119: Arkin's revenge

Arkin's revenge

The first order of business was finding the Archduke in his study and informing him about Rauul's oath.0

Adela's apprehension grew as she made her way through the manor's garden, the charged atmosphere permeated the air, and the usually well-manicured garden now felt burdened and oppressive as if nothing around was unaffected by Larissa's disappearance.

Spotting Arkin in the distance right in front of the Archduke's study, she called out to him.

"Arkin!"

He appeared to have heard her, yet disregarded her, causing her heart to race against her chest. She quickened her pace as the guard opened the door to him with a salute.

"Lady Adelaide," the guard acknowledged as she passed him by, hastening her steps to catch up with Arkin. She saw him through the hallway, his hand hesitated on the doorknob to the door between him and Kaiser.

"Arkin?"

To her surprise, he pushed the door open without even bothering to knock!

She hurriedly approached intending to take part in their conversation, but her hopes were shattered when she heard the unmistakable sound of the door being bolted from the inside.

Panicked, she pressed her ear and the palms of her hands against the door, desperate to glean any understanding of what was transpiring inside.

"…Commander, your manners are becoming a concern to me. You need to set a better example for your subordinates."

Arkin's voice came filled with defiance, "The almighty Kaiser de Lanark, how about you try practicing what you preach one of these days?"

She flinched with the following thud, her mind conjured an image of her father's fist pounding on his desk.

"Watch that tongue of yours," Kaiser warned.

"Or?" Arkin laughed, "Will you say 'off with his head'? And forfeit the perfectly carved alibi you created by convincing everyone that you were protecting my life all those years?"

Her father's voice grew quiet, "…I was protecting your life."

"Save your breath! There is nothing you can say to make me believe that I breathe now for reasons other than your own self-interest... Now, are you prepared to face the consequences for the real life that you robbed me of?"

"Father…" she whispered from behind the door.

Arkin's words took a different turn, revealing the extent of the situation. "You need to know that all the lands House von Conradie bought are now in my possession. Whether I burn the better half of Lanark to the ground or sell it off in pieces to the greedy nobles, it's up to me!"

There was a brief silence, followed by Kaiser's heavy sigh. "Father would have ended your life before it began..."

Bitter laughter escaped Arkin's lips. "Death would have been better than this roleplay… But your precious Grace would have blamed you for it, right?... Is that how you managed to sleep well all those nights?"

Filled with shame and sorrow, Adela lowered her head, unable to face the cruelty of the situation unfolding between her father and her brother.

Kaiser's response came soft and slow, "You are young... You will make mistakes... Just as I did."

Adela heard a scoff, but she couldn't determine its source.

"Then lose sleep thinking about your land being torn into pieces, Your Excellency."

As the door was unbolted and opened, she was met with Arkin's pale face and blazing hazel eyes. Adela met his gaze with a mixture of hurt, confusion, and an unspoken plea for understanding.

"Don't look at me with those eyes. I won't back down," he declared firmly.

Her heart ached with the realization that they now stood on opposing sides, their once-unbreakable connection strained to its limits.

"It's clear. Otherwise, you would have stopped when I called out to you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Adelaide," came the Archduke's tired voice from behind the partially open door.

Adela walked past Arkin and closed the door behind her, shutting out the tension that lingered between them.

"Why did you come here, Adelaide..." Kaiser asked wearily.

She swallowed, pushing aside her empathy for the man she once regarded as infallible.

"Father, in the desert, I met the son of the Duke."

His frown deepened as he tried to piece together the significance of her words. "You met the Duke's...," he started to say before changing his train of thought, "...You met a young man named Rauul?"

"Sir Rauul, yes. He assisted me in retrieving Arkin, and he also pledged his loyalty to me through an oath of fealty."

Shock registered on her father's face, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. When he placed a hand over his heart, an acute pang of concern shot through her.

"Is it your heart again?"

"…You tell me?" he responded with a tired smile.

She walked until she was by his seat and crouched next to him, holding his hand she tried to sense anything amiss with his heart. 

He scoffed, his voice laced with self-mockery. "That strange Healer was right then. The problem is here," he touched his head, indicating his mind.

Father doesn't know that Rauul is the Healer...

"That is good news indeed, Adelaide. It came just in time," the Archduke acknowledged, taking a deep breath. "I plan to seek an annulment of your sister's marriage through the Emperor of Kolhis if it hasn't been consummated yet."

Adela's heart skipped a beat, "And if she has consummated the marriage?" 

He hesitated, "...I might just give Emanuel what he had always wanted."

"What does His Majesty want, Father?"

Kaiser chuckled bitterly, "Many things... But perhaps at the top of that list would be a different land for him to govern."

The idea seemed incomprehensible to Adela. 

"His Majesty and I seldomly agreed on something, Adelaide, but there are some things he might have been right about... I should go see him."

Recalling her promise to Egon, Adela placed a hand on her father's forearm, her eyes pleading for a moment's pause.

"Father, please, wait until this evening before taking any action," she implored.

He gave her a cold stare, his patience wearing thin. "Your mind may be clouded from the journey and the stressful events, but we do not have time to waste waiting."

She shook her head, desperately trying to convey that something significant was unfolding on the von Conradie's side regarding Larissa's situation. However, before she could articulate her thoughts, an urgent knock resounded through the room, abruptly interrupting their conversation.

"What in the name of God has gotten into you?" the Archduke roared in frustration. "No one is to disturb me in this place until I come out, except in the case of a breach in Lanark's security!"

A servant's voice trembled with urgency from the other side of the door. "Your Excellency, it's an emergency. The von Conradies have shut the eastern entrance of the forest, declaring it a war zone!"

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