Heart Over Sword-Chapter 299: Northern Throne (2)

Annika would be taken to her rooms and tended to. "And Princess Marna," Conrad added. "Make sure her nanny remains by her side and Bjorn stands guard all night."

One of the guards paused by the princess. "Um, your majesty..." His lips quivered.

"What is it? Spit it out."

"Princess Marna’s nanny was caught in the fighting. She is dead, Your Majesty."

Marna sniffled, then, with widened eyes, covered her mouth and stared at Conrad in fear- in fear that he might slaughter her for making such a noise. She’d never feared her brother before this day. But now her nanna was slain, and it wasn’t even intentional.

Conrad could see his sister’s fear and wanted to distinguish it. They’d never had such a bad relationship before. Marna was pure and innocent, and life in this war-driven, bloody palace was not suited to someone like her. He would ease his sister’s anxiety another day. She was not his priority right now.

With a sigh, he waved his hand. "Fine. Make sure a chambermaid helps her change and bathe." Bjorn will probably comfort her. As long as he didn’t touch Marna, Conrad was fine with their friendship. Bjorn had only been Marna’s personal guard this last year after she travelled through one of the fallen kingdoms and was taken hostage.

Those who had been guarding Marna were executed under King Horik’s command. Bjorn, a well-known warrior rising through the ranks, was then appointed to his sister. Surprisingly, the brute and his delicate sister became friends. Neither spoke much, so it made sense.

Marna and Annika were taken away, though their mother had collapsed after struggling in the guard’s arms, aggressively scratching his face until her energy was spent. On the other hand, Marna looked over her shoulder, curiosity and fear hidden beneath her gaze as she looked at Conrad once more before the double doors to the throne room closed behind her.

"There are only a few kingdoms left we need to conquer. The empire is growing, and these have access to other trades and materials Hatherland needs. It would be better to have them bow to us than pay for ridiculous taxes," Conrad began. The brothers nodded, their hands held behind their backs, waiting like good warriors for their orders.

The three brothers left their father on the cold floor and turned to the board room, where maps and figurines were placed and pinned across the large oak table. Unlike the rest of the palaces, which were opulent with gold and jewels, this room was dark and drab. It matched the mood of any that strategised the next moves of the empire. Conrad stared at the map, their forces that had now taken over most of the north and one or two kingdoms on the borders of Dunhurst.

It was mighty, beautiful and all his. Most of this map of these conquered kingdoms, was all his doing anyway. Without him, the empire wouldn’t be as large right now, and that was how he managed to take over the throne. His father and the Crown Prince had been too arrogant to believe he would not use his armies to his advantage against them.

After a few hours in the room with Harald, Halvar and a few others, Conrad turned to his father’s study. Although he felt exhausted, his body was still wired from the adrenaline of usurping the throne. It was past 2am, and the halls were still being cleaned. King Horik’s body was taken away, but his smell still lingered in his study.

Conrad sat on his chair in the dim lighting of the flickering candelabra he placed on the desk. He stared at the papers that were neatly stacked to the side. It was a surprising side of his father that he was organised. But one should be collected when conquering so many kingdoms.

While tapping his finger and sipping on the whiskey Horik hid at the bottom of his desk, Conrad’s gaze caught on a fancy card with a flower attached to the front. He picked it up and instantly scrunched the paper in his hand, eyes blazing from the words he’d read.

It was an invitation to Evanna’s wedding.

⚔

Sitting comfortably on his horse, the new emperor, Conrad, watched the silent battlefield before him. It was the last kingdom before Dunhurst, and he made his intentions clear to King Osian. Dunhurst would be next. The wedding was two weeks away now.

Bodies were piled on the ground, but there hadn’t been much of a fight. The kingdom itself had already surrendered before any battle, but there had been rebel forces refusing to bend the knee to the overpowering Hatherland empire. Those forces had now been distinguished, and his army would continue forward.

His brother, Arvid, was still in hiding, frustratingly so, but Conrad wasn’t an impatient man. He’d spent years bating his time until he was more powerful and capable of usurping the throne. He had spies everywhere and mostly everyone under his control. If Arvid tried an uprising, it would be quelled swiftly.

In fact, Conrad wanted his brother to stir an uprising. It would smoke out his enemies, and he would eventually find and kill the Crown Prince. All that had been left to his perfect little plan was having the ideal empress by his side. Evanna.

Sure, she could marry that prince and live happily in the woods. But he could still make her a widow. He could conquer those lands. He could do anything he set his mind to.

’Yes. Take what is rightfully yours...’ That voice whispered in his mind again. Instead of ignoring it, he gladly accepted it.

Conrad closed his fist, imagining his future wife was within his grasp. With Evanna by his side, he’d be unstoppable.

"Your Majesty!" Horse’s hooves pounded against the hardened, grassy ground. A guard raced towards him, eyes bright, blood splattered across his armour.

They’d been venturing forward the last couple of days. There should be no issues, especially since they were not slaughtering villages on their way. What was this then?

"What is it?" Conrad asked, tugging on the reins of his horse.

"There are..." The guard paused, frowning in confusion.

"What?" Conrad snapped, gaze moving from the guard and to where he’d come from. He was one of the scouts and had gone into one of the forests to search for any hidden traps, armies, or rebels.

"Monsters... Monsters from Direwood forest."

Conrad’s men, those who had gone with him to their little party, snapped their heads to attention just as the emperor did. "What did they look like?"

The more the guard described them, the more Conrad was sure of one thing. Whatever had been keeping these creatures in the forest had been broken. There was a much bigger threat than his army to these kingdoms now, including his own.

The Faceless were loose.

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