Chapter 2: The Prince’s Showdown

The soft kiss of snow on my cheeks made me hesitate. I was in a corner of a garden near the innermost part of the palace. White powder coated the ground, quietly covering the footprints I’d left behind me.

It was early, an hour or so shy of dawn’s first light.

I always associated snow with howling winds and the like, so the way it peppered me now without a single sound was a surprise, one I basked in with a clear head. Feeling like a child once again, I walked in circles in the snow, trying to warm myself up. The area was only dimly illuminated, and when I glanced back, I was surprised to see the chaotic imprint of my feet in the snow. It looked as if I’d been training rather than innocently wandering.

My breath came out in puffs of white air that quickly melted into the darkness. The footprints I’d left behind were a visualization of what was to come. I checked my footing and repeated the process over and over. The weight of a sword hung heavy in my hand.

When I sensed his presence, I looked up. This wasn’t our first time coming face-to-face like this. We’d squared off against each other numerous times when we were children. He was three years older, but even though I was Sauslind’s prince, our abilities and statuses were perfectly suited to one another. Inwardly, I admired his fighting style for being instinctive, or perhaps intuitive, you might say. He could see right through feints and tactics. His sense of smell was like an animal’s, allowing him to suss out a person’s true nature. His heart was so pure and honest.

Silence stretched between us.

What kind of expression was I making right now? Was it the same one he wore on his face? Or did I have the proper, grave demeanor that a prince should in this situation?

We both quietly exhaled the cool morning air. I didn’t bother counting how many breaths it took before I finally managed to speak. The words came out as if they’d long ago been determined, as if my status as prince dictated them.

“You’re the one who infected my father.”

There were only a limited number of people who could approach the king, and all of them carefully screened before they could get close.

The inner garden, which only the royal family and a select few could enter, filled with tension. The early dawn air seemed to freeze over.

He unsheathed his sword, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

~.~.~.~

The events leading to our confrontation originally started at the meeting with the other senior officials. Despite the nobles’ heated argument, Mother took into account what affects her leadership would have and temporarily passed the role to me, Prince Christopher.

As I took my seat in the sovereign’s chair, I felt the weight of it sink in. After expelling a quiet breath, I scanned the faces of those present.

Mother had already left the room, and in her wake, the main branch of the royal faction—Duke Odin’s faction—were left gritting their teeth in frustration. If Her Majesty had retained the right to lead, it would have given their words more weight. He already knew that I had no intention of pandering to his house. Having me take the lead was an unsavory development as far as they were concerned.

Now that the matter of who was leading them was settled, they resumed their same petty complaints.

“How utterly irresponsible.”

The pro-war faction wouldn’t be satisfied regardless of what the queen decided. They were the ones who had suggested Her Majesty might be responsible for the king falling ill, but when she actually acknowledged their suspicions and gracefully stepped down, they decided to blame her for passing off her responsibility to someone else. While I inwardly envied them for their simplicity, my thoughts were elsewhere.

“First,” I said, quieting the nervous atmosphere that now dominated the room. Even the pro-war faction steeled themselves to await the first words from their crown prince. “Our main priority should be to find a countermeasure for the Ashen Nightmare.”

“What ridiculous nonsense!” Unsurprisingly, one of the pro-war faction members immediately protested. This was a prime opportunity to retaliate against our long-standing enemy, Maldura. If we displayed the might and power of our military, we could dissuade neighboring countries from trying to come after us in the future.

A dangerous thought briefly crossed my mind. Instead of punishing them for their discourtesy toward the crown, I could send them right to the front lines of the battle they so desperately desire.

I sighed to myself and scrapped the idea. “Yes, you lot seem to think this is a perfect opportunity to put Maldura in its place. I’d like you to remember that the Ashen Nightmare didn’t merely devastate Sauslind in the past; it swept over the entire continent. You’re asking us to go to war with a plague-ridden nation that has come seeking our help. Not to mention we recently provided them with aid when a major cold wave hit. I understand we have a complicated history between us, but how do you think our neighboring countries will interpret our actions?”

Those who relied upon military force didn’t even bother thinking about the future. Say we did overwhelm Maldura with our armies, showing off our power to the other nations. What impact would that have on the rest of the continent? Yes, things would settle temporarily. They would realize defying us was unwise and keep up their guard with us. If Sauslind wanted to be a military power, then perhaps that was an option. But was that really in the best interest of the people and the nation?

Other countries had done the same in the past. They prioritized their own interests and rapidly expanded their military. Where had that led them? The answer was quite clear. One needn’t look any further than the fallen empire’s history or even Sauslind’s own to see where that would take us.

“However!” The pro-war faction wasn’t deterred by my rebuttal, remaining as self-assured as ever. “Do you really intend to fret over the opinions of our neighbors and let such a rare opportunity pass?” The man speaking on their group’s behalf was adamant that war should take precedence over dealing with the Ashen Nightmare. He tried to mask his sneering, but it was ineffective. In a low but audible voice, he mumbled, “But what can I expect from such a squeamish prince?”

“Heh.” My lips pulled into a catlike grin. Apparently, he was too ignorant to realize that such malicious rumors always made their way back to the person at the center of them.

Now, how shall I eviscerate you?

I glanced around at the prominent nobles gathered. Beside me was the person in charge of keeping the meeting in order—Sauslind’s prime minister. He was rather low-profile and wore a permanent grimace as if battling a stomachache. It was his duty to calmly consider the opinions of the royal faction and the pro-war faction while maintaining a position of neutrality.

This was part of Sauslind’s law, decided long ago during the age of the Hero King. The prime minister was supposed to work beside the king, playing a pivotal role in politics, and no one close in relation to the royal family could be selected for the post. This was to maintain balance. Historically, a royal family’s monopoly on positions of power had caused internal conflict, and this was intended to prevent that.

Elianna’s older brother, Alfred, had been a stronger contender to succeed the position, but due to our engagement, neither he nor their father qualified anymore. Said two were also attending this meeting, with the same unreadable expressions they always had. Since my betrothed was from House Bernstein, it was only natural they would be part of the royal faction and support me as prince, right?

Alas, that wasn’t the case. Since taking up important government positions four years ago, they had remained faithful members of the neutral faction. Not only did they not join the royal faction, they also never once showed public support for me. Though, frankly, the best aid they could give was to keep quiet at this point.

I drummed my fingers against my knee several times before finally blurting out, “War, war, war. That’s all you people talk about.” As much as I tried to suppress my anger, there was a chill in my gaze as I stared them down. “But right now, our country is in no position to go into battle.”

“What?!” they scoffed.

“Don’t speak such absurdities. Sauslind has had abundant harvests since the year before last, and our stockpiles are overflowing. There is more than enough for us to feed and equip our soldiers!”

“Well said,” another added with a mocking laugh. “Clearly our prince is too inexperienced to understand our circumstances.”

“Perhaps it’s too soon for him to sit in the king’s chair.”

In response, the royal faction erupted. “That’s blasphemy!”

You’re all impossible, I thought, trying to suppress the irritation boiling up from the pit of my stomach. We were pressed for time. The Ashen Nightmare was slowly sapping away the life force of all those affected, my father included.

I sighed, tamping down my impatience. My words came out calm and composed. “This winter,” I began, voice low and rumbling as I quietly surveyed the room, “Sauslind has seen a lot of snow.”

There were noticeable intervals of clear weather leading up to the Holy Night’s Banquet, at least during the day. The snowfall at night, however, was gradually beginning to have an effect. Regional lords were busy trying to adapt. They had sent us missives indicating it would be difficult to send their men under the current circumstances. Sauslind was bogged down by the unpredictable: immense snowfall and the outbreak of the plague. As for the manpower that would be necessary for a war...

“The way Sauslind is now, we can’t afford to send soldiers into combat. The regional lords have their hands full trying to rule their own territories. As for the stockpiles you mentioned, those are being used to alleviate the strain this is having on the people. Now that the Ashen Nightmare has broken out as well, we’re in a state of emergency. Our first priority should be to find a way to counter the disease.” I glanced around, waiting to see if any protested.

The pro-war faction shrank back, their momentum weakened. If there were no soldiers, there was no war. The greater than average snowfall was affecting all of Sauslind. Even if our territories wanted to send troops, they had to deal with their own issues first. The adverse weather would also delay the delivery of supplies, which was why they were digging into their stockpiles to feed people. They had no extra soldiers to send us. Considering how the Ashen Nightmare might spread to their areas in the coming weeks and months, there was a real possibility they might not be able to supply us any of their reserves. If that were to happen, war would be even more out of the question.

A bitter voice protested, “Yes, but does that mean you intend to abandon the Edea Domain then?”

I raised my brow at him.

At the same time, one of the royal faction members tried to interject, only for a loud bang to reverberate throughout the room. In the middle of the military members was the silent General Eisenach. His closed fist sat upon the top of the table, more as a way to silence everyone than intimidate them. Most knew him as a jovial, lighthearted man, but even he was losing his temper at this constant bickering.

“Could we move along and actually discuss what actions we’re going to take already?” barked the general. “Temporary leader though he may be, the prince is still a member of the royal family and your criticisms go too far. Many of you seem more obsessed with opposing him for the sake of it rather than conceding any of his points.”

At last, the pro-war faction seemed to do some self-reflecting and fell silent.

The prime minister cleared his throat, bringing the room back into order. He would be the one to make the final decision on my proposal, so it was time to move into concrete details about what we should do.

First, I discussed the treatment the Pharmacy Lab had devised, which had yet to be clinically tested. We needed to get information on its progress as quickly as possible, confirm how many infected we were dealing with inside and outside the capital, and set up treatment facilities. We also needed to spread education about the sickness, so confusion and rumors didn’t mislead people into hiding away or harming those infected.

At the end, the prime minister added, “Until the situation is contained, we will keep the Maldura delegation in our custody. I hope you can understand my reasoning, Your Highness. Are these terms acceptable?”

I sighed. This was where I was going to have to compromise.

The Ashen Nightmare was spreading throughout Maldura, and their delegation’s visit did coincide with the king falling ill with the same disease. Those were inescapable facts. If this information got out to the public, it could put the delegation in danger. Perhaps it was safer for them to be locked away in the depths of the palace where the hands of the common people couldn’t reach them. Plus, until the military backed down, our borders would remain in a deadlock. Our only common ground at this point was agreeing not to launch an all out war.

I conceded to the prime minister’s terms. As talks continued, I looked around the room and recalled how anxious Eli had been at the end of last year. She mentioned not having the confidence to rule the inner palace as my mother did, but to my bitter chagrin, I could empathize all too well.

While I could deal with the royal faction and the pro-war faction on an individual basis, they still looked down on me. It was impossible for me to sway them when they were grouped together like this. I wondered how much time and experience it would take before I could dominate the room like my father. Right now, he was unconscious, his life on the line.

Doubt sprouted in my heart like an unwelcome weed. I tried to nip it in the bud by turning all my focus to the country’s issues.

~.~.~.~

I grew so busy dealing with domestic matters and making arrangements that several days passed in the blink of an eye.

The number of Ashen Nightmare cases was gradually increasing. We were getting reports of people infected not only in the capital but in neighboring regions as well. Among the citizens, voices of doubt and anxiety were only growing louder.

There were so many matters for me to address and deal with. It was like a mountain of paperwork that never decreased regardless of how hard I worked. Right now, however, there was a more pressing matter than the capital’s problems.

Someone close to me was leaking information, and they were also responsible for infecting my father.

The ginger-haired imperial knight, Glen Eisenach, was three years older than me, and we’d been friends since childhood. His normally warm, welcoming expression was nowhere to be found now. The only time his demeanor ever changed this drastically was when someone was targeting my life.

His face and movements were strained with tension as he pulled back, allowing me to face the person behind him—the one I’d just accused of infecting my father.

“Chris...” The culprit’s breath came out in a puff of white, his eyes peeled back in surprise. He knew what was going on; I’d called only him here and blocked off the area so no one could interrupt.

Swathed in black knight’s clothing, Ian Brennan almost faded into the darkness. Even his sun-kissed hair was bathed in shadows. His gentle expression had contorted in shock for a moment, but he soon chuckled, sensing by the atmosphere that no excuses could wriggle him out of this.

“How did you know?”

It was just like him to respond that way. All the tension in my face melted away, expression returning to normal with all the ease of a simple exhale.

“Intuition,” I said, “that’s all.”

He laughed again. His smile was as soft as the freshly fallen snow. “Come on. I know you’re not one to reach a conclusion like that without conducting an exhaustive investigation. You found some kind of proof identifying me as the culprit, didn’t you? Tch, I’m a fool. What am I thinking, outing myself like this?”

He was as cheerful as ever. His disarming, carefree voice was the same now as it was when we first met.

“Ah, well.” Ian smiled, despite the circumstances, his eyes conveying that he’d already accepted the situation. “Chris, you are Sauslind’s prince. I recognized that from the first moment I met you. You’re the one true ruler.” He slid his sword from its sheath, its sharp edge standing out starkly in the darkness.

Only those of the palace guard, imperial guard, or the Black Wing Knights were allowed to carry weapons in the palace.

I sucked in a breath. All of the emotions I had been suppressing were threatening to bubble up. A part of me wondered if we couldn’t reverse all of this. Wasn’t there some other way? But this man was a serious criminal who had infected Sauslind’s king. None of Ian’s excuses, whatever they were, would absolve him of that sin. Death was all that awaited him. He’d committed this atrocity knowing full well what the consequences would be. Even now, he wasn’t trying to lie his way out or bargain with me. He’d drawn his sword, a sign that he accepted his guilt.

As conflicting emotions continued to swirl within me, I caught a glimpse of something in the dim light surrounding us. When Ian pulled out his sword, it created a small gap in his sleeve, exposing his red, rash-covered skin. That symptom hadn’t been present when he first arrived at the capital.

He has the Ashen Nightmare. That’s how he infected the king.

From the moment he committed that grave sin, he was prepared for me to judge him. The silent way he stared back at me conveyed as much, as if he was rubbing my shortcomings in my face.

“You are this country’s prince.”

If what he wanted was not the young man I was when he first met me, but the crown prince of this country, then the only thing I could do was honor that request.

Ian’s blade gleamed, reflecting the nearby brazier fire.

Glen stood a short distance away alongside his squad’s vice commander, Zack. The anxious look on the latter’s face was all too obvious, much to my chagrin. In our bout not too long ago, I had failed to read all of Ian’s moves and lost. This time was a battle to the death. Perhaps it was only natural for Zack to feel uneasy.

In spite of the situation, the smile never left Ian’s face. He already knew. My skill with the blade wasn’t entirely because of drills.

“Chris.” His voice was the same now as it had been when we were younger—soft and yet still firm with unwavering resolve. “It’s not like I’m just throwing my life away or I got sick of living. There’s something I believe in very strongly. So I’m not going down without a fight.”

In a flash, he came lunging. I parried the attack, sparks flying as metal clashed with metal. Now that he was closer, I took another glance at his eyes, and the last of my hesitation dissipated. I threw away the sheath I’d been holding in my opposite hand and deflected his next swing. Using the momentum from that, I slid back, putting distance between us. The two of us moved simultaneously, charging at one another.

Blade bit into flesh with a viscous echo, followed by the brief but audible splatter of liquid hitting the freshly fallen snow. Alas, the darkness couldn’t hide the pungent scent of blood. The victor was decided by one most important difference: while I swang with the intent to kill, Ian hesitated to do the same.

When he said he “wasn’t going down without a fight,” there was a possibility he meant he hoped to escape this situation and plot his next move. On the other hand, perhaps he was indicating his despair and resignation.

I let out a quiet breath and glanced back at the life I had just taken. As I approached him, snow crunched under my boots. It was as if I was retracing my steps, trying to navigate my way out of this nightmare I had wandered into, to escape the numbness of my thoughts. The resistance I felt when I cut him down still lingered in my hands, and reality wasn’t kind enough to let me turn away from that fact.

I slid to my knees beside my fallen friend, a puddle of bright crimson spreading out beneath him. He was gasping for breath, but even though his life was slipping away, his gaze remained as kind as ever.

“Ian, who set you up?”

His voice came out like the whistle of wind slipping through a cracked door. There were no words, only a shuddering as he summoned up the last of his strength one final time. Gradually, the light faded from him, and his breathing stilled. Time froze as a silent pause stretched on, until at last his eyelids shut for the last time. Never again would I see those gentle eyes.

As soon as I lifted myself back to my feet, my Shadows (bodyguards) slipped in to cover Ian’s body and carry him off, erasing any traces that might have otherwise remained. And as dawn broke and light came peeking over the horizon, the spot where Ian had fallen was clear—as if nothing had ever been there at all.

I stood there in the frigid morning air, sensing someone’s approach from behind.

“Here,” said Glen in a light, airy voice as he held my sheath out toward me. “If you keep standing there in a daze with your sword drawn, people are going to start asking questions. Hurry and put it up.”

I stared down at my sheath, empty of all emotion.

That’s right. I threw it away during the battle.

Without warning, said sheath suddenly came swinging up through the air right toward my face. The thought of dodging it didn’t even cross my mind. Later, I would wonder what the devil was wrong with me.

Thwack!

There was a dull echo as lights exploded in the back of my eyes.

Panicked, Glen said, “S-Sorry! I mean, I was sure you were going to dodge that! It’s just...it felt like my only chance to—no, that’s not right. I’m sorry. Seriously, I mean it.”

I pressed a hand to my forehead as sharp pain shot through it. My lips twitched, rising in a maniacal grin.

You have some guts to come straight at me like that. I remember something Eli mentioned to me about a book she read. Something about how men living in palaces abroad—eunuchs, I think she called them—had a certain lower part removed before they served the royal family. Perhaps I should do the same to you.

“Chris! My apology is sincere, I swear. I’m sorry! So please stop looking at me like that. You’re giving me goosebumps!”

I sighed in annoyance at his frantic pleading and snatched the sheath away from him. As I slid my sword back inside, I caught a brief glimpse at my own reflection and narrowly dodged a hand that had been coming toward my head.

“What are you trying to pull?” I snapped.

Glen’s hand froze mid-air. Most likely he was intending to pat me on the head. “Oh, nothing.” He had the same cheery expression on his face as always. “Just figured since you’re younger than me, I could stand to dote on you occasionally.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, upper lip peeling back.

“What happened to your reputation as the handsome prince?” Glen gave a half-hearted smile.

He followed my gaze as I turned my eyes up at the late morning sun. I took the opportunity to slip in behind him, as if hiding in his shadow. For a moment, he froze, but I flipped around and leaned my back against his. A deep, throaty sigh left my lips.

I’d made my judgment based on unshakeable facts and the results of our investigation. We were in a stalemate with Maldura. Unease spread throughout Sauslind as the number of infected grew. To make matters worse, the king was sick and unconscious. We couldn’t let it slip that a man from the Black Wing Knights, led by the country’s war hero, was a traitor. Thus, I decided to resolve it by myself. Maybe if I had addressed the matter publicly, I could have uncovered the person pulling the strings behind all of this, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

I had no idea if the choice I made was the right one. Doubts popped up in my head repeatedly. But whatever the answer, my decision was made and there was no turning back.

Before I could call Glen’s name, he blurted out, “Chris, I swear I will never betray you.” His voice was loud and firm with resolve, as if he were making the declaration directly to the sun. “Even if there comes a day when I have to turn my blade on my family, I swear I will never, ever turn it on you.”

There was a strength and warmth in his back as it supported me. It wasn’t the soft kindness I had received from Ian, but it was the only thing I had left now.

After a brief silence, I finally said, “Glen...” His back twitched, showing he was listening. “You’re making me nauseous.”

“What?!”

I chuckled and slid my sword the rest of the way into its sheath. There was still much I had yet to do. I passed the sword over to Glen and, with renewed determination, started my way back toward the palace.

“Your Highness!”

Zack had left briefly earlier to help with the disposal of Ian’s body, but now he returned with another soldier in tow. The latter had an insignia on him that indicated he was an express messenger.

All the hair on my body stood on end in that moment. My stomach sank, as if predicting the worst.

The messenger took a knee and gave me an overview of the correspondence he carried with him. It was an emergency missive from Alexei Strasser in the Ralshen Region. “General Theoden Bakula of the Black Wing Knights was killed by an unknown assailant,” he began.

Behind me, Glen trembled in fear. His reaction made me even more uneasy, but the shock didn’t stop there.

The messenger took a loud, heavy gulp as if swallowing lead before he continued, “Your betrothed...Lady Elianna Bernstein is...”

Missing.