Chapter 9: A Royal Revelation

“So, they haven’t returned yet?” Prince Glais clasped his hands together, his expression grim, as beads of sweat the size of peas trickled from his forehead. Prime Minister Charles’s face was a mask of dark lines; he stood rooted to the spot like a tree, his eyes bulging, resembling a toad searching for prey.

“Your Majesty, I have already dispatched men to search for Elder Chloe,” a well-equipped guard reported, kneeling on one knee. “It is still morning, so they should be easy to find.”

“And Lady Xina and Xiao Nuoqi, you scoundrel,” Norria muttered under his breath, clenching his jaw. It seemed they cared little for the whereabouts of a mere local lord and a junior guard. Norria had wanted to join the search himself, but to his surprise, the Prince had personally stopped him.

Given his humble status, Norria could only stand at the sides of the royal court, waiting as numerous distinguished guests strode across the crimson carpet. He cautiously observed the Prince seated upon the supreme throne.

To the Prince’s right, the Queen’s seat remained conspicuously empty. Although Norria had long heard that the Prince had lost his wife years ago, he wondered if it was truly wise not to strive for more legitimate heirs, especially with no legal offspring. However, the Prince was already advanced in years. According to the laws of succession, the authority should pass to his nephew, Lord Alfred, whose heir was…

…Count Cliff, the very man who had annexed Lady Xina’s territory! If the gravely ill Lord Alfred were to inherit the throne, wouldn’t that be tantamount to Count Cliff inheriting it indirectly? And if Count Cliff became the new Prince, wouldn’t Lady Xina’s chances of reclaiming her lands plummet to zero? But if it were Elder Chloe… no, Chloe herself was a rival to Lady Xina.

With the backing of the Elder Council and the Pope’s personal recommendation, Chloe commanded significant influence. Though Norria couldn’t fathom why she desired a small frontier territory, the Avros territory was undoubtedly already within Chloe’s grasp.

Norria suddenly realized he shouldn’t be pondering such weighty matters; after all, he was merely a guard. Furthermore, if Chloe were to assume power, he might even find an opportunity to serve her. But then, Lady Xina…

Norria felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see an elderly official with a benevolent face smiling at him.

“The Prince has urgent business with you.”

Norria’s state of mind could no longer be described merely as surprise. What urgent matter could the Prince of a great nation possibly have with a mere guard like him? There was no explanation, he thought, unless the Prince possessed the ability to read minds and had uncovered Norria’s presumptuous thoughts.

By the time he regained his senses, Norria had been led onto a balcony. He was surprised to find the Prince already there, accompanied by the cloaked figure who had arrived with their party but then vanished from sight.

“Dorota has informed me of all the details. You bravely defended your liege,” the Prince remarked, idly turning the numerous rings on his fingers.

“No… I wouldn’t dare claim such praise… I merely fulfilled my duty…” Norria stood at attention, his eyes fixed on the Prince. He wondered what the Prince intended; could it be merely to commend him?

“Your combat skills still have a long way to go,” the cloaked figure said, lifting the hood of their cloak to reveal a fair-faced young woman. She gazed at Norria with amusement. “Still, for a little brother, it’s quite good.”

“Ahem…” The Prince cleared his throat, extending a hand towards the girl. “This is my illegitimate daughter—Dorota Normanthine, who currently serves as my personal guard.”

Norria stared at Dorota in astonishment. He had always taken her for a man, which explained why he’d told her and Xiao Nuoqi some crude jokes earlier.

Dorota, in turn, winked mischievously at Norria. A dreadful premonition seized Norria; if she were to expose his inappropriate behavior now, he feared the Prince would have him executed.

Dorota merely spread her hands, her expression clearly stating she hadn’t said a thing.

The Prince removed a silver ring from his little finger and placed it in his palm, where it gleamed under the sunlight.

“Look at this ring,” the Prince said, offering it to Norria. Norria, trembling with apprehension, took it. Words were engraved on the outer band, and in the sunlight, Norria could clearly make out the inscription.

“’Norria Normanthine’?” Norria gasped inwardly. His own name was carved into the ring. And Norria was a commoner, without a surname, so what did this surname signify?

“To evade the Elder Council’s scrutiny, I sowed my seed far and wide, even stooping to father children with commoners, all to ensure my bloodline would endure,” the Prince declared, extending both hands, adorned with many rings of various designs.

“I gave each of my illegitimate children a name and engraved it on a ring as a record, awaiting the day I could reclaim them,” the Prince explained. “The moment I saw your face, Norria, I knew you were my own son, and Dorota is your elder sister.”

Dorota waved at Norria, a broad smile gracing her features.

It seemed Norria was the only one present who was utterly bewildered by the situation.

‘Wait, wait, what’s going on, Norria? How did you suddenly become the Prince’s son?’

Norria could no longer recall his mother’s face; she had passed away very early in his life. He had clawed his way out of the royal capital’s slums to finally secure a position as a guard. But now, how had he become the Prince’s illegitimate son?

“The moment I saw your face, I remembered your mother,” the Prince said, clasping his hands together. “She was a woman of remarkable beauty, which is why I never forgot her. Alas, the plague claimed her life.”

“Many of my illegitimate children scattered across the land have been lost to me. I can only acknowledge you and Dorota,” the Prince said, extending a hand to Norria. “But this is enough, and now is the time.”

“I shall legitimize you, making you my official heir, and you shall then inherit my throne. You will become the new King of the Principality of Saint Fros.”

Norria swallowed hard, gazing at the Prince’s outstretched hand.

For as long as he could remember, Norria had conjured various images of his father.

He imagined an honest, simple farmer; a profit-driven merchant; an unconscious drunkard; a hot-tempered soldier; a penny-pinching citizen. He had even once fantasized that his father was a dashing knight.

Yet, his father turned out to be this white-haired, powerful old man standing before him.

“Welcome home, Norria,” the Prince said, managing a strained smile.

****

Twenty minutes later, Norria and Dorota stood atop the walls of the noble district. Norria’s mind was utterly blank.

“Do you feel like you’re being used?” Dorota initiated the conversation, her words immediately turning heavy. “Father sees you only as a pawn. Nothing more. Your mother’s humble status meant your ideal place in the line of succession would have been far down, as he always preferred his illegitimate children with noble maternal bloodlines.”

“Why? Were you here to monitor me all along?” Norria clutched his head.

“Not exactly. Initially, I was indeed tasked with observing frontier lords like Lady Xina, but then I discovered you. I immediately reported it to Father.” Dorota deliberately moved closer to Norria, making him uncomfortable. “Guess what happened next? He ignored you. But after speaking with that beautiful young Elder, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to legitimize you as his heir immediately.”

‘Beautiful young Elder? Is she referring to Chloe?’

“Tsk, if it was Chloe, perhaps she saw through my identity with some magic long ago, which is why she recommended me?” Norria felt his body tremble.

‘No, what is her objective? What connection could I possibly have to her interests…’ Norria pondered deeply, then a flush crept across his cheeks. ‘Could it be that she likes me? Ah, so that explains everything… No, the choice for Queen must be Lady Xina, a decision that cannot be swayed for eight hundred years!’

Dorota waved a hand in front of Norria’s eyes.

“What are you thinking about? Why is your face so red?” Dorota suddenly grinned mischievously. “Are you thinking about the beautiful young Elder? Or… perhaps that country bumpkin?”

“She is no country bumpkin! Lady Xina is the rightful heir to the Avros territory!” Norria declared indignantly.

“I say, you’re a prince now, yet you still call her ‘Lady Xina.’ Isn’t that a bit stifling?”

“I swore an oath; of course, I must ensure Lady Xina’s safety,” Norria retorted, displeased. “But since you’re my elder sister, why wouldn’t Father make you Prince?”

“Have you ever heard of a female Prince in history?” Dorota rolled her eyes at Norria. She raised one hand slightly, pointing towards the other side of the city wall—the commoner district—her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

“And do you truly believe this nation still holds any hope?” She turned back to Norria, her ponytail swaying gently in the breeze. Norria was surprised to find his sister rather beautiful, perhaps not as stunning as Chloe or as lovely as Lady Xina, but possessing a fierce, resilient beauty of her own. “War, famine, and corruption are merely the foundations. Add to that the rebellions of vassals, the threat from the Eledis Empire, and the Elder Council’s ongoing sanctions, and Saint Fros is riddled with holes, a kingdom in name only.”

“Father is merely abdicating his responsibilities,” Dorota sighed. “The seeds of this tragedy were sown long ago when ‘Madman’ Ponkay defied the No-War Edict established by the Elder Council.”

“’Madman’ Ponkay, you say…” Norria vaguely recalled him as the previous Prince, who had aggressively waged war against surrounding smaller nations, expanding the territory significantly, only to incur a series of sanctions from the Elder Council.

“I’m just a guard; I wouldn’t know the first thing about governing a nation.”

Norria scratched his head sheepishly; the only education he had ever received was in swordsmanship.

“You’re remarkably calm after hearing you’re a royal son,” Dorota observed, looking at Norria with a peculiar expression. “I’ve seen many impoverished people go mad after inheriting vast, unexplained fortunes, but you’re inheriting a kingdom.”

“Calm?” Norria sat on the ground. The city walls, long uncleaned, were undoubtedly filthy, yet Norria had grown accustomed to military life. “It’s more that too many things have happened, so I haven’t had time to process them.”

“Besides, Lady Xina, Chloe, and Xiao Nuoqi still haven’t been found,” Norria said, rubbing his reddened nose. “They haven’t been kidnapped, have they?”

“Kidnapped? How could that be? Are the military police incompetent? Jeannagos is the safest place in the entire kingdom right now. I imagine they’re probably enjoying a comfortable soak in a hot spring.”

A piercing horn blast rent the sky, followed by a chorus of echoing calls. The colossal sound made the ancient city walls tremble. Below, Norria glimpsed people from the noble district streaming out, a corpulent noble shouting something at his servants.

“What’s happening?” Norria scrambled to his feet, completely disregarding the dust that clung to his clothes.

“Why so early?” Dorota frowned, her left hand resting on the sword at her hip as she took Norria’s hand with her right.

“We’re under attack. Follow me now.”