Chapter 4: Theron's Strategy & Queen's Test Preparation
I. The Shadow of Treason
The relentless physical pain from the Sacrificial Magic was now a weekly companion, managed only through the brutal, focused training with Kaelen. Yet, Evan's political education had taught him that internal pain was easier to control than external perception. And the external perception, orchestrated by Prince Theron, had just shifted dangerously.
Word began to circulate subtly through the palace halls—whispers that Evan's nocturnal visits to the Foothills were not for training, but for treasonous meetings. Theron, the architect of the surveillance, had strategically leaked the idea that the Third Prince, known for his political inclinations, was secretly meeting with an agent from a rival kingdom.
Evan (Internal Monologue): He's not accusing me of weakness; he's accusing me of having a strategy outside the Kingdom. He's trying to force me into a public defense, a display of 'The Silver Tongue' to see if my words are genuine conviction or desperate lies.
Evan knew that if he fought the rumor aggressively, he would appear guilty. He chose the politician's best defense: calculated silence and a visible counter-move. He doubled the intensity of his visible morning training, forcing the court to choose between a hidden, flimsy rumor and the tangible display of a Prince earning his sweat.
II. The Audience with the Queen
Before Theron's rumor could fully metastasize, a more profound political pressure arrived: a summons from Queen Alessa, the King's strategic backbone. Unlike the King, who valued blunt sword skill, the Queen valued subtle strength. Evan knew this audience was not a pleasant formality; it was a test of relevance.
The Queen's private chamber was quiet and austere, lacking the King's ostentatious displays of martial power. Queen Alessa's gaze was sharp, dissecting Evan's physique and composure.
Queen Alessa: "Prince Evan. Your newfound resolve is noted. But resolve without purpose is merely vanity. You have demonstrated that you can speak to a few tired guards. I require you to speak to the soul of Mecklace."
She then laid out the threat: the Northern Provinces were engulfed in Anti-Magic Riots. The common folk, terrified by the historical darkness of Sacrificial Magic, were demanding the total purge of all suspected Magic users. The unrest was splitting the Kingdom, threatening food supplies, and providing a direct strategic vulnerability to the Volkar Empire.
Queen Alessa: "Your brothers have offered military solutions. Alexander wants to deploy the Royal Guard. Theron wants to isolate the provinces and cut off dissent. Both options lead to civil war and Volkar's ultimate victory."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a decisive whisper.
Queen Alessa: "I am assigning you, Prince Evan, to personally travel north. You will use your Silver Tongue to pacify the populace, neutralize the mob mentality, and re-establish the King's authority. You must bring peace without spilling a single drop of Mecklace blood. Succeed, and you prove your worth to the Kingdom. Fail, and the consequences will be your own political ruin."
III. The Strategic Dilemma
Evan immediately grasped the impossible political weight of the assignment. It required him to be a diplomat, a preacher, and a shield all at once. It was a mission designed for him, demanding a skill set his warrior brothers did not possess. It was also a massive risk.
Evan: "I accept the task, Mother. But I must ask—why me? Why risk sending the Third Prince into such volatility?"
Queen Alessa: "Because the King needs to know if he has a son capable of leading beyond the battlefield. And because Theron believes you are a traitor. Go north, and you prove you are a loyal son risking your life for the common good. If the people reject you, Theron's suspicions will be confirmed without any political cost to the Crown."
Evan understood. The Queen had given him a mission that served as both a political opportunity and a deadly loyalty test orchestrated by Theron. His success in the North would publicly refute Theron's treasonous rumor. His failure, however, would be proof of his weakness or worse, a confirmation that he was a disposable political liability.
As Evan left the chamber, the low thrum of the Sacrificial Magic flared in warning. He realized the timing was catastrophic: his first diplomatic mission would coincide precisely with the next weekly deadline for the Magic's release. He had to convince a mob of angry commoners not to purge magic users, all while fighting the Magic's intense, bloody urge to kill someone himself.
The Northern Provinces had just become The Silver Tongue's New Stage—a stage where a single slip of the tongue, or a single lapse of control, meant death or civil war