In the palace of Noble Cross, the atmosphere was charged with panic.
Noble Cross sat in his luxurious living room, surrounded by huge leather bags. They were filled with jewelry, gold coins, and securities. His wife cried in the corner, and his nephew shouted at the servants.
"Hurry! Hurry! We have no ti!"
The soldiers whose loyalty he had bought stood at the door. Forty soldiers. They had sworn to protect him until he reached his destination. They were not loyal to the holand. They were loyal to gold.
"Sir, the ship is ready," said the guard commander.
"Move out. We wait for no one."
Cross left his palace without looking back. He did not look at the palace where he had lived for thirty years. He was only thinking of survival.
---
In another noble's palace, the scene was even more chaotic.
Noble Valdemaar ran between the rooms, carrying his young daughter in his arms. His wife dragged a huge bag behind her. The servants shouted at each other.
"Where are the carts?! Where are the soldiers?!"
"The soldiers are outside, sir. Fifty soldiers. They await your orders."
"Move out! Now!"
They boarded the carts. The soldiers ran beside them. They headed toward the eastern port, where the ships waited.
Valdemaar looked at his palace for the last ti. His eyes were tearful. He had abandoned his family's palace. It was a disgrace for him.
---
In a third noble's palace, the scene was different.
The noble was not prepared to flee. He was still wearing his nightgown. He went to sleep believing the army would win. He woke to the news of defeat.
Now, he ran through the corridors barefoot. His wife scread at him.
"Hurry, hurry, let's save our skins?!"
But he was not stupid. He had anticipated the possibility of defeat and had begun preparing his escape as well.
The soldiers he had paid for waited for him. He took his wife and children and fled.
The north was in turmoil. All the nobles were leaving their beautiful hos and heading to the port under the protection of soldiers.
---
In King Bekori's palace, the atmosphere was different.
There was no panic. No screaming. Only heavy, suffocating silence, like a slow death.
Bekori sat on his throne. The great hall was empty. The nobles who had filled it days ago were now fleeing with their money and families. Even the guards were fewer than usual.
He was alone.
Before him, on the ground, lay an open letter. From one of his n. Telling him that the army had been defeated. That Volkan was dead. That seven hundred soldiers had been killed. That a thousand soldiers had been captured. That the rest had fled.
Bekori did not scream. He did not smash the furniture this ti. He had broken everything in the past days. Nothing remained to break.
He stared at the cold wall with glassy eyes. His body trembled. His lips moved without sound.
"How... how did this happen?"
No one answered. There was no one to answer.
King Bekori cried. He cried like a child who had lost his toys. He cried because he had lost everything. His son. His army. His kingdom. His dignity.
He sat on the floor among the ruins of his throne. He no longer had enough soldiers to guard him. He no longer had money to pay rcenaries. He no longer had hope.
He had no intention of fleeing and abandoning his kingdom, but it seed he had no other choice.
---
In the revolutionaries' camp, the atmosphere was completely different.
There was no fear. There was excitent. There was anger. There was hope.
Pablo, from his headquarters, called.
"Prepare the revolutionaries. Tomorrow, we head north."
He paused for a mont.
"We do not want to give Bekori a chance to escape. We do not want to give him a chance to summon the Sorbet Kingdom Navy. We will strike before he recovers. We will strike before he thinks of fleeing."
"Tomorrow, we end this war."
Pablo did not want to give Bekori the opportunity to flee. He knew that the Revolutionary Army had allowed him to escape and returned years later to take revenge. He wanted to eliminate this threat.
Nor did he want the arrival of the kingdom's navy. Not because he feared them, but because he wanted to preserve them. The army had been destroyed. If the navy was also destroyed, he would need trendous effort to rebuild them from scratch.
His n began to carry out the orders.
In every corner of the revolutionaries' camp, the leaders gathered the fighters.
"Prepare yourselves! Tomorrow, we head north!"
"This is the final battle!"
The revolutionaries shouted. Raised their weapons. Cried with joy.
"Long live the revolution! Long live a free Sorbet!"
So wrote letters to their families. So embraced their comrades. So prayed.
Everyone knew that tomorrow would be a decisive day.
---
At the headquarters, Jinny sat in her room. She was wearing ordinary clothes this ti. Simple pants, a loose shirt, her hair tied back.
She was thinking.
Suddenly, through her devices, she learned the news of the nobles' flight.
Then she stood up. She walked to Pablo's room. She did not knock. She entered.
Pablo sat on his bed, reviewing maps. He raised his head. He smiled.
"Jinny... you're wearing ordinary clothes today. Where are your sexy clothes?"
"They're in the laundry."
"In the laundry for a week? That's a long wash."
"I have other clothes."
"But I missed the sight of you. I used to enjoy seeing you every morning."
Jinny shook her head. "I am not here for your enjoynt."
"Then why are you here? To tell the news?"
"Yes. The nobles are fleeing. Each taking forty or fifty soldiers with him. The royal army weakens more every hour."
Pablo paused for a mont. "That is expected."
"Also, King Bekori is alone in his palace. The nobles have abandoned him. The guards are few."
"That is better. It will be easier to overthrow him."
Another silence.
Then Jinny said:
"Pablo... what will you gain from this revolution?"
He looked at her. "A sudden question."
"I need an answer."
"Why are you asking?"
"Because I don't understand you. You are not from Sorbet. You don't know anyone here. Why are you risking your life?"
Pablo smiled a cunning smile.
"That is a good question. Its answer is not free."
"What do you an?"
"I an that I do not answer such questions unless the questioner is part of the family."
Jinny's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"If you want to know what I gain, join . Beco part of the Pablo Family. Then I will tell you everything."
"You never stop, do you?"
"Never."
Jinny felt angry. But it was not real anger. It was a light, gentle anger, like the feeling when soone you like teases you.
"You are unreasonable."
"I am realistic."
She stood up. She walked toward the door. Before she left, she looked at him over her shoulder.
"I will think about it."
Then she left. She closed the door behind her.
Pablo smiled. He knew she would return.
Soone like Jinny would not spend her life here in a small kingdom. The sa was true for Kuma. Whether they joined him or not, they would not remain in this kingdom.
User Comments
0 comments from readers