The letter lay heavy on my desk, sealed with the Blackwood crest—an unbroken chain of authority that no man could ignore. I had read it once, twice, three times, hoping the words would change. But they did not.
"By order of His Majesty, Blackwood 1, Supreme Ruler of the Empire, Minister Blackwood is to present his son at the B.A.M. ground within three days. Failure to comply will be considered an act of defiance against the throne."
My hands trembled as I clenched the paper. My son… my only boy. I had forbidden him from joining the Blackwood Armed Militia, and yet here it was—an order from the King himself. A command dressed in velvet but sharper than any blade.
"Why?" I muttered under my breath, pacing the length of my study. The torches burned low, throwing wild shadows across the walls. "Why my son? Why now?"
I slammed my fist on the table, scattering ink and scrolls. The audacity of it all—was my loyalty not proven? Had I not built roads, bridges, channels that kept this Empire's veins flowing with life and commerce? And now they would take my son, mold him into a soldier, a weapon for their endless wars.
Anger burned in my chest, but beneath it was fear. A minister could protest policies, could argue logistics… but a father defying the King's will? That was treason. And treason had only one end in the Empire.
I sank into my chair, head heavy in my hands. The letter sat before me like a silent judge.
"If I disobey, I risk my life. If I obey… I lose my son."
The castle bells rang in the distance, a reminder of the crown's reach. Even here, in the privacy of my chambers, I could not escape its weight.
I folded the letter with trembling fingers, sealing my fate alongside his.
> "So it has come to this…" I whispered, eyes dark with fury. "The King may command me, but I will not let him break my blood without a fight."
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