All members of the Black Order had gathered at Rantschka, save for a few who were required to remain at their posts. Lukas stood at the front, his black eyes darker than usual as he looked over the knights lined up in three orderly ranks on either side.
“The Emperor has returned to the gods.”
At Lukas’s solemn declaration, every knight dropped to one knee and bowed their heads in unison.
Bwooo!
A mournful trumpet blast echoed across all of Rantschka, signaling the Emperor’s passing.
“I’ll be heading to Crown Castle to attend His Majesty’s funeral. In the meantime, Jackson will oversee the protection of this place.”
“Then who will be escorting Their Highnesses?”
“The escort will be minimal. Only Keaton and Joe will accompany us.”
“Two people won’t be enough. The journey alone is treacherous, not to mention the unknowns waiting for us at Crown Castle.”
Jackson jumped in, his voice raised.
“I’ve already sent word to Tessa. He’ll join the party along the way.”
“That’s not the point, Jeord!”
Jackson barked back at the other man, his expression fierce.
“Agmund—ahem, His Highness the Crown Prince—insisted that the escort remain as small as possible, citing the need to maintain security at Rantschka.”
“What? Agmund said that?”
Jackson grimaced at Jeord’s words.
“Jeord, Jackson. Watch your tongues. Who knows what ears the Crown Prince may have inside this castle?”
Lukas chuckled dryly, and while Jeord cleared his throat awkwardly, Jackson only furrowed his brow in disbelief.
“Is that what we should be worried about right now?”
“Don’t worry, Jackson. It’s not like my brother would actually try to kill me at our father’s funeral.”
“…”
“Well, maybe he wants to—but it won’t be easy. He doesn’t even have a proper reason to do it.”
But Lukas knew better.
If Agmund needed a reason, he could always fabricate one.
Still, there was no way around it. Skipping the Emperor’s funeral would only hand Agmund the justification he needed to make a move.
“We leave before dawn tomorrow. Make the preparations, Jeord.”
“Yes, Your Highness. But what about Her Grace?”
“I’ll speak to her myself.”
Truthfully, Lukas had wanted to leave Adrienne behind. If anything were to go wrong, her presence would become a major problem.
But that, too, was out of his hands.
It was the Crown Prince’s command.
The command of Agmund Ken Rahel—soon to be the next Emperor of the Rodia Empire.
“Kitten. Prepare to depart immediately with Joe.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
“Return to your posts. There’s no one left to mourn, and no time to grieve.”
One by one, the knights standing in neat formation began to file out.
Lukas rubbed his temples with a sigh.
“Agmund… he can come up with a hundred reasons to kill you, Luke.”
Jackson, now alone, stared pointedly at Lukas. He was the most physically powerful warrior in the Black Order, and concern shone clearly in his eyes as he looked at his friend.
“So what, you want to fight him, Jackson?”
“That’s not what I—!”
“There’s no way out of this. Agmund is no longer a Crown Prince. He’s the Emperor now. You think I can survive defying his orders?”
“Damn it! But if he’s insisting on a minimal escort…”
“Even if he didn’t, I couldn’t march out of here with a full guard. Someone has to stay behind and protect Rantschka. Isn’t that right? This place is ours now, Jackson.”
“But still…”
“No buts.”
Lukas slowly shook his head at him.
Jackson’s face was red with frustration, but after a long sigh, it began to return to its usual calm.
“You guard this place. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gritting his teeth, Jackson lowered one knee to the ground.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, Your Highness.”
Lukas patted his shoulder gently, and Jackson’s mouth curled into a faint smile.
Lukas then stepped inside. Yuria, noticing his presence, nudged Adrienne’s arm. Startled, Adrienne quickly stood up.
“You must have heard. We leave for Crown Castle tomorrow.”
At his words, Adrienne nodded quietly, her face somber.
[Are you okay?]
Her hands moved hesitantly, cautiously gauging his mood.
“…Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Yuria, could you give us a moment?”
Lukas answered Adrienne but cut Yuria off firmly.
“Ah… yes. I’ll step out now, Your Highness.”
Bowing slightly, Yuria gave Adrienne a glance before leaving the room.
“We’ll travel with only the essential people. Yuria won’t be coming, so be aware of that.”
Adrienne nodded.
“I’ll say this again: I’m fine. My father and I… we were never close anyway—”
Before he could finish, Adrienne wrapped her arms around his waist.
Her slender hands gently patted his back, and against all expectations, Lukas felt a rush of relief.
“…This isn’t a situation that calls for comfort, Adrienne.”
He gently pulled her away from him.
Adrienne’s eyes trembled in surprise.
“I can’t promise we’ll be safe.”
Nod.
“If things go wrong… one of us, or even both of us, could lose our lives.”
Nod. Nod.
“Why are you… nodding like it’s nothing? I just said I could die, you know?”
Lukas scoffed, almost mocking her.
“I’m not saying this lightly. It could really happen.”
That was the reality.
Agmund had always wanted him dead. Hated him enough to act on it.
[It’s okay. Because you’ll be with me.]
“…What was that?”
Why did her cheeks flush like that? Lukas stared at her, but Adrienne showed no signs of repeating herself.
“We’ll stay in Crown Castle for five days—unless something unexpected happens.”
Nod.
“Pack light. I’ll have something prepared for the coronation ceremony, but you’ll need a proper dress for the funeral.”
So just two outfits: one for the funeral, and one for the coronation. Adrienne nodded again in acknowledgment.
By dawn, CastleRantschka was abuzz with movement. The journey to the funeral of Xerses—Emperor of Rodia and lord of this land—was about to begin.
Only four people would make the trip: Lukas, Adrienne, and their two guards—Kitten and Joe.
Seeing them off were Jeord, Darren, and Yuria.
“Safe travels, Your Highness.”
“You’ll have a lot on your plate while we’re gone, Jeord.”
“Don’t worry about us. Please take care of Their Highnesses.”
Despite Lukas’s attempt at humor, Jeord’s face remained tense.
“My life’s on the line for this, Jeord. You can rest easy.”
“Keaton is one of the most capable knights in the Black Order,” Jeord assured him.
Joe puffed up his chest proudly. “With me supporting him, there’s no way anything will happen. We’ll protect Their Highnesses with our lives.”
“I’m counting on you, Joe.”
Darren, who had been silent until now, smiled and patted Joe’s shoulder. Joe had been the first apprentice knight in Rantschka to be promoted to the main force. Young, but skilled and strong-willed—he was second only to Kitten in swordsmanship.
“Darren, I leave the castle and the people in your hands.”
“No matter what, the commander and I will defend this place. So please, Your Highness… come back safely.”
Though Darren’s voice was blunt, his eyes were full of concern.
“Be careful. If monsters attack, stay close to His Highness at all costs.”
Yuria suddenly stepped forward, having watched Adrienne anxiously the whole time. She gripped her master’s hands tightly.
[Don’t worry, Yuria.]
“I should be the one going. It’d be easier for His Highness if I were there…”
She glanced at Lukas with teary eyes.
“With you there, I’d have one more thing to worry about—your luggage, the rough road. So behave yourself.”
“But still…”
Tears welled up in Yuria’s eyes.
[It’s fine, Yuria. Don’t worry too much, and focus on things here. I’ll be back soon.]
“…Okay. Take care, Your Highness.”
Adrienne patted Yuria’s shoulder gently, and she nodded reluctantly.
Yuria had always been by Adrienne’s side—whether in Tehevia, here at Rantschka, or even during their brief stay in Crown Castle before coming here.
“Let’s go. The later it gets, the more likely we’ll be seen.”
At Lukas’s signal, Keaton and Joe nodded and mounted their horses.
