A Royal Obligation
Chapter 168: No Choice

Chapter 168: No Choice

They now wanted him to spy on Eirik and the Crown Prince of Zephyros, Kaelix. They no longer cared about the kingdom of Valeidio; their focus had shifted entirely to the royal marriage alliance. They demanded every detail about the princes’ interactions. Sadiki’s stomach twisted as he read the latest letter.

He had already betrayed Eirik once. Now, they were asking him to do it again.

Sadiki thought he could breathe easier when he left Valeidio. He thought he would be free from Carl’s manipulations and demands once they arrived in Zephyros. But Carl’s reach extended beyond borders, and even here, in the heart of a foreign kingdom, he was still under their control.

The letters continued to appear, slipped into his quarters, reminding him of his mother’s peril. The threats were constant. His mother’s life hung by a thread, and every decision he made, every word he whispered to Carl’s people, added another layer of guilt.

Their demands were relentless, then the final blow came when they instructed him to kidnap Eirik.

The letter arrived late in the evening, just like all the others.

"Kidnap Prince Eirik. Bring him to the location. No mistakes, or you know what will happen."

The demand had turned his blood cold. Carl wanted Eirik? For what? To kill him, to hold him hostage? Sadiki couldn’t understand what Carl wanted with Eiri, and that terrified him. He had read it over and over, his mind refusing to accept it.

At first, he couldn’t bring himself to even consider it. Kidnapping Eirik? It was unthinkable. He’d already gone too far, giving Carl and his people the information they wanted, all to keep his mother alive. But this? This was something else entirely. How could he do this to Eirik, especially now, when he was pregnant?

Eirik had been recently diagnosed pregnant by the royal healers, he was carrying another life. Sadiki’s heart had shattered all over again when he remembered that detail. How could he do this to him now, when Eirik was carrying a child? How could he hand him over to an enemy who might kill him?

The prince trusted him, used to love him, and now they wanted him to betray Eirik in the worst possible way.

Sadiki had hope Carl would reconsider, would understand the impossibility of the demand. But Carl didn’t relent. A second letter had arrived. This one had broken him.

A small cloth, worn and frayed, had been tucked into the envelope, his mother’s handkerchief. It had been stained with blood.

The letter was clear. The next thing you’ll receive will be a piece of her. This is your last chance. If you don’t give us a date for when Eirik will be taken to the location, she dies.

Sadiki had frozen, staring at the letter, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might tear through his chest. He could still feel the way his hands had shaken when he touched the blood-stained cloth, imagining his mother, hurt and terrified, waiting for him to save her. His breath had caught in his throat, and in that moment, all his resolve had shattered. There was no way out. They had him, and there was nothing he could do but comply.

The guilt clawed at him, but the fear was stronger. His mother. His only family. He couldn’t lose her.

He could still remember how his heart had pounded in his chest the night he set everything in motion. Drugging the guards’ food had been easy. He remembered the way his hands had trembled when he slipped the powder into their meals, the way his pulse had raced as he watched them eat, none of them suspecting a thing.

Then came the fire in the armory. It had been his perfect distraction. The flames roared to life quickly, consuming the building, smoke billowing into the night sky. He had raced from the scene, his mind spinning with fear and adrenaline. He almost didn’t see Drystan until it was too late, nearly crashing into him in his haste. That moment of panic had gripped him, Drystan was sharp, perceptive. If anyone could sense something off, it would be him.

But Drystan hadn’t noticed anything unusual. They had rushed together to alert Prince Kaelix, just as Sadiki had planned. Kaelix had left Eirik’s side immediately, heading to the armory to handle the fire, while Drystan followed close behind. The plan had worked perfectly. Kaelix and Drystan were gone, and Eirik was alone.

Convincing Eirik to leave the safety of his chambers had been the hardest part. Sadiki could still hear Eirik’s voice in his head, filled with confusion and concern as he asked, "What is taking so long in putting out a fire?" he whispered. His eyes flickering toward the door as if he long to leave the room and see for himself what was happening.

Sadiki had grabbed that opportunities and convinced him to go check out how Kaelix was handling the fire. He had led Eirik away from the chambers under the guise of concern for Kaelix, reassuring him that they should check on the situation together. The weight of his lies crushed him with every step.

No guards had stopped them. The path had been clear, just as he had planned. When the moment finally came, Sadiki’s hand had shaken as he pulled out the cloth soaked in the drug. Eirik’s eyes had widened in shock as the cloth covered his mouth and nose, his struggles weakening until he had finally collapsed in Sadiki’s arms.

Sadiki’s chest had tightened painfully as he held Eirik’s limp form. The image of Eirik, trusting him with everything, replayed over and over in his mind.

How could he have done this? How could he have let it come to this?

The present crashed into him again as he stood outside the chamber door, listening to Eirik’s muffled screams from within. Sadiki’s heart shattered all over again.

Eirik had trusted him more than anyone, and Sadiki had betrayed that trust in the worst way possible. His mother’s life had been the price, but now it felt like he had traded away his soul.

The room beyond the door was heavy with silence now, the screams having faded into soft sobs. Sadiki clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his decision press down on him until it felt like he couldn’t breathe.

He had no choice. He kept telling himself that, over and over again.