Chapter 28: Before the Banquet
The carriage rolled away down the dusty road, its wheels kicking up clouds of earth that slowly settled like a veil. Princess Alisha Montgomery stood frozen on the manor steps, watching the vehicle vanish into the distance. The warm smile that had once graced her lips slipped away, replaced by a creeping chill that crawled along her spine. Her arms trembled uncontrollably.
They are planning to kill me? The thought echoed in her mind, sharp and unrelenting.
Her heartbeat quickened as she tore herself away from the porch. Without another glance, she rushed back inside the grand manor, every step a pounding drum of fear and urgency.
---
Not long after, Leornars and Stacian arrived at the castle. Their demeanor was calm, almost casual, as they strolled right past the guards and into the castle's kitchen—a place usually reserved for the lowliest servants.
Stacian busied herself at the counter, expertly preparing two cups of coffee: one for Leornars, one for herself. The rich scent of the dark brew filled the air as steam curled up from the cups.
Without warning, Leornars broke the silence.
"The princess is a telepath. She read the plan."
The words hit Stacian like a hammer. In mid-motion, she dropped her coffee cup, which shattered against the stone floor in a shower of sharp fragments.
"She what???" Stacian's voice trembled with disbelief.
Leornars took a slow sip of his coffee before speaking again, eyes narrowing.
"I don't have enough proof, but when I was talking to Prince Edward, I felt someone trying to read my thoughts. I'm not completely certain, but it's enough. She needs to be eliminated—quickly."
Stacian bent down to sweep the broken cup fragments into a pile, then tossed them into the trash bin. Her mind raced.
"So, we're changing her execution date?" she asked, looking up sharply.
Leornars nodded.
"Yes. We kill her at the banquet."
"The banquet is tomorrow!" Stacian gasped, her eyes darting to the calendar hanging on the wall.
"Yes," Leornars said grimly. "She already knows too much. If she warns the king and that bastard chancellor, our entire plan will crumble because of a wannabe princess."
Stacian swallowed hard but nodded in agreement.
---
Leornars called her name softly, and she turned.
"Stacian?"
"Yes?"
"How much money has the nation made during the harvest season we planned?" Leornars asked, his voice cold and calculating.
Stacian reached into her purse and pulled out a worn document, smoothing it out on the counter.
"We've already repaid Durmount's forty thousand platinum coins—and earned an extra twenty-seven thousand," she said with a faint smile.
Leornars tapped his fingers on the table.
"How much have we embezzled?"
"Over thirty thousand platinum coins. In total, that makes ninety-seven thousand platinum coins."
"Alright," Leornars said with a slow nod. "We'll report to the king that the harvest went well and that we repaid the debt. He'll give us the 3,000-mile plot of land as agreed. We take our share of fifty-seven thousand platinum coins, kill the princess and the king, then leave."
"Seems fair," Stacian said. "But how do we kill someone who can read minds?"
Leornars smiled darkly.
"Simple. We prepare several plans—write them all down on paper. Then, keep only one in mind. Poisoned food."
Stacian's lips curled into a smirk.
"Huh. Good idea."
"What about the foolish king?" Stacian asked, her voice icy.
Leornars's expression turned harder.
"We'll kill him during the princess's burial. Assassination."
"So… two for one," Stacian said, nodding approvingly.
---
Meanwhile, Princess Alisha hurriedly packed her belongings. The maids watched, confused and whispering among themselves. Prince Edward suddenly stepped forward, blocking her path.
"Sister, you can't flee. You're the heir to the throne."
The princess's glare was fierce.
"Then you be king. I don't care."
Edward's eyes narrowed.
"Where are you going?"
"To the kingdom of Durmount. To get help."
"For what?"
Alisha closed her eyes briefly, reading his mind. As always, all she saw was thoughts of women and money. She sighed deeply.
"Our kingdom is in serious danger. Those two visitors are evil. We need to kill them."
Prince Edward hesitated, then finally nodded.
Without a word, Alisha hurried to her carriage, urging the coach driver to set off swiftly.
---
As the carriage rolled away, Prince Edward waved goodbye. Then, without hesitation, he summoned a messenger.
Taking pen and paper, he scribbled furiously.
"Deliver this message to the castle. To the White Plague. Urgently."
The messenger sprinted off without hesitation.
"Let's hope he gets there in time," Prince Edward murmured, eyes fixed on the fading silhouette of his sister's carriage.
---
Back in the castle, Leornars and Stacian sat crafting new plans. Suddenly, the door burst open.
Both drew their weapons instantly—but relaxed when they saw it was a messenger.
"A messenger?" Stacian said, lowering her blade as the messenger handed her a note.
She unfolded it carefully. Her eyes widened in shock.
Leornars took the note from her hands and read aloud.
"'Princess Alisha Montgomery has run away to the kingdom of Durmount to seek help in your extermination.' —Prince Edward."
Leornars smirked, his lips curling darkly.
"So she's chosen the hard way, huh?"
"Are we going after her?" Stacian asked sharply.
Leornars shook his head.
"It's too bright out. We'll wait until nightfall."
He handed the messenger a tip, who left swiftly.
Leornars and Stacian returned to the kitchen table, sipping coffee and nibbling on cookies as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
---
Princess Alisha's carriage raced through the countryside, the coach driver's hands steady on the reins.
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared, Leornars and Stacian placed their cups down in unison and vanished.
"Shadow movement," they said simultaneously.
Within moments, they were racing after the princess at Mach 7—faster than the eye could follow.
Several miles ahead, they spotted the carriage.
Leornars summoned Bellian and Ascian, his loyal servants.
"Destroy the wheels," he commanded.
Bellian swung his longsword in a single, fluid motion. The carriage wheels split in two, sending the vehicle crashing violently onto the roadside. The jolt threw Princess Alisha forward, her hands gripping the splintered wood as dust filled the air.
The coach driver leapt from the wreckage, panic etched on his face, but Bellian was faster. With a swift, merciless strike, he sliced the driver in half. The harsh sound of metal meeting flesh echoed through the quiet countryside.
Leornars and Stacian approached the damaged carriage. The princess sprang out, knife flashing, her breath ragged but eyes fierce and unyielding.
"My kingdom will not fall, it will not fall ... The Theocracy of Lurtra shall never fall asleep long as I live" she added
"In case you don't know, I'm an expert martial artist," she declared fiercely, voice trembling with a mixture of defiance and desperation.
Both Leornars and Stacian exchanged unimpressed glances, their expressions unreadable masks of cold resolve.
Before she could ask her question, Leornars moved swiftly — his sword descending like a shadow.
The blade found its mark, and time seemed to slow as her head was severed cleanly from her body.
Her lifeless form crumpled to the ground, a faint shudder passing through her still frame, as if the fire within her flickered and died.
The wind carried away the last echoes of her struggle, leaving only silence — heavy and final.
Her lifeless body lay down
Her final thoughts
"Father, mother did I do what was right? Have I been a good daughter to you? Was my interference really good or just naive? Someone protect the kingdom, please anyone please "
An brief silence as her mind faded away to the afterlife.
---
"We don't have time for this," Leornars said sharply.
Leornars walked to her
"Awaken from the dead and serve me ,Alisha Montgomery"Leornars said his voice echoed in the wasteland. A fog covered her body and she rose from the dead,as an undead.
"Are we taking her corpse?" Stacian asked
"Yeah,I can't use undead's without the body, " he said
Taking the coach driver's body
"Repair the wound, and dress him in her clothes,cut off his genitals and burn the body slightly make it look like it's her" Leornars said as stacian quickly began the work.
"Wait, Bellian,cut off the coach driver's genitals" Leornars said coldly
Bellian quickly squatted and sliced it off and threw it several miles away and stood awaiting orders.
Leornars looked at the expensive carriage and smirked
"Bellian, take anything valuable. Make it look like bandits did this."
Stacian took the princess's knife, a dark smile on her lips.
"Don't worry. I'll enjoy the banquet," she said.
They gathered the jewels from the carriage and departed for the castle, their demeanor calm and collected as if nothing had happened.
---
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the city's speakers.
"Urgent message! The crowned Princess Alisha Montgomery has been assassinated by bandits on her way to the border. We suspect the Black Acers gang is responsible. The reward for the head of their leader is anything the person wishes for—even the throne. The Black Acer leader is classified as a B-rank threat level; proceed with caution."
Leornars and Stacian exchanged satisfied smirks.
"Perfect," Stacian said.
"Just as planned," Leornars replied.
"But why take the princess as a undead?" Stacian asked
"Having an undead that reads minds is extremely useful in negotiations and manipulation " Leornars said calmly as they left.
Together, they rose and headed toward the king's audience chamber, their deadly game continuing as the sun finally set on the doomed kingdom.