Pirate Kingship-Chapter 667 - 463 Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, Civil War Begins (6400 Merge)

In the floral hall, there was only Anne Neville and five other unmarried young ladies.

Their unique custom-made gowns were distinctive, complementing each lady's own personality—valiant, adorable, aloof... a sight to take one out of the mundanity of life.

Within this small circle of Neutral Faction noble daughters, Anne held the highest status as the sole daughter of the Marquis.

It was precisely because of the Marquis of Neville's possession of the First-Class Holy Relic, "Tyrant's Arrogance—Dictator's Rod," that the Neutral Faction had the confidence to hedge their bets between the York Party, Lancaster Party, Royalist Party, and Earl's Party.

When "Death Stranding" happened, they were still comforting Anne Neville, who was sorrowful after her return to Ganquan Palace, being reminded of her lost love.

Those present were her closest confidantes, and they all knew of her engagement to Edward Lancaster, the sole son and primary heir of [Mad King] Henry VI.

They chattered and consoled:

"Anne, you shouldn't be sad anymore. Prince Edward, who lies in slumber in the Hall of Valor, surely wouldn't want you to continue being downcast.

A year has passed, and no matter how strong your feelings were for each other, it's time to step out and face a new life."

"Yes, you've hardly been out this year and have lost so much weight."

Some, indignant at the relentless courting by [Devil Duke] Richard, spoke more sharply:

"The York Family is full of despicable cowards. Unable to defeat Lancaster openly, they resort to tricks and schemes.

The Church, which should have stood for justice, is in cahoots with them.

If Lancaster were still here, Anne, you would already be Queen Consort."

"Right, that Richard, a toad lusting after swan meat, doesn't even look at what he himself is like.

It's not just about living with him; even a sudden encounter at night would be like facing an Evil Spirit, frightful enough to scare one to death. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

And he dares to hover around our Anne with designs on her."

Ordinary people might fear the Devil Duke's power, but these heiresses of noble lineages spanning centuries feared neither the King nor a mere brother of the King.

Ever since [King of the Displaced] John signed the Magna Carta, the kings of Hightins indeed hadn't held much sway.

Hearing her sisters' words gave Anne Neville a touch of warmth, but forgetting her love of many years was not that easy.

After chatting for a while, one of the outspoken ladies suddenly blurted out:

"What if our uncles and great-uncles from the faction decide to side with the Royalist Party and require one of us to marry that Dwarf for a political alliance?"

The floral hall instantly fell silent.

While they enjoyed the various resources, Extraordinary Knowledge, and privileges from their families, how could they avoid paying the price at critical moments?

They were already much better off than the common folk struggling to live; if they only pursued freedom, individuality, and love for themselves, it would be utterly irresponsible.

As for "You lost just a leg, but she lost her love," that was a cringeworthy, worldview-shattering sentiment, far outside the considerations of normal people.

When the sisters brought up arranged marriage, Anne's eyes dimmed further.

How fortunate it would be if a political marriage happened to be with someone you loved?

Edward was the same age as her, and the upper echelon of the Kingdom's Nobility was a small circle; the two had known each other since childhood.

Apart from receiving foundational family education, they were classmates from public school to university.

Both were part of the Tribunal Sequence—one a Law Mage, the other a Knight of Judgment—both majoring in law.

Everyone thought this would be a beautiful love story, culminating in a wedding straight out of a fairy tale, where the prince and princess encounter each other perfectly.

But the White Rose York Family destroyed everything.

The happiness Anne once felt was now equal in measure to her pain.

Maybe... I should have clung to Edward's hand then, not let him push me away, and been swallowed by the [Northern Sea Leviathan Kraken] together with him. Bayfolk's Valhalla Hall of Heroes? Being consumed by a transcendental entity, I fear when my soul returns to the Netherworld, I'll never see him again.

As the primary heir to [Mad King] Henry VI, Edward had not joined Byron and the others in the battle at the Strait of Dover but stayed in the Royal Capital with Queen Margaret.

Even Byron and this group of ladies were unaware that, at the time of the incident, this young couple in love was actually sitting right here in this floral hall.

Anne Neville had also witnessed Edward being dragged into a Dream Realm by tentacles reaching out from the void.

In a moment of realization, the scene of their life-and-death separation seemed as if it had happened just yesterday.

Just as she found herself sinking into sorrow once again, her ears twitched, and she warned the other sisters, "Be careful, there are intruders."

Then, a series of clashing and screams from outside reached them.

Though startled, they did not panic; despite being a group of young ladies, they were all heiresses of Great Nobles, themselves Transcendents.

Influenced by Marquis Thomas Neville, the faction leader, they were all female Knights of Judgment, who, aside from studying law, also underwent military-style knight training.

Their skills far surpassed some pampered non-combatant male nobles outside.

RIP—!

They tore off the cumbersome parts of their gowns to avoid hindrance, snapped the heels of their shoes with a stomp, and each drew a short sword from the scabbards strapped to their thighs.