Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Penny’s face twisted in fury. “Freya is just a worthless life! Killing her isn’t enough! Westhaven’s iron cavalry must conquer Victory Pass and force Starhaven’s army to retreat. And that would only release a fraction of the anger in my heart! If we were powerful enough, why not just raze Starhaven to the ground?”
Yasmine suddenly spoke up, “The so-called evidence you presented regarding how Marshal Liam abducted a civilian woman and committed all kinds of corrupt net acts did you work together with His Majesty to fabricate it all?”
Lisandra turned to Penny sharply, rage flaring in her eyes.
Penny didn’t hesitate to admit it, the malicious glint still visible in her eyes.
“Yes, and he wasn’t unjustly accused! Marshal Liam failed to protect Prince Arthur’s safety on the battlefield. He allowed His Highness to fall into Freya’s hands and suffer humiliation. Then, he marched to the Southern Frontier with 300,000 troops.
“But instead of helping Sandoria conquer it, he only captured Freya and her group. He didn’t even kill her and simply returned, wasting all those military resources and veline supplies. Doesn’t it look like a joke? Teltme-was he unjustly accused?!”
Lisandra was so enraged that she spat out another mouthful of blood, nearly collapsing from the force of it.
Struggling to keep herself steady, she seethed, “Take her away! Bring Leroy and Garrick here.”
The negotiations had to be cut short. Lisandra had to return to Westhaven-she couldn’t let them continue like this.
“Your Highness, please listen to me! His Majesty wasn’t wrong, and I wasn’t wrong! We need the grain and we need Dominic. Please believe me…!” Penny pleaded desperately.
Lisandra clutched her chest, trying to suppress the overwhelming surge of blood in her body. “Yuna, interrogate her. Who else is she working with? Where did the poisonous worms come from?” “Understood!” Yuna replied. Then, she turned and barked, “Take her away!”
Two guards rushed in and hauled Penny out.
Penny screamed, crying, “Your Highness, believe me! I never meant to harm you! I’m doing this for Prince Arthur, for Westhaven!”
Lisandra collapsed onto the edge of the bed, coughing up another mouthful of blood. The pain in her head was so intense, her skull might just burst.
Penny’s actions had forced Lisandra to make a decision. Summoning the rest of the envoys, she draped her outer robe over her shoulders and forced herself to sit upright in a chair. “Negotiations will resume tomorrow afternoon. The terms are up for discussion. There’s no need to be so rigid,” she announced bluntly.
Leroy’s eyes widened. “Discussion? How do you plan to discuss it? Are you saying we should just agree if they demand we pull back our borders?”
“We’ll put the border issue on hold for now,” replied Lisandra, who had already made up her mind and was resolute, disregarding their objections. “We aim to reach an agreement by tomorrow or the day after, then we’ll leave for home immediately.” “You can’t…”
Lisandra gave her uncle a cold glance. “I’m not asking for your opinion. This is my decision. If you’re unhappy, keep it to yourself.”
A furious Leroy shot back, “This is pure stubbornness! If we put the border issue aside, how are we supposed to explain it to the king and all the officials? What do we tell the people?”
“I’ll explain it. I don’t need you to do it,” the grand princess said decisively.
Having overseen state affairs for years, Lisandra had a natural air of authority. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze alone carrying a commanding presence.
“Now, go back and draft a new proposal. Try to secure more compensation from Starhaven and take the border issue off the table. We will sign an agreement, and in two years, we’ll continue negotiations on this matter. I also hope to resolve the border issue through further talks,” she instructed.
Pathetic!
Leroy cursed Penny in his heart, knowing why Lisandra was desperate to return home.
“I disagree. No matter what, the border issue must be settled clearly,” he protested.
Lisandra threw the incense burner aside, her voice sharp as a whip, snapping, “Go and draft it now.”
–
Sebastian had returned with the group to Hell Monarch Estate. In the council hall, the power dynamics had shifted. Now, Sebastian sat at the head of the table, with even Everett relegated to a side seat.
The members of the Pathfinders Guild were sitting up straighter, their arrogance on full display.
Sebastian explained, “The Soulgrip Threadworms used in the Brightmoor District case and the ones this time are of the same species, though there’s a size difference. The worms in the Brightmoor District case were larger and required slow nurturing.
“On the other hand, the threadworms used on Grand Princess Lisandra are smaller but grow rapidly. They would have been fully grown in one or two months. They suck blood, which is what makes them deadly. Also, the disease becomes fatal 12 hours after the symptoms appear.”
Furious, Jacob said, “No doubt this is Prince Yuvan’s doing. He wants Grand Princess Lisandra dead. If she dies, Mr. Stellwyn will be the lead negotiator. And as Grand Princess Lisandra’s most trusted female official, Ms. Durham would be the one to say that before Her Highness died, she planned to take General Sullivan back to Westhaven.”
Rafael furrowed his brow. “And not only that, Grand Princess Lisandra would have died in Starhaven, which would have been extremely detrimental to us.”
“That man is truly wicked. He’s hoping for war between the two kingdoms, so he can benefit as the opportunist,” Violet remarked, seething.
“He missed the best opportunities during the Victory Pass and Southern Frontier battles. Now, it’s too late for him to act. Instead, he’s only helped the king’s reputation grow stronger,” said Rafael.
Jacob replied, “He didn’t expect
Prince Rafael to be able to retake the Southern Frontier. He thought that when His Highness failed, and the Hell Monarch Army and the Devin both worn down, he
Army were could stir up chaos amidst the rising public anger. Then, he would rally forces, and no one would dare call him a traitor or rebel. At the very least, his follower base would grow.”
“Rebels are always rebels, no matter what,” Everett added, now part of the conversation rather than only listening and summarizing from the head of the table. “Starhaven’s king may not be great, but he’s still better than Yuvan.”
Violet muttered under her breath, “The king’s so paranoid now, though, so I’m not sure…”
She was about to add, ‘he’s any better’, but she realized that wasn’t something she should say out loud. She had become much more composed.
“If the king is really so fearful, why not grant the people he’s suspicious of a title and fief, then assign them elsewhere? That way, he wouldn’t have to keep watching them so closely,” she asked instead.
Sebastian spoke up, “Every king in history has been wary of powerful officials and noble families, especially when a prince’s military achievements are so prominent. Although Prince Rafael is no longer in command, he still has the loyalty of the army, and as King Sigmund’s son, he is a bigger threat.
“As for granting titles and assigning the people he’s wary of elsewhere, it’s impossible at the moment. Keeping them under close watch is already difficult enough. Sending them away would make the king even more uneasy.” Although this was common knowledge, hearing it from Sebastian made it more convincing, and it didn’t feel as suffocating anymore.
Indeed, those who didn’t inspire jealousy were mediocre talents.
–
The group unanimously agreed that Westhaven would likely lower its demands to expedite the negotiations. The most probable outcome was that the border issue would either be compromised or set aside entirely.
Jacob spoke up, “Prince Yuvan’s repeated schemes have all failed, which shows how difficult his situation is now. His network was probably all under Eleanor’s control. Since she’s fallen, he’s likely running out of options in the capital.
As Jacob had pointed out, Yuvan truly had few paths left to pursue.
Wayne had made several moves, repeatedly using Harvey as a front while concealing another hidden operation. Now, both layers had been completely uprooted, with the loss of more than ten of their suicide soldiers.
They kept a close watch on the situation at Concord Lodge. From the fact that Sebastian had gone there, it was clear the plan had failed. Even when Lisandra fell unconscious, the mother Soulgrip Threadworm was unable to control the larvae inside her. From there, it was likely understood that the plan was doomed.
Though disappointed, Wayne couldn’t help but admire Lisandra. Fighting against the control of the Soulgrip Threadworms was incredibly difficult. Even the most skilled warriors and determined minds couldn’t manage it. As far as he knew, only one person, who was extraordinary in both status and in willpower, could resist the influence of the threadworms.