A Royal Obligation
Chapter 167: Haunting Letters

Chapter 167: Haunting Letters

Ever since that first fateful night when Sadiki had meet with Carl, his life had spiraled into a nightmare from which he couldn’t wake.

The letters becomes regularly, always dropped in the dead of night in his quarters.

They were untraceable, their presence haunting and oppressive.

The Crown Prince of Mbuzuoria’s demands started small, harmless bits of court gossip or information about daily affairs in Valeidio. At first, Sadiki convinced himself that it wasn’t a true betrayal. He wasn’t giving them anything dangerous, nothing that would hurt Eirik or the kingdom.

But as the demands grew more complex, his conscience began to gnaw at him. Each new letter came with escalating expectations, military plans, diplomatic movements, vulnerabilities in the royal court. The guilt ate at him, especially as he grew more entangled with Prince Eirik. Their secret relationship had blossomed, and every stolen moment they shared felt like a knife twisting deeper into Sadiki’s chest. How could he continue this deception while lying beside the man he loved?

And yet, he had no choice. His mother’s life was at stake, held hostage by forces far beyond his control.

The Crown Prince of Mbuzuoria was relentless. If Sadiki hesitated, even for a moment, the consequences were swift and brutal.

He remembered the chill that settled over him when one of the letters came with a punishment.

"Your mother will be starved for three days. You failed to report a key detail about the marriage negotiations. Do not fail again."

That was the night he had first heard about Eirik’s impending marriage to the Crown Prince of Zephyros. The memory still stung. Sadiki had been in the training yard when he overheard two guards discussing the proposal.

The words had hit him like a blow, Prince Eirik, forced into a political marriage to secure peace with Zephyros. His heart had lurched at the thought of Eirik being handed over like a bargaining chip

"Did you hear? Valeidio’s offering Prince Eirik to the Crown Prince of Zephyros in marriage as part of the peace negotiations."

Sadiki’s sword had clattered to the ground. His pulse roared in his ears, drowning out the rest of their conversation.

He barely remembered making his way to Eirik’s chambers. His feet moved on their own, his body propelled by the need to reach his prince, to hold him, to protect him. He knocked once, not waiting for a response before entering the room.

Eirik had collapsed into his arms, tears streaming down his face, begging Sadiki to tell him it wasn’t true. Sadiki had held him tightly, unable to lie, unable to promise a future he wasn’t sure they would have.

That night, Eirik had cried himself to sleep in Sadiki’s arms, and Sadiki had stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with guilt and fear.

He loved his Prince, more than anything. But as he looked down at the fragile figure curled against him, he knew he couldn’t protect him from what was to come.

When he returned to his quarters in the early hours of the morning, another letter awaited him.

"You’re hiding things from us. Important things. If you withhold information again, your mother will suffer worse."

Sadiki’s hands had trembled as he read the words. He felt cornered, powerless.

Sadiki’s vision had blurred with rage and panic.

His fists clenched around the letter, crumpling it in his grasp. Starved? For three days? The thought of his mother suffering because of his failure nearly broke him. He wanted to scream, to tear the letter to pieces, but what good would that do? He was trapped, a puppet at the mercy of Prince Carl’s whims.

By the time he returned to Eirik’s chambers that morning, the prince was still asleep. Tear tracks stained his cheeks, a painful reminder of the night before. Sadiki stood by the window, clutching the letter in his hand. He had reread the words a hundred times, each one cutting deeper into his soul. How could he betray Eirik?

But as he stared out into the rising dawn, he knew he had no choice. His mother’s life depended on it.

He remembered standing by the window in Eirik’s chambers that morning, re-reading the letter. Eirik had stirred in bed, calling his name softly, and Sadiki had quickly hidden the letter, forcing a smile as he turned to face him.

He couldn’t keep this up. The thought of Eirik discovering the truth terrified him more than anything. But that day, he made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

He gave them the information about Eirik’s departure to Zephyros. He had never intended for it to lead to anything catastrophic, only hoping that by keeping them informed, he could buy more time to figure out how to free his mother. But everything changed when the ambush happened.

The attack had come without warning, just as Eirik’s carriage crossed the border into Zephyros. Arrows rained down from the cliffs, and chaos erupted around them. Sadiki had fought with all his might alongside his prince, cutting down attackers with a fury that bordered on desperation.

He remembered the panic that surged through him when he saw an arrow embed itself in the side of Eirik’s carriage. The prince had been unharmed, but the realization that Sadiki had been the one to provide the information that led to the attack had nearly undone him.

For days after, the weight of that betrayal hung over him like a dark cloud. He hadn’t meant for Eirik to be harmed, and yet it had nearly happened. The guilt was unbearable.

When they finally arrived in Zephyros, Sadiki had thought that maybe the nightmare was over. He had given them what they wanted, hadn’t he? Perhaps now they would leave him alone and free his mother now that he was useless to them.

No longer in Valeidio means, no more information about Valeidio, right?

But it didn’t take long for the letters to start arriving again, slipped into his quarters just as easily as before. The demands were different now, more focused.