The Debt Of Fate

Chapter 350: Arrested

The king’s edict spread across the royal city that same day.

Messengers rode through the streets while officials read the decree in public squares. The news quickly reached every corner of the city.

Edward had been banished.

All the lords and nobles who had followed him would also be exiled to the Island of Kain.

The people of the royal city talked about it everywhere. Some were shocked.

Others said it was the right decision.

By the next day, soldiers had already begun to act.

The nobles who had left the royal city to support Edward had settled in several towns and estates near the capital. Many of them believed they would be safe there until the war ended.

But they were wrong.

Royal soldiers arrived at their homes early in the morning.

Some nobles were arrested while eating breakfast. Others were dragged out of their beds before the sun had even risen.

Their estates were sealed, their servants dismissed, and their titles taken away.

Many of them began to regret their earlier choices.

"If I had known this would happen, I would never have followed Edward," one lord said bitterly as soldiers tied his hands.

Another noble shouted angrily, trying to resist. "My son was left behind in the royal city. He definitely begged for our pardon," he argued. He had heard that as long as one family member supported Ernest, he could plead for his family using that merit.

"We have our records straight. Your son chose your family’s estate and title over your lives," a guard said.

"Impossible!" the lord refused to believe it and struggled, but it was useless.

The king’s order was clear. No one who had supported Edward would escape punishment.

While the arrests were happening across the city, news of Edward’s capture reached Queen Mother Mary’s residence.

Mary was resting in her chamber when her attendants rushed in with the news.

"Your Majesty... something terrible has happened," Miss Margaret said nervously.

Mary frowned slightly.

"What is it?"

"His Majesty... King Edward... he has been captured."

The words had barely left her mouth when Mary’s face turned pale.

Her body swayed.

The next moment, she fainted.

The servants quickly rushed to help her.

When she finally woke up some time later, the first thing she heard was even worse news.

King Ernest had issued a decree.

Edward and his family would be banished to the Island of Kain.

Mary could not believe it.

"This cannot be true..." she whispered weakly. Ernest had brought her to the palace before, wanting her to give her blessing to legitimize his throne. He would not send her to the Island of Kain.

But before she could say anything else, the doors of her chamber suddenly opened.

Several royal guards walked in.

Behind them stood an official holding a scroll.

"Lady Mary," the official said coldly, "by order of His Majesty King Ernest, you are under arrest."

Mary stared at him in disbelief.

"Arrest?" she repeated.

She had been the queen of the kingdom for many years. After that, she became the queen mother. No one had ever dared speak to her like this. Not even when Edward fled the royal city.

"You must prepare to leave," the official continued. "You will be sent to the Island of Kain together with the rest of Edward’s family."

Mary’s hands trembled.

"This is impossible," she said weakly.

But the guards did not argue with her.

They simply waited.

Soon, Mary and her maids were escorted out like prisoners.

The commoners who had come to watch the scene whispered when they saw her.

Some mocked her for having a ruthless son.

Some pitied her.

Others simply watched silently.

But what Mary could not accept the most was something else.

As a prisoner, she was now treated the same as many other nobles who had also been arrested.

Men and women she had once looked down on now stood beside her, all wearing the same pale expressions.

Their hands were tied.

Their titles were gone.

Queen Mary could not accept that she had fallen so low.

Princess Karen watched the scene unfold. She could not believe that Edward had lost so easily.

She turned to look at her son and, in that moment, made a decision to leave. But only then did she discover that when the soldiers rushed in, they had also seized her guards from Gube.

"Your Highness will remain in her room until your husband, Prince Lucan, comes to pick you up. The two of you have been assigned to Lowe Pass," the new guards now in charge told her.

Princess Karen wanted to curse, but except for her personal maids, she had no one else.

She returned to her room and waited for a few hours before she was led away to join her husband.

Prince Lucan simply took his son.

"The princess will be locked in her carriage when we travel and in her room when we stop to rest. She must be watched all the time. She is not allowed to send any messages. There is a war between Gube and our kingdom. We cannot allow her to be a spy," Prince Lucan instructed.

Since she had played with his feelings so much, he decided to let her live the worst kind of life possible.

"You dare to arrest me? My father—"

She was still talking when Lucan signaled to a maid. A cloth was immediately stuffed into her mouth.

"Gube has to win against us first," he said before walking away.

...

At the same time, soldiers arrived at Duke Thompson’s new residence in the second region.

The gates were pushed open, and armed men quickly entered the courtyard.

Servants ran in fear when they saw them.

Inside the main hall, Duke Thompson was drinking tea when a servant rushed in.

"Duke... soldiers are here!"

Thompson frowned.

"Soldiers?" he repeated.

Before he could say anything else, the doors were pushed open.

Several royal guards walked in, followed by an official holding a scroll.

The official looked at Thompson calmly.

"Duke Thompson, by order of His Majesty King Ernest, you are under arrest."

Thompson immediately stood up.

"Arrest me?" he said angrily. "On what grounds?"

The official opened the scroll and read aloud.

"You supported Edward during the struggle for the throne and left the royal city to join him. By royal decree, you and your family are to be exiled to the Island of Kain."

Thompson’s face turned red with anger.

"This is nonsense!" he shouted.

He pointed at the official.

"Do you know who I am? I am the father of Queen Anastasia! How dare you arrest me!"

The soldiers did not react.

Instead, several of them exchanged amused looks.

One guard could not help but laugh.

"Father of Queen Anastasia?" he said mockingly.

Another soldier shook his head.

"Duke Thompson, have you forgotten?"

The official looked at him coldly.

"You already disowned Lady Anastasia long ago."

The words struck Thompson like a heavy blow.

"You announced it yourself in front of many nobles," another guard added.

"You said she was no longer part of the Thompson family."

Some of the soldiers began to chuckle.

"Now you want to claim her again?" one of them said with a smile.

Thompson’s face turned pale.

For a moment, he could not speak.

He had indeed disowned Anastasia long ago when she refused to help King Edward and made her confession. At that time, he believed she had brought shame to the family.

But now everything had changed.

Anastasia was the queen.

Yet his past words had already closed that door.

The official rolled up the scroll.

"Duke Thompson, please come with us."

Two guards stepped forward and grabbed his arms.

Thompson struggled angrily.

"You fools! You will regret this!"

But the soldiers ignored him.

Soon, the once-proud duke was dragged out like a criminal.

Outside, several neighbors and servants watched silently.

Elizabeth and Sam were also pulled out. Sam did not struggle, but Elizabeth could not take it. She could not accept that she would be exiled while Anastasia would become queen.

She struggled to break free, but she was too weak.