A Royal Obligation
Chapter 201: Scapegoat

Chapter 201: Scapegoat

One by one, the councilors rose, bowing their heads respectfully though their expressions were tense. The room began to clear, but Thaddeus held Caledon back with a subtle motion of his hand.

At the meeting, he noticed a missing face.

"Lord Oatrun did not come to this meeting," Thaddeus said, his tone dripping with contempt when they’re finally alone, glancing toward Caledon, his trusted advisor.

He claimed he was unwell and couldn’t make it to today’s meeting, Your Majesty," Caledone replied, his voice even.

But Thaddeus caught the flicker of doubt in Caledon’s eyes, the faint disdain in the words that followed. "Coward."

The silence stretched between them, and Caledon posture was tense, as he waited for Thaddeus.

After a moment of painful silence, Thaddeus finally asked with a weary expression. "What would you advise, Caledon?" His voice was tinged with bitterness. "What do you make of their suggestion?"

Caledon hesitated, visibly torn between loyalty to his king and the harsh reality the council had presented. "Your Majesty," he began carefully, "what the council suggests may seem harsh, even heartless, but it’s... not without merit.

If Zephyros and Valeidio are set on war, we would be gravely outnumbered. This... act could give us time to regroup, to prepare a better plan for the future."

Thaddeus’s expression hardened, but he did not interrupt. He listened as Caledon continued.

"The kingdom, Your Majesty, is fragile. Sacrificing one now could mean reclaiming victory later, if we play our cards right." Caledon’s gaze was steady, though his voice softened with a note of sympathy.

"But it is not an easy decision to make."

The king’s hand clenched into a fist, his frustration boiling over.

"Carl is my blood, Caledon. But I fear he may have underestimated the consequences of his reckless action." His voice lowered to a murmur. "To sacrifice him, though... that would mark me forever."

Just then, a guard entered, his posture tense as he stopped at the threshold. "Your Majesty," the guard said, bowing deeply, "Prince Carl has returned."

Thaddeus’s gaze snapped to the guard, his expression unreadable, though an intense emotion flickered in his eyes.

"Bring him in," Thaddeus commanded, his was voice sharp and cutting.

Few moment later, the heavy silence in the dimly lit chamber deepened as the doors swung open, and Carl entered.

His normally confident stride had a hesitancy that betrayed the turmoil beneath. His face was pale, shadows clinging under his eyes, and a flicker of bitterness twisted his lips. He met his father’s glare but couldn’t maintain it for long, his gaze falling to the polished floor instead.

King Thaddeus didn’t waste a second, his voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "Do you realize what you’ve done?" he thundered, his voice cold and laced with restrained fury.

"If you wanted to act so recklessly, the least you could have done was ensure there were no loose ends. Your impulsiveness has handed our enemies exactly what they needed." His glare hardened. "Now, the council wants to make you their scapegoat because of your carelessness."

Carl swallowed, clearly taken aback by the harshness of his father’s words. He opened his mouth to speak, but Thaddeus’s fury overpowered any attempt.

"They want to throw you to Zephyros and Valeidio," the king continued, his tone laced with contempt, "to bear the punishment for your own foolishness. And who could blame them? You’ve jeopardized the stability of this entire kingdom. How dare you?"

Carl clenched his fists, his face contorting with indignation. "Father, I..." he began, his voice wavering but stubborn. "I only wanted to protect our people... to make our kingdom stronger. How else are we to stay safe if we allow our enemies to remain powerful? I thought... "

"You thought?" Thaddeus cut him off, voice scathing. "If you truly wanted to protect this kingdom, you should have acted with the prudence of a prince, not the recklessness of a child." He took a step forward, his gaze piercing through Carl.

"Carl, there’s a great possibility that Zephyros and Valeidio would wage war on us, as an art of retaliation, and we’re the ones facing the consequences of your ’strengthening the kingdom.’ You’ve brought us to the brink of ruin with your thoughtless games!"

Carl flinched, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his father’s anger. "I wanted to weaken them," he protested, his voice edged with frustration.

"I thought if I could sow chaos among our enemies, we could use it to our advantage. I only wanted to secure our future." He straightened, forcing himself to meet his father’s furious gaze. "Give me a chance. I can prove myself. I can fix this."

Thaddeus let out a bitter laugh, filled with a mixture of disappointment and despair. "Fix this? You don’t even grasp the gravity of what you’ve done, do you?" His gaze bore into Carl, a father’s love warring against a ruler’s fury.

"This isn’t a game you can win by sheer force of will, Carl. Your arrogance and short-sightedness have put us all in danger, and I’m left to clean up the mess you’ve made."

Carl’s face twisted in indignation, his jaw tightening. "I did what I thought was best," he insisted, a hint of defiance in his voice. "You’ve always said that we should act decisively, not cower in the shadows. I was trying to take initiative."

Thaddeus shook his head, his expression pained. "Initiative? There’s a difference between decisiveness and recklessness. A true ruler considers the consequences of every choice, not just for himself, but for his people." He sighed, his anger fading into a weary sadness. "You didn’t think of your kingdom, Carl. You thought only of yourself."

Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating. Carl’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his frustration and wounded pride clearly evident in his clenched fists and tight posture. For a moment, he seemed on the verge of arguing again, but something in his father’s weary gaze silenced him.

Across the room, Caledon stood quietly, his face a mask of careful neutrality as he took in the scene. He had remained silent since Carl entered, but now, sensing the moment was right, he stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"Your Majesty," he began, his tone calm and measured, "perhaps there’s a way to salvage the situation. A way to show our enemies that we are willing to take responsibility without conceding defeat."

Thaddeus turned to him, skepticism flickering in his eyes. "And what would you suggest, Caledon?"

Caledon folded his hands behind his back, his gaze shifting between Thaddeus and Carl. "A public repentance," he said simply.

"If Prince Carl were to offer a sincere apology, a display of remorse, it might quell the anger of Zephyros and Valeidio, or at least delay it.

A gesture of goodwill, a sign that we are willing to amend the damage, could open the door for negotiation instead of outright war."

Carl’s face twisted in disbelief. "You want me to... grovel before them?" His voice was filled with disdain, his shoulders stiffening. "I refuse to humiliate myself like that!"

Caledon’s gaze didn’t waver. "It’s not about humiliation, Your Highness," he replied evenly. "It’s about pragmatism. A display of remorse would show that we are prepared to take responsibility without conceding too much power. It may buy us time and provide a pathway to salvage some semblance of peace."

Carl’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes blazing with anger. "I did nothing wrong," he insisted, his voice trembling with bitterness. "They should be the ones apologizing to us for being weak, for making themselves vulnerable."

Thaddeus let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples in frustration. "You don’t understand, Carl. This isn’t about pride or power plays. This is about survival. Sometimes a show of humility can be the strongest move we have. You wanted to strengthen this kingdom, but all you’ve done is place us on the edge of war."

Carl opened his mouth to protest, but Caledon cut in, his voice as calm and unyielding as steel.

"War with two kingdoms is not something we can afford. Pride is a luxury we can’t afford right now, Prince Carl.

A public show of remorse could be the difference between a costly war and a temporary truce." He turned to Thaddeus, his gaze steady. "Of course, the decision ultimately lies with you, Your Majesty."

Thaddeus studied Caledon thoughtfully, a flicker of doubt and uncertainty in his eyes. "You believe they would accept such a gesture? That they wouldn’t see it as a sign of weakness?"

Caledon gave a small nod. "Our enemies might see an apology as a sign of contrition, not weakness. We would be giving them the respect they believe they deserve without surrendering our strength.

And if they choose to ignore our offer, we’ll have at least shown the realm that we tried to resolve this peacefully."

Thaddeus mulled over Caledon’s words, his expression conflicted. Finally, he looked back at Carl, his gaze softening slightly.

"I’ve protected you from consequences more times than I can count," he said quietly. "But you have to face this, Carl. For your own sake, and for the sake of this kingdom. I cannot let your pride put us all at risk."

Carl’s face flushed with anger, his fists clenching at his sides.

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