Plotted Against?

On the way back to the castle, Sir Leonidas stuck close beside me while Sir James carried the unconscious woman.

Sir James kept glancing at Sir Leonidas only for the man to keep staring straight as though carved out of rock.

As for my father, He strode ahead with his head tucked in.

We hadn't gone a quarter of the way before Lady Alina Drayke rushed towards us in a gale, fully armored with a long spear held ready in her hands.

A spear that vanished as she saw me and flung her hands about me.

"Who did this to you!" She hissed.

Smothered in her embrace, I could only communicate through muffled grunts, but it didn't take her more than a moment to see the unconscious woman held in Sir James's arms.

Eyes narrowing, she turned her head to her husband, and spoke, "War?"

"War," he replied.

Breaking into fierce laughter, Lady Alina let go of me before inspecting me.

Noting the many tears on the clothing and the blood that had covered me entirely, she scrunched her eyebrows together.

"Who healed you?" She asked.

Looking at Sir Leonidas, who was staring straight ahead still, I nodded toward him and said, "He did. With a green potion that closed all my wounds."

In a metallic voice, Sir Leonidas spoke, "The potion was unneeded. Your wounds were already closing as your warforce surged to them after you fainted."

"Ever the teacher, aren't you Leonidas," Said my mother as she marched towards him.

Lifting her head up to look at the tall man, she spoke, "Thank you."

Then, turning and grabbing the spear that had appeared again, she stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband and looked at the castle. Their castle.

"Didn't think that things would go this far," she remarked.

"Don't think that things have gone that far," Callum replied.

"No? Then what do you think is too far, Callum dear?" asked my mother, dangerously.

"Not with him," Callum said cryptically.

Understanding, my mother nodded and fell silent as we approached the castle.

All was normal. Abnormally so.

We passed through an entrance that was hidden and undetected, entering the castle where I was once again scrutinized and then washed up and clothed.

Meanwhile, my bloodied clothes were gathered and placed on an armor stand that was put into a finite stone.

In this time, the fake Sia had vanished along with Sir James, who looked grim as can be.

My parents stayed alongside me while giving out orders that I couldn't hear to their trusted aides like Frizelda, Sir Falmer, Sir Pierre, etc.

The air in the castle took on dangerous undertones as men and women moved with purpose inside.

As for me, after some time had passed, I was nearly knocked to the ground by the flying hug that Sia had tackled me with.

She had heard nothing, but she knew I had been injured and that was enough for her to almost worry herself out of her soul.

Holding onto me, she refused to let go, and I hugged her back even tighter as the memories of the fake Sia faded away like a tide.

Because I believed in her from the start.

I just needed to buy time and take her out with a single blow - which was that punch at close range.

Except she Baling turned out to be a silver rank.

I didn't know what was really going on, but I had my own suspicions.

I'm not stupid after all.

It's just I really didn't expect someone else to be so stupid.

All thoughts were banished as Ares rejoined us in the room.

I've never seen his face set in such hard lines before.

When he saw me bloodied and torn, his knees had almost buckled before he pulled himself together.

But now, he was like a stone. Hard and set.

Aaron was not there in the room because he and his mentor, Sir Patrick Raul, had gone to deliver something to someone. Something that was very important, apparently.

I wondered idly what it was before my thoughts were interrupted by the return of Sir James, who was wearing different clothing and looked grimmer than before.

"First, that boy Harold was found outside the city gates. He was waiting for his uncles and cousins." He said with a dark expression.

"The uncles and cousins he was waiting for are the same ones who ambushed Faustus and were killed by the silver rank. He didn't know of their plan though, he was just told to wait outside the gates."

"The silver rank in question?"

"Royal Family Knight, the changing blade, Dame Deianira - also known as the destroyer of men - a Knight who rose to fame in the last 50 years in the assassination world because she likes to change herself using her power to impersonate the loved ones of men and then murder them while savoring their despair."

Pausing, he commented heavily, "She has quite a twisted personality."

"The boy, Paul, was also seen in the capital beside the prince, but even more importantly, he's a believer in Gon. I shaved his hair, and I found a hidden finite stone that had an idol of Gon and a badge. We don't know what the badge was for, but the idol is indisputable proof."

My parents remained silent, the only change being that my father's fists were clenched tighter than before.

"What do we do now?" asked Sir James nervously, as he stole a look at Sir Leonidas, who was still standing in the shadows of the room.

"Leonidas recognized her too. You know what we must do," sighed Callum Drayke before he got to his feet, towering above most of the people in the room.

Resolutely, he said, "What we do is get justice for my child. Is anyone in disagreement? No? Then come, let us go."

"Go where?" I asked, confused.

"To see the King," said my mother, with a feral smile.

Stunned, I followed mutely behind my parents, Sir James, Sir Leonidas, Frizelda, and an unnamed hulking female who was carrying the unconscious Dame Deianira, who was hooded again.

Sia also accompanied me while Ares stayed behind to carry out instructions.

On the way, the castle appeared normal except for the curious glances that followed us as we passed by.

Then we were outside the King's chambers where three guards stood.

Two of them stood beside the door on either side.

The last one stepped forward, casting a suspicious eye at Dame Deianira's body that was lolling about in the hulking female's arms.

Then he respectfully asked my father what his purpose was in coming.

"To meet the King. Tell him it is of the gravest importance," my father said in a thunderous voice.

The guard went in and returned a few minutes later before escorting us inside.

We found the King sitting behind a desk, clad in a shirt that he had obviously thrown on in a hurry.

The King furrowed his brows as he saw the number of people come in and the people that made up our group.

His brows tightened further as he took in Dame Deianira's body.

"Callum. What is this about?" He asked brusquely.

"I think my son is better suited to say what this is about, but first, let me show you something."

Saying so, he took out the armor stand with my bloodied and tattered clothes on it.

The King's expression changed before he suddenly turned serious.

"This is?"

"Take your shirt off, Faustus." instructed my father.

I obliged and off came the shirt, revealing the fresh skin that was not a scar and yet a scar, as it stood out against the older, darker skin.

Narrowing his eyes, The King compared the scars and the armor stand before his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Who did this!?"

My Father inclined his head at me to speak and so I did.

I narrated everything from the moment that I met Paul, all the way till my father appeared, keeping the details of what I told them after I woke up to myself.

Callum closely watched the King's expression pale as the story continued all the way until he turned white as a sheet.

"It's good that you survived, it's good." The King mumbled.

Sharpening his eyes, The King said, "You suspect someone?"

Nodding, Count Callum said, "Yes,"

"Whom do you suspect?" The King said as he reclined in the chair and gazed at us with a powerful gaze. "I will bring him to justice for you!" He swore.

"Even if it is your son?"

"Even if it is my son." replied the King with a staunch expression on his face.

"But, I have to say, Callum, to accuse my son - you need proof."

My Father heavily nodded his head, before asking Sir James to remove the hood of the unconscious female.

Closely watching the King's expression, he saw surprise and incredulity flash past before his face settled into a steely mask as he saw Dame Deianira's face clearly before she was hooded again.

"Deianira?"

"Deianira," My Father affirmed.

"She was the silver knight you subdued? The one impersonating this girl?" The King asked as he swept his gaze over Alessia.

Mutely, my father stared back at the King.

Tapping his fingers on the table, the only sign of the King's agitation was the shaking of the table as he applied unconscious force upon it.

Lifting his head up, he called a bodyguard that I had not noticed from the shadows.

"Go find Alastor and bring him to me. Don't say a word to him about what has been said just now. Go!."

Looking around, I found my parents were not surprised by the appearance of the bodyguard, and neither were Sir James and Sir Leonidas.

Turning my attention back to the King, I wondered what Alastor would say and what we would do if he wasn't the culprit?