At the crack of dawn, within the grandeur of West Lucozia Castle’s central hall, Rufus draped himself in a robe adorned with the sinuous coils of a serpent.
The stoic captain of the royal guard was seated at the epicenter with his left guarded by Jaxon. And on his right stood Albert, a figure more known as the Executioner than by his given name.
The harsh brilliance of overhead lights illuminated Rufus as he meticulously sifted through the abundance of letters strewn across the table.
Each missive held revelations from the covert efforts of the castle’s undercover agents. These written accounts unfolded tales of bloodshed, and the table groaned under the weight of hundreds of letters.
The damning dossier was evidence exposing both the Vern and Linden families, even their shared history of criminal exploits.
As Rufus delved deeper into these missives, concern etched lines on his forehead. The unveiled misdeeds within his jurisdiction pointed to corrupt officials who had ruthlessly sacrificed lives, and the mountain of evidence painted an incriminating tableau.
“Perhaps, Your Highness, a moment’s respite would be wise. Your well-being is paramount,” Albert suggested. His usual reserve gave way to an unusual note of compassion.
“Rest? How can I, when faced with such matters?” Rufus slammed his hand on the table, his countenance darkening.
“Reuben and Ambrose have been bold, exploiting their influence and deceiving even me! They’ve truly underestimated my resolve!”
“Your Highness, what has stirred such anger?” Eloise, the demure princess consort of West Lucozia, entered the room.
“See for yourself!” Rufus tossed the letters toward her. Eloise picked them up and couldn’t help but react with surprise.
“These detail Mr. Vern’s misdeeds?” Eloise cautiously inquired.
“Not only Reuben’s but Ambrose’s as well!” Rufus pushed the towering pile of letters toward Eloise.
He went on, “These two have embezzled, violated the law, and committed heinous acts, including atrocities against innocent lives!
“What you see here is just a fraction of the evidence I’ve gathered. Their actual transgressions go far beyond this!”
“How could this happen?” Eloise furrowed her brow. “Your Highness, Reuben and Ambrose have served you for many years, and there’s never been a hint of betrayal. Could there be a misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding?” Rufus snorted.” These findings are the result of my own undercover agents’ investigations. There’s no room for misunderstanding.
“Look at this. Three years ago, the Vern family kidnapped the patriarch of the Garrison family to seize their property, torturing him for three days and nights, ultimately leading to his wife’s suicide by hanging!
“And this, Reuben’s son Russo, driven by lust, publicly humiliated a woman in her husband’s presence, later burying the couple alive, and even their three- year-old child was not spared!
“Most despicable of all, Vern’s eldest son, Russo, and Linden’s third son, Aster, led a group of profligates, forming some kind of ‘Hero Alliance,’ engaging in rape, plunder, arson, and countless murders.
“Over the past three years, they’ve perpetrated over a hundred homicides, earning the wrath of both god and men!
Rufus opened each letter, pounding them in front of Eloise, his anger palpable. “Now, do you still think there’s a misunderstanding?”
“This…” Eloise was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t anticipated the audacity of Reuben and Ambrose.
While a bit of embezzlement might have been tolerable, the revelation of numerous murders spelled imminent disaster for both the Vern and Linden families.
