"Great one, I will restore the worship of the old gods," Prince George promised.
The seer studied him carefully, sensing that he had more to say.
"The worship of the old gods has been suppressed for so long. If I suddenly restore it, there might be unrest. After I ascend the throne, give me half a year. Then, I will begin readjusting the laws," Prince George said, watching the seer’s reaction. Seeing that he did not appear pleased, he quickly added, "Do not worry. During this time, I will ensure that no one caught practicing the old ways is executed."
The seer finally nodded in agreement. He did not desire war, for the faithful were few. If a conflict arose, they could easily be wiped out.
"Then, will you help me?" Prince George asked.
"Yes," the seer agreed. He had long known that this prince sought the throne, but he was too cautious. Caution was good, but those who wished to change their fate had to be willing to take risks.
"What must I do?" Prince George asked.
"You will return to the royal city and bring back a handful of your brother’s hair, a small cup of his blood, and a large white sheep without dark spots," the seer instructed.
Prince George stiffened at the requirements. Obtaining his brother’s hair would be easy; there was trust between them. A sheep was simple enough to buy. But his brother’s blood... That would be difficult.
The kingdom was peaceful; his brother had no reason to go to war. Though they could spar, Prince George’s skills were not as refined as his brother’s, so he could not injure him easily under the guise of training. Even if he managed to wound him, how could he discreetly collect a cup of blood without raising suspicion?
"You must figure out how to obtain these things," the seer said. He could guess the prince worry.
Prince George had no choice but to leave. As he walked away, the seer’s voice echoed behind him.
"It would be best if you return within a month. After that, war will break out, and it will be much harder for you to steal the throne or have anything to do with it."
Prince George clenched his fists as he left. He needed to carefully plan how to obtain his brother’s blood without arousing suspicion.
For the next two weeks, Prince George plotted against his brother. He thought of various ways to get him injured, but none seemed viable. Even if he succeeded in hurting him, if he could not collect the blood, it would be useless.
As the days passed without success, Prince George grew anxious. He set a trap to make his brother fall from a horse, but the crown prince skillfully jumped off before he could be harmed. Every plan failed. Worse, his brother began to notice the series of near accidents and suspected that someone was targeting him.
Though the crown prince investigated, he never suspected Prince George. In fact, he confided in him, warning him to be careful.
Prince George was relieved that his brother still trusted him. He even joined the investigation, using the opportunity to erase any traces that could link the incidents back to him.
With only seven days left of the one month, their father, the king, announced that the crown prince would marry the daughter of the Duke of Ironhaven.
Upon hearing this news, Prince George recalled the seer’s warning. There would be war in a few days time. If his brother and the Duke becomes closer during this time, it would not be to his favor.
The Duke of Ironhaven commanded a military force strong enough to rival the royal army. Prince George suspected that his father was arranging this marriage to secure the duke’s loyalty. It was a wise political move, but for George, it meant his chances of becoming crown prince were even slimmer.
"Congratulations, brother," Prince George said with a warm smile. No matter what he thought, it did not show on his face.
"Thank you," replied Prince Christopher, the crown prince, clearly pleased with the news.
"Brother... have you already met the lady from the duke’s family?" Prince George asked.
"I will not lie to you," Christopher said. "I traveled to Ironhaven and met her. She is fair to look upon, and I do like her. But I have always known that my marriage would not be my choice. I spoke to Father about it, and to my surprise, after a few weeks, he agreed."
"Then I must congratulate you again. Come, let us celebrate with some drinks," Prince George suggested.
He took his brother to an entertainment hall known for its talented dancers and fine wine, claiming it was to celebrate his engagement to the woman he loved. He also invited a few friends to join the joyous occasion.
Prince Christopher, feeling safe in the company of his brother and friends, drank freely. Prince George, however, drank little. In fact, the wine he consumed contained only a small amount of alcohol.
Hours passed. As the night wore on, Prince Christopher and the others became thoroughly drunk.
"It’s late. Let us head back," Prince George said. Thıs text ıs hosted at n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net
The group stumbled toward their carriages, their servants ready to escort them home. The two princes had arrived in the same carriage, so they left together.
However, as they walked toward it, a drunken George staggered and bumped into his brother.
Caught off guard, Christopher’s attendants failed to steady him in time, and he struck his hand against the carriage door, sustaining a small injury.
"The prince is hurt!" a guard exclaimed.
"Quickly! Help him into the carriage and tend to the wound," another ordered.
They hurried to assist the crown prince. Meanwhile, Prince George continued to feign drunkenness and joined them inside. After dealing with the injury the servants were asked out by prince George.
This was a common occurrence, so no one thought it suspicious.
Prince Christopher, exhausted from the night’s revelry, soon fell asleep.
Seizing the opportunity, Prince George carefully reopened his brother’s wound and used a small wooden bottle to collect his blood. He succeeded because he had secretly drugged Christopher’s last drink.
After all is brother was a soldier and he would never pass out from drinking.
No one would suspect anything. The crown prince had been drunk. Even if he found the situation odd later, he would not think to blame his brother.
Moreover, the injury was minor; nothing serious enough to cause alarm.
Prince George was so happy that night that he could not sleep. He obtained both hair and blood and so he could visit the seer before the war he predicted broke out.