Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
The king was well aware of the entire Fawnrun City affair-the massacre of villagers and the killing of the prisoner. The entire matter was soaked in blood.
However, he didn’t know the specifics. The confession didn’t detail the grisly events of the massacre, but Patrick had described them. Hearing these bloody details, even Salvador, despite his position as king of Starhaven, couldn’t help but slam his fist on the table in a fit of anger as he cursed Freya.
Patrick could understand Salvador’s fury. Even he felt a chill run down his spine. Fortunately, someone like Freya had asked for a marriage based on her military merit. If she had served in court or as a military officer, she would have been a huge threat, just like how Sophie currently was.
“Has the Hell Monarch seen these confessions?” Salvador asked after his outburst.
Patrick knew that Rafael had sent people to summon Blake before the king issued his order, so he answered carefully, ‘As soon as Freya confessed, I had it sent to the palace for your review, Your Majesty.”
Salvador nodded in approval. “Good, Send it to him. Even though the Supreme Court hasn’t been involved in this case, General Sullivan is the Hell Monarch’s grandfather-in-law. He can’t just sit by and do nothing.”
Patrick was momentarily stunned. Was Salvador now tacitly allowing Rafael to be involved in the case? He had assumed there might be some tension between the two brothers.
“Yes, Your Majesty, Ill go personally,” he said respectfully, making sure to not show his shock on his face.
After his dismissal, Patrick made sure to go back and review the confession with Rafael, making sure everything matched up properly to avoid any mistakes in front of the king.
Ever since Patrick had taken on this task, he had been walking on eggshells as the Hell Monarch’s involvement had been overwhelming. Now that Salvador had spoken, the Ministry of Justice would follow Rafael’s lead.
Patrick was well aware that this wasn’t just a simple case. It required the utmost caution. If he handled it well, there would be no credit. But if he failed, demotion and punishment would be the least of his worries. So, Patrick couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief as he hurried to find the prince.
Perhaps Rafael would go directly to Sullivan Estate and obtain Dominic’s testimony. If that happened, the Ministry of Justice wouldn’t have to worry about it.
However, Patrick’s wishful thinking didn’t work out. Rafael agreed to keep things under wraps in front of the king, but as for going to Sullivan Estate to get Dominic’s testimony, that responsibility still fell to the Ministry of Justice.
Well, that was fine. Now that the situation had changed, there wasn’t anything wrong with being respectful toward Dominic.
At dinner, Rafael announced that Freya had stopped accusing Dominic, and everyone visibly relaxed.
Winona had also arrived in the capital, bringing the two Westhaven spies with her. Rafael handed them over to the Ministry of Justice for detention, where they would be interrogated by the ministry’s officials.
The Ministry of Justice’s officials were greatly excited when they learned that the Westhaven spies involved in the massacre of the Duke of Northwatch’s family had been captured. There were two main reasons for their enthusiasm.
First, they had long suspected there were survivors who had escaped their net, and now, with these spies in custody, they had finally rounded up the missing pieces. Second, with these spies, they could confirm that the Devin family’s annihilation had indeed been orchestrated by Westhaven, which would be a significant advantage in negotiations.
Winona temporarily stayed at Hell Monarch Estate. She knew the past few days had been difficult for Sophie, so she remained in the capital to keep the latter company.
Everything was in place now. They were just waiting for the Westhaven envoys to arrive.
As the storm clouds gathered, there was a sense of nervous anticipation among everyone, though Helen seemed unaffected. She knew the Westhaven envoys were coming, and she knew they wouldn’t be coming with good intentions.
However, she felt it wasn’t her problem to worry about. With so many capable officials in court, there was no doubt they would handle it. It wouldn’t affect her in the slightest, so she intended to continue living her life as usual.
In fact, she was glad that Hell Monarch Estate was becoming more lively. When Cindy and Winona had some free time, Helen invited them to chat. She said that she didn’t often get the chance to see the outside world, so listening to their stories was interesting. She would also call Sophie over, and all of them would spend the whole day together.
Sometimes, when her daughter-in-law wanted to go out for something, Helen would stop her, saying. There are so many people in the house. You don’t need to handle everything yourself. It’s rare that your third aunt’s back in the capital, and your senior guild member is here too. Wouldn’t it be nice if you just relax and chat with us, have some snacks, watch a play, and maybe play a game of cards?”
Sophie couldn’t refuse and would stay.
But truth be told, the days passed quickly as they waited for the Westhaven envoys to arrive. Finally, Claire came to report that, barring any unforeseen delays, the Westhaven envoys would arrive in the capital the next day.
That evening, Helen rubbed her cheeks and said, “Tomorrow, I’m sleeping until noon. Don’t wake me up.”
Gillian smiled and replied, “Of course, Your Grace. I’ll have the kitchen prepare a few of your favorite dishes, and we’ll wait until you wake to serve them. You’ve had quite a few difficult days.”
Helen sighed dramatically. “The waiting is the worst. I can’t help with anything. All I can do is invite more people to keep Sophie company, chat, laugh, and get through the day.”
With that, she lay down and fell asleep immediately.
Around noon the next day, the Westhaven envoys arrived in the capital. The Protocol Department and the Diplomatic Affairs Department made the arrangements for their reception and provided lodging at Concord Lodge.
Westhaven’s government system was similar to Starhaven’s, though they did not have a position equivalent to the prime minister. Instead, they had a cabinet and various ministry departments that were similar to Starhaven.
This delegation to Starhaven was led by Lisandra, along with Leroy, Westhaven’s Defense Minister. They were accompanied by various cabinet members-Garrick Horton and Amos Bailey, both Secretaries of State; Klaus Reed, the Diplomatic Affairs Department Minister, and Icarus Mendez, commander of the Sovereign Guard.
Also present was Harlan Fitzgerald, the guard captain of Lisandra’s household soldiers, as well as two interpreters and three female officials. Since the names of the female officials had not been announced, their identities remained unknown. The rest of the entourage consisted of various guards and attendants.
Rafael, Sophie, and the others stood at a tavern near the city gates, watching the envoys pass by.
Lisandra was dressed in purple official attire and riding a bay horse, slowly making her way into the city with her large procession. Though she was actually 32 years old, the weariness from the long journey made her appear older than her age.
‘The man riding the black horse behind Grand Princess Lissandra is Leroy Stellwyn,” Jacob remarked.
Though Liam and Leroy were indeed related to the Westhaven royal family, they actually had a different family name. They had used the Tudor surname on the battlefield, but their actual surname was Stellwyn.
“He’s Marshal Liam’s younger brother, but they’re not on good terms. He was the one who pushed for the battle at Victory Pass, and even now, he’s the one urging King Edmund to go to war.
“King Edmund greatly respects his older sister, but he respects the late crown prince, Prince Arthur, even more. That’s why he wants to go to war. King Edmund…”
Jacob paused, considering the best way to describe him before continuing, “He’s a capable person. He’s well-versed in both civil and military matters. He followed Prince Arthur for a long time and earned a reputation for virtue in Westhaven. But his nature is rather unhinged.
“Back in the day, when Grand Princess Lisandra and Prince Arthur were watching over him and with Marshal Liam guiding him, his true nature didn’t show. That’s why Grand Princess Lisandra supported his rise to power. What she didn’t know, though, is that in his heart, the kingdom and the people don’t come before his brother.”
Sophie picked up on Jacob’s words, saying, ‘Grand Princess Lisandra prioritizes the kingdom and the people, so naturally, she assumed that King Edmund would do the same. “Now, she probably realizes what’s going on. This time, she’s come personally to push through the decisions, which is favorable for us. But we can’t let our guard down with Mr. Stellwyn. He’s always wanted to replace his older brother, Marshal Liam.”
Since their return from the Southern Frontier, the Hell Monarch Estate’s members had begun investigating the princes and influential figures in Westhaven, uncovering the true nature of their personalities.
The second prince, Eamon, had been granted a title, but was mediocre and had almost no chance of ascending the throne.
The third prince. Edmund, was now king of Westhaven.
The fourth prince, Emory, was on par with Edmund in terms of ability, but his heart was twisted, cruel, and without compassion. His maternal family was powerful, which was why Lisandra had supported Edmund’s ascension to the throne. Without the grand princess, the throne would likely have fallen to Emory.
Now that Edmund had ascended as king, he hadn’t fully dismantled his brother’s power. The fourth prince’s maternal family still held substantial influence and watched the throne with greedy eyes. This internal division and severe internal strife were the reasons why Liam and Lisandra did not want to go to war.
The fifth and sixth princes, Elian and Elior, were twins who had been born with heart conditions. Simply surviving was considered a great blessing.
The seventh prince, Esher, was only twelve years old. His mom was Emory’s mom’s cousin, further strengthening the fourth prince’s power.
Canissa’s gaze fell on the three female officials accompanying the delegation. Though their names were not listed on the roster, it was clear that Westhaven was more accommodating toward women holding official positions compared to Starhaven, where women entering court was a rare sight.
She couldn’t help but feel envious. Starhaven also had many capable women, but they were confined to the inner household, where they managed household affairs, educated their children, and served their husbands.