The light of your sun shined through your windows on the white marble walls. They illuminated the room, which had a beautiful dark wood table set in it, and chairs around it.
There was nothing else inside this room; the only unique thing was the chair at the top that carried the emblem of the Kingdom of Vermillion.
But this room wasn’t empty. Seated on the chairs that stood there were four men. The first, Lana’s father, Robert Valemont.
His gaze was calm and relaxed, yet he watched the entire room with extreme caution.
The second was Ray Marvin, the father of Sofia. It didn’t take much to know that he was the father—his white hair and pale skin matched hers. With a cold look in his eyes, it told the story of someone whose heart had become cold. His face was well-sculpted and beautiful for his age.
He was girded in an all-black army-looking suit, with great gold trims. His arms were folded, tapping his finger every few seconds.
He carried a heavy presence around him, and yet somehow carried a calm that made him unreadable, much like his daughter Sofia.
The third person in the room was Peter Runeblade, Mia’s father. He looked to be the youngest of the three here, a slim yet solid build, sharp eyes, purple hair with streaks of black in it.
His presence was like a dragon—carried itself with pride without even trying. His breathing was controlled, his every movement seemed all too calculated—every blink, every breath, and every swallow of saliva—he was in control.
Dressed in all black as well, with purple trims along the edges.
The final person there was William Greyheart. The final Duke, a man of mystery. He sat there slouched in his chair, his grey hair covering his face. He seemed unbothered by what was happening here, almost asleep.
Yet the other three felt his piercing gaze looming over them. He was watching—watching them closely. He was like a snake, waiting patiently in the grass and building the right moment to attack.
These four men were the pillars of Vermillion, the Dukes. Their combined presence made this room tense and heavy. If someone normal was here, he would have passed out already from the pressure.
But all that pressure and presence—all of it vanished the moment the doors of the room swung open.
The person was yet to enter, but the place became hot and heavy. The four Dukes rose to their feet immediately.
He stepped in—the King of Vermillion. Andrew Vermillion, the father of Robert and Chloe. He was the grown-up version of Robert. He had a royal robe on like a cape—red, and with the emblem of the kingdom on the back in gold.
He walked in, headed for the top chair. He was followed by a lady in full armour, only her head was exposed. Her hair was jet black, and her eyes were purple. A sword hung by her side.
Her presence, though drowned by that of the king, was higher than that of the Dukes. She stood beside the King as he took his seat, her eyes watching the entire room.
The King sat down. He leaned back into the chair and then looked at the Dukes. "Have your seat," he said. His cold expression washed away in a second, and he seemed more approachable.
The Dukes sat down, their eyes locked on the King. The King cleared his throat and then spoke.
"It’s good to see you four again. The kingdom has been in a real up and down these days, it’s hard to gather together," he said.
"It’s been too long, my king," Ray said.
"I wish this could have been a normal meeting, but that’s not the case. Vermillion is currently in a state of panic, as I’m sure you four know already.
Sapphire pulled an attack that we weren’t expecting, and it’s throwing off the balance of the kingdom—attacking small towns and villages.
They do not care about weakening our forces. They simply want to kill," Andrew said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "We didn’t expect this," he said.
"My king, if I may," Robert spoke.
"Yes, go ahead," Andrew responded. View the correct content at NovelHub
"The kingdom currently lacks the manpower to handle the invasion from the small towns and villages, and if we don’t do something now, we might not make it in time.
Personally, I have readied several mercenary groups and paid them off to protect my regions and secure the people. Still, it might not be enough," he said.
"You have done well by moving fast, Robert. Every solution counts to making us win," Andrew said.
"I suggest to let it be," Peter said, his words taking them by surprise. He saw the confusion in their eyes, so he spoke to clarify.
"If we take what troops we have now—even with my troops—along with every Duke here and also the Royal Army, and send them to those towns and villages, we will be leaving the capital, as well as several other major cities, open for attack.
Let us send messages for the citizens to evacuate and head to the nearest large towns and cities for safety. We do not know the full plan of Sapphire, so leaving the capital unsafe is the worst thing we can do now," Peter explained.
"What you are suggesting is to leave citizens to their fates," Robert said aggressively.
"Yes, and what? They have been proffered a solution. All they need is their own grit and determination to survive," Peter responded.
"And what about the young and old?" Ray suddenly chipped in, his cold eyes looking at Peter, who sat by his side.
Peter frowned when he heard that. He looked at Ray. "Would you rather your capital is attacked and High Nobles along with the Royal Family be put at risk?" Peter asked.
"A life is a life, regardless of status. We cannot allow people to get killed because we wanted to prioritize the safety of some nobles," Robert said.