Bang!
The door was kicked open.
"Oh, you've arrived," Godwyn said, looking up from his desk with a smile, as if welcoming a friend who was right on time for a long-awaited appointment.
"Your Highness, were the two of you supposed to—" The guard rushing in behind the intruder started to sigh in relief, only to watch as the newcomer threw a punch that twisted the smile right off the Golden Prince's face.
The room was suddenly filled with the sound of blades being drawn.
"Everyone out. All of you, get out," Godwyn said, standing up while clutching his face. "Ffortis, you too."
A tall, elegant woman with silver hair, who had been about to plant a fist into the intruder's nose, froze mid-motion.
"Ffortis!" Godwyn said, his tone sharpening.
The woman lowered her hand, straightened her hair, and let out a huff before stalking out the door.
"Have you hit me enough?" Godwyn sighed, beginning to gather the documents scattered across the floor. "If you haven't vented all your anger yet, you're welcome to take a few more swings."
Seeing him act as though there were some hidden justification, Raven took a deep breath, barely suppressing the fury simmering in his chest.
"I need an explanation," Raven said, his hands pressed hard against the desk.
"And what explanation do you want me to give?" Godwyn sat back down in his chair, looking somewhat helpless. "Do you want me to tell you that someone else forcibly took those cultists away? Or that someone coerced me into signing the execution orders? Executing those cultists was entirely my own judgment, Raven."
"They hadn't been gifted the Frenzied Flame. They weren't cultists yet."
"I know. However, they were too deeply involved with the cultists, and were suspected of harboring and abetting them. A public execution is perfectly justifiable."
"You know that isn't what I'm talking about," Raven said. "You promised me you would protect them. I believed you; that's the only reason I let you take them."
"Perhaps you only thought I promised." Godwyn let out a long, heavy sigh. "I am sorry, Raven. But I had no choice. Their sacrifice was made to ensure that many more do not lose their lives."
"I fail to see who could possibly leave the Golden Prince with 'no choice'."
"Heh. The Golden Prince's power is not infinite. I am called the Dragon Prince, the Golden Scion, the next Elden Lord. But anyone with eyes can see that I am no different from my other demigod brothers and sisters." Godwyn smiled faintly. "The Golden Lineage is immortal. A Crown Prince remains forever just a prince."
"Even if you are 'just a prince,' sending a group of villagers to Volcano Manor should have been a simple task. Am I to understand that you sacrificed them for a political goal?"
"I am not a politician, nor do I have any interest in politics," Godwyn said. "What I care about is this country."
Raven let out a cold laugh. "What you care about is—"
"If the Golden Prince sends villagers to the Volcano, using the testimonies of a group of Frenzied Flame cultists to accuse the Elden Lord, what then? Do we throw the Elden Lord into a dungeon based on that? Or do we start a civil war?" Godwyn interrupted.
"I am the Golden Prince. If I openly oppose Radagon now, the Golden Dynasty will be torn apart from the inside. You don't care about that; you don't care how many families would be destroyed by a civil war. Your status allows you to do as you please—but I am different!"
Raven fell into silence.
He pulled out a chair and sat down. "So, Radagon really is fostering the Frenzied Flame in the shadows?"
"All current leads point in that direction."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Politics is the art of compromise. Tomorrow, as compensation for my not pursuing this matter, Grand Knight Connacht will be forced to resign. His authority over the Capital Garrison will be transferred to me. I will seek out more supporters and build more strength. All of this takes time, Raven."
Godwyn leaned forward. "Until then, I cannot completely enrage Radagon and force him to decide to deal with me."
"You just said you weren't interested in politics."
"Even if a man does not seek the office, he still holds the duty to benefit his country. If the people's hopes rest on him, and if taking power is the best way to serve the realm, he must shoulder that responsibility and cast aside his own selfish desires."
"I've heard enough of that kind of talk, Godwyn. Don't use that on me." Raven rubbed his temples. "Since your position is too sensitive for a direct conflict with Radagon right now, there should be no problem if an outsider like me gets involved, right? I will take the remaining villagers to Volcano Manor."
"He is your father, after all." Godwyn seemed surprised by Raven's suggestion. "Radagon won't be pleased by this."
"A father who kidnapped me and brought me to the Capital," Raven said. "Are you going to stop me, or support me?"
Godwyn leaned back against his chair, closing his eyes as if in deep thought.
"You can't escort those villagers to the Volcano alone."
"I'll be taking my knightly order, of course."
"Fine." Godwyn opened his eyes. "I will sign the order to release the remaining villagers. There should be more than half of them left, I believe."
Raven said nothing more. He stood up to leave.
"Are we still friends, Raven?" Godwyn suddenly asked behind him.
Raven's footsteps paused at the door.
"If we ever were," Raven threw the words back as he strode out of the room.
"There is a court meeting this afternoon! I hope you can attend!" Godwyn raised his voice. "I need your support!"
After a moment, the silver-haired woman walked back in. "He's gone."
"The decision I made a few days ago... it made things difficult for you, didn't it?" Godwyn said softly, seeing her expression. "Fortissax."
"I have already given myself to you. For you, I will do anything. But—" The silver-haired woman struggled to find the words. "My sister listens to everything I say. Even when it comes down to our father and me, she foolishly chose to follow me. But I don't want to drag her into—"
"I understand. I understand." Godwyn stood up and took her into his arms.
"Trust me. I will treat every dragon just as I treat you. One day, Farum Azula will be rebuilt. The Dragonlord Placidusax will return from the rift in time, and the Dragon Cult will stand alongside the Golden Order. Everything will return to the way it was before the war. But to achieve this goal, I need more than just you. I need the strength of every dragon."
Fortissax gave a small "mhm" and lowered her head against Godwyn's shoulder. "I believe you."
"The dragons are the kings of the sky, and I am the king of the earth. The world is large enough for two kings to coexist," Godwyn said. "And you will be my Queen. I will bring Celestial Dew from Caria and marry you in the Leyndell Royal Chapel, washing away the past hatred between the Golden Dynasty and the Dragonkin."
"Don't say that."
"Hmm?"
"Radagon also used Celestial Dew to wash away his sins and exchange vows with the Full Moon Queen at the Church of Vows, only to betray her in the end. It's a bad omen."
Godwyn laughed. "Do you think I would ever betray you?"
"Of course not!" Fortissax said quickly. "However... don't use the Celestial Dew. I want us to be married in Farum Azula after Father returns from the rift."
She looked up with a smile, imagining the scene. "I'll make my silly sister be the bridesmaid. Father will be our witness; he will forgive me and realize I never betrayed the dragons. He'll be so happy he'll ask to be the godfather to our children. When that day comes, I'll surely be the happiest dragon in the world."
"I promise you, Fortissax—" Godwyn started to say, but she pressed a finger against his lips.
"Didn't you call me Ffortis earlier? I really like that name," she said shyly.
"Yes. Ffortis."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(96 Chapter - Ongoing)
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