TRUTH REVEALED.”
The audience room of the Gran Flamm’s royal castle was enveloped in an odd ambiance. Viscount Rion Frey, a rumored rebel, had finally accepted royal summons after an unprecedented dispatch of Knight Commander Frederick to Bandeaux to hold talks. On top of that, the unruly noble had been given a warm welcome and granted a personal audience with the royal couple. It was not a private meeting, though. Arnold, the Crown Prince, and an assortment of high ranking officials from different civil and military government branches would take part. And hardly any of them had an inkling of what was actually about to happen.
Soon enough, Rion arrived in the audience hall. Many of those present felt anxiety prompted by uncertainties raised by this occasion. Others, the hardline opponents of Viscount Frey, were watching the proceedings with bitterness in their hearts. For them this audience was completely unnecessary. The Crown Marshal, a figurehead of this faction, was not even trying to hide his displeasure despite the presence of the King. This behavior only aggravated the existing anxieties.
「…He is here.」
Impersonal mutterings hard to attribute to anybody in particular could be heard from different sections of the room. And indeed, Rion crossed the threshold being lead by Frederick inside.
He was the full focus of all kind of stares that had various degrees of hostility and fear mixed in, but he didn’t care much. Rion had already gotten used to unpleasant attention of others.
He and Frederick proceeded towards the throne quietly. The Knight Commander approached the King and knelt in front of his liege. And Rion sprang into motion.
In one fluid motion he eased the blade from Frederick’s waist and moved towards the throne[…]