The Debt Of Fate

Chapter 331: A Trap

Third Region

Princess Karen was displeased that Ernest had rejected her proposal. So when she got in that night, she looked through her things. Of course, since she had married into a foreign land as a princess, she had some life-saving gadgets with her.

While on the road, she had worn her signal plate on her body and carried it everywhere she went. The reason she had not used it all these months was because she had no idea where she was or who was behind her kidnapping. But after meeting Ernest the previous day, she was sure they were still within the Nexile kingdom, and with the raised flag last night, she gathered they were in the Third Region.

"What are you doing?" Prince Lucan asked, seeing her go through her things.

"My father sent some secret guards to protect me. As long as I release this signal, they will be able to tell where we are," Karen answered.

"I think it is stupid for you to use it at this time. I already told Ernest I will remain neutral. I will neither betray my brother nor stand by him. No matter the outcome of this war, we will be safe," Prince Lucan said. He could not help but ask himself why he dared to trust Ernest. As for his brother, he only trusted him because of their mother.

"My prince, I know you really want to support your brother. Although my guards will not be able to rescue us from here, exposing this information will help your brother prepare better for the war," Princess Karen said.

Prince Lucan was shocked. He thought his wife would be angry about him choosing loyalty over their lives, but to his surprise, she was thinking about how to aid his brother.

"Why are you so good to me?" he asked as he pulled her into a hug.

"We are husband and wife. This is what I should do," Karen said. She could not tell him the real reason she was releasing the signal. She wanted Ernest to know that it was a mistake to reject her.

As a princess who had always been pampered and loved, with so many men willing to marry her, how could she accept the fact that the man she loved loved another woman?

A woman who was so far beneath her.

"You will keep watch later, so I can release the signal. It is fine if they find out I released it, but it would be useless if I am caught before I manage to release it," Princess Karen said.

...

Night fell deep and cold over the Third Region.

The camp grew quiet. Only the sound of boots changing guard and the soft cry of night birds filled the air.

Inside their small courtyard, Prince Lucan stood by the gate. He looked calm, but his eyes were sharp.

"I will walk near the path," he said quietly. "If anyone comes, I will cough."

Princess Karen nodded.

She had changed into a dark cloak. Her hair was tied up. In her hand, hidden in her sleeve, was a small metal tube no longer than her palm.

It looked simple. But inside was fine powder—mixed by royal craftsmen in Gube. When burned, it would release thick colored smoke that rose straight into the sky.

It was a signal used by missing royals during long journeys or when they faced danger and were separated from their guards.

Karen stepped into the garden.

Her heart beat fast, but her face stayed calm.

She walked slowly toward the far corner, where tall trees blocked most of the view from the main house. The moon was thin. The shadows were deep.

She knelt beside a stone lantern that had not been lit.

From her sleeve, she took out flint and steel. Her hands trembled slightly, but she forced them steady.

One strike.

Two.

On the third strike, a spark caught.

She lit the fuse.

For a breath, nothing happened.

Karen waited patiently. She knew how it worked.

Then...

A thin line of smoke rose from the lantern.

Dark at first.

Then it turned into a faint blue color.

The smoke grew thicker. It rose straight into the sky, clear against the pale moonlight.

Karen watched it with shining eyes.

"Let him see," she thought.

Let Ernest see that she still had power. Let him see that Gube’s guards were near.

He must regret rejecting her.

Behind her, Prince Lucan coughed softly.

She quickly crushed the rest of the powder and covered the lantern.

The smoke slowly thinned.

"It is done," she whispered.

"Who is there?" a guard’s voice suddenly asked.

"We came out for a walk," Prince Lucan immediately took hold of Karen protectively.

The guard walked forward and raised his lamp to look at their faces. The two tried their best to hide their panic. They had lived in the royal family all their lives, so this was not a huge task.

"You should return to the courtyard early. It might rain tonight," the guard said as he turned and walked away.

The husband and wife released a deep breath they did not know they were holding and returned to their room as if nothing had happened.

What Princess Karen did not know was—

From the highest tower of the main house, a pair of eyes had been watching.

Ernest stood by the open window.

Beside him was his trusted commander.

"The blue smoke," the commander said quietly. "Gube royal signal."

Ernest’s face showed no surprise.

"She finally used it," he said.

"Should we arrest her?"

Ernest shook his head. "No. Let her believe she succeeded."

He turned away from the window.

"For months we have waited," he said calmly. "Now the fish will swim toward the hook."

He had known from the first day that she carried a rescue plate. His men had checked her belongings long ago.

He did not take it.

He wanted this.

"Send orders," Ernest continued. "Lock down the Third Region quietly. Watch every inn, every stable, every merchant road. Anyone who moves toward the smoke’s direction—arrest them."

The commander bowed and left at once.

That same night, soldiers moved like shadows through the region.

Ernest closed his eyes. He never thought that rejecting Karen would make her show her hand, but he did not care. His mind was filled with Anastasia, who had fallen into the hands of the king in the royal city. He wanted to reach the royal city as soon as possible and save her.

...

At a small inn near the eastern road, two men who had been pretending to be traders were seized before dawn.

At a farm outside the city, a shepherd who had been sending coded letters through livestock tags was dragged away.

At the river port, three boatmen were arrested without noise.

None of them understood how they had been exposed.

Before sunrise, more than twenty hidden agents from Gube were captured.

By morning, the Third Region was sealed tight.

Back in her room, Princess Karen slept lightly, a faint smile on her lips.

She believed help was coming.

She believed Ernest would soon understand her worth.

But in the main house, Ernest stood alone, looking at a list of names.

"One night," he said. He was a bit surprised that Gube had so many hidden spies just within the Third Region. He had the princess to thank for waiting so long before releasing the signal.

Now that Gube’s men were desperate to save her, it worked right into his plans.

"We let the three who managed to locate the estate send word as you instructed. Their every move is being watched as instructed," the man said.

Ernest looked at the list and nodded.

...

The next morning—

"Your Highness, a messenger arrived at the gate. He said he has a message from King Edward," his aide said.

Ernest raised his brows. He had expected Edward to react to the current situation.

"What does Edward want?" Ernest asked.

"The king sent a letter," the aide said carefully, opening it to ensure there was no hidden trap before handing it over to Ernest.

"He wants a royal discussion?" Ernest raised his brows. Without a second thought, he could tell that this was the council of Lord Williams.

"Your Highness, this is a trap," the aide said.

"A trap or not, I must go," Ernest said. With Anastasia in King Edward’s hands, he could not rest easy.

"Then I will make preparations," the aide bowed. He understood it was impossible to talk Ernest out of this decision.

"Let the army prepare. We will take over the Second Region on our way," Ernest said.

He did not care what plans Edward had. He was not going to negotiate. Going to the royal city for this royal discussion was because of Anastasia.

"Your Highness is wise," the aide said, relieved that Ernest had thought everything through.

"How are the children?" Ernest asked.

"We received news from Grater that they are fully settled and have found a wet nurse to take care of them."

Ernest sighed in relief. While the children would be safer with him, they could not endure a long journey and so had to hide in a small village close to the royal city.

"Send more men to protect them. Their safety is very important," Ernest said.

"Yes, Your Highness," the aide bowed.