“If Your Majesty looks past such an unprecedented act of impudence…every noble in the kingdom will rise inprotest! Do you intend on betraying your vassals who have been nothing but loyal? All for a lowborn scoundrel of a knight?”
It was a blatant threat. Maxi’s face grew red with anger at her father’s jab at Riftan. The princess stared up at the ceiling as if to summon her self-control, then addressed the attendant at the door with imperious authority.
“I have something to report to His Majesty. Please inform him that I seek his permission to enter the assembly room.”
The young attendant bowed his head. “Right away, Your Highness. One moment.”
He cautiously opened the door and disappeared into the room. A moment later, he returned and motioned for them to enter.
Maxi tentatively followed Princess Agnes and Simon. Riftan was seated at the table, and his look of irritation turned to surprise when he saw Maxi. She avoided his gaze and stuck close to the princess.
Princess Agnes slowly approached the king and addressed him formally. “Please forgive me for interrupting the mediation, Your Majesty.”
The king waved his hand. “No need to apologize. It was becoming quite tedious listening to the same thing over and over.”
The duke’s face contorted at the king’s blasé comment.
King Reuben yawned indifferently and added, “We were told that you have something to report. You have permission to speak freely.”
Princess Agnes cleared her throat. “There is a matter about which you are not yet aware, Your Majesty. I did not bring it to your attention earlier as it was not something Icould choose to reveal on my own.” She stole a careful glance at Maxi. “Thankfully, Lady Calypse has come to a decision. She can no longer stand by and allow this to continue. It’s why we sought an audience with you in all haste.”
The princess paused for a moment to look at the steely-faced Riftan and the fuming duke in turn. King Reuben raised a bushy brow and rested his chin in his hand.
“Get to the point. I detest long preambles.”
The princess straightened and turned an icy gaze on the duke. “Then I shall cut to the chase, Your Majesty. The duke claims that his actions were mild corporal punishment, but Lady Calypse does not agree. She has informed me that, if the duke insists on going ahead with the trial, she will lodge a complaint of physical violence with the Mage Tower.”
The duke, who had been listening with a vacant expression, abruptly shot to his feet. “That is absurd! What does the Mage Tower have to do with this?”
Simon answered on behalf of the princess. “Why wouldn’t they have anything to do with this? Protecting its mages is Nornui’s greatest concern. If you recall, the foremost reason behind its establishment was to protect mages from persecution.”
Both the duke and Riftan looked stupefied. Paying no attention to their reactions, Simon turned to the king and calmly continued.
“Maximilian Calypse registered with Nornui last spring, and as such, any violence against her is considered persecution of a mage. The moment she requests the tower’s protection, Nornui will immediately launch an investigation into the matter. The duke will be made to answer for his crimes if the claims are proven true.”
“What nonsense!” The duke slammed the table in exasperation and glared murderously at both Maxi and the princess. “A mage? Ha! To think you’d concoct such an outlandish lie…to protect this ruffian! I fear that you are not in your right mind, Your Highness!”
Even the ever-languid King Reuben grew stony at the duke’s flagrant disrespect of the princess. A dangerous glint shone in his golden-brown eyes as he looked down at his vassal.
“It seems you hold me in the lowest possible regard, Lord Croyso.” The king sat upright in his chair, an intimidating smirk stretching across his face. “Have you forgotten that the person you insult is my daughter? I came here with an open mind, intending to listen to all of your complaints…but my patience wears thin.”
The duke immediately collected himself, though his eyes still burned with animosity. “It seems I misspoke in anger, Your Majesty,” he mumbled. “Nevertheless…I find the princess’s claim hard to believe. Everyone knows that she shares a close friendship with this scoundrel. I cannot help but suspect that she is lying to protect him.”
Acid dripped from the duke’s words. He turned his contemptuous gaze on Maxi.
“Though it pains me to say this about my own child…my daughter is feeble-minded. How could she have become a mage of the Mage Tower just six seasons after leaving Croyso Castle? A donkey would have a greater chance of becoming a warhorse!”
Riftan’s face twisted viciously as he leaped to his feet. The duke recoiled, seemingly fearful of being attacked on the spot. Ignoring the two royal knights who stepped in torestrain him, Riftan kept a murderous glare fixed squarely on the duke.
The princess deliberately raised her voice to shatter the tension. “If you doubt me, I will call on the knights who participated in the Livadon Campaign to stand witness. Not only did Maximilian serve as a healer in the coalition army’s support unit, but she also played a vital role in the final battle. This is a fact that the soldiers of Livadon, Osiriya, and Balto can vouch for. There are countless people who would gladly corroborate her talent as a mage.”
The duke looked Maxi up and down with utter disbelief. She hunched her shoulders out of habit before forcing herself to stand straight. There was no reason to be intimidated.
She furtively wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and met her father’s eyes. He could crush a person with his gaze, and he was currently using the full force of his disdain. Maxi could feel her face burning.
As she willed herself to meet his cold eyes, she suddenly realized that he was smaller than she remembered. She blinked. Her father had always seemed far bigger than her, and his scornful looks had always made her feel as minuscule as an ant. However, she now saw that he was only slightly taller than Princess Agnes. His stick-straight, lanky frame was skinnier than she remembered. Compared with a troll or a werewolf, he was practically a scarecrow.
In an instant, the fear that had mushroomed inside her drained away like shifting sand. All that was left was empty bewilderment.
