novelzi Chapter 133 Shadow Guard
Chapter 133 Shadow Guard
"I understand." Prince William nodded quickly. It was unclear whether he truly understood or just wanted to lie to avoid his father's blame.
The old king seemed slightly disappointed.
This motto of the Modiwen family carried so much blood, tears, and suffering of the half-elves.
It also bore the weight of shameful and dirty dealings.
What a pity...
The old king sighed and asked again, "Now that Prince Tupe has married Vera, we have allied with the Duke of the North. This will offend the other dukes. So, we are caught between many forces. Do you know what to do?"
"Got it. As long as they haven't decided the winner, we won't take sides or place any bets!"
The old king's lips curled into a faint smile, as if reassured that his son wasn't entirely beyond hope.
"Good. Then think again. Was it truly my arrangement for Tupe to marry Vera?"
Prince William was smarter this time. He shook his head emphatically. "No, Father. You are too wise to gamble on the North at such a critical moment."
Seeing the old king nod slowly, William grew bolder. "So, this must have been my brother's decision?"
A flash of anger crossed the old king's face. "Hmph! Of course, there was that woman stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"
Prince William kept silent, knowing full well who his father meant.
The "woman" the old king referred to was none other than the queen herself.
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To outsiders, the Half-Elven King and Queen appeared harmonious, but William knew better. His father had harbored dissatisfaction with the queen since the day she married into the royal family.
The adoption of Prince Tupe had driven a deep wedge between them, almost turning them into enemies.
The old king, who valued blood inheritance above all else, never fully accepted Prince Tupe as his son, even though, legally, he now was. If not for the Miller family's powerful backing, the queen's position might have been stripped away long ago.
Now, it seemed the queen sought to use Tupe's marriage to Vera to strengthen ties with the Duke of the North.
Her disregard for the delicate political balance had enraged the old king, who was determined to remain neutral and maintain a precarious equilibrium between the Eastern and Northern territories.
"The Eastern Territory will send an envoy in a few days," the old king said. "You will handle their reception."
"Yes, Father."
"Remember," the king warned, "no matter how much the Easterners try to woo or threaten you, do not get personally involved. Provide them with only the necessary courtesies and let them clash with the North on their own."
"I understand."
Having said so much, the old king looked visibly tired. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Prince William.
Prince William immediately bowed and excused himself. However, before he could leave the palace, the king called him back.
"By the way, how is the Spiritual Field I asked you to investigate last time?"
"I checked, Father. There's nothing wrong with it. As the rumors say, it makes crops grow ten times faster—"
"Idiot!" The old king's anger flared again. "Did I ask you to investigate the speed of the Spiritual Field?"
Prince William froze, dumbfounded.
The old king exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. Finally, he waved his hand in frustration. "Keep investigating."
"Yes, Father," Prince William replied timidly.
"How's little Charlie doing?"
At the mention of his son, Prince William couldn't help but smile. "The little one is doing well. He's started learning the sword recently, though he's a bit too mischievous. The palace gardens are suffering because of him."
"Send him to me tomorrow. Let him keep me company for a while."
"The half-elf Prime Minister, Duke Miller?" Luis suddenly recalled the half-elf who had greeted him at the city gate.
"Yes." Sith nodded and continued, "Queen Elsa married into the royal family three years ago..."
Sith carried on, "Due to His Majesty's old age, he has been unable to get the Queen pregnant. A year ago, he chose a young man from the Miller family to be his adopted son, who is now the second prince, His Royal Highness Tupe..."
"Wait!" Colin interrupted, "You mean Prince Tupe was chosen from the Miller family, not the half-elf royal family of Modiwen?"
"Yes." Sith nodded again.
Luis sneered inwardly.
What does the Miller family intend to do? The queen is from their family, and even the king's adopted son is one of them.
Even though Tupe had changed his last name to Modiwen, would the old king truly recognize this foreign bloodline? Was Duke Miller trying to take advantage of the situation?
"What about the eldest prince, William?" Colin asked.
"Prince William is the biological son of His Majesty the King and the late Queen."
"Which family did the late queen come from?"
"The Rutte family."
A stern face flashed through Luis' mind. At the welcoming banquet last night, wasn't Duke Rutte seated at the main table?
"So the current Duke of Rutte is the younger brother of the late queen?" Colin asked.
"Yes."
"Does Duke Rutte hold any royal position now?"
"Duke Rutte is the commander of the Silvermoon Guard."
Luis nodded, beginning to understand the political landscape of the Half-Elf Kingdom.
In his view, the kingdom's top power was divided mainly between two factions.
The second prince's faction was centered around the Queen, Prince Tupe, and Duke Miller, while the eldest prince's faction included the King, Prince William, and Duke Rutte.
However, it seemed the eldest prince's faction had the upper hand.
After all, Prince William was the heir, and with the king's support, he was in a strong position. Additionally, the kingdom's most elite army was under the command of his uncle, Duke Rutte.
No wonder Prince Tupe is going to the North to seek Vera's hand in marriage. Without external support, Prince Tupe cannot defeat his brother.
So, is Duke Dressrosa planning to push the disadvantaged Prince Tupe onto the throne to gain control of the Half-Elf Kingdom?
And what about the other Dukes?
They certainly won't sit idly by and let the Half-Elf Kingdom fall under the North's control. How will they respond?
And Luis himself...
His Hartmann family is always ready for war beyond the Vortex.
And Asmon... that kid is very strange. The Smile.... is very weird.
"There must be a lot of knights among the half-elf royal family members, right?"
"The Half-Elf King was once a fourth-rank knight. Her Majesty the Queen, the two princes, and even Duke Rutte are knights."
Half-Elf King is a fourth rank knight, huh? So he might be sealed by the mages soon in his death bed.
"Okay, that's all for today. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
"Understood, Boss. You're always welcome to visit! I'll escort you out."
The two walked to the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce, where they were met by a team of fully armed guards.
Luis glanced at the familiar face leading the group and said in surprise, "Prince William?"