The Debt Of Fate

Chapter 325: Guardian of the Border

The day of the celebration banquet finally arrived.

The royal palace was bright and full of life. Red carpets covered the long halls. Golden lanterns hung from the high beams. Nobles from every region filled the grand hall, dressed in their finest robes. Music played softly as servants moved back and forth with trays of wine and food.

Everyone was talking about one name.

Ernest.

At the front of the hall, a special seat had been prepared for the king. Beside him was an empty space where a queen would normally sit.

But it remained empty.

Elizabeth was allowed to attend, yet she no longer had the right to sit beside King Edward. Instead, she sat among the noble ladies. Her seat was only good because she sat next to her mother, Duchess Anita. Without that, she would have been placed even farther back.

Whispers followed her wherever she looked.

She kept her chin high, but her fingers gripped her sleeve tightly.

Duchess Anita leaned closer. "Endure it," she whispered. "This is not the end."

Elizabeth did not reply. Her eyes were fixed ahead.

At the center of the hall stood Ernest.

He wore a dark royal robe embroidered with gold thread. The royal emblem was stitched across his chest. He looked calm, but those who knew him well could see the slight tension in his shoulders.

Beside him stood Anastasia.

She wore a simple but elegant gown. She did not try to outshine anyone. Yet her calm face and gentle posture made her stand out more than the jewels in the room.

Many nobles could not help but look at the two of them together.

A prince.

And his wife.

The High Priest stepped forward. The hall slowly grew quiet.

He raised his staff and began the blessing.

"Today, under heaven’s witness, General Ernest is acknowledged as a son of royal blood. His name shall be recorded in the royal lineage."

His voice echoed through the hall.

The nobles bowed their heads.

King Edward rose from his seat and personally handed Ernest the jade token of the royal family.

"For your loyalty and your blood, I recognize you," Edward declared loudly. "From today onward, you are a prince of this kingdom, as you should be."

Applause filled the hall.

Some clapped out of joy.

Some clapped out of fear.

Some clapped because everyone else did.

Elizabeth’s smile was stiff.

Beside her, Duchess Anita’s expression darkened.

They watched as Ernest knelt before the High Priest for the final blessing. Anastasia stood slightly behind him, her hands folded gently before her.

The High Priest placed his hand over Ernest’s head and spoke words of blessing for strength, honor, and unity within the royal family.

As those words echoed, Elizabeth’s gaze turned cold.

Anastasia.

The woman she once pushed aside.

Now standing beside a prince, while she had fallen from grace.

Duchess Anita’s fingers dug into her palm.

Duke Thompson could not explain his feelings at that moment. This daughter he had neglected time and time again would rise to power.

First, it was the late king who wanted her to become queen. Then she was divorced, and he thought she would die a shameful death. Only a matter of weeks later, she was married to a strong general.

Each time she faced a disaster, she came out with a blessing.

He sincerely regretted disowning this daughter.

Duke Thompson turned to look at his wife and daughter. Seeing their dark gazes, his tone turned cold.

"Do you think our family is not embarrassed enough? If you had simply focused on living your life as queen, would you be in this position?" he muttered, not understanding why this mother and daughter were so brainless but vicious.

Duchess Anita lowered her head. She did not see anything wrong with her daughter’s actions. Her only mistake was that she had not planned properly.

The blessing ended.

The hall erupted into cheers again.

Wine was poured. Music grew louder. Nobles rushed forward to congratulate the new prince.

Anastasia bowed politely to each of them.

Ernest remained calm, neither arrogant nor overly humble.

From the king’s seat, Edward watched everything carefully. For now, the court looked peaceful. The tension of the past weeks seemed buried beneath laughter and music.

But beneath the bright lights and smiling faces—

Jealousy burned.

Ambition stirred.

"To think that Lady Anastasia would rise to royal status again," two ladies close to Elizabeth whispered.

"Of course. God blesses those with kind hearts," the second lady answered.

"Back then, the late king praised her for been blessed it seems it was true." The first lady said.

No one knew how it started, but people soon began to whisper about Anastasia—about her kind heart when she was queen.

When people drank, there was no topic they would not speak about. Soon, Elizabeth was dragged into the talk, but she was cursed instead of praised.

"What kindness? She only followed Lady Anastasia’s original plans."

"You know what they say, with a vicious mother comes a vicious daughter."

"Yes, the two schemed to seize the position of queen, yet she could not even keep it."

Elizabeth and Duchess Anita tried to ignore the words, but they were growing louder and more out of control.

"If I cannot have it easy, neither will you," Elizabeth muttered as she turned to look at Anastasia, who was happily chatting with others while she and her mother were ignored.

...

The joy of the banquet had not yet faded when another decree came from the palace.

It was early morning when the royal messenger arrived at Ernest’s residence. The air was still cold. A thin mist covered the courtyard.

Ernest stepped forward and knelt to receive the decree.

The eunuch opened the scroll and read in a loud voice.

"By the will of the king, Prince Ernest is hereby appointed Guardian of the Border. He shall take command at Lowe Pass and defend the northern line. He is to depart from the royal city within one month."

The words were clear.

The courtyard fell silent.

Guardian of the Border.

It sounded like an honor.

But everyone knew Lowe Pass.

It was far from the royal city. The land was harsh. It was one of the weakest regions of the kingdom due to its constant battles with Gube.

Ernest accepted the decree calmly.

"I obey His Majesty’s order," he said.

The eunuch smiled politely, handed him the scroll, and left.

Only after the gates closed did the servants begin to whisper.

"So soon?"

"He just became a prince..."

"Is this promotion... or exile?"

Inside the main hall, Anastasia held the decree in her hands and read it slowly.

Her face did not change much.

But her fingers tightened slightly around the paper.

"He cannot allow you to stay," she said quietly.

Ernest looked at her.

In the royal city, his presence had already made many uneasy. The nobles had begun to speak of bloodlines. Some had even hinted that he had a stronger claim than anyone thought.

Sending him away was the safest choice.

It looked like trust.

But it was also distance.

Ernest gave a faint smile.

"The border needs someone steady," he said. "And I have always been a soldier."

Anastasia stepped closer.

"Lowe Pass..."

"I know."

She lowered her voice. "This is the king’s way of protecting himself."

Ernest did not deny it.

If he stayed in the capital, rumors would only grow. If conflict rose in the court, he would be at the center of it.

At the border, he would hold power—but far away.

"I would agree that he has become wiser if he lets me reach Lowe Pass safely," he added.

Anastasia’s heart skipped a beat. A king who did not spare his own uncle—what would he not do to an unknown cousin? Sending them away... if Ernest died on the road, it would only benefit him.

So what if people suspected him?

He could stand righteously and deny it. After all, he had indeed treated Ernest well since his identity was revealed. He had shown no public malice.

Later that day, news spread through the royal city.

Some nobles sighed in relief.

Some pretended to praise the king’s wisdom, while secretly trying to encourage Ernest to rebel instead of leaving.

King Edward sat in his study when reports came that Ernest had accepted the decree without complaint.

He nodded slowly.

"It is better this way," he murmured.

A prince too close to the throne was a danger.

A prince guarding the border was useful.

In another courtyard, Elizabeth also heard the news.

Her lips curved slightly.

"Lowe Pass?" she said softly. "That place is always plagued with war."

Duchess Anita gave a cold smile. "Distance weakens influence. But he is still a prince with power."

She was not satisfied with this outcome. She had lived long enough to know that Ernest being away from the royal city did not mean Anastasia would suffer. Her life in Lowe Pass might even be better than her daughter’s, who had no reputation or standing in the royal family.

"You must protect yourself well. This child is your future," Duchess Anita warned.

Meanwhile, in Ernest’s residence, there was no anger.

Only quiet preparation.

Maps were brought out.

Letters were written.

Supplies were listed.

One month.

The royal city was already preparing to say goodbye to its newest prince.