Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Alistair’s command. After severnet days of hard work, Michael was dausted. Sophie went to relieve him that evening so he could rest while she took up watch.
Alistair could have handled it, but Sophie didn’t trust him-his loose tongue was a risk. With the Westhaven envoys here, Violet hadn’t been teaching, so she came to keep Sophie company.
The exits of Concord Lodge were all guarded. While they wouldn’t stop the Westhaven people from coming and going, the guards had to be alert in case of any assassination attempts.
The Capital Guard didn’t enter unless there was a special reason. Westhaven had their own guards and had taken residence inside. For now, Concord Lodge effectively belonged to Westhaven.
Although it was already late February and the weather had warmed considerably, sitting by the entrance with no shelter still felt a bit chilly.
The small guardhouse at the entrance of Concord Lodge was available for their use. Inside, there was a brazier for heating water. Seeing that Violet wasn’t dressed warmly enough, Sophie led her into the guardhouse to sit and drink coffee. “You don’t need to stay with me tonight,” Sophie said as she poured the coffee. “I’ll be fine here.”
Violet blew on the dark liquid’s surface. “It’s no trouble. I’ll stay with you. It’s a good chance to let Claire and the others rest. I’ll keep an eye on things.”
Claire and the others were watching the comings and goings of the Westhaven people, observing where they went and who they interacted with.
Lisandra and the officials didn’t leave Concord Lodge much, but there were plenty of others in the group. With all the information Blake and Zoey had gathered, if there really was another hidden plan, Yuvan’s people might still try to make contact with Westhaven. “By the way, I overheard Jacob when I left.” Violet glanced at Sophie. “He said that Prince Rafael plans to visit the Ministry of Justice tomorrow to see Blake.”
Sophie nodded. “I know.”
“Is it necessary for him to meet Blake? He should have already said everything he knows.”
“He hasn’t mentioned the route Freya plans to use when she escapes.”
“Is that important? She’s not getting away. She planned the route, not Yuvan. Asking about that now seems unnecessary.”
Sophie tapped Violet playfully on the forehead, smiling. “Raf just needs an excuse to talk to Blake again and see if he can uncover anything useful. At least we’ll know who he’s dealing with. This person is hiding too well-if they slip up only at the end of negotiations, it’ll be too late to act.”
Violet understood at once. “You’re right. Three days of talks and no mistakes yet. It’s time to think of another way.”
At the Ministry of Justice, Blake didn’t expect the Hell Monarch to come looking for him personally. When he heard that a Ministry of Justice official, Lonnie, had come to fetch him, he stood there stunned for a moment. Then, he asked somewhat stiffly, “Why would he be coming to see me?”
“His Highness didn’t say. He just asked me to bring you. You should go quickly. Don’t keep him waiting,” Lonnie replied.
Blake didn’t know why, but a sense of unease settled in his chest. “Was it just him? Were there any other officials? Was Mr. Lloyd present?”
“No, it was only His Highness,” Lonnie replied.
Blake nodded absent-mindedly, but didn’t get up. “What about the matter I asked Mr. Lloyd to investigate? Did he look into it? What did he find?” Lonnie’s expression didn’t change. “I’m not sure what you had Mr. Lloyd investigate.”
Seeing the man’s indifferent attitude, Blake didn’t press further. He stood and followed Lonnie.
Before entering the side hall, Blake took a deep breath. Then, he walked inside with heavy steps.
When he was the Crown Guard commander or the Nightsteel Guard commander, he had met Rafael.
Even then, he had felt inferior in the latter’s presence. Now, in his current sorry state, imprisoned and in despair, that sense of inferiority only grew.
He didn’t know if Rafael would purposely make things difficult for him, but what did it matter? In his position now, he was already someone to be looked down upon. Upon entering the side hall, Blake saw Rafael.
The prince looked every bit the regal figure as he sat in a carved, round-backed chair. His posture was straight, unwavering. For some reason, the sight of the Hell
Monarch’s strong and dignified form made Blake recall a moment from the past-when he had returned from Victory Pass and gone to
Grace Mansion to see Sophie, telling her he intended to marry
Freya as his rightful wife.
At that time, she had sat just like this on a chair. However, she looked far more slender and fragile. The memory stirred something in his heart, a mix of emotions too complex to name.
He collected himself, cleared his throat, and approached to bow. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Rafael glanced up. “Sit.”
Blake froze for a moment.
Sit? He was being asked to sit? Wasn’t he about to be questioned? Even if it wasn’t an intentional slight, considering his status as a criminal, just being allowed to stand and respond was already an act of mercy. ge
And yet, here he was being told to sit.
Rafael looked up at him and frowned. “Sit down. I have questions for you. There’s no need for these formalities.”
Blake blinked, then quietly sat across from the Hell Monarch.
Rafael first shared the results of Zoey’s investigation with Blake, giving him a clear conclusion.
“It’s pretty much confirmed that the people behind this used the Lester family to contact Freya. They had a maid inform her and got her to show up at your mom’s funeral. Afterward, Mrs. Lester went to offer her condolences, which gave her the opportunity to speak with Freya privately. Once she did, both she and her husband were silenced.”
Blake was stunned beyond words. “Is that truly the case?”
Rafael didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be straightforward with you. While investigating Eleanor’s treason case, the Supreme Court found links to the Lester family. However, we didn’t have enough evidence, so we never moved against them. Mrs. Lester’s involvement with Freya indicates that the people behind her are the same as Eleanor’s conspirators-the true masterminds behind the treason.”
Rafael’s gaze grew heavier. “Freya is involved in this case, and she will be taken to Westhaven. However, you’re her husband. Once the truth of the treason is uncovered, what will happen to you and your family? You know exactly what that means.”
Blake’s lips trembled slightly. He had served in court before and knew full well how seriously Salvador took this treason case. It was why Salvador was so furious. It was a dagger that stabbed deep into the king’s heart. When the time came, anyone even remotely tied to it would never escape the reckoning.
“Blake, there’s no other choice for you. You’ll need to earn merit if you want to avoid punishment.”
Merit and punishment.
It was those words again.
The pressure of those words felt like a heavy hand clutching at Blake’s heart, squeezing the breath from his lungs. One decision had shattered everything-his family’s peace and his own. He clenched his teeth, fighting the rising frustration. “Your Highness, just tell me what to do. I’ll do it.”
Rafael watched him for a long moment, then said, “Go to Freya and ask her if Mrs. Lester mentioned anyone from Westhaven. As for how to ask, what techniques to use, whether you’ll get anything out of her-well, that depends on your ability.” Blake was silent for a long time before replying, “Understood.”
This was a matter of life and death for his entire family. There was no question of whether he would go. Whether he would get answers was another matter, but at least by asking, he could try to clear his name.
Blake wasn’t sure if this would clear his name, but at this point, he had no other options.
He took his leave, and was led by Lonnie to Freya’s prison cell.
When Freya saw him walk in again, a wave of caution washed over her. She understood the situation-after all, they were both prisoners. Even though Blake was under special detention, a visit had to be authorized by the Minister of