The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 174: The King’s Crime

Chapter 174: The King’s Crime

At Averion Palace

King Solomon and the members of the royal family were gathered in the palace hall when a messenger showed up, giving them an update about the situation at the borders. They received an urgent letter from General Ravenmoor.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! General Ravenmoor sent an urgent message."

The messenger kneeled before them, holding the letter.

"Tell us. What is written in that letter?" The chancellor spoke up on behalf of King Solomon.

"They need back-up. The enemy brought a beast-tamer. Now, they are not only facing an army with five thousand knights but also hundreds of dire wolves and a mighty dragon!"

Everyone was surprised when they heard that.

"No! This can’t be happening. We can’t fight a dragon. How are we going to win?" Queen Amara exclaimed in her anxious voice.

"We should ask help from our Allied Kingdom!" Princess Alessandra suggested.

Princess Aliyah frowned as she listened to them. Who would have thought that the enemy kingdom had a powerful army of wild beasts and mystical creatures?

"There is one way to do this. We should kill the beast tamer!" Princess Aliyah also expressed her opinion.

Crown Prince Stefan was silent, analyzing the severity of the situation. If they continued to resist, many knights would die.

"Maybe it’s best for everyone to surrender," Crown Prince Stefan said, breaking his silence.

Queen Amara and the princesses couldn’t believe what Prince Stefan had just said.

"How could you say that?! You are the Crown Prince of this kingdom. Are you a coward, brother? You disappoint me!" Princess Aliyah spat back, mocking her elder brother.

Crown Prince Stefan narrowed his eyes at his sister. "I’m thinking about our subjects and our warriors. I want to protect them! It’s my duty as a crown prince."

"No! You are wrong! It’s the other way around. The warriors pledged loyalty to our family. They have to protect us even if they have to die! That’s a warrior’s duty! Why are you worrying about them? They must fight to defend our kingdom and protect the royal family!" Princess Aliyah insisted.

"Your sister has a point, Stefan. Don’t forget your status. You are the prince, and they are just knights. Your life is more important than theirs," Queen Amara said, lecturing her son.

King Solomon could only rub his temples as his family argued in front of him. Both sides were right. He didn’t know what he should do in times like this.

"For now, inform the other generals to provide General Ravenmoor some assistance. They should send their troops as backups to strengthen our defense. The other two generals are not under attack." King Solomon made his decision.

"What is the situation in the other borders?" Queen Amara asked the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"I heard that General Artemis left his post. He is on the way to the palace. He is escorting an army." The Captain of Royal Guards responded.

"What?! Is he bringing the enemy’s army to the capital? Did he betray us?" Queen Amara was enraged when she heard the report.

"I don’t know the exact situation, Your Majesty. However, according to the knights, the leader of the opposing army wishes to talk to King Solomon. General Artemis wants to resolve this through peace talks. He wants us to listen to their demands," he explained to the Queen. The Captain of the Royal Guards didn’t doubt General Artemis’s loyalty.

"How long would it take before they can reach the palace?" King Solomon asked with intrigue.

"In five days, Your Majesty," he replied.

"Should we wait for them without doing anything?" Princess Alessandra raised a question. She wasn’t certain what they should do in times like this. She didn’t believe in peace talks.

"No! I think we should prepare an ambush! We must not let the enemy enter the palace!" Queen Amara said.

The royal guard captain, the chancellor, and the other royal court members glanced at King Solomon, waiting for his decision. The final command should come from the king.

King Solomon took a deep sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose. He was having a headache just thinking about their situation. He didn’t know if there was another way to resolve this.

’We’re fighting against a powerful army. There’s no way out. Should I sacrifice the lives of our warriors? But if we lose in the end, then the sacrifice won’t be worth it.’ King Solomon thought to himself.

"I trust General Artemis’s judgment. We will not do anything. We should wait for them and negotiate. Send a message to General Ravenmoor. We should not engage in a losing battle."

Hearing King Solomon’s words, everyone couldn’t disobey him. They just followed his instructions. When everyone left, Queen Amara decided to confront her husband.

"What the hell are you thinking? Are you giving up that easily? Why are you afraid of our enemy?!" Queen Amara vented out her frustrations. She wasn’t happy with King Solomon’s decision.

King Solomon frowned deeply at Queen Amara’s sudden outburst. "You have to calm down. Can’t you see? A dragon appears. We thought creatures like this didn’t exist. But we were wrong. They could easily destroy our kingdom and wipe out an entire army. If we continue to fight, we will just put everyone in danger."

"Are you giving up the throne?!" Queen Amara asked him through her gritted teeth. She couldn’t afford to lose her position as the Queen of this Kingdom.

"No. I’m just thinking—we can still buy time. We can turn the tables if we find out who’s controlling the wolves and the dragon. We only need to kill the beast tamer. After that, we can launch a counterattack." King Solomon reassured his queen.

"I’ve also requested help from our allied kingdoms. Let’s wait for them to make a move. Once we succeed in eliminating the beast tamer, we can still win this battle. Just trust me."

King Solomon was clueless that the beast tamer they were looking for was none other than his daughter, Princess Eve.

"Fine! I hope you are not making a big mistake!" Queen Amara replied before turning around to leave. She headed straight to her chamber. Princess Aliyah and Princess Alessandra followed her.

King Solomon exhaled deeply as he watched his wife and his daughters. Crown Prince Stefan held his father’s shoulder.

"Don’t worry, Father. Things will be fine. I support your decision. I’m glad you choose not to sacrifice the lives of our warriors. I don’t want them to die in vain." Crown Prince Stefan expressed his thoughts.

King Solomon lowered his gaze. "I think this might be my karma for abandoning your sister, Eve, and her husband, Alaric."

Crown Prince Stefan was taken aback for a moment. He could feel his father’s regret.

"If Alaric is here, I know he can defend our kingdom. He won’t be scared even if facing a dragon. He is the bravest warrior I know. He is not even afraid of death." King Solomon admired Alaric. He could feel the absence of a hero. He was someone he badly needed in times like this.

"Father, there is something I am dying to know about your relationship with Eve’s mother. I can’t stop being curious. Can you tell me the truth? Did she really seduce you?" Crown Prince Stefan confronted his father. All these years, something had been troubling him.

He had met Princess Eve’s mother several times. Upon interacting with Esmeralda, he could tell that she was not a bad person. But his mother kept feeding him some lies, making Esmeralda look like a villain.

"Why are you suddenly asking me this?" King Solomon asked him.

"I overheard your conversation with my sister. You promised her that you would tell her everything once she returned. But now, it won’t be possible since she was captured in Kingdom Zephyra. I want to know the truth, father."

Crown Prince Stefan had always been torn between his mother and his sister. He pitied Eve, but he couldn’t defend her because he didn’t want to hurt his mother’s feelings. Instead, he turned a blind eye and even bullied Eve when they were children just to satisfy his mother.

But when he grew up, he started to distance himself from Eve and caring about her secretly. He loved his sister, but he never dared show it to anyone.

Meanwhile, King Solomon couldn’t hide the guilt in his eyes. Maybe this was the time to reveal the truth to his son.

"Stefan, listen to me," he said, grabbing his son’s shoulders. "The truth is... everything is my fault. Eve’s mother didn’t seduce me. I was in love with her for real. And I was the one who approached her first."

"I hid my identity from her. When she found out that I was the king, she tried to stay away from me. She broke up with me. I was the one who couldn’t let her go. I was crazy in love with her." King Solomon confessed the truth to his son.

"He didn’t want to be my mistress. I promised to give her wealth, but she refused everything. Even if she was just a servant, she didn’t take advantage of my position. She wanted to end our relationship."

Crown Prince Stefan was at a loss for words. He already suspected that Eve’s mother was not the kind of woman who would destroy his family. She was indeed a good person.

"So, how did she end up living in the Lotus Pavilion?" Crown Prince Stefan asked his father in confusion.

"It was because of my selfishness. I couldn’t let her go, so I did everything I could to make her stay. I was the one who forced her and got her pregnant. I took advantage of her vulnerability. I made her sleep with me because I wanted her to bear my child. That was the only way I believed she would stay by my side forever." King Solomon confessed his crime.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.