The Emperor is dead.
A collective gasp echoed through the grand hall, as the weight of those words sank in.
Nobles, rchants, and dignitaries—n and won who had once vied for the Emperor’s favor—now stood frozen, their faces a mix of shock, fear, and disbelief.
So clutched their chests as if struck by an invisible blow, while others exchanged frantic glances, their minds racing to comprehend the sudden shift in power.
Whispers spread like wildfire, filling the room with a low, anxious hum as the once-celebratory atmosphere was now thick with tension as the gravity of the situation started to dawn on everyone present.
However, amidst the chaos, Alaric, the main conspirator of the Emperor’s death maintained a stoic facade, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the reactions around him.
His mind was already working on the next move, but outwardly, he appeared just as stunned as the others, his act completely flawless.
Thalion too, being the ever disciplined commander that he was, clenched his jaw and let his gaze fall solemnly to the floor, as he portrayed the picture of controlled grief that masked his real satisfaction.
Finally Nathan, the third main conspirator behind the Emperor’s death struggled to maintain his composure as he did not know how to react to this news now that Alaric and Thalion were trying to fra him, however, to his fortune, his trembling hands and tear-filled eyes were mistaken for sorrow, garnering him so sympathy from the crowd.
“Sir Ben, however, he can be saved…. His vitality is strong! I think I can save him–” said the Royal Healer, as at that mont alarm bells began to ring in the heads of Alaric, Nathan and Thalion, as they absolutely did not want Ben Faulkner to survive.
The poison they had used to kill the Emperor was supposed to be undetectable, however, since Faulkner had detected it so early, him surviving now, could prove to be an unknown variable that could expose their treason.
Once again, Alaric and Thalion locked eyes and imdiately communicated their intention to kill Ben Faulkner through their gaze alone.
“Oh may the gods have rcy! We must move Sir Ben to so place safe! The one who tried to kill him and the Emperor might still be in this room…. It’s important that we transfer Sir Ben, the hero of our Empire to soplace safe–” said Alaric, as Thalion imdiately agreed to his words.
“We must move him to the royal infirmary, and we must also secure all other royal family mbers and Prince Nathan.
With the Emperor dead, we must not let vultures pick apart our Empire.
The four Arch-Dukes, Prince Nathan and the rest of the Royal Family must also be secured at once. While entry and exit from the Royal Palace must be barred” said Thalion, as he looked towards Jake, the new leader of the Virex Corps for support.
“Virex Corps…. Keep an eye on Prince Nathan, secure the Royal Family and lock-down the Royal Palace.
The Emperor has been murdered in cold blood and nobody shall leave this palace until we find out who did it–” said the Virex Corps leader, as he mobilized his mbers into action.
*********
The stretcher carrying Ben Faulkner moved swiftly through the palace corridors, his unconscious form bouncing slightly with each hurried step.
Two low level soldiers loyal to Thalion carried the stretcher, their faces tense with purpose, while the Royal Healer and an unknown Virex Corps mber followed closely behind, with the Royal Healer constantly muttering incantations under his breath as he tried to stabilize Ben’s condition.
Finally, Commander Thalion walked just behind those two, his gaze fixed on the stretcher, but his mind being far from focused on Ben’s recovery.
Thalion’s thoughts were racing. The plan had been flawless—until now. The poison was supposed to be undetectable, a perfect ans of eliminating the Emperor and anyone else who might pose a threat to their plans. But Ben Faulkner had proven to be an unexpected complication.
The old warrior’s natural resistance had allowed him to survive just long enough to be a potential problem, and now Thalion had to deal with it.
As he walked, Thalion’s hand brushed against the small vial hidden within his armor, the sa poison that had claid the Emperor’s life.
The solution was simple: a few drops into Ben’s mouth, and he would be dead within minutes, with it being easy to claim that Ben’s condition had simply worsened— and no one would question it. After all, the poison was already in his system and its reappearance would be simply written off as a natural progression of his decline.
But the situation was more complicated than Thalion had anticipated. The Royal Healer was close by, his sharp eyes never leaving Ben’s side, and there was also the unknown Virex Corps mber, whose presence added an elent of unpredictability.
Thalion knew that any misstep could expose him. If the Healer or the Virex operative noticed anything unusual, the entire conspiracy could unravel, and Thalion would be left holding the bla.
He considered his options carefully as he thought about potentially eliminating the Healer and the Virex soldier, but then realized that it would be too obvious.
Only the three of them had left the Gala Hall with Ben, and if the Healer and the soldier ended up dead, suspicion would imdiately fall on him, which would be too risky.
‘Fucking old man…. Why don’t you just die already?’ Thalion cursed in his head, as he clenched his jaw in frustration.
There were just too many variables, too many potential witnesses for him to take decisive action, and this frustrated him greatly.
Finally, as they turned a corner and approached the entrance to the palace’s recovery wing, Thalion’s mind continued to churn.
He wondered if there would perhaps be an opportunity in the chaos of the dical wing that he could use to create a distraction, sothing that would draw the Healer and the Virex soldier away, even for just a mont.
But even as he considered this, he knew that the risks were mounting. Every second that passed without action was another second that Ben Faulkner could recover, another second that the conspiracy could be exposed.
However, for now, Thalion had no choice but to keep following, his eyes constantly searching for an opportunity, a mont of weakness where he could act without being caught, but the stakes were too high to rush— as one wrong move, and everything he had worked for would be undone. So he bided his ti, each step bringing them closer to the recovery wing, and with it, closer to a final, desperate chance to eliminate Ben Faulkner for good.
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