The Debt Of Fate

Chapter 337: Choked

Smoke rolled through the corridors like a living thing.

Shouts echoed.

Boots pounded against stone.

Ernest carried Anastasia through the burning hall and into the outer courtyard. The night air struck them both, cold and sharp against smoke-stung lungs. Behind them, flames continued to burn.

He set her gently on her feet.

Ernest sat Anastasia down on the stone pavement. "Let me see your foot," he said as he lowered himself to examine it. Fortunately, she had not twisted her ankle.

At that moment, two men walked over to Ernest.

"Your Highness, King Edward escaped through the south gate. He had a few soldiers waiting there," one of the men reported.

Ernest frowned. He had never expected that Edward would plan a retreat.

"You will protect her. I will lead a few men to chase him," Ernest decided. Edward was not an easy target, and he could not simply trust his men to defeat him without support.

Hearing those words, Anastasia immediately held onto him.

"I am not leaving your side," she declared.

Before he could answer, a sound split the chaos.

A deep, hollow toll.

Once.

Twice.

Then again.

The surrender bell.

It rang from the eastern tower—slow but loud.

The sound carried across the royal grounds, over the clashing steel, over the crackle of fire, over the cries of wounded men. Soldiers froze mid-strike. Archers lowered their bows.

Again the bell rang.

One sword dropped.

Then another.

Shields lowered.

Men, already tired of fighting, looked at one another as they dropped their swords. Some wondered if the king had been captured or killed.

The bell continued.

By the fifth toll, royal soldiers were stepping back, kneeling, casting their weapons onto the stone. The sound of surrender echoed through the night.

Ernest stood still, watching it unfold.

One of his captains approached, breathless.

"The eastern gate has fallen, my lord. The northern barracks as well. Their commanders have yielded."

Ernest’s gaze lifted to the palace towers.

Edward had fled.

Surrender was the army’s only option.

The banners bearing Edward’s crest were torn down one by one. In their place, Ernest’s standard rose over the palace walls.

Some royal soldiers fled during this time. Ernest guessed they were going to find King Edward.

Most surrendered.

By nightfall, torches lined the streets of the royal city. Ernest’s men stood guard at every gate, every tower, and every armory. The fires within the palace had been contained, though smoke still curled into the dark sky like a scar.

Citizens peeked from shuttered windows. All doors remained closed, everyone too frightened to come out.

The royal city had fallen.

Ernest sat beside Anastasia as the physician treated the injury on her neck.

"The cut is not deep," the physician said.

Ernest nodded.

"How are the children?" Anastasia asked as soon as the physician was out of sight.

"They are fine. Grater is taking care of them. You don’t have to worry," Ernest replied with a small smile.

Anastasia took a deep breath in relief. After sending the children away that night, she had been worried that something terrible had happened to them.

Third Region

Princess Karen paced back and forth. So many days had passed since she released the signal. She was shocked that no news had reached her.

"Stop pacing," Prince Lucan said. "You’re making me dizzy."

"My father should have received news of my location within days. Even if we had been refused, I should have received a message," Princess Karen said. She was worried that her signal had gone unnoticed.

If that were the case, it would be fine. But if it was because Ernest had managed to block them, then there was real reason to worry.

"Relax. No matter what the outcome of the war is, we should be safe," Prince Lucan said.

Princess Karen looked at him. The reason she had come to a foreign land to marry was to claim the throne. If Ernest won against Edward, it would mean that in the future her son would have no claim to the throne, as her husband had agreed to give up his right to it.

Although she was frustrated by how spineless he was, she also understood that for a dying man, being alive was enough.

Princess Karen opened her mouth to speak again, but they suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside.

They both turned to the door and watched it open.

A guard walked inside, his expression calm.

"The search party from Gube has arrived near our border. Princess Karen, do you wish to meet them, or stay with Prince Lucan?" the guard asked.

Princess Karen was shocked by the question. The way the man spoke, it seemed he had expected their arrival.

"What do you mean by this? I had an agreement with Ernest. Is he going back on his word after getting what he wants?" Prince Lucan asked. He understood that Princess Karen’s identity was special, so neither Edward nor Ernest would touch her easily—but he was different. He was an eyesore to both of them.

"It is not my master who changed his mind, but your princess who released a rescue signal. We simply wish to know what she wants," the guard replied.

Princess Karen froze. Everything suddenly made sense.

"Tell Ernest that I will go with my people. My offer is still on the table until they arrive. After that, the offer is off," she said. Since it had come to this point, she did not bother to hide anything from Prince Lucan anymore.

"Very well," the guard said, leaving without another glance.

"What offer?" Prince Lucan demanded as soon as the guard left.

"An offer that benefits both kingdoms. Do not forget our marriage was meant to bring peace between the two kingdoms," Karen replied.

"What?" Prince Lucan was shocked. Yes, the marriage proposal had been for political reasons, but he had believed she loved him as much as he loved her. Her words made it seem as though she had only been fulfilling her duty.

"You... You want to marry Ernest..." Even as he asked, he could hardly believe it.

"Yes," Princess Karen answered calmly.

"Then... what about us? What about our love?" he asked.

Hearing his question, Princess Karen chuckled.

"There was never love. It was a royal marriage," she said.

"But... you..." Prince Lucan remembered when the proposal had first been made. He had confessed his feelings, and at the time she had played along. All these years, she had taken such good care of him, and he had believed they were a truly loving couple.

He thought about his son’s poisoning. Back then, he had investigated it himself and discovered it was indeed his brother. Later, rumors had spread about his son being born under a king’s star. He had thought they were simply rumors spiraling out of control.

Now he understood everything.

She had married him and given birth to his son to claim the throne.

He could not believe that the memories he had cherished for so long were all lies.

"You lied to me," he roared.

Princess Karen frowned, his loud voice irritating her ears.

"What do you mean, lied? I have fulfilled every duty to you as a wife. I am simply seeking benefits for myself and my kingdom," she replied.

"Fulfilled?" Lucan interrupted. "You love me, right? You’re just doing this out of responsibility?" he insisted, desperate to believe she was denying her feelings because of duty.

Karen chuckled again.

"Since we have reached this point, I will tell you the truth. I never loved you. I did not even like you. You are a dying man—who would want to become a widow? I agreed to this marriage for my kingdom... and because he lives here," Karen whispered her last sentence, but Prince Lucan heard her clearly.

"Who lives here?" he demanded, his voice turning cold.

"Prince Ernest. I fell for him the first time I saw him," Princess Karen said.

"That doesn’t make sense. You had no contact with him before we were married," Prince Lucan argued stubbornly.

"Think again. That year, when you came for peace talks, Ernest was part of your guard. There was something different about him that attracted me," she explained, recounting their brief encounter when he had saved her from falling.

Prince Lucan could not believe his ears. Back then, Ernest had been merely a guard—someone he had not taken seriously. If Ernest had died on that journey, the royal family would not have cared. Yet even in that position, he had won the heart of the princess—the woman Lucan loved.

"You are lying," Prince Lucan insisted.

"Believe it or not, my heart can recognize a gem at a glance," Princess Karen said with a warm smile.

Prince Lucan shook his head. He wanted to deny it, but that smile—it was something he had never seen during all their years of marriage.

Rage overtook him.

He lunged at her.

Though sick, he was still strong enough to injure Princess Karen, who had been pampered all her life.

His hand closed around her throat.

"Since you dare lie to me, then we shall continue this marriage in the grave," he hissed, tightening his grip.

Karen choked and struggled to free herself.