When fate plays its hand

In the royal study, Salvador took a sip of his coffee and looked up at Rafael.

“I wasn’t aware the Supreme Court was Investigating this case along with the Ministry of Justice. Did I issue such an order? Or is it that after your investigation into Eleanor rebellion went nowhere, you’re now trying to help the Ministry of Justice with their case out of the kindness of your heart?”

Salvador’s words carried a note of questioning, tinged with displeasure.

With the usual “understanding” between them, Rafael would normally be expected to confess to a fault, kneel, and then withdraw to maintain the appearance of harmony between the king and his brother.

So, Salvador resumed drinking his coffee slowly after he spoke, waiting for Rafael to kneel and make an apology. Deep down, he was accustomed to his brother’s silent endurance and deferential nature.

But this time, Rafael didn’t kneel to apologize. Instead, he stood tall and replied, “Your Majesty, Commander Warren was the commanding general of the Fawnrun City operation back then. He can’t possibly be uninvolved in everything that happened there.”

Salvador froze for a moment, then slammed his cup down heavily onto the desk. Derek, standing nearby, hastily dropped to his knees in alarm.

Salvador’s voice darkened with more anger as he spoke, “You were once the marshal who recaptured the Southern Frontier. I ask you–after such a massive catastrophe, if Commander Warren is held accountable, will General Sullivan be allowed to escape punishment? After all, he is a Grand General and leader of the troops at Victory Pass.

Meeting the king’s gaze with a calm but firm expression, Rafael responded curtly, “No, he can’t.”

Salvador’s voice grew sharp, saying, “Then, why drag another person into this? You must understand that before Westhaven’s envoy inquired into this matter, I had no intention of bringing it up, let alone punishing General Sullivan and Aurora.

“Everything we’re doing now is just to appease Westhaven. I know you don’t like Commander Warren. He was once married to your wife, so I can understand your resentment. But as a prince and an official of Starhaven, you should be thinking about the greater good. You shouldn’t be using this as an opportunity to step on someone you hate, even to the point of confronting me. You’ve truly disappointed me.”

Rafael stood his ground, not bowing or shrinking back.

“Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with personal grudges. When Commander Warren led the troops to Fawnrun City, General Sullivan was severely injured and on his deathbed. As the Grand General of Victory Pass, it’s true that he must bear responsibility for failing to prevent the massacre of civilians.

“But if Commander Warren hadn’t been involved, the blame would have fallen solely on General Sullivan for making poor decisions and choosing the wrong people. Westhaven will seize on this and force us to kill General Sullivan to placate their anger.”

Salvador’s gaze darkened with intensity. “Then, he truly chose the wrong person. He wasn’t unjustly accused.”

“He was,” Rafael countered. “General Sullivan didn’t make a mistake in choosing Commander Warren, who did burn the supply depot and complete his mission. The real mistake was Aurora’s, someone Commander Warren brought along. She wasn’t even one of the soldiers stationed at Victory Pass.

“Even if it was General Sullivan’s command to send Commander Warren to Fawnrun City, Aurora was one of Commander Warren’s subordinates. He didn’t have to bring her along. I believe Commander Warren and Aurora had already formed a bond on the battlefield, and he wanted to give her a chance to prove herself. That’s why he

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brought her along. That is also why Commander Warren is responsible for much of this.”

Salvador sat frozen, his anger rising to the point of speechlessness. It took him a long time to speak, and when he did, his voice was sharp with fury

“I have my judgment on who’s responsible for what,” he said. “This is not a matter for you to interfere with You’ve overstepped. As for your assumptions, those are nothing more than your personal thoughts, not the truth.” NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Rafael was unfazed. “That’s why I had the of Justice bring Commander Warren in for questioning. If he

didn’t have personal feelings for Aurora and wasn’t the one who chose to take her to Fawnrun City, then the truth will be clear once the Ministry of Justice questions him, right?”

“You’re making a fuss for no reason,” Salvador snapped. “Once Commander Warren enters the Ministry of Justice and gives his statement, he will be implicated.”

Rafael held his ground and replied slowly, “See, you already know he’s involved, Your Majesty. If you already know, how can the outside world not? There are many soldiers at Victory Pass, so how can the common people not know? Westhaven has been plotting this for so long–don’t you think they know? If they do, it won’t just be a matter of simply questioning a few people to appease the situation.”

Salvador narrowed his eyes, his anger flaring dangerously. “Rafael Sanford!”

Derek, still kneeling on the ground, hastily called out, “Your Majesty, please calm down!”