Chapter 33: The head that wears the crown

Lucia's eyes widened. Her heart dropped. She couldn't speak. Tears pricked her eyes. 

"He's dead?" She choked back the lump in her throat.

Keitel nodded soberly. He could see the anger sweep over Lucia's body.

  Her body convulsed. She clenched her fist. Tightening hard to control the shaking, her eyes diverted rigidly in front of her. Her chest began to rise. Unbridled rage rattled at her very core. How had she let this happen?

"I'll kill that fucking brat." She hissed.

Keitel looked at her with a look that neither pitied nor patronized. He believed her words.

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The ride back was unbearably tense. As expected, nothing useful had been found at the shack. Neither had the duchess been located. Several days after Victor left for the capital, still no word came. The energy between everyone was solemn and apprehensive.

Lucia didn't say another word for the whole journey. Her mind kept going over everything. If only she had been more careful. She couldn't help but blame herself. She was a knight Afterall, she didn't need protection. Why did he have to die protecting her? 

This was what she had dreaded all along. It was finally coming to pass. Things were moving. Had she set them off somehow by going back to Ramelle? Lucia couldn't help but believe she had become too complacent over these last months. Since her marriage, she had almost given up the idea of revenge. Everything appeared to be taken care of. Why did she have to interfere? 

Now DB was dead. The thought sunk in. As a general in her past life, she had become detached from the concept of death. If anything death would have been a relief from her life. A glorious and noble death was an honourable thing. The moment she had been convicted, It was not a sentence of death that had enraged her. It was an erasure. Everything about her was rewritten. It was like she never existed. 

That is the wickedest way to kill someone. DB's death was noble at least. But, Lucia couldn't accept it. She had stopped fearing her own death. What was infinitely scarier was watching someone else die. Knowing you can't protect them and the feeling of powerlessness was insufferable. 

She swore to herself when she got this new life, she wouldn't form any attachments. She told herself she didn't need them to get her revenge. Yet, she had met with kindness that she had never known. The kindness she didn't feel she deserved. It wasn't right. It wasn't right! 

Lucia repeated the words over and over in her mind. She could no longer live her life indifferent to the shift in the balance she had caused. The idea of being a wife, a princess and this fairy tale life in the capital seemed like a distant memory. It was incomprehensible to Lucia now. She hated herself for believing even for a moment that happiness like that could be hers. 

She was brought back to this life as an avenging angel. The gods didn't punish her for wanting to get revenge. They punished her for wavering. 

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The atmosphere in the palace was eerily quiet. 

"Where is everyone?" Keitel asked at once. He felt uneasy.

Driven by instinct, he and Lucia made their way to the throne room. A swath of guards blocked their path. Keitel's knights instantly raised their swords.

"You dare raise your sword to the crown Prince?!" Albaric yelled.

"We have our orders, Sir." A guard retorted.

Keitel took a step forward. He had his hand on his sword.

"Orders from who ?" He demanded. The guards looked at each other doubtfully.

"The Emperor." One stated flatly.

Keitel examined them sharply. They began to falter.

"He said for you to wait until he summons you." The guard added with some trepidation.

Keitel exhaled. There was something strange. His father always took reports right away. In fact, he demanded it. Keitel decided we would rather face his father's wrath now than be left with this uneasy feeling.

"I will see the Emperor now. Move out of the way or I'll cut you down." Keitel commanded.

The guards shifted uncomfortably. A stack off began. The tension was cutting. Suddenly, the doors to the throne room opened. The minister of finance meandered into the crowd. He pulled back the guards.

"Your Majesty, I am come from the Emperor's side. He will see you now." He schmoozed. Keitel eyed him suspiciously but decided not to question him further. The guards cleared a path. Keitel led the party into the throne room. Lucia went by his side. The rest of the knight followed.

As soon as Keitel laid eyes on the throne, his expression grew cold. Everyone stared at the throne in bewilderment.

"Welcome back brother." Laurence waved. He sat above the throne with an air of superiority. He was leaning on one hand with his legs crossed arrogantly. Watching Keitel's face gave him unending satisfaction. Upon his head was the royal crown. He was dressed in the Empire's colours. He threw his brown head back with haughty vindication. 

"Don't knights bow before the Emperor these days?" Laurence smiled. "I only want to talk to my brother and his wife. Send the rest of the flies away."

Keitel's jaw clenched. He inhaled sharply. The rest of the guards began to filter in and surround the group. More knight's arrived. Keitel's party were forced out of the throne room. There was no sign of Victor or the Sword Saint. The situation looked grave. Keitel and Lucia remained in front of Laurence. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Keitel interrogated.

"Isn't it obvious?" Laurence dismissed. "Don't tell me you weren't sick to death of the old man too. He used to push you around like a game piece to his disposal. I thought you'd be happy!"

"Where is father?" Keitel questioned in a low voice. His eyes grew fierce. The air began to crackle with electric current.

"You had your chance to kill me, brother! It's much too late now." Laurence burst into demented laughter. He leaned forward with an unnatural enthusiasm.

"Laurence, I'm only going to ask you one more time. Where is father?"

"Where is father?! Is that really what you want to ask me?" Laurence clapped his hands together gleefully. "Forget about that piece of shit. You should be more worried about yourself!"

"Did you kill the Emperor?!" Keitel snapped.

Laurence titled his head back indifferently. 

"I am the Emperor," Laurence smirked. "Now, brother, not even you can fight off all our knights at once. I suggest you come quietly. That is, while I'm still feeling generous."

Keitel knew that words were of no use. He unsheathed his sword and aimed at Laurence. Correspondingly, Laurence raised an eyebrow challengingly. A line of knights created a wall separating the pair.

"Throw my brother in the dungeon until he calms down. As for the lovely wife, I don't think we need her anymore."Laurence ordered.

Lucia stepped forward. She knew these knights. 

"Don't do this." She warned. "You're making a mistake."

The knights advanced toward them. Lucia held up a hand. She motioned for Keitel to go to the door. A ball of fire engulfed the throne room. The knight's raised their shields.  Laurence and his men quickly ducked out the backdoor.

Lucia used the confusion of the smoke and fire to follow after Keitel. Escaping through the doors, Lucia and Keitel were met with a mass of knights. All Empire knights could use mana. However, it had only been Lucia and Keitel's squadron that had been trained by the sword saint himself. They had an advantage. The problem was that they were outnumbered.

Keitel exhaled sharply. His mind was racing. Was his father really dead? Worse yet, could his own brother have killed him? Somehow, he couldn't believe it. Yes, Laurence's actions had become more outlandish over the years. But murder? Keitel didn't want to believe it. However, the evidence seemed apparent. Laurence had schemed for him to leave the capital. It must have been so he could usurp the throne.

Keitel looked down at the knights in front of him. These were men he knew. It was shocking that they would go along with Laurence's plan. There was definitely something wrong. Either way, there seemed like no way of getting out of this mess without bloodshed. Keitel glanced back at Lucia.

"I'll create a diversion. You make a break for it." Keitel whispered to her.

Lucia shook her head. "No! I'm not leaving you. Forget it!"

"I know my brother. He won't kill me straight away. You need to bring the Sword Saint. It's the only way we'll get the knights back on side." Keitel glanced desperately towards Lucia.

Lucia's head was still shaking. Was there no other way? The troops were moving in. A bloody battle was about to break. This was the only chance. She focused on Keitel once more. Her eyes burned resolutely.

"I will come back for you," She swore. Her heart wavered. Was this the right thing to do? She took a step back reluctantly. The knights moved in. With a swipe of his blade,  Keitel sent a wall of ice between Lucia and the knights.

Lucia bolted down the corridor and out into the courtyard. There was a rumble from behind. She could hear the metal of swords clanking. She dug her nails into her hand and continued running. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a squadron of knights. She ducked agilely behind a hedge in the rose garden. She scanned the path in front. She darted towards the capital.