Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Sophie quickly pushed him away. “We need to get up!”
Lulu was waiting outside. When she heard noise from inside the room, she feared they would be distracted again and hurriedly called out, “Your Highness, Your Grace, Lady Helen has sent someone three times already.”
Rafael reluctantly withdrew his hand from its resting place, his gaze still burning with intensity. His tone was commanding yet playful. “I’ll listen to you now, but tonight… You’ll listen to me.”
The night before, Rafael had returned too late to greet Helen.
Normally, she never fussed about where he went, even if it was to the battlefield.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know the dangers of war, but Helen had always had complete faith in her son’s invincibility.
However, this time, with most of the household sent away and the atmosphere tense, she too had become nervous.
When Sophie returned the night before, Rafael had not been around. Although Sophie had said he was in the palace, Helen hadn’t actually seen him, and worry gnawed at her.
Even today, after sending people to check multiple times, she was told they still hadn’t gotten up. She could hardly believe it since when were those two so lazy? Even when there wasn’t a morning court session, they would usually be up by dawn.
Now, Helen truly experienced what it meant to be anxious and worried.
At last, she saw them appear hand in hand, both dressed in formal clothes-the man exuded authority, and the woman radiated elegance.
Never before had Helen been so patient, waiting for them to properly complete all the formalities before finally allowing them to rise and take their seats.
This time, the worry had been too much. She felt it took a toll on her. Even if they were to take their time and slowly offer their greetings to her, she would endure it.
After the formalities, the two of them went their separate ways-Rafael to the Supreme Court, Sophie to the Capital Guard headquarters.
Today, they needed to properly interrogate Tiberius.
Tiberius was nothing but skin and bones now, his body so thin that even with all the dirt and grime, he barely weighed 120 pounds.
He was constantly on edge, asking every day if Salvador would have him executed. He kept insisting he was innocent and had only been greedy for a bit of money.
For someone like him, there was no need for a harsh interrogation. A simple question was enough: “Your life depends on how much truth you reveal.”
With those words, Tiberius’ already malnourished brain kicked into overdrive, and he spilled everything he knew without hesitation.
His confession was long-winded and full of unnecessary details, but the one thing that could be confirmed was that the private soldiers were indeed under Yuvan’s command.
At first, Tiberius hadn’t known that Yuvan was behind it. It had been Wayne who made contact with him, promising 5,000 silver coins a year to find reliable people to transport grain to Stone Village. Tiberius hadn’t bothered to investigate the village himself. It wasn’t like he needed to pay for the grain anyway. Plus, he was getting a villa as well as 5,000 silver coins annually-it seemed like a foolproof deal.
Later, when Yuvan secretly came to Lunvale, Tiberius accidentally ran into him. It was then that he noticed Wayne by Yuvan’s side and realized that the people from Stone Village were working for Yuvan. Realizing he couldn’t keep it hidden any longer, Yuvan came clean. He told Tiberius to keep supporting those men and promised to continue the annual payment of 5,000 silver coins of silver. On top of that, he made an even bigger offer-if their plans succeeded, Yuvan would make Tiberius a prince.
After confessing, Tiberius broke down in tears before Rafael. “I never cared for his promise of a princely title. It’s just the expenses! I was just trying to make a living with those 5,000 silver coins a year. I’m no traitor-I swear I’m loyal!”
Tiberius sobbed, his face streaked with tears and snot. “Believe me, my nephew! I have no intention of treason. I’ve told you everything I know. You have to help me please! I’m innocent!”
Seeing the man sobbing and rambling the same excuses over and over, Rafael realized he didn’t know much about Yuvan’s rebellion. He ordered his men to lock Tiberius up to prevent any suicide attempts and reassured him that he had nothing to fear.
Reporting this information was a meritorious act, and Salvador wouldn’t have him executed. Rafael added that if anything else came to mind, Tiberius should report it immediately.
The hope in Tiberius’ eyes flared up at that. He stopped crying, nodding eagerly. “I will. I’ll think hard. We cannot let these rebels succeed!”
Randall had been watching the entire exchange. At first, he had been afraid-afraid of being caught up in this mess, afraid that others might accuse him of betraying his dad for personal gain.
But as he watched Tiberius’ disgraceful behavior, a sudden calm washed over him. If it came down to it, so be it he would rather face death than stoop so low and lose all dignity like that.
At least he would hold onto his pride as a man.
Tiberius had confessed, the “suicide soldiers” had been interrogated, and even Eleanor, before her death, had left a letter of repentance admitting her regret over aiding her brother’s plans for rebellion.
These pieces of evidence together nailed Yuvan’s treason firmly in place!
Salvador acted quickly. He issued a royal edict summoning Yuvan to return to the capital and face his crimes. Alongside this, a second edict was sent to Valken’s governor, ordering Yuvan’s arrest and transport to the capital.
At this point, Yuvan had no choice but to revolt.
But it wasn’t the clean, decisive uprising he had envisioned. Instead, his hesitation and lack of resolve were laid bare before his allies, and whatever respect or authority he had was swiftly eroded.
In such moments, those conspiring alongside him began to hope for someone more decisive and capable to replace Yuvan as their leader. This wasn’t mere wishful thinking-they knew there was such a possibility.
Wayne had planted that seed of hope. Both he and Harvey had been working behind the scenes, laying the groundwork for such a transition.
Before Yuvan raised his army, rumors began to spread. It was said that the Southern Frontier military officers were colluding with the people of Sandoria. They were allowing Sandoria soldiers to invade the Southern Frontier, and a war was on the verge of breaking out.
Almost simultaneously, bands of bandits emerged in multiple regions, seizing control of the mountains, killing indiscriminately, and sowing chaos. The court faced widespread criticism, with accusations of negligence and incompetence flying from every direction.
Amid this turmoil, Yuvan raised the banner of rebellion in a fit of anger. He issued a proclamation condemning Salvador as corrupt and inept, accusing his generals of cowardice and his ministers of treachery. Yuvan claimed he was acting in the name of justice and righteousness, calling for all those with a sense of purpose to join his cause.
After the proclamation was sent out and he raised his army, he discovered there were only a few bandits causing trouble far from the large-scale disturbance he had expected. Also, his private army had been reduced to just 3,000 men. Even with the 500 household soldiers from Valken, they only added up to a little over 3,000.
Previously, there were about 35,000 private soldiers who had been moved out of Stonebridge County, led by Craig Morris. According to their earlier agreement, once Yuvan issued the proclamation, Craig would rally the private army and capture the three districts of Sableton, Montfield, and Glenmoor.
These districts were strategically chosen-they were the farthest from the garrisons in Ebonflow and could be easily taken with Craig’s forces. Three districts and more than 30,000 men-it was supposed to be a guaranteed victory.
But there was no sign of Craig. When they sent people to search, Craig and the private army had vanished without a trace.
Originally, the private soldiers had been moved out of Stonebridge County in several batches, spread across these various districts. Most were hidden in the mountains, with supplies stockpiled in advance, awaiting Wayne and Harvey to deliver further provisions.
While not all local officials in these areas had been bribed, Yuvan’s men controlled the critical checkpoints. Years of meticulous planning had ensured there would be no missteps in this part of the operation.
Yuvan was about to lose his mind. He stormed through Horizon Estate, smashing anything in his path. His eyes were bloodshot as he snarled at Wayne and Harvey, “Where are my soldiers? Where is Craig? He’s been hounding me day and night to raise my banner. Now that the proclamation is out and I’ve declared a rebellion, where are my men?”
Like a caged lion, he prowled back and forth in the chaos of the study, ignoring the lingering pain from his injuries.
Wayne and Harvey looked genuinely bewildered, fear etched across their faces. They insisted they had no idea why Craig hadn’t mobilized the troops.
“Your Highness, please calm yourself,” Wayne said, dropping to one knee. “I will leave with Prince Harvey at first light to find Craig. We will ensure he raises the army and takes control of the three districts immediately.”
“There’s something wrong. Something is definitely wrong,” Yuvan muttered, his bloodshot eyes darting wildly as though piecing together a puzzle. His expression twisted into something monstrous. “Craig wouldn’t dare defy me. Someone must have gotten to him!”
His finger shot out at Wayne as he accused, “It’s you! You’ve betrayed me!”