Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“Blake’s mistake lies in his failure to keep his word, but do you truly believe Sophie was completely in the right? *Salvador said, his voice thoughtful. “Men often take multiple wives or concubines. Why couldn’t she tolerate Freya as a rightful wife with the same rank as her?
“I granted Sophie leniency and allowed her to divorce, not just for her dad and brothers’ sake, but also out of respect for the past connection between the royal family and the Duke of Northwatch’s family.”
Derek wiped his forehead, not daring to refute Salvador’s words. With the king’s suspicions now turned on him, further arguments would only seal his fate.
He could only reply, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Seeing Derek’s obedience, Salvador’s tone softened as he added, “But Blake is indeed disappointing. I’ve tried to elevate him multiple times, but he’s indecisive and drags his feet, always falling short. It’s a trait he inherited from his domineering mother. Now that she’s gone, perhaps things will change.”
Derek once again replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Salvador tossed him a list. “Tell lan to have someone keep an eye on him. If Blake, in his grief, is reluctant to let go of his position in the Crown Guard and associates with those people, deal with him immediately.”
Derek took the list, though he dared not look at it. Still, at a quick glance, he caught Yuvan’s name. It was clear Salvador still harbored doubts about him.
He folded the list, his hands shaking slightly. “I will take my leave and see lan now, Your Majesty.” Blowing on it gently, Salvador took a sip of his coffee. The cold air in the room meant that, after only a few moments of conversation, the once-steaming coffee had already cooled down considerably.
This was the last chance Savaldor was giving Blake.
On the night of the twelfth day of the New Year, a messenger pigeon arrived at Hell Monarch Estate’s council hall with news-the king of Westhaven had passed away.
The crown prince, Edmund, had ascended the throne. The first thing he did as the new king was to imprison his uncle, Liam, on charges of illegally altering border lines, which resulted in the loss of Westhaven territory.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Though it had been anticipated that the new king of Westhaven would inevitably investigate the Fawnrun City incident upon his ascension, no one had expected Edmund to act so quickly. He had barely settled into the throne, which was still warm from his predecessor, yet had already begun the investigation, going so far as to imprison Liam immediately.
Liam had only just survived an assassination attempt, and his body had not fully healed. Now, with him thrown into the dungeon, no one knew if he could endure the harsh conditions.
Rafael finally broke the long silence, saying. “The second thing he will do as king is likely to directly confront Starhaven and hold us accountable for what happened in Fawnrun City.”
‘That’s without a doubt,” Jacob responded.
Sophie turned to Rafael, concern in her eyes. “Have Scott and Wilfred managed to infiltrate Westhaven yet?”
Those two members of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team were from Stonebrook District and had planned to return to their hometown after receiving their rewards. However, they had chosen to continue serving the court. After visiting their families, they immediately headed to Westhaven.
‘They’ve already settled into the capital, Rafael confirmed.
“Are there any others with them?” Sophie pressed.
*There are 13 others. General Wallace has already sent some people in as well. Altogether, there are about 40 to 50 people.
Wallace Sullivan was Dominic’s eighth son, who had been adopted. He had always been with his father at Victory Pass. Now, other than Wallance, Dominic only had Wyatt, who was his third son who had lost an arm, as well as a nephew, Shane, whom everyone viewed as his sixth son.
Shane’s father was Dominic’s half-brother, the governor of Greenvale City. He had been in office for ten years and had never returned to the capital. His entire family had moved there instead.
Thus, aside from the Devin family and Heather, there were no other relatives of the Sullivan family left in the capital.
Seeing Sophie’s anxious expression, Rafael gently reassured, “Don’t worry too much. We’ve already begun managing this situation. If His Majesty truly summons your grandfather back to the capital to face charges, we’ve already made the necessary arrangements with the court. We can ensure he won’t suffer.”
Sophie nodded, though her unease still lingered. She knew that panicking would not help the situation. She needed to stay calm.
Taking a deep breath, she remembered Salvador’s decision to separate the Crown Guard from the Mystic Army. It was likely he would form an elite personal guard, which meant that this case might not be handled by the Supreme Court or the Ministry of Justice. It could very well be dealt with by his newly formed guard.
The Royal Guard was something Salvador could never fully trust. To him, they were outsiders and hard to control. He needed to tighten his inner circle to ensure absolute loyalty.
“He’s pushing to make the Crown Guard an independent force now. Who knows if he’ll use my grandfather to test their loyalty?’ Sophie pointed out.
Everyone fell silent-that was a real possibility, one that had crossed all their minds.
“There’s no need to worry too much,” Rafael said, pausing as his mind raced. “This is likely just to appease Westhaven. After all, hasn’t the king still kept Freya alive? King Edmund seems focused on her too, since he captured her at the Southern Frontier. He won’t be satisfied until his revenge is complete.”
Jacob sighed. “The real issue is, with the boundary lines now in place, I doubt His Majesty will agree to any changes. King Edmund has already stirred up public sentiment in Westhaven, claiming that the border is unfair and that Starhaven has been bullying them. Now, the people of Westhaven want the boundaries redrawn.”
Kyle added, “The boundary issue has been contentious for years, but when the previous king of Westhaven was in power, the two kingdoms reached an agreement using the current border as the line. If they’re willing to negotiate, we have the original maps and agreements to bring to the table.”
“A new king comes with fresh ambitions, and in his case, he wasn’t originally the crown prince. He was only appointed after the previous crown prince died, so he’s got shallow roots and needs to win over the people. A victory over the border dispute would be a political achievement,” Rafael said, feeling that Kyle was being overly optimistic.
“If they were willing to negotiate, we wouldn’t have had skirmishes nonstop for years. The conflict between our two kingdoms hasn’t let up,” he added.
Sophie leaned back, her gaze dark and troubled. “The problem is, the new king of Westhaven needs to secure the border to win public support, while our king has to hold the line to keep our people’s faith intact.”
Rafael’s sharp features darkened after hearing Sophie’s words. “Harvey’s just looking for an opportunity. If we give in, they’ll accuse the king of ceding territory and giving up our border. If we refuse, then it means war, and the unrest at the border will create more opportunities for them to stir up trouble.”
“Has Harvey really left the capital?” Sophie asked.
“We sent people to check for several nights. Dylan reported last night that Harvey isn’t at his estate anymore. We’ve already sent men to track him in all three different directions. But if he’s disguising himself, it’ll be hard to catch him,” Rafael replied.
Jacob cursed under his breath. “This was a miscalculation. I didn’t think he would dare leave the capital now.” Sophie studied her nails, her eyes cold. “If it’s confirmed, then it’s time to let the king know Harvey isn’t in the city.
Rafael thought for a moment before coming up with a plan.
“Have Mom go to the palace tomorrow and ask the queen dowager to send a physician to Hartstone Estate. You should teach her how to speak in front of the queen dowager… It’d be best if Leona went, but don’t disturb her and let her enjoy her life for now,” he said.
Helen had returned to Hell Monarch Estate on the eighth day of the new year. After staying in the palace for ten days, she was tired of it and yearned for the freedom that she had at home. The palace was strict, but in Hell Monarch Estate, she made the rules.
Sophie stood up. “I’ll go see her now.”
Helen had already gone to bed. As a beautiful woman in her middle years, she needed plenty of rest to maintain her beauty. Being pulled from her warm bed by her daughter-in-law left her glaring with all the resentment she couldn’t voice.
Sophie knew she couldn’t let Helen lie, and there was no room for subtlety here.
She said directly, “When you see the queen dowager tomorrow, tell her that Harvey has been ill since before the New Year and hasn’t gotten better. I don’t know if he’s seen a physician yet, but if he hasn’t, ask her to send a royal physician to Hartstone Estate. After all, he’s King Sigmund’s younger brother.”
Helen immediately bristled. “You woke me up just for that? His whole family treated you poorly, and you’re still thinking about them?”
Oh, what a fool!
Sophie could only sigh. “Ultimately, he’s still Leona’s dad. We can’t just ignore him.”
With that reasoning, Helen relented, her heart softening when she thought of Leona’s plight.