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Yet, as he thought it over, there was no way Wayne would betray him. They had been planning this together for years. Now, with Nicholas and the Spencer family’s support, their chances were at least higher than they had been before.
“Fine. Find a neutral location, one that feels safe for both sides, and convince him.” Yuvan finally agreed. “But it has to be quick. We must trap them in Valken City for a fight. If they scatter outside, we’ll face endless trouble.”
Yuvan was unaware that this so-called negotiation was merely a ruse. He was to be handed over and used as bait to lure Thomas’ army into the city.
Thomas agreed to the negotiations and went alone. Wayne also went alone, though he had his men trailing him from a distance of about 30 feet.
Wayne began his plea, explaining that most of Valken’s officials, himself included, had no idea Yuvan was planning rebellion. Some were aware, but out of fear of Yuvan’s power, they dared not speak out. Thomas expressed his distrust. He insisted they had been plotting for a long time.
Thomas’ stance was firm, which led Wayne to realize that Thomas had no knowledge that Nicholas was involved in this matter. He also couldn’t possibly know about the reinforcement that was on the way.
In addition to confirming this fact through Thomas’ attitude, Wayne also placed a lot of trust in Clifford. This trust and respect came from Clifford’s ability to convince the Spencer family. Wayne and Yuvan had been trying to gain the Spencer family’s cooperation for a long time, but they couldn’t get Eustace to budge.
When they first chose to betray Yuvan, it was because they could see Nicholas’ strength when he had managed this feat with Clifford.
As a strategist, Wayne aligned himself with those who seemed poised to win. Yuvan had already been sidelined remaining loyal to him was a path to ruin.
At this point, the negotiation was no longer the main issue. Both sides wanted to enter the city, each with their own schemes.
Wayne glanced at the sky, noting the time. Clifford had insisted they lure Thomas’ forces into the city before nightfall, and there was still a little over two hours to go.
So, the negotiation didn’t drag on for too long. Wayne agreed to hand over Yuvan, but only on the condition that Thomas kept his word-once back in the capital, he must request leniency for those who had surrendered.
In reality, they had no choice but to hand Yuvan over. Doing so would weaken Thomas’ vigilance. With no leader, Thomas would assume that Valken’s forces were fractured. After all, they had been surrounded for so many days, and Yuvan’s forces were likely beginning to lose morale.
Once inside, Wayne and the others could mount a coordinated attack and eliminate Thomas and his men. It wouldn’t take more than two days to wipe them all out.
After the negotiations, Wayne returned to the city tower.
Yuvan and Harvey were still being held captive. The troops outside, using long-range binoculars, were watching closely. If the captives were released too soon, their deception would be exposed.
Upon seeing Wayne return, Yuvan quickly asked, “Well? Did he agree?”
Wayne lifted his calm, unflinching gaze and replied, “I’ve agreed to temporarily hand you over to them.”
Yuvan froze for a moment. “Hand me over to them? What’s the next move?”
At this point, Yuvan still thought Wayne might be trying to deceive their enemies. He hadn’t considered that Wayne might actually intend to surrender him.
Yuvan glanced at Harvey, thinking that if he was to be handed over, Harvey would surely go with him.
Harvey’s eyes betrayed a flicker of hesitation. He knew the plan. His moment of doubt, however, wasn’t born from brotherly affection. What bothered him was the idea of someone who had spent their entire life planning, only to be brought down in the end by their own people.
That kind of defeat was a harsh blow to anyone’s pride.
Yet, when Harvey considered that no one would be there to claim a share of his victory, his spirits lifted. When he had pledged allegiance to Nicholas, the promise had been clear: five cities in Ebonflow, a hereditary princely title, and a lifetime of ease.
If Yuvan didn’t die, Harvey knew he would’ve been forced to compromise. Nicholas would have been eager to pacify Yuvan and would’ve given more-but there was only so much to go around. The more Yuvan received, the less Harvey could claim.
So, when the suggestion was made to hand Yuvan over to Thomas, Harvey didn’t hesitate to agree.
“You needn’t worry, Your Highness,”
Wayne said. They won’t harm you. They will escort you into the city. Once inside, we’ll be able to rescue you. Our private soldiers will arrive tonight, and you’ll only be in their hands for a few hours. Prince Harvey will accompany you.”
Harvey nodded. “I’ll go with you, Yuvan.”
Harvey thought that what Wayne said was just to persuade Yuvan. He didn’t realize that there was no benefit in keeping Yuvan here that keeping him around would only cause trouble.
Hearing Harvey’s agreement, Yuvan realized that sometimes risks had to be taken. Thomas wasn’t easy to deceive-if Yuvan didn’t fall into his hands, he wouldn’t be fooled.
Thomas’ army would either breach the walls or tighten the siege. If they opened the gates to let his army in, they would definitely have to consider whether there was a trap involved.
“Your Highness, the decision must be made quickly. We need them inside the city before nightfall,” Wayne pressed. “Once inside, it will be beyond General Farrell’s control. We’ll have our men ready. If you’re worried, we’ll rescue you as soon as we get inside.”
Yuvan finally nodded.
“Very well. Let’s go with this plan.”
Yuvan and Harvey were escorted out of the city gates, with Wayne personally seeing them off.
Harvey had expected that once they handed over Yuvan, Wayne would order his release. But when the soldiers from the Capital Army moved forward to seize them, Wayne didn’t utter a word.
A wave of panic surged within Harvey. He struggled against his restraints and glanced at Wayne, his eyes screaming for an explanation.
Wayne gave him a small, reassuring nod, signaling for him to stay calm. Yet, something felt wrong. After all, Wayne had promised that only Yuvan would be handed over.
So, why was Harvey being turned over as well?
Could it be… Could it be that they are going to abandon him?!
A sense of dread tightened in Harvey’s chest.
“I’m innocent!” he pleaded desperately. “I captured Yuvan. Release me!”
Thomas cast a cold, dismissive glance at him. “What a fool!”
“Wayne!” Harvey’s heart plunged like it had fallen into an icy abyss. His expression shifted from anger to helplessness. “Wayne, you know I’m innocent! I never rebelled. Please, tell General Farrell the truth!” Wayne lowered his gaze, his voice calm but firm. “I trust that our king will see through everything, Your Highness. He will know who is guilty and who is innocent. You needn’t worry.”
He placed special emphasis on the words “our king”, which gave Harvey a shred of hope for a fleeting moment.
Yes, once Clifford’s forces arrived, they would turn the tables. The Capital Army would be trapped in Valken, and he would escape. But why hadn’t Wayne warned him about this?
Despite his rising anxiety, Harvey tried to comfort himself. He knew that with everything they had done, if Wayne wanted to abandon him, Wayne could have just killed him. Why let him fall into Thomas’ hands? Why take the risk of letting him talk about Clifford’s plan to surround the city?
Harvey glanced at Wayne again, who gave him a brief, subtle nod. This small gesture eased Harvey’s mind somewhat. After all, the Capital Army could never leave Valken. There was no reason to doubt Wayne.
After capturing them, Thomas quickly led his troops into the city.
Meanwhile, 18 miles from Valken, a fierce battle was already underway.
Clifford’s forces had fallen into an ambush. The troops had been arriving in small, scattered groups. They had only recently come together and were now marching toward Valken, where they intended to trap the Capital Army and wipe them out.