Filed to story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
By then, the Sullivan family knew they could never go back to the capital.
The incident at Fawnrun City was still unfolding, and no one knew what disaster it might bring. The Sullivan family dared not return to the capital, fearing that they might drag Sophie into it.
Thinking of Sophie, Cindy’s tears flowed uncontrollably. She wanted nothing more than to grind Blake and Freya into dust. But even more, she pitied Sophie. How had that child endured everything she went through? As Cindy cried, the other women in the room began to weep as well.
Cindy wiped her tears, stood up, and said, “Father, I don’t care anymore. I’ll go back to the capital with you.”
Dominic sighed, knowing that his daughter-in-law was heartbroken for Sophie. “If you want to go back, you can. See her for a few days, but you must retum quickly. You can’t accompany me to the capital. Rest a few days before setting out.”
To put it nicely, he was returning to the capital on royal orders.
To put it bluntly, he was being escorted back.
Salvador had still left the Sullivan family in charge of the military authority at Victory Pass, so it was clear that the fallout from Fawnrun City wouldn’t touch them. Therefore, Dominic didn’t want his daughter-in-law to travel with him to the capital. The fewer people who knew, the better to avoid drawing unwanted attention and dragging Cindy’s natal family into it.
Although Cindy’s father had already retired to his hometown, her older brother still worked at the Ministry of Finance, a post known for its wealth and prestige. Too many eyes were on him. Dominic didn’t want his troubles to cause anyone else harm.
Even if he didn’t want to, the troubles still affected his granddaughter, Sophie. Over the past year, he and Rafael had been exchanging letters about Fawnrun City. The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. When his granddaughter faced a crisis, he couldn’t help her. Now, he would only make things worse for her because of his issues.
He stood up and said firmly, “This is settled. No more discussion. Once I leave, you will continue as you always have. Remember this-if Westhaven dares to cross the border, we must restrain ourselves as much as possible. Don’t let it escalate into a full-blown war. And be sure to enforce the agreement between our two kingdoms to never harm civilians.”
“Yes, Dad. We will remember.”
“We will remember that, Uncle Dominic.”
Dominic returned to his room. He didn’t light a lamp, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to wait on him. Since his wife passed away, he had become accustomed to sitting alone in the dark. From his early days in the military to now, over fifty years of service, he had gotten used to this solitary existence, finding stability in an otherwise unstable world.
He had been a general under Augustus. There had been another grand general at that time, Matthias Jaffe, whom Dominic had been happy to be related to through Sophie’s marriage. When Blake came to support them at Victory Pass, Dominic had been quite pleased.
Now, he realized how blind he had been-blind to the truth, blind in his heart.
The affair between Blake and Freya at Victory Pass had remained a secret from the entire Sullivan family. That alone showed how truly blind he had been.
The generals under Dominic’s command had gone to find Felix and Homer at the observation tower where they were staying, intending to present the situation. As they watched the tanned-skinned generals, their faces full of worry and urgency as they spoke of Fawnrun City, Felix and Homer couldn’t help but feel a deep unease.
“It’s absolutely true,” one of the generals said, his voice tinged with regret. “General Sullivan had no knowledge of this. At the time, he was shot with an arrow, and the military physicians said he wouldn’t survive. General Sullivan pulled through with sheer willpower, and he was bedridden for nearly three months before he could even walk again. His body’s never been the same since. He’s too frail to endure any more strain.”
“Exactly,” another general said. “Commander Jaffe’s mission to Fawnrun City was at my suggestion. General Sullivan had no part in it. You should take me back to the capital for questioning, and I’ll take full responsibility. If you want my head, you’ll have it when we get there.”
Yet another general spoke up, “General Quinton, General Larkin, you both previously served under Marshal Devin at the Southern Frontier. Let’s be honest, is there no room for negotiation on this matter? What exactly does His Majesty plan to do? Give us an honest answer. If all that’s needed is someone to shoulder the blame, I’ll do it.” One after another, the generals insisted on taking the blame themselves, not wanting Dominic to be involved. Felix sighed helplessly. ‘Generals, General Larkin and I aren’t in a position to make decisions. We’ve been sent to convey His Majesty’s orders. You don’t need to worry so much. The Hell Monarch will find a way to handle it.”
“How can we not worry? This isn’t how royal edicts are usually given. You were sent here to escort General Sullivan back to the capital. If you weren’t, wouldn’t the royal edict be sent by a fast rider instead?” said one of the generals, Igor.
His eyes were red with anxiety, and his voice thick with emotion as he added, “He’s about to turn seventy- seventy! And he’s still holding the fort at Victory Pass. He’s given his entire life to defending Starhaven’s borders and protecting the people. We can’t let his reputation be tarnished because of someone else’s mistake!”
Another general, Daryl, was also clearly frustrated. “That’s right! Commander Jaffe and the others were never our soldiers. If anyone should be held accountable, it should be Commander Jaffe or His Majesty himself. It was the king who sent them here!”
Felix and Homer exchanged a glance, their faces darkening. They both turned toward the door, hearing the footsteps of someone in the Crown Guard uniform passing by. Daryl’s voice had carried too loudly, and the Crown Guard soldier surely would have heard his words.
Though they couldn’t see who it was, Homer quickly stood and ran outside, determined to see who had overheard them.
Steve, another general, snapped, “Daryl, don’t talk nonsense!”
Everyone had been so worked up that they forgot the Crown Guard was still present.
Daryl, face pale with embarrassment, quickly tried to explain, “I didn’t mean it that way, General Quinton, General Larkin. I was just anxious and spoke out of turn. Please don’t take offense. We are deeply grateful for His Majesty’s help in sending reinforcements to relieve our immediate crisis back then.”
Felix knew they couldn’t let this go on any longer. He cut in, his voice firm, “You all should return now. His Majesty will make his judgment.”
He lowered his voice and added, “Enough talking. Please go back now.”
Daryl realized his mistake. He turned pale and didn’t dare say another word.
The others exchanged uneasy glances, realizing how dangerous Daryl’s words had been. They couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear.
Igor took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go, then. We shouldn’t trouble the two generals any longer. I’m sure the Hell Monarch will have a way to help General Sullivan out of his predicament.”
One by one, the generals stood up, wanting to plead a bit more but afraid that speaking further would only make things worse. They feared they wouldn’t be able to help Dominic and would only create more trouble instead.
Felix kept his anxiety in check and stood up as well. “Take care!”
As they left, Felix hurried outside, just in time to see Homer return. He quickly asked, “Who was it?”
“Kevin Ziegler,” Homer replied.
“Law’s cousin?”
“Yes. I wanted to catch up with him and talk, but just as I was about to, Galen called him over.”
Felix’s expression darkened. ‘This could be a problem. Galen is the king’s confidant. If Kevin tells him what General Daryl said, then no matter who actually said it, the king will think General Sullivan believes the same.” Homer’s face turned grim. “I know. He definitely heard it. Now, it’s just a matter of whether he’ll tell Galen.”
Felix nodded, his mind racing. “Both Galen and Kevin aren’t from the Mystic Army. They used to serve as personal guards when the king was crown prince. From what I’ve seen, they’re very close to each other.”
Homer frowned. “This is troublesome.”
That evening, Felix and Homer tried several times to find a chance to speak privately with Kevin. However, he was always in the same room as Galen, and the two of them came and went together. Despite their efforts to separate them, they couldn’t get rid of Galen.
Finally, they waited until Kevin went alone to the toilet. Homer kept an eye on Galen, while Felix stood guard outside the toilet, waiting for Kevin to come out. Kevin was unaccustomed to the local food and water, so he stayed inside for quite a while. By the time he came out, Felix was shivering from the cold.
The light was dim in the area. When Kevin stepped out, he saw a shadow and jumped in surprise.
After recognizing who it was, he relaxed and said, “Oh, it’s you, General Quinton. You startled me.”
Felix stepped closer and was about to speak, but Kevin smiled and said, “If you can hold it in, why don’t you wait a bit longer? Let the smell inside clear out.”
Felix chuckled.
As Kevin addressed him formally by title, Felix decided to do the same, saying, “I was waiting for you, Sentry Ziegler. There are a few things I want to talk to you about.”
Kevin, his voice indifferent, replied, “Don’t say anything here. Let’s talk inside. Aren’t you cold?”
He shivered slightly, feeling his legs numb as though ants were crawling up them.