Archie would never forget what happened. That night, Andrea broke a glass of wine on Arielle’s head. They brought the little girl, who had fainted, into the middle of the forest.
Andrea released two guard dogs to chase after Arielle, who was starting to wake up. Andrea and the others left the forest to continue partying while Archie was still staying in the forest to enjoy Arielle’s loud cries for help.
Arielle, who was only nine years old, fell into a well, and Archie intended to take his two dogs back to the palace. However, what he saw made his legs limp for a mont.
A man in a white tunic and long white hair hanging down to the ground helped the unconscious Arielle out of the well. Archie fell to the ground because he saw Arielle’s wet body glowing very brightly, just like the man.
Archie’s presence was not seen by the glowing man as the man just carried Arielle away, leaving Archie alone in the darkness of the forest. In his fright, there was an ear-splitting voice inside his head.
’She never hurt you. Why did you hurt her?’ Asked soone’s voice inside his head.
A frightened Archie ran back to the palace, and as long as he ran, he always heard the echo of the sa voice asking the sa thing. The question of why, why, and why kept running around in his head. That was until he couldn’t find a reason why he should hate Arielle. He just followed Andrea and the others’ orders.
He never had a good reason to hurt Arielle. Since then, Archie had refrained from harassing Arielle as much as possible. Every ti he saw Arielle, Archie would dodge her, and the image of Arielle’s terrified screams when being chased by a dog in the forest echoed in his head.
Archie rubbed his face, tired and once again, Arielle’s question rang in his head. Was he only nice to Arielle because of the deal? The man shook his head. He just wanted to end it all.
His gaze turned sharp. Everyone knew that he had a dark side. He liked torturing other people... but with Arielle... things were different. He could still beat people to death now, but not Arielle.
He really didn’t care about the wound on Andrea’s hand. Even if Arielle bit Andrea’s hand off, Archie wouldn’t care. But hearing Arielle hurt made Archie feel quite worried.
"Shit, I don’t know what happened to ," he muttered, then left the palace to find a place to vent. He needed soone to beat to death to vent his frustration on Queen Rosalie and Andrea, who had injured Arielle.
***
Alexis had sent a doctor to check Arielle’s condition. He was sitting by the window of his library, reading a book. The galloping of horses made him stop reading and see who had co to visit. He saw Archie, who had just returned from sowhere.
Alexis loved all his siblings without exception. Even Arielle. He cared enough to send a doctor to treat her wounds. But in his heart, Alexis was a little worried about Archie.
Queen Rosalie had always said that Archie would be a great advisor to back him up when he beca king. Archie was indeed a smart young man, but he had many things that bothered Alexis. Like how brutal the boy was behind his innocent smiling face.
Even though Archie didn’t say it directly, it felt like the kid also wanted the throne. Alexis was always worried about his stepbrother. He was too close to Andrea and Annalize. His mother also liked Archie. Even Andrea’s words from the past that said that she would support Archie to beco king when Alexis didn’t want to compromise with Andrea made him even more nervous.
"What is it?" Alexis asked his assistant, who was standing behind him.
"His Majesty the King summoned you to discuss the continuation of the sumr festival plans."
Sumr festival? Alexis’ smile blood, and now he was in a better mood. The crown prince closed his book. With long strides, he walked toward his father’s study. However, his smile faded when he saw Archie standing in front of their father’s door.
"What are you doing here?" asked Alexis disapprovingly.
Archie turned to the side and smiled slyly, greeting his brother. "Hello, Brother. I am here because I was summoned."
Alexis furrowed his brows. What was Archie called for?
"What’s the matter?"
"Hm... I don’t know either. They just said they wanted to talk to about the sumr night festival."
Alexis gritted his teeth. He didn’t understand what his father’s purpose was to invite Archie. This was a secret plan that they had talked about several tis. His father’s decision to include Archie in this eting made Alexis furious.
Alexis didn’t reply, he opened the door to King Hugo’s study and entered, leaving Archie alone outside. Not long after, Archie followed and stood behind Alexis. The two of them bowed slightly to greet the king, who was sitting on a large sofa with his advisors and also several high-ranking knights of the Kingdom of Nieverdell.
"Alexis and Archie, please take your respective seats," said King Hugo.
A knight then unrolled a map of Nieverdell on the table they were surrounded by. And another person took out a box containing various shapes of pawns.
"It has been confird that the North will co and pick up Arielle within ten days. And now is the ti to strategize the festival night to welco the North’s arrival."
Archie looked at everyone in the room. He didn’t understand what the festival night’s plans were. Then if they held a festival, why were the higher-ups and military advisors summoned?
He was summoned under the pretext of discussing the sumr night festival celebrations, but usually, it would be in a month’s ti. What was the reason for the haste to welco the arrival of the North? Hmm... sothing was strange.
The festival was never discussed with the king, and responsibility for organizing the festival was usually carried out by the queen. Archie raised his hand.
"Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty. This is my first ti joining this discussion, so I’m a little clueless about where it’s going. If we’re going to have a festival, then why summon the military higher-ups?"
"Oh, right! This is your first eting to discuss this," King Hugo said.
Alexis looked at his father and Archie in turn.
King Hugo took out a piece of paper. Archie accepted it and then read quickly. The letter was a reply from the North announcing that they would co to pick up Arielle within ten days by fulfilling all the requests that King Hugo required.
Archie nodded in understanding.
"Does this an you have decided to let go of Duke Pellington’s proposal?" Archie asked.
"Of course not, Archie. Arielle will still marry Duke Pellington."
"Then how about King Ronan?"
King Hugo took a minion in the shape of a small wolf. He put it in the palace of Nieverdell, and so did so with so of the other packs of wolves scattered in the harbor as well as the capital.
Then an advisor lined up the rose-shaped minions and surrounded the wolves. Nieverdell’s group of minions would corner the people of the North. Archie imdiately understood what his father ant.
Nieverdell wanted a bloody massacre.
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