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Moreover, Starhaven was wealthy and prosperous. Valken was part of Ebonflow, one of the most affluent regions in the realm. Life there was good. What grievances could possibly justify such drastic actions? Who would believe it?
Instead, the people were waiting. Waiting to see when Yuvan would be captured.
Rebellion was a crime punishable by death, and who knew how many people Yuvan had in his household? The crowds were eager for the executions.
After all, Starhaven had the Hell Monarch-a legendary figure who had driven the Sandorians back before. Could a few traitors like Yuvan truly pose a threat to him?
And so, the common folk found themselves pondering an unexpected question: Why would Yuvan rebel? Sure, the desire to become king was understandable. Who wouldn’t dream of ruling the kingdom? But the risks were staggering. Why abandon the wealth and stability of being a vassal prince, only to gamble the lives of his entire family on a near-impossible chance? Wasn’t that sheer madness?
Some speculated it might be vengeance for his mother, Ruth. But even that didn’t hold up.
Before her death, Ruth had been ill for several years, and Yuvan had returned to care for her during her final days. Victoria had even shown Ruth exceptional kindness during her lifetime. If anything, Yuvan should have been grateful, not plotting rebellion.
It seemed more likely that power had gone to his head, blinding him to reason.
Yuvan had always been a man of low presence. Throughout his life, he had been overlooked, barely noticed even during Sigmund’s reign. He was the sort of prince most would struggle to recall.
And it wasn’t just the commoners scratching their heads-many officials were equally baffled.
Why would Yuvan, of all people, throw away his relative safety and privilege? If he truly intended to rebel, why not wait until the court was occupied with a foreign war? Rising up now, at such a precarious time, seemed like a surefire way to lose.
The court officials weren’t worried in the slightest. In their minds, Yuvan’s forces would never make it anywhere near the capital. Chester’s troops would crush the rebellion long before that could happen. Life in the capital remained undisturbed, filled with music, revelry, and feasting.
Even at Hell Monarch Estate, everything seemed calm—at least on the surface.
Meanwhile, Salvador issued an order to Chester to eradicate the bandits, ensuring they couldn’t wreak havoc on the local populace. As for Yuvan’s rebellion, Salvador didn’t even bother convening his ministers for a discussion. Instead, he spent more time dining with Rafael at the palace.
In the royal study, the two brothers sat together after finishing their meal, reviewing the reports from the frontlines.
“There’s still no movement,” Salvador remarked, frowning. “It’s odd. By now, the person pulling the strings behind Yuvan should have made a move.”
“Patience,” Rafael said, his voice calm and measured. He seemed to have an inkling of what was happening. “For now, the focus should be on Sandoria and Westhaven.”
“You don’t think this is just a distraction?” Salvador asked.
“Prince Yuvan believes it is,” Rafael replied with a slow shake of his head. “But I don’t think so. Even if Sandoria isn’t planning a large-scale invasion, they won’t leave the Southern Frontier in peace.
“Doesn’t it strike you as strange how quiet things have been there these past two years, Your Majesty? Do you really think Sandoria has simply accepted losing the Southern Frontier without stirring up trouble?”
Salvador glanced at Rafael and said, “Of course, it must be your reputation that has struck fear into Sandoria. Even their marshal, Victor Crow, is clearly afraid of you.”
Rafael naturally didn’t think his brother was speaking sincerely.
With a wry smile, he said, “Your Majesty, you overestimate me. I don’t possess such an overwhelming influence. Marshal Crow isn’t afraid of me. They’re just exhausted, with no way out after being defeated.” “And yet, if they’ve been beaten so badly, surely they couldn’t have regained their strength in just two or three short years,” Salvador replied.
“Under normal circumstances, that would be true,” Rafael agreed. “But even if they haven’t fully recovered, they wouldn’t let us expand the Southern Frontier uncontested. They should be harassing us at least occasionally, yet they’ve been unnaturally quiet.”
Salvador studied him for a moment. “You think someone is conspiring with them? That they’re biding their time?”
“It’s a possibility, isn’t it?” Rafael replied.
They had discussed this before, and Salvador himself had leaned toward this theory. But Rafael knew his brother well-somewhere deep down, the king didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Salvador made a noncommittal sound and said nothing more.
Rafael’s gaze lingered on him. Words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back. There was no point in pressing the issue now.
The truth was, Salvador knew Oliver wasn’t fit for command anymore. If they were to truly guard against Sandoria, sending Rafael back to the Southern Frontier would be the most logical move. But the king wasn’t ready to take that step.
He had previously stripped Rafael of his military power, using Sophie as a means to do so. To reinstate him now would mean undoing that decision-a bitter pill Salvador clearly wasn’t prepared to swallow. Until he had no other choice, he wouldn’t play that card.
And so, despite these days of discussions in the royal study, no real progress had been made.
The room fell into a heavy silence, neither brother speaking. Standing by the door, Derek quietly signaled for another round of coffee to be served, hoping that a hot drink might loosen the tension.
After a long pause, Salvador finally broke the quiet, saying, “I trust your instincts and believe in your suspicions, Rafael. But I also trust General Quinton and General Farrell. Even if Marshal Prince hasn’t been on the battlefield in years, I’m confident he can manage with their support. Marshal Prince may not have your boldness, but he’s a veteran soldier on the battlefield. He’s not entirely useless.” Rafael remained silent.
Neither agreement nor disagreement would serve him here.
He couldn’t bring himself to agree. Salvador’s confidence in Oliver stemmed from a handful of victories in years past. Yet those victories had been hollow, achieved with overwhelming numbers rather than strategic brilliance. Moreover, ever since he was injured, Oliver had developed a fear of fighting. The man had made almost no achievements while stationed at the Southern Frontier. He neglected military drills and spent his days indulging in pleasures.
How could Salvador not know this?
Still, Rafael knew better than to voice his objections now. It would only risk provoking the king, potentially leading him to make impulsive decisions out of defiance.
At its core, the issue was trust-or rather, Salvador’s lack of trust in him.
With that understanding, Rafael rose to his feet and bowed. “I’ll take my leave.”
–
Salvador waved a hand dismissively. “Go.”
Back at his estate, Rafael found Jacob waiting with the latest intelligence. The news came from the spy network they had built through the efforts of Wilfred and a few others, corroborating what Winona had already reported.
Sandoria had mobilized their forces.
300,000 soldiers were marching toward the border, and Victor remained their marshal. While the figure of 300,000 was likely exaggerated, Rafael estimated the actual number wouldn’t fall below 200,000. “His Majesty will likely hear of this by tomorrow-no later than the day after. Our scouts passed the information to General Quinton, who’ll send it back to the capital via an urgent courier,” Jacob added. Rafael nodded. None of this surprised him.
“Do you think His Majesty will send you back to the Southern Frontier?” Sophie asked. Rafael let out a dry laugh. “I have no idea.”
Sophie frowned. “He used to trust you. Why does he waver when it matters most?”
Jacob interjected, “It’s a different kind of trust. His Majesty trusts His Highness to carry out missions, but when it comes to relinquishing control of military power, he hesitates.”
Sophie was really fed up with all this suspicion, but she had to accept their king was that kind of person. “What about Victory Pass? Any updates from there?” she asked.
“None so far,” Jacob replied, then paused and added, “Even if something were to happen at Victory Pass, it wouldn’t be serious. The Sullivan Army is well-equipped to handle it. Westhaven won’t launch an all-out assault. Any overt action on their part would destroy the opportunity for negotiations over the border territories.’
“What about Westhaven? Has Grand Princess Lisandra taken full control yet?” Sophie pressed. Rafael shook his head. “It won’t happen so quickly. She might have a firm hold on the court for now, but consolidating power takes time. For now, we should focus on keeping an eye on General Stellwyn.”
Chester carried out the bandit suppression with precision and order.