate human for the youngling, and I want to ensure that everything is of best quality.”

I stared at him for a moment. His attention had already shifted to the future of the youngling who had yet to be conceived, but I guess that was better than him getting revenge by himself as it could get in the way of my plans.

“Alright. I’ll leave that matter to you.”

He nodded in return. “As you command, Your Royal Highness.”

As if on cue, the door creaked open after Alexei walked away, and Alaster immediately ushered me in.

Donned in velvet surcoat and black mantle, Alastor looked quite intimidating, a stark contrast from his usual relaxed demeanor. His gentle smile was nowhere to be found; his cerulean eyes gleamed with foreboding.

“Your Royal Highness.”

I lightly nodded before sitting right across him. “It’s been a while, Alastor.”

The last time I saw him was during the court meeting where I announced my desire to covet the throne, and perhaps, that had changed his perception of me. After all, I would be destabilizing the royal house, and that could affect the entirety of Vrivarya.

“Certainly, you already know why I am here,” I said.

He regarded me with a cold gaze. “Is this necessary, Your Royal Highness? His Majesty will relinquish the throne once his bloodline ability completely vanished. You need not to seize it from him.”

“You have served the king for centuries, yet you seem unaware of his greed,” I retorted. “Do you think my father would willingly give up the throne when he could still dominate everyone just with his strength alone?”

Alastor found himself tongue-tied. He must have known that the king would never yield the throne to me, especially now that the three kingdoms and the magi were on the brink of a bloody war. He was only afraid that such internal strife would cause further unrest throughout the kingdom, and it might weaken the power of the aristocracy.

“As you have said, he is still strong enough to rule even without your bloodline’s ability.”

“But not strong enough to overwhelm the kingdoms of Slovar and Remis,” I countered. “And certainly not wise enough to outwit the magi.”

“Her Majesty is on his side for that reason.”

My lips curved upward as soon as I heard his remark. “Alastor, do you think the queen would choose a losing side?”

Most of the nobles only supported the kingship of my father because they knew he had an exemplary queen who could mitigate his incompetence in state affairs and diplomacy. Remove her and he’d be seen as the fool that he was.

His eyes studied me closely. “Have you gotten her on your side, Your Highness?”

“A great ruler attracts remarkable peers and subordinates,” I replied.

There were a few seconds of silence between us before he let out a defeated sigh. “I can already see Her Majesty’s wiles in you.”

“I shall consider that as a flattering remark.”

It was quite easy to convince Alastor after I included the queen in the conversation. Although the Stryzygas sit on the throne, their consorts wield power that could rival the sovereign if needed. Everyone knew that Queen Vinae was one of the most influential consorts in the history of Vrivarya, and she was also the reason why the kingdom remained peaceful during Father’s reign. Whoever gets her support would essentially be the next ruler of the land.

“I know you are capable, Your Royal Highness, but I hope you are not driven by vengeance.”

“I understand your concern, Alastor, but political unrest is inevitable, now that everyone is targeting us,” I said, ignoring his remark. “If you want the kingdom to survive, you must choose a competent ruler.”

He stared at me with curiosity, as if he were looking at someone unfamiliar. “It’s quite strange. The charm ability of Her Majesty has never been passed to you, yet every word you utter seems laced with it.”

My eyebrows subtly twitched at his words. Zaria had always been the royal blood who was good with words even without her charm. I wondered if part of her ability started manifesting in me because of her blood, but I think I was just emulating her political acuity and eloquence.

“That is expected,” I replied. “After all, Zaria was my political advisor.”

His expression suddenly hardened. If Alexei knew about her power, Alastor might also be quite aware of it, too. The Revalis had been producing royal advisors for several generations, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they could extract highly classified information from the royal house.

“She would have been a great asset to your reign,” he commented.

“Yet the king has never realized her worth.”

There was a hint of pitying rue in his eyes. It was only then that I realized he must have already seen the same expression and heard the same words from Alexei who had been desperate to avenge his late betrothed.

“If I were to offer my support, will you be able to lead Vrivarya back to its glory?”

“No,” I said, earning a surprised look from him. “That won’t be enough, Alastor. Vrivarya shall stand at the very top once I take the throne.”

He fell silent after my declaration, his eyes gleaming with both interest and apprehension.

“So, you have chosen the most difficult path,” he murmured before bowing his head to me. “I have been a vassal of the royal family for three generations, yet you are the first to utter such grandiose aspiration since the first king, Eiryk.”

Realizing I had just gotten his support, I stood up from my seat. “You have made a wise choice, Alastor.”

He let out a resigned chuckle. “You have become quite a threat even without using your bloodline ability and intimidation, Your Royal Highness.”

I stopped short and glanced back at him. So, he was really testing me earlier, and at the same time, weighing his options. It would have been a huge loss for me if he decided to support the king.

“I had to,” I replied. “Only the strongest can initiate a conquest.”

“A conquest…”

​“They have swung the sword first,” I remarked as I walked away, with my retainers marching behind me. “This is my retaliation.”

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