the wheels start to roll
The order of knights had an infirmary where they took Maxwell but he remained unconscious for hours.
According to Dr. Maxwell, he had two broken ribs, internal bleeding, and countless contusions. Medicine in these times was not exactly precise but the infirmary of the knight order had doctor evergrem, a direct descendant of the evergrem royal family, who possessed the very rare element of healing.
Andrea had no choice but to go home and leave him there. Anyway, there he was safer with the famous evergrem doctor.
What she didn't know was that when she had left the infirmary, the doctor wiped her affable smile from her face and looked coldly at her departure.
Lucia evergrem was 29 years old. She 19 of those years she lived within the empire when the knight blueflame kidnapped her. She had unusual pale green eyes and hair, small pink lips, fair skin with an explosive body.
Clenching her teeth and filled with determination Lucia she took a knife and approached Maxwell. She had heard how this boy of no more than 12 years had stood up to the immovable knight and had even been knighted, becoming the youngest in history.
She could not allow this child to live. if she did, she was allowing the empire to have another weapon of mass destruction in the future.
Just as she determinedly brandished the knife, Lucia heard a soft voice stop her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Lucia was paralyzed with surprise, her hands began to shake and panic invaded her.
Someone had seen her trying to kill Maxwell!! She couldn't allow that someone to live. if so, her head would be cut off tomorrow or something much worse.
I can not allow!! I have to kill him!! There can be no witnesses!
Lucia grabbed the knife and turned around looking for the possible witness. But as he did, all the color in her face disappeared.
In the large window of the infirmary that faced the outside was the shadow of a person. A bald, muscular man.
"D-Derek!" Lucia dropped the knife in desperation, trying to kill Derek with a simple knife was impossible. Few in the empire could seriously hurt him so it was impossible for her to kill him to silence him.
"Why are you trying to kill the child?" Derek asked a little intrigued. But he immediately shook his head. "You know what? Don't tell me, I don't want to know. But you can't touch that kid." He emphasized as he pointed at her.
"I'll leave him in your care, but you know what will happen if the child dies suddenly." With those words Derek jumped out of the fifth floor window and disappeared into the darkness.
Once his silhouette disappeared into the distance, Lucia sank limply to the ground. Sweat ran down her entire body as her limbs trembled. With a slightly stiff movement she directed her gaze from her to the sleeping Maxwell and narrowed her eyes.
"What the hell is Derek up to? And why didn't he kill me?"
+++++++++++++
In the vicinity of the animal mansion, within a dense forest were two figures sitting on a large stone.
"Are you sure this is the place?" John asked with a frown. He had long since grown weary of sharpening his sword.
"I'm sure. The note said this is the meeting place." Lydia gritted her teeth as she pulled a small note from her dress and passed it to her husband.
"What will he want?" John crumpled up the note.
"Money?" Lydia asked.
"Impossible. Although we are nobles, I don't earn much from my job and if someone discovered us, that person must also live in the noble district." John shook his head. "Besides, if that person wanted money he would have contacted me and not you."
His words made Lidia think a lot, she had not realized the intentions of her blackmailer. Anything she could give was something her husband could do too, and without consulting her.
Unless...
Lidia thought of a possibility, but she didn't want to share it with her husband for fear of her reaction.
"Most likely, he was aware of my presence." John sighed. They originally planned to ambush the blackmailer and after learning of his intentions, assassinate him. But even after waiting hours and hours, the person never showed up.
Both of them couldn't help but worry about the possibility that her blackmailer revealed her secret in revenge.
++++++++
Once Andrea, Filip and Adelaida arrived at the blackwater mansion, Adelaida couldn't help but jump excitedly and tell him in great detail everything that happened today in the order. She was jumping up and down every time she described how great Maxwell was and how he went toe-to-toe with a gentleman. But the more Silvia listened, the worse her expression returned.
Noticing this situation, Andrea sent Adelaida to her room and chatted with her mother in the study.
"What's wrong mom? You don't look good." she asked a little cautiously.
"How do you want her to be alright?!!" Silvia yelled hysterically as she smashed a vase against the wall.
Andrea got scared and huddled a little against her chair.
"Shit!! Shit!! Shit!!" Silvia started hitting the desk, chair and even the wall with anger.
"What happened?" Andrea asked with a little fear.
Silvia tried to calm down by taking deep breaths.
"See for yourself!" Silvia handed him a letter that she had received very recently.
Andrea received the letter skeptically and continued to read it. As she read more and more, Andrea couldn't help but be surprised, disappointed and eventually angry.
"How can you do such a stupid thing?" Andrea asked indignantly.
"I have my suspicions." Sylvia whispered.
What was written in her letter could be summed up in a few words.
The Marquess Blackwater rejected Maxwell's annexation as a Knight of his House.
A stupid decision in many ways. A noble baron was a rare thing to come by, even more so one with such a strong element. Any great house in the empire would be happy to welcome a prospect like Maxwell with open arms. Either to marry him to one of his daughters or to have another force in his ranks.
"What do you suspect?" Andrea asked very seriously.
"A few days ago Tobias told me that Veronica had used one of the ravens to communicate with the family." Silvia clenched her teeth in annoyance. "I didn't take it seriously at the time but maybe she convinced him to make that stupid decision."
"Veronica!!" Andrea growled through clenched teeth.
"Shit!!" Silvia freaked out and kicked one of the chairs furiously. "Now maxwell has shown terrifying battle power and has been knighted. It won't be long before the other houses contact him and offer to move houses, things will only get worse when they find out he isn't really our knight."
"You said that even if my father doesn't want him as a knight, then you will take him as ours." Andrea commented distressed. "You can not do that?"
"May l". Silvia walked around the study while she bit her teeth. "But what will you choose? Serve three simple women forgotten by their house, without money and property? Or serve a big house with a lot of money and even women?"
Both kept silent knowing very well what their decision would be.
+++++++++++
On the other side of the mansion and hidden in his room was Filip staring at the wall full of writings and in the center of it was Maxwell's name.
Lost in his thoughts, a smile slowly began to grace his normally stoic face.
"Maxwell! I have to get Maxwell on my side!"
++++++++++++++
The cold night fiercely invaded the homes and inns of the great city of Vinter. But the city seemed livelier than ever with innumerable streetlights lit, portraying a beautiful landscape against the White Snow.
The citizens smiled happily as they had a drink and celebrated, because after more than 6 long months of war, peace was in sight.
Today was the long-awaited day, the day of the coronation. In front of thousands of people who waited expectantly, the priests of the church presented themselves with their fine robes. Several rows of high-ranking knights and nobles also made an appearance, dropping to one knee and paying their respects to their new and future king.
Many protocol acts which the citizens ignored were carried out with extreme care. To as later receive a single person who walked calmly towards the great throne.
The person calmly and proudly sat on the great throne that towered above. One of the older priests approached the man with a crown in his hand and slowly placed it on top of the man's head. As he did so, the old priest couldn't help but look at him closely and get scared in the process. Half of the man's face was half melted and burned, plus he was missing an arm but no one in vinter dared to think of the man as someone weak.
Everyone knelt down in utmost respect, whether noble, commoner, or priest, and shouted in unison.
"Long live King Marcus magnar!!"
"Long live King Marcus magnar!!"
"Long live King Marcus magnar!!"
"Long live King Marcus magnar!!"