Chapter Twenty-Seven #3
“Your Majesty! We are not here to discuss that man’s d-declaration of war!
” the duke protested, his lips trembling.
His face flushed with agitation. “That beast of a man…is guilty of trespassing and assault! I was at death’s door for four days…
despite immediate treatment by a high priest. I barely survived.
You must pronounce judgment…on the man who dared to lay a hand on a high-ranking noble!
Your Majesty, it is the least you can do for your subject…
who has been loyal to you all his life.”
Unable to contain himself, Ursuline cried out, “Your Majesty! The duke’s claims are biased and misleading!”
An official went to reprimand the knight for his insolence when the king raised his hand, cutting him off. He then bobbed his head, prompting Ursuline on.
Ignoring Riftan’s silent warning, Ursuline knelt before the king. His explanation seemed to tumble out all at once.
“The reason we went to Croyso Castle that day was to see Lady Calypse. Though he had no right to do so, the duke had confined her ladyship. He refused us entry. What man would simply sit back and do nothing if his wife was taken from him? Our commander had no choice but to break in and bring back Lady Calypse. Strictly speaking, it is the duke who has committed the offense.”
“H-How dare you…spout lies before the king?!” the duke bellowed, slamming his hands on the table.
“You accuse me of locking up my daughter? All I did…was allow my own child to stay at my castle. Is that a crime? Her Highness is my witness! D-Did you not see my daughter choose to return to Croyso Castle of her own accord?!”
“Cease this assault on our ears,” King Reuben muttered with a frown. “We are not here to argue about who is at fault. The reason I have come all this way is to personally hear your explanations and to offer a resolution. Do consider my efforts, and stop shouting at each other.”
The duke pressed his lips together, disgruntled at the reprimand.
King Reuben appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before he continued. “Unfortunately, Lord Croyso, I must agree with Sir Ursuline. Legally speaking, a woman is the property of her husband. You had no right to prevent Calypse from meeting his wife when he requested it.”
“Your Majesty, I was merely trying to protect my daughter,” the duke said with astounding sincerity.
Thus far, Riftan had managed to maintain a calm, silent demeanor. As soon as he heard the duke’s bald-faced lie, his expression grew cold.
“Did you just say…” he said, glaring daggers at the duke, “you were protecting her?”
The duke froze at Riftan’s menacing look. His face grew ashen, and he flinched as though confronted with a nightmarish monster.
“My daughter was abandoned at Drachium Palace…after suffering a miscarriage.” The duke jerked his head toward the king and began his appeal. “I reacted as any father would! I was only trying to protect her from the endless court gossip…and my son-in-law’s neglect.”
“What brazen lies!”
Both Ursuline and Elliot shot to their feet, murderous rage storming across both of their faces. They exuded such a threatening aura that the royal knights drew their swords.
“Settle down! You are in the presence of the king!” one of the royal knights shouted.
Ursuline and Elliot begrudgingly took their seats. The king exhaled loudly as he shifted in his chair, then turned his apathetic eyes on a petrified Maxi.
“It appears that you are at the center of all this. Maximilian Calypse, what is your opinion on their claims?”
“Your Majesty, my wife—”
“I was addressing your wife, Calypse. Not you.”
Riftan grew stone-still after the king’s dismissal. Glancing at Riftan first, Maxi forced a polite smile and rose from her chair. Her fingers trembled faintly under her father’s ferocious gaze. Trying to shake off her trepidation, she gripped her dress and stood straighter.
“M-My father…” Maxi gulped and willed her voice to stop shaking.
“He did not p-prevent me from seeing my husband for my protection. My father…was only concerned about the shame that w-would befall the family if I were to be divorced. And if I am being honest, Your Majesty…I briefly shared his fears. I was too ashamed to face my husband…a-and the fear of being denounced foolishly made me follow my father. B-But when my husband came to Croyso Castle…”
Maxi’s voice cracked. She paused and stole a glance at Riftan. Her breath hitched when she saw his face drained of color, and she was overcome with a desire to drag him from the room and clutch him to her chest. She wet her parched lips.
“I-I…wanted to speak with him, but my father did not allow it. And wh-when I tried to go against his wishes…” She hesitated before willing herself to continue. “M-My father locked me in a room and subjected me to harsh c-corporal punishment. My husband…was enraged when he saw this.”
“You dare…”
Veins stood stark on the duke’s neck. He opened his mouth to unleash a stream of obscenities before clamping it shut.
The muscles of his jaw twitched as if he were forcing a fireball down his throat.
To the duke, this was no different from a slave rebelling against him, the master. Disbelief was etched across his face.
Maxi stared at the floor to avoid his vicious gaze. After a moment of silence, the king spoke.
“It seems we now have a rough understanding of what transpired.” He leaned back against his fur-laden chair and drew out a sigh.
“Lord Croyso, if this is true, then you are not completely blameless, either. Maximilian Calypse belongs to Riftan Calypse. You lost all authority over your daughter the moment they were wed. It was not your place to confine her or to inflict physical punishment.”
“That child is embellishing events in a shameless ploy to defend her husband!” the duke shrieked, his face red with fury.
“The only reason I was against her meeting him, and meted out mild corporal punishment…was to protect her future and the reputation of my house! When I found my daughter alone at the royal palace…I thought that Calypse was planning to abandon her. Is doing my best to protect my daughter from further pain such a crime?”
Maxi was utterly fed up with her father’s brazen lies. He spoke so assuredly without a hint of shame that it made her wonder if he truly believed what he was saying.
The duke proudly raised his chin. “I will not deny…that I may have overreacted at the time. And if you must hold me accountable, I am willing to pay the required fine. But I have no intention of forgiving that man…no matter what you say, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, it must have been a deep-seated hatred that gave the duke the courage to look at his adversary. He turned his head and stared straight into Riftan’s blazing eyes.
“No matter the reason, Riftan Calypse’s actions were out of order,” the duke hissed.
“If he was so displeased that I p-prevented him from seeing my daughter, or that I disciplined her to correct her manners…then he could have voiced his concerns there and then. Instead, what did he choose to do? He…attempted to kill me on the spot! Not only that, but he even had the audacity to threaten me with military force. Wh-Who in their right mind would do such a thing? You must make him step down as the commander of the Remdragon Knights, strip him of his knighthood, and confiscate his land!”
Maxi clutched her forehead as she listened to her father’s bellowing. Elliot moved to steady her as she teetered in place, his face as pale as hers. The only person who appeared calm was Riftan. His face was impassive, as though he had expected nothing less from the duke.
Riftan’s reaction sent a dreadful chill through Maxi’s entire body. The only time he became this frighteningly calm was when his anger was at a tipping point. She worried that he might launch himself at the duke and pummel him to death.
Princess Agnes had so far stayed silent throughout the proceedings. She now cried out as though she could not contain herself any longer.
“What unreasonable demands! Sir Riftan is indisputably an honorable knight. He is the hero who risked his life to fight in the Dragon Campaign in your stead, Lord Croyso! If you were to make him stand before the tribunal, it would only earn you the ridicule of the whole continent.”
The duke’s face flushed crimson. He directed an icy glare at the princess and said, “That man entered my castle by stealth and assaulted me while I was unarmed. I doubt I would be the only one condemned….”
The duke’s scheming eyes flew back to Riftan.
“Even if I were, it wouldn’t matter,” he spat through clenched teeth. “I will make him stand trial for his crimes. Nothing will convince me otherwise.”
“You don’t know when to stop talking, do you?”
Riftan had been watching the duke’s determined face. As he finally broke his silence, he unfolded his arms and leaned over the table. The action reminded Maxi of a predator flattening itself before it pounced.
The duke visibly recoiled. Riftan took a moment to observe the duke’s reaction with derision before muttering in an ominously gentle voice, “I have always admired your ability to come up with the most believable excuses. Why don’t you just be honest? Tell them that you are terrified of me.”
“Y-You insolent—What nonsense!” the duke sputtered.
The corner of Riftan’s lips twisted scornfully.
“You were scared out of your wits by my declaration of war, and you probably thought you would never regain your peace of mind unless you had my fiefdom taken from me. But you are mistaken. If I am no longer bound by pledges or treaties, I’ll be free to show you just how deranged I really am. ”
A chilled silence fell over the assembly room. Ignoring his stunned audience, Riftan slowly drove his point home like a tiger cornering its prey.