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khoicesbyk · 23 days ago

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The Royal Romance

Forevermore.

A/N: this is the next chapter in the journey of my OTP. Follow along for the fun.

Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual. Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) Also may contain some violence and other themes you may find offensive | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 13.1K words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

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This series is rated Mature. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

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Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @tessa-liam

Chapter 19.) Scorched Earth.

In the morning following the death of Andreas Garakis and his family, Their Majesties had a morning meeting in their favorite side garden near Marquise's office, after taking their children to school, to debrief what had happened the night before. The jasmine hedges swayed gently in the breeze as if they hadn't just hosted a war briefing disguised as breakfast.

"Well, how are you feeling about last night?" Marquise asks.

Shanelle placed a hand on her stomach, the weight of her unborn daughter pressing against the consequences of war.

"Last night was a necessary evil. Andreas tried to hurt us and our people. He had to be stopped. Do I like that his family became collateral? Hell no. I'm a mother first. Children should never be casualties." Shanelle replied.

"Indeed it was. And at the very least, his family's deaths were quick and as humane as possible."

"Thank God for that," Shanelle said as breakfast was served.

A pancetta, Fontina, and potato frittata for two, honey vanilla Greek yogurt with berries, an assortment of breads with plenty of apple butter, and the Dark Roast coffee and cinnamon rolls from Book-A-Holic Cafè.

"Remind me to thank Dee for enabling my cinnamon rolls addiction," Shanelle said in between bites of a warm cinnamon roll.

"Didn't James tell you to stop sending Dee flowers every time you eat one of those?"

"Sir I don't even listen to my husband, why in the world would I ever listen to hers?"

He laughed into his coffee. "You're a menace."

"No no! I'm in love. With Book-A-Holics cinnamon rolls."

"They do make good coffee so I can't complain too much."

"Exactly."

Shanelle took another bite and moaned.

"Mmm! Sooo good!"

"Are you moaning over a cinnamon roll?"

"Don't judge me, sir."

Marquise shook his head.

"So what do you have planned this morning?"

"Not much. I need to meet with Lady Emmeline to finalize the details of the upcoming charity Polo match in Portavira. What about you?"

"Meeting with the Military Defense Council to discuss our next steps."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all my love. You are the Queen. You go wherever you please. Although fair warning you might not like this meeting."

"Why?"

Marquise took a measured sip of his coffee.

"Because I invited Lord Gallagher to the meeting."

Shanelle froze mid-bite.

"Excuse me?! You invited who?" she asked with a mouth full of her cinnamon roll.

"Lord Gallagher."

"Are you insane?! You invited him?!"

"Before you start throwing plates around, let me explain."

"Talk. Fast."

"I invited him to the meeting because I want him to see what happens when he's not around. I want him to see the council thriving despite him."

"So you want to throw it in his face?"

"Precisely."

"And you have the nerve to call me petty."

"Aren't you the one who once told me that you put the petty in pretty?"

"Touchè, Your Majesty." she said as she finished her cinnamon roll.

Soon their plates were cleared.

"So how are you really feeling?" he asks.

Shanelle didn't answer right away. Her hand drifted to her stomach again, where their daughter kicked as if to remind her she was still there — still growing, still watching.

"Tired. Weary. Angry. And so goddamn ready for all of this to be over."

"I understand my love. I understand why you're weary. This has been going on for months. It's been exhausting. Lord and Lady Gallagher have been a constant pain in our asses for months now. On top of the fact that we have declared war against Sulovaria and we are dealing with four active traitors. It's a lot to handle on an everyday basis, but it's even more stressful with you being pregnant."

"Yeah. But I knew what I was getting into when I married you and took the helm as Queen. I just want the rest of my pregnancy to go smoothly. We are getting closer and closer to my due date in December. This is September. On top of the Conclave in a few weeks. Plus...I'm getting really tired of not being able to punch people in the face for always playing in mine."

"Didn't you punch Kenna in the face?"

"Oh, that? That was a love tap." Shanelle said with a small dismissive wave.

Marquise snorted as he finished his coffee.

"Been meaning to ask, how are you feeling about meeting Dr. Tourè?"

Shanelle cleared her throat.

"I am...cautiously optimistic. You know how I feel about strangers being around our children. But at the same time, he did introduce himself at the open house and he does come highly recommended, both by the school and by Nadia. So we'll see."

"Indeed we will, my love."

Marquise checked his watch. It was time for the Council Meeting.

"Well, are you ready to go piss off a few pains in our asses?"

Shanelle snorted.

"Lead the way, Your Majesty."

Their Majesties made their way to the conference room where the Defense Council was gathered. They walked down the hall slowly. Enjoying the peaceful quiet before the monsoon they were walking into.

When they got to the conference room doors, they were greeted by a smug, sour looking Lord Gallagher.

"You're late." he sneered at them.

"Considering that you aren't even supposed to be here because you're no longer a member of the Military Defense Council, you don't get to clock our moves."

Marquise patted Shanelle's arm.

"Now now my love. Decorum first, he is an invited guest."

"At least one of you remembers your stations." Lord Gallagher muttered.

"Yes I do. So allow me to remind you of yours, Milord. You DO NOT EVER speak to your Queen in any manner that is not respectful. If you don't know how to address us both properly, then I strongly suggest that you learn the art of shutting the fuck up." Marquise warned him.

"Boom!" Shanelle said smugly.

Lord Gallagher rolled his eyes.

"Whatever."

Marquise raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Shanelle.

"Now everyone, shall we?"

Their Majesties entered first followed by Lord Gallagher. The polished obsidian round table gleamed with the reflection of tense faces, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the soft ticking of a grand clock on the far wall. It sounded like judgment itself. Slowly ticking. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The tension was so thick you could slice it in half with a Lythikos cleaver. Something the Scarlet Duchess would definitely approve of.

"Good morning everyone. It is good to see all of you. And no you're not seeing things, I asked Lord Gallagher to join us. He is merely here to observe, nothing more. Now please have a seat so we can begin. We have much to discuss."

With everyone seated, the council meeting began.

"Now we are gathered here today to discuss the war we now find ourselves in. Let me say this plainly, declaring war is never an easy decision to make. But it is always a necessary one. Even when some don't agree. Her Majesty and I did not declare war on a whim. We were attacked. On more than one occasion. That kind of violence can only be answered with violence. This is where we are."

"What are you proposing, my King?" General Greenwald asks.

"Now is when we send troops in, on land and sea. We have monitored the situation long enough. It's time for action. We will coordinate with the Kasnian Military to plan a strategic attack. So General Greenwald I will need you to plan a strategy meeting with General Moravich." Marquise replied.

"At once sire."

Lord Gallagher rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance and Shanelle caught it.

"For someone who's not supposed to be saying or doing anything, you sure as hell are being real loud."

"I haven't done anything."

"Are you breathing? Then you're doing something."

"You sure love to pick fights you can't finish Shanelle."

"I'm sure your wife's face would disagree."

Marquise gave Shanelle a warning look and she merely shrugged.

"Where will we strike?" General Castor asked.

"I will meet with King Balthazar to see where to best place our troops on the ground in Kasnia. Sulovaria has been gaining ground on the ground. I want to cut them off at the pass. So they don't gain any more ground. Now members of the Council will each receive a flash drive." Marquise announced before they were distributed, "These contain current coordinates of Kasnian troop placements, courtesy of King Balthazar."

Many of the members of the Defense Council started talking to each other and over each other. Discussing and arguing over the decision to send troops in. No one but Marquise, Shanelle, and General Greenwald knew that the coordinates on the flash drives were fake.

“Everyone must remember Kasnia’s people didn’t ask for this,” Marquise said. “They’re not diplomats or soldiers. They’re farmers, teachers, artists. This is happening to them.”

"My King! Are you sure this is the right decision?" General Castor asks.

"I am indeed. We are past the point of being civil." Marquise replied.

"I'm not so sure this is smart, my King. I'm not saying that we don't have the capacity to defend and protect but is putting our troops really necessary? We are formidable but should we continue to poke the bear?"

"What are you saying, General?" Shanelle asks.

General Castor shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I understand why you and His Majesty are upset with Sulovaria my Queen. Especially after everything that has happened recently. But I feel that it's not wise to go to war with them. Especially over a petty grievance."

Shanelle blinked like she was hearing things.

"A petty grievance? You call retaliating against the kingdom who sent Demos Garakis here to nearly kill His Majesty, the same man who took the lives of 35 of our own, the brother of Andreas Garakis. The same Andreas Garakis who set off car bombs in our kingdomafter his brother's failed assassination attempt, hell he set two car bombs off here at the palace, endangering the lives of me and my children, a petty grievance?!"

Shanelle was furious and in disbelief. General Castor started to speak before Shanelle cut him off.

"Let me remind you, General, my life was in danger. The lives of my children were endangered. This is not just some petty grievance! If it was your wife or one of your grandchildren, wouldn't you want the bastard who tried to harm them to pay?"

"My Queen, I understand your anger. Really I do. And to answer your question, yes I would want revenge too. You are well within your right to be angry. Because you're right, we were attacked but something this extreme, a decision like this shouldn't be made because you're angry."

General Howell spoke.

"I agree with General Castor. King Desaad is a lot more formidable than we are giving him credit for. What happens if he tries again with the car bombs? Her Majesty just said that he's already struck once. What happens if he tries again? Only this time it won't just be here at the palace."

"What are you saying?" Marquise asked.

General Castor cleared his throat awkwardly.

"While I do sympathize with Her Majesty and her reasoning behind wanting revenge, she is pregnant and she and the heirs could've been seriously injured, I think it's time to step back from this war. Before this gets any worse." General Howell replied.

"Finally! Two people with common sense!" Lord Gallagher said smugly, "and here I thought, me being invited to this meeting was supposed to teach me a lesson."

General Greenwald shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you two serious?! After everything King Desaad has tried to do to our home, you two want to tuck your tails in like cowards and run?!" he asked them.

"Jonas we don't know what we are really dealing with in terms of King Desaad. He could already be planning another attack. Is it really wise to put our people through an endless war with no guarantee that we would even win?" General Castor asks.

"Thaddeus do you and Silas know how long I have been supreme General? Since 1997 when His Majesty's mother, Queen Eleanor hand-picked me to lead our military. May her soul continue to rest peacefully. I have seen threats a lot worse than Demetrius Desaad. I will not sit back and allow our kingdom to become a casualty of King Desaad's greed. He has proven what he is willing to do to get what he wants. So now it's time for us as a kingdom to respond immediately and accordingly." General Greenwald replied.

He was disgusted with both of them.

"We have a military that is twice the size and three times as powerful as the Sulovarian Armed Forces. We will not cower in fear and we certainly will not back down! His Majesty said it perfectly, civility and discussion are out the window now. The type of violence that was shown to us HAS TO be returned. Full force. And that is what I believe we should do."

General Howell shook his head.

"You're not thinking clearly Jonas. This is not a matter of military strength or prowess. This is a matter of wits. Demetrius Desaad is not just some flash in the pan. He is dangerous. He will destroy us if we don't back out now!"

"I'm not thinking clearly? You're talking about a full retreat! You want us to sit back and watch King Desaad destroy one of our allies? Is that what you're saying?"

General Howell took a deep breath.

"Yes! I won't ever let this kingdom blindly go to war with a King who is stronger than we are. Especially for a kingdom like Kasnia! They've done nothing but bring us trouble! It's time to leave them to their own devices and let them figure it out on their own."

"Silas is right Jonas. Listen to him, please! Let's end this war before it ever begins!"

General Greenwald slammed his fist down on the table.

"This decision is mine and Their Majesties to make! You will get in line! Or face being stripped of your ranks!" General Greenwald growled.

The meeting dissolved into bickering between council members about the right direction to go in. Many agreed that escalating the war is the right move. While others, including Generals Howell and Castor disagreed and said that the kingdom should walk away before it was too late.

The arguing lasted for a good 45 minutes until Marquise slammed his fist down on the table to quiet the room. He cleared his throat.

"Now I expected some opposition to declaring war. That's normal and natural in this type of situation. But General Greenwald is correct. We must answer the violence shown to us with violence. But because I am very democratic, we will have an official vote on the matter." he announced, "all those in favor, say aye."

"Aye!" several members of the council said. The loudest coming from Duchess Olivia.

"All those opposed, say nay."

"Nay!" from the remaining members of the council. Including the loudest Nays coming from Generals Howell and Castor.

"The votes are counted, the Ayes have it. The retaliatory strikes are approved. The declaration of war is adopted and war will begin." Shanelle announced.

"So what now?" Lord Gallagher asked.

"That's none of your concern Aldon. You are here as an observant. Not a commentator." Shanelle replied.

"It's Lord Gallagher." he corrected her.

"It's whatever I see fit to call you. Since you love to act like my title is nonexistent then so is yours."

Marquise cleared his throat.

"Now does anyone have a name for our new war goal?" he asked the room.

"I do!" Lord Gallagher replied, "Let's call it Another Great Failure of a Bullshit King!"

Marquise scoffed

"Well, what do you know? You and I have something in common, Aldon."

"My name is Lord Gallagher! And you and especially your incompetent, simple-minded, arrogant pregnant cow will show me respect!" he sneered at Marquise.

"Why you—" Shanelle started to say before Marquiss stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

The room went quiet as Marquise rose from his seat.

He walked over to where Lord Gallagher was sitting before rolling his neck and shoulders and cracking his knuckles before grabbing the back of Lord Gallagher's head and slamming it down face first, hard on the table. Knocking him out cold.

Everyone watched him crumple into a heap on the floor in shock. Shanelle stifled a laugh as she watched. Marquise adjusted his cuff as guards swiftly escorted a very dazed Lord Gallagher out of the room.

"Anyone else?" he asked after clearing his throat.

"I have one." Duchess Olivia replied.

"Nothing about crushing our enemies into dust, Duchess," Marquise warned her.

"Must you ruin my fun?" Olivia pouted.

"Yes. Now does anyone else have a name?"

"I do," Shanelle replied.

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Operation: Scorched Earth."

Olivia scoffs with a smirk.

"Of course, you go there Shanelle."

"I was trying to honor the Great House of Nevrakis, Livvy. I respect the Scarlet Duchess and your house and bloodline."

Marquise nodded.

"I like it. Easy. Simple to remember. Thank you, my Queen. You have once again proven to be quite invaluable. Now I do believe this meeting of the council is adjourned." Marquise to the room.

The meeting was over, but the battle was far from won. As Shanelle and Marquise walked back through the palace, hand-in-hand, to his office, their minds buzzed with strategy, betrayal, and something heavier still — the look on Khari's face when they finally talk to her about the war. They know that people have been talking around her about it, but now it is time for them to sit her down.

"Well, you were in rare form today."

Marquise shrugged.

"NO ONE insults my wife in front of me without facing consequences."

"He's called me names before. Why is now any different?"

"Because he disrespected you, your pregnancy, and your title. No one does that and walks away with their dignity still attached. He should be grateful that I didn't break his nose."

"With how hard you slammed his head down onto the table, I'm not so sure that you didn't."

"Trust me I didn't. You and everyone else would've heard the cracking of the bridge of his nose."

Shanelle shook her head.

"I thought we aren't allowed to assault anyone without any physical provocation, sir."

"Special circumstances. Rather than just raise my voice I chose violence."

"So you're a hypocrite?"

"My love, my violence is earned. Yours is just because. There is a difference."

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Resilient and resolute. I wish that we didn't have to do this but I will not back down. I will not retreat. This wasn't a war we started. But I will make goddamn sure that we are the ones who finish it."

"There's that fire I know and love. How is our Ellie girl doing?"

"Kicking me like she's playing soccer in the womb. Ow! That hurt little girl! I swear I'm gonna fight this kid if she kicks me again."

Marquise placed a hand on her bulging belly.

"Hello, my little one. I hear your legs are getting stronger. Great job. But let's limit the more painful kicks to a minimum. Shall we?"

The baby kicked again and nearly knocked Shanelle off her feet. Thankfully Marquise was there to catch her.

"That's it! Me and this little girl gon fight!" Shanelle muttered as she held her stomach.

Marquise helped her sit down on the couch in his office. One hand bracing her back and the other on her stomach.

"Ugh, thank you! I swear this child is trying to kill me. She kicks harder than the twins or Khari ever did."

"I know I was there. Also she's not trying to kill you. She's just showing off her very powerful legs."

Shanelle scoffed.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's pregnant."

"True enough."

Shanelle laid her head on his shoulder.

"So how are you feeling about the council meeting?" he asks.

"The turncoats I mean the generals couldn't have been more obvious even if they tried. I was ready to expose them right then and there."

"I'm glad you didn't. Don't worry, my love. Their day of reckoning will come. We'll expose them and your cousins soon enough."

Shanelle chuckled bitterly.

"I am still so mad at myself. I trusted those two. And so did you. I let those foxes into my henhouse and now look at the carnage. When I told Edwin that his brothers were traitors, he was heartbroken. He thought like me that they were on our side. That they understood that their loyalty is to the kingdom. Not their parents. He said that he has worked hard to repair the damage his father caused during his reign as King and it hurts his heart that his brothers would choose to betray him and destroy what he is still working to repair."

Shanelle shook her head.

"I cannot wait to face them. I will personally make them pay for betraying me."

"I have no doubt that you will, my love. In the meantime, we will continue to act as if we know nothing."

"I know. Even though it's getting harder for me to do so."

"I know you. If you can withstand our Ellie girl's kicks then you can withstand anything."

"Please don't encourage her."

There was a sharp knock at the office door.

"Come in!" Marquise called out to the door.

It was Captain Felix.

"Good afternoon My Liege and to you, my Queen. I come bearing news." he said with a crisp bow.

Marquise raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead."

"According to the embedded spyware, the flash drives you gave out have each been uploaded. Especially the ones you gave Generals Castor and Howell."

"They took the bait?" Shanelle asks.

"Yes ma'am. They uploaded the information to their clouds."

Marquise opened his laptop to the monitoring software and sure enough, it indeed showed that the spyware was uploaded. It showed all the email correspondence that both Generals shared with Andreas Garakis. The most recent correspondence was a week ago. Before Andreas's death. Both have been trying to reach Andreas for days.

"They have no idea that Andreas is dead."

"Perfect. We can begin closing the walls in on them," Shanelle says to Marquise before looking at Captain Felix, "what about my cousins?"

"They are currently chasing another dead-end lead. They are in Korvoria and should be back in a few weeks." Captain Felix replies.

Shanelle nodded.

"Good. Because it's past time to end this. I want these traitors dealt with before the Conclave."

Captain Felix bowed.

"I will continue my monitoring, my Liege." Captain Felix said to Marquise.

"Of course. And keep me updated on your spies in Sulovaria."

"By your command, my Liege."

Captain Felix bowed with a fist over his heart before taking his leave.

Shanelle sighed, her hand instinctively resting on her belly as Ellie rolled again beneath her ribs. The weight of betrayal, war, and motherhood pressed down on her at once. And yet, somehow, it wasn't the coming council or the threat of Desaad that gnawed at her—it was the look on Khari's face when she heard the word war.

Later, with the children home from school and the twins off with Margo in the garden, she and Marquise knew it was time to talk to their daughter. As much as neither one of them wanted to, they knew this conversation had to happen.

"You and Mommy wanted to talk to me, Daddy?"

"Yes, Precious. We do." Marquise patted his lap, and she crawled up without hesitation. "We want to talk to you about the war."

"We want to know how you're feeling about it," Shanelle said gently.

Khari's normally snarky, bright, bubbly demeanor vanished as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," she said quietly, her eyes cast down to the floor.

"That's okay," Marquise said, tilting her chin up so she'd meet his gaze. "We're here to answer any questions you have."

Khari's lip trembled. "Why are grown-ups fighting, Daddy? I don't understand."

Marquise took a deep breath. "This war isn't about fighting just to fight Precious. It's about protecting. King Desaad wants to take what isn't his—by force. If we don't stop him, he'll hurt people who've done nothing wrong. We can't let that happen."

"But people will get hurt anyway, right? I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"We don't either," Shanelle said. "But sometimes, protecting others means standing in the way of someone dangerous."

Khari looked down again. "I remember the bomb going off. I remember the loud booms when we got home from karate. I remember the palace shaking. I remember you falling, Mommy. I thought something bad would happen to you and baby Ellie."

Shanelle nodded.

"It was scary. But Grammy and Pop Pop were there to help me, and I was more afraid for all of you than I was for myself."

"Really?"

"Yes, baby."

"But...why can't we just talk to King Desaad? Why do we have to have a war?"

"Because he doesn't want to talk, Precious," Marquise said quietly. "He wants power. And people like that don't stop unless someone stronger stands in their way. Mommy and I would rather not fight. King Desaad is greedy and selfish. And when you let greed like his continue to grow and fester, it soon becomes harder and harder to control, much less stop. So if we don't defend our kingdom—our home—then no one else will."

Khari sat quietly for a long moment, then leaned into her father's chest. As if to remind herself that her Daddy is there.

"But...what if something happens to you?"

Shanelle smiled softly at her. "Then your father and I will come back as ghosts and haunt the hell out of anyone who tries to hurt you or your brothers,"

Khari blinked, then giggled.

Marquise raised a questioning brow. "Not exactly how I would've said it, but...yeah. We're not going anywhere. You think I'd leave this world before walking you down the aisle someday?"

"Ew. Boys are gross, Daddy."

"I'm a boy. And your brothers are boys."

"Still gross Daddy."

"Well then," Shanelle grinned, "guess we're staying a while."

That made Khari giggle again, the tension beginning to drain from the room. Khari gave her Daddy a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm still scared."

"And that's okay," Marquise said. "Bravery doesn't mean you're never afraid. It means doing the right thing despite the fear."

"I'm gonna be brave too," Khari said, sitting a little taller. "Even if it's scary."

Shanelle kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."

They sat for a quiet moment, the weight of the world softened by the warmth of family.

"You know, I was five when I first saw war," Marquise said. "Your grandfather Constantine had declared war on Rutherland. They bombed part of the palace in retaliation. I remember the shaking, the loud boom, and hearing things crash to the ground, and especially the fear. I even remember hiding under my bed...but mostly I remember my mother."

"Grandmother?"

"Yes. She made it all feel smaller. Told stories, made up games, sang silly songs with me and Uncle Leo. She shielded us from the worst of it. That's what your mother and I will do for you and Kylo and Zyon and Ellie."

Khari's voice was soft. "She sounds really cool. I wish I could've met her."

"I do too, Precious. I do too."

There was a beat of silence before Khari asked, "Will it always be like this, Daddy?"

"No, not always. But you'll need to understand these things. Because one day, when you're Queen, you might have to make hard decisions like this too."

Khari blinked. "Me?"

Shanelle nodded.

"Yes, sweetie. Someday you may have to make the same decision that Daddy and I have to make. Not all the time. But sometimes."

"How about this," Marquise offered, "you come with us to the next Military Defense Council meeting."

"Really?" she gasped.

"Yes. It'll give you a chance to meet the Military Defense Council and see how it works."

"I think it's a great idea," Shanelle chimed in.

"Will I get to make decisions?" Khari asked eagerly.

"No," her father said flatly.

Khari pouted.

"Aww! Why not?"

Shanelle snorted. "How old are you again?"

"Almost seven."

"Therein lies your problem. You won't be making ANY royal decisions for at least another decade or so. Thankfully for me." Marquise replied.

Khari huffed. "Will you still name a destroyer after me like you promised?"

Shanelle cackled at the look on Marquise's face.

"I should've kept my big mouth shut," Marquise muttered.

Khari gave him her best side-eye. "Well?"

Marquise sighed defeatedly. He has taught his daughter too well.

"Yes, Precious. You'll get a destroyer named after you."

"I accept your terms, Daddy."

Shanelle was still laughing again as Khari kissed her father's cheek, gave her mother a tight hug before she adorably ran off to find her grandmother and brothers.

The office fell quiet.

"You know she's right," Shanelle said, smiling.

Marquise sighed. "I'm not her father. I'm her doormat."

"Pretty much."

They leaned into each other, the weight of leadership lighter—for a moment—because they carried it together.

"Promise me we'll finish this," Shanelle said softly. "Not just for her. For all of them."

Marquise's jaw clenched. "I swear it. No half measures. No more mercy for tyrants. We burn every lie they've told to the ground—and from those ashes, we build something better."

"Operation Scorched Earth?" she asked.

He smirked. "Damn straight."

A week later, Their Majesties were getting ready for their meeting with Dr. Quincy Tourè. While Shanelle was cautiously optimistic about Dr. Tourè, Marquise was curiously eager to meet him. As they rode to the boy's daycare center, Shanelle was nervously looking out the window and Marquise noticed.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked his wife.

"My thoughts are worth diamonds not pennies, sir. But since you asked, yes?"

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I'm not trying to be but I can't help it."

"Do you want to cancel the meeting?"

Shanelle shook her head no.

"No. We can't cancel it now even if we wanted to. "Don't mind me, I'm just being hormonal," she said.

"You say that every time your gut's right."

She looked at him. "And yet you never listen."

"That's what husbands are for."

She smirked. But her fingers drummed against her thigh.

They soon arrived at the boy's school, The Crestwood Early Learning Center. They were met at the reception desk by Mrs. Melinda Bernardi-Tourè, the daycare center director.

"Your Majesties! Good afternoon! Welcome back to the center! I am happy to welcome you both." she said in greeting.

"Good afternoon Director. Thank you for welcoming us." Marquise replied.

Mrs. Tourè smiled at Shanelle.

"Good afternoon my Queen. You look beautiful today. That dress you have on is truly beautiful," she said to Shanelle.

"Thank you, Director. It's great to be here again." Shanelle replied.

"That Sage green is definitely your color ma'am. It reminds me of the yellow striped dress you wore on the boy's first day of school a few weeks ago. I hear you're well known for your excellent fashion sense."

"Thank you so much, Director."

The director nodded with a warm smile.

"Let me escort you both to my husband's office," she said to them.

The director led Marquise and Shanelle to Dr. Tourè's office where he was waiting.

"Your Majesties, you remember my husband, Dr. Quincy Tourè don't you? I promise you both, he's been great with all the children here. They call him Quincy the Clown." Mrs. Tourè said to them.

"Your Majesties! Welcome to my office! It's great to see you both again. Please have a seat." he said with a bow in greeting.

"Thank you for welcoming us Dr," Marquise replied.

Dr. Tourè gestured to the seats at his desk as Their Majesties sat down. Dr. Tourè's office overlooked a large playroom.

"I wanted to meet with you both while the boys are having lunch in class if that's alright."

"That's fine," Shanelle replied.

"I am here to answer any questions you both may have about the meeting."

"What exactly will happen during this meeting?" Shanelle asks.

"This meeting is to observe the boys in a controlled environment." Dr. Tourè replied as he gestured to the giant picture window in his office, "The goal of today's session is to observe the boys in a natural environment. This room is designed for safety and ease—children learn best when they feel safe and can explore freely. I encourage your presence. Seeing you both will help them feel relaxed."

Shanelle nodded.

"Okay I think that's a good idea." Shanelle said to Dr. Tourè.

Dr. Tourè noticed the pin on Marquise's lapel. It was the Kenyan flag.

"Ahh Mother Kenya. You have ties to the country, Your Majesty?" Dr. Tourè asked Marquise.

"Yes. My mother was born in Kenya." Marquise replied.

Dr. Tourè nodded.

"As was my father Kwasi. He was born and raised in Nairobi. He went to school in Deutschland where he met my mother Frieda. Do you speak Swahili?" Dr. Tourè asked.

"Ndio ninafanya. Kwa ufasaha. (Yes I do. I speak it fluently.)" Marquise replied.

Dr. Tourè nodded respectfully.

"Ah! Muzuri sana. (Very good.)”, Dr. Tourè replied before turning to Shanelle and asked, "And what about you, Your Majesty?"

"No, unfortunately. I only speak English and Bad English. He's the one who collects languages like they're infinity stones" Shanelle replied.

Dr. Tourè chuckled before checking his watch.

"I believe it's time to meet with the boys. So if you'll both follow me."

The boys were brought in by their teacher Mrs. Walsh. She smiled at His Majesty when she saw him.

"Good afternoon Your Majesties. It's good to see you both." she said to them before addressing the boys, "Look who it is! It's Mommy and Daddy!"

The boys squealed happily as they ran to their mother's arms.

"Hi my babies. I've missed you." Shanelle said to them as she hugged them.

"It's good to see you, Your Majesty. I trust you're staying out of trouble. Especially now that your brother is home?" Mrs. Walsh asked Marquise.

He snorted.

"Yes Ms. Nottingham. I'm staying out of trouble. I haven't broken anything valuable in years."

"Meh. I don't know about all that. You still believe in indoor soccer during a thunderstorm." Shanelle quipped.

Marquise rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Mrs. Walsh chuckled.

"Still handsome and troublesome as ever." she mused.

"Yes I am. Do tell Lord Walsh that he owes me a few rounds on the green."

"I will do that."

Mrs. Walsh smiled at Marquise before taking her leave.

Kylo made a beeline for the block bin, his tiny sneakers skidding on the mat, while Zyon belly-flopped into the stuffed animals like it was a royal treasure pile. As the boys explored the room, their laughter bubbling up like tiny fountains, Shanelle relaxed visibly, her hand resting gently on her stomach. Marquise gave her a small, knowing smile.

"Bocks (blocks)! Yook (look) Mommy! Bocks! Right dere (there)!" Kylo said to his mother.

Zyon finally came up for air in the pile of stuffed animals, holding one up proudly. 'Stuffies! See, Mommy? See?'"

"I see, baby. Before we go play, can you two say hi?" Shanelle asked.

The boys stopped and smiled brightly at Dr. Tourè who smiled back at them.

"Hello, boys! It's good to see you again!" Dr. Tourè said to them.

"Kencee (Quincy)!" Zyon said to him.

"Where funny nose Kencee?" Kylo asks, pointing to his nose.

"My nose? Oh right! My clown nose! I don't have it today but I'll have it again soon. Okay?" Dr. Tourè replied.

"Otay (okay) Kencee," Kylo answered.

"Now boys, before we play with the toys, can we play a game?" Dr. Tourè asked.

"What game Kencee?" Kylo asks.

"Come find out," Dr. Tourè said to the boys before turning to their parents, "Mom, Dad, care to join us?"

Everyone gathered around a small child-sized table, where Dr. Tourè produced a deck of cards.

"Okay, boys, I'm going to give you cards, okay? And Mom and Dad I'm going to give you the same cards."

Dr. Tourè passed out the cards. They were cards with colors, objects, foods, and animals.

"Now that we have our cards, let's play," Dr. Tourè said, smiling, "Alright boys now pay close attention, okay?"

"Otay (okay) Kencee!" Kylo replies.

"Boys, can you show me the color...blue? Mom and Dad, can you also show me the color blue?

The boys put on the cutest thoughtful looks on their faces. Zyon was the first to speak.

"Bue (blue)!" Zyon said to him.

"Yeah yeah! Bue (blue)!" Kylo said.

"Mom and Dad?" Dr. Tourè asks.

They both showed the color blue.

"Wonderful! Now boys, can you show me the color...green?" Dr. Tourè asks.

Both boys looked for the color, Kylo was the first to find the color.

"Yook (look)! Geen (green)! I found it!" Kylo said.

Zyon also showed the color green. So did their parents.

"Very good. Now I'm going to show you a card. I want you to tell me the color. Okay?"

The boys nodded.

"He held up a bright red card. "What color is this?"

"Wed (red)!" the boys said together.

"Excellent! Now can you tell me this color?"

"Lellow (yellow)." Kylo replied as he and Zyon held up their cards.

Dr. Tourè looked up to see their parents holding up the color yellow.

"You two are way too smart for me. You're doing great. Now can you both show me your parents' favorite colors?" Dr. Tourè asked.

Zyon picked up a card.

"O'ange! Daddy yike (like) o'ange! " Zyon replied.

Kylo spoke up next.

"Burble (purple)! Mommy yikes (likes) dis one!"Kylo said to Dr. Tourè.

"Okay what is your sister's favorite color?"

"Bink (pink)!" the boys answered together, holding a card with the color pink.

"Fabulous!" he said to the boys, "now let's switch gears. Can you both show me...an apple?"

Both of them found the card with an apple on it. So did their parents.

"Fantastic! I'm very impressed by you both. And you two as well, Your Majesties. All of you are very smart." Dr. Tourè said to everyone before asking the boys, "Let's see...who can find a banana?"

Each boy showed him a banana.

Dr. Tourè made another quick note on his iPad, his expression unreadable for a heartbeat. Then he smiled, warm and wide again, as if nothing at all had passed.

"Now boys, I want you to really think about this next one, okay? Can you boys show me a...house?" he asks.

The boys each searched their cards for a house. They each found a card with a house on it.

"Howse (house)!" Zyon said.

"I dot (got) Howse (house) too! See?" Kylo replied.

"I see boys! Both of you are doing so well. It's rare to see this much potential so early. It'd be a shame to let it go to waste." Dr. Tourè mused.

Shanelle tilted her head, brow furrowed for a breath before smoothing it away with a smile. Probably nothing.

“Now which one of you can find…a tree?” Dr. Tourè asks.

The boys instantly found the card with a tree.

“Chee (tree)!” the boys squealed.

"You two are geniuses! Okay one more before we move on, can you show me a giraffe?"

Zyon hesitated, holding up a zebra.

"Ooh! Close!" Dr. Tourè chuckled. "That's a zebra. Want to try again?"

Zyon found the right card, grinning.

"G'affe!" he said proudly.

"Very good! Now Kylo, can you show me a pig?"

Kylo looked at his cards and then picked a bear.

"Dis one?"

"No but good try. Let's try again, okay?"

Kylo was getting frustrated because he couldn't find the card. Marquise noticed and stepped in.

"Do you want Daddy to help you look?"

Kylo nodded.

"I tan't (can't) find it, Daddy." Kylo said, slightly dejected.

"Okay. Let's sound it out. What sound does a pig make?"

Kylo thought for a second.

"Oink oink!"

"Good so let's you and I find the one that says oink oink."

They found a cat, a dog, a parrot, and finally a pig.

"Found it! We did it, Daddy!" Kylo cheered as he held up the right card.

"Yes, we did, my love. You did great my boy." Marquise said to him.

As Kylo held up his pig card proudly, Shanelle watched his eyes light up and wondered how much longer they’d get to keep their innocence. Her stomach twisted not just with pregnancy, but with something nameless, a foggy dread she couldn’t quite shake.

Dr. Tourè made another quick note before smiling at them.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I normally like for the children to figure out how to solve problems on their own, but every now and then it's good that they have help along the way. It helps to build and shape their confidence. This game helps us see how children recognize, recall, and associate ideas—through play of course," he said with a smile, tapping his iPad.

Marquise noticed a subtle change in his demeanor but brushed it off.

The meeting continued between Dr. Tourè and the boys. Including a hilarious moment where he asked the twins to draw their parents.

"Zyon, I want you to draw your mother and Kylo, I want you to draw your father. Okay?"

The boys nodded and went to work trying their best to capture the essence of their parents that their little brains could handle.

"No peekting (peeking) Daddy!" Kylo warned his father who wasn't even looking.

They were way off but Shanelle didn't care. Her boys just made the best portraits of her and Marquiss ever.

"These portraits are going in the Hall Of Portraits! I have decreed it!"

"Like I had a say in this." Marquise quipped as he viewed Kylo's interpretation of him. He's pretty sure his son drew a mix of a sasquatch and an octopus. But he loved it just the same.

"Beauty like art is always in the eye of its beholder, Your Majesty." Dr. Tourè said to him.

Before Marquise could reply, there was a soft knock at the playroom door, it was Director Tourè.

"How is everything going?" she asked as she popped her head in. The boy's faces lit up when they saw her.

"Hello little ones! How has your day been?" she asked them.

Both started talking at once. Their adorable toddler babble lit up the room.

"Well you two have had quite the day it seems," she said to them before addressing their parents, "I hope you both enjoyed your time here today."

"We did. Dr. Tourè has been amazing with the boys," Shanelle replied.

Director Tourè smiled at Shanelle.

"That's wonderful. Quincy the Clown has been a hit with the children here. He knows that his job can be confusing and sometimes scary for children the heirs' age. So he created Quincy the Clown. It helps him connect with the children. But personally, I just love to see him with his clown nose."

She and Shanelle shared a laugh before the door opened a little wider, revealing Khari and her guards. The skirt of her uniform was wrinkled but her smile was as bright as ever.

"Looks like we have a full house of Royals." Director Tourè mused.

"Indeed we do." Dr. Tourè added.

"Hi everybody!" Khari said to the room.

"Sissy!" the boys squealed as they ran into her arms.

"Hi, boys! I've missed you! How was school today?" she asked the twins as she hugged them. They did their best to tell their big sister about their day. She also made time to say hi to her parents.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! Hi Ellie!" she said to them.

"How was class Precious?" Marquise asked.

"It was good Daddy. We have a new music teacher, Mr. Bancroft. He's really nice." Khari replied before her brother grabbed her attention.

"Say hi Sissy! Say hi! Say hi!" Zyon said to her.

"Is this your teacher?" she asked the boys.

"Dat's Kencee the Clown sissy," Kylo replies.

Dr. Tourè bowed with a smile.

"Hello, Princess! I'm Dr. Quincy Tourè. But your brothers and the other children know me as Quincy the Clown. It's good to meet and see you again," he said to her.

Khari curtsied.

"It's nice to see you too, Dr. Tourè. I met Director Tourè when my guards and I got here. She's very nice."

Director Tourè smiled at her.

"Thank you, Princess. That means so much to me."

"And you're very handsome Dr. Tourè."

That comment caught him off guard.

"Oh why thank you, Princess."

That comment also earned her an eyebrow raise from her father.

"Hmm?"

"I have eyes, Daddy. I can see." Khari said to him.

Shanelle cackled at the look on his face.

"Uh huh." he deadpanned.

"Well I think my husband and I have taken enough of your time, Your Majesties. Again it was an honor to have you both here today. And the twins and even their sister are an absolute joy. You two are very lucky to have such precious children."

"Thank you, Director," Marquise said to her before addressing Dr. Tourè, "is there anything else you need from Her Majesty and me?"

"Oh no, Your Majesty. I have everything I need right here on my tablet. I will be in touch if I do any more finite details from you or Her Majesty. It was a pleasure and an honor to meet with you both and your boys. I will be observing them some more in the coming weeks, while they're in class to monitor their behavior in a classroom setting. From what I have seen of the Princes, Kylo likes the musical instruments and Zyon seems very relaxed when coloring and painting.”

Marquise nodded.

"Alright," Marquise said to Dr. Tourè before addressing his family, "Now who's ready for a snack from Book-A-Holic?"

The kids each raised their hands.

"Well, it's unanimous, Your Majesty." Shanelle said to her husband.

"To Book-A-Holic we go," Marquise announced.

Dr. and Director Tourè shared a quick look as they watched The Royal Family depart the daycare center. Laughter echoed faintly down the hall as the children chattered about muffins, books, and who got to pick the first story at Book-A-Holic.

"Lovely children," Melinda murmured, her arms folded lightly. "And she—Khari—is very sharp, poised, and highly impressive."

"She is," Quincy replied, watching them through the window, his smile pleasant but unreadable. "The whole family is."

The director tilted her head. "Get everything you needed?"

"For now," he said, fingers tapping lightly on the screen of his tablet. "We'll see how the next few weeks go."

Later while at Book-A-Holic Cafè, Their Majesties discussed how their meeting with Dr. Tourè went, while they waited for their order and their children picked out books to read.

"So final verdict?" Marquise asked as their order arrived.

"I like him. Dr. Tourè was very gentle with the boys. Patient. He seems to genuinely enjoy working with children."

"Are you still feeling nervous?"

Marquise studied her face. "Still feeling nervous?"

"No not anymore," she said, stretching her back. "I think earlier I was just hormonal, hypervigilant, and, you know...very pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. It's what happens when you have a tiny terrorist treating your insides like a jungle gym."

"My daughter is not a terrorist."

"Oh I'm sorry. Are you pregnant?"

"No."

"Oh okay. That's what I thought."

They shared a quiet laugh, one of those worn-in, married laughs that lived in the ribs. A little tired. A little warm. Whole.Across the café, Khari handed Kylo a picture book and patted Zyon's curls back into place. She caught her parents watching and flashed them a knowing smile. Wise beyond her years.

Their Majesties have always loved spending time with their children, it always grounded them. Reminding them of why they are the Monarchs. And prepared them for the storms to come.

Starting with finally entrapping and exposing the traitors in their ranks.

The time had finally come to expose the generals and Shanelle’s cousins the Princes as the traitors that they are. And Their Majesties would not be holding anything back.

Their Majesties called a meeting with Generals Howell, Castor, and Supreme General Greenwald in the Military Defense Council Conference Room. When they arrived Their Majesties were already seated at the table. Each General bowed with a fist over their hearts.

“Good morning, Generals. Her Majesty and I thank you for your presence on such short notice.” Marquise said to them, “Please have a seat.”

The generals sat down in their usual seats.

“Thank you for having us, my King.” General Greenwald replied before addressing Shanelle, “And a very good morning to you my Queen. You are looking radiant as ever.”

Shanelle smiled politely at General Greenwald.

“Thank you General. I just wish I felt as radiant as I looked.”

Just then, the door opened, Captain Felix flanked by Princes Mordecai and Malachi walked in.

“Good morning everyone. I do hope we are not interrupting.” Captain Felix said after bowing.

“Of course not Captain. Please join us.”

Marquise said to him before addressing the Princes, “Gentlemen, welcome home. Please have a seat.”

The Princes bowed before taking a seat next to Generals Howell and Castor. Prince Malachi spoke after clearing his throat.

“Thank you my King,” he said to Marquise before addressing his cousin, “hello cousin. You look beautiful. Positively glowing. Pregnancy is suiting you well.”

Shanelle smiled politely at her cousin.

“Thank you, cousin. I appreciate your kind words,” she said to him, “being pregnant has shown me how carrying something as precious as an unborn child, makes one aware of who can be trusted with that child.”

Captain Felix shared a small knowing glance with Marquise as he closed the door to the Conference Room and stood at attention in the corner.

Marquise cleared his throat and steepled his fingers together.

“In times of war, loyalty is more precious than gold,” Marquise said. “And betrayal…well, it always finds a way to reveal itself. Now that all of you are here, we can get down to business,” he said to the room, “now General Greenwald have you met with General Moravich?”

General Greenwald nodded.

“Yes sire. We will meet with her formally next week.” General Greenwald replies.

“Good. I want our troops in place as soon as possible. Sulovaria has started a campaign toward the capital. We can not allow them to advance any further.”

General Howell looked down to his phone nervously, Shanelle noticed but said nothing. She kept it to himself. For now at least.

“Now where are we with Commandant Miller?” Marquise asked. A subtle nod to the Princes.

“I have spoken with the Commandant. He and the HMS Leonidas are stationed close to the North Kestovian Sea.” General Howell replied.

What he didn't know was that the coordinates were wrong. Just what Marquise wanted. He was silently thankful that Commandant Miller was in on exposing the traitors.

“Are you sure, General?” Shanelle asked.

“Yes ma'am. I spoke with him yesterday.” General Howell replied.

Shanelle nodded. She knew he was lying.

“Very well General. I will take your word for it.”

General Howell kept looking down at his phone. And Marquise seized on the opportunity.

“General, are we keeping you from something?” he asked.

General Howell finally looked up, face flushed.

“Oh uh no! No, not at all. Please continue, sire.” General Howell replied.

“You seem very ill at ease, General. Is there something wrong?”

“No, my King. Nothing is wrong.”

Marquise raised an eyebrow at him as he sat his phone down on the table.

“Good. Now have you spoken with our commanders on the ground?”

General Howell’s phone buzzed and he picked it up in a haste. Shanelle pounced.

“General, why is your phone going off?” Shanelle asked.

“Because of me.” Captain Felix replied.

“What? How did you get my phone number?” General Howell asks.

“I gave it to him, Silas,” General Greenwald replies.

“What? Why would you do that, Jonas?” General Howell asked.

“Because you've been lying. That's why.”

“What? I have been doing no such thing!”

“Yes, you have, Silas,” Marquise said to him.

General Howell stared at Marquise.

“No, Your Majesty. I haven't!”

“Yes you have,” Shanelle spoke up, “Hell, you lied to me earlier when you said you spoke to Commandant Miller.”

“Cousin…with all due respect…My Queen, surely you're not accusing one of our kingdom’s most decorated generals of treason?” Prince Mordecai interjects.

“Dumbass…” Shanelle thought to herself.

General Howell started sweating.

“My Queen…I may have misspoke but I never lied. I swear it.”

Marquise produced a folder.

“If you haven't been lying then maybe you could clarify a few things for me. Take a look at these if you will.”

He slid the folder across the table to him. After General Howell opened the folder, his face paled. It was a transcript of his last text message and email to Andreas Garakis.

The folder was heavy with consequence. Inside were emails, wire transfer slips, and one chilling photograph of the General, shaking hands with a Sulovarian diplomat. No insignia. No uniform. Just a traitor in plain clothes. Marquise had an identical folder. He pulled out a photo of General Howell meeting with Andreas, maybe exchanging a flash drive under the table.

“That's you, General,” Marquise said to him.

“That could be anyone!” General Howell sputtered.

“Operation Icarus: Fleet redeployment scheduled for 02:00 hours. Key weak points encoded per arrangement.” Marquise read aloud.

“Silas…what did you do?” General Castor asks.

“I–i–I–” General Howell stuttered.

“He committed treason of the worst kind.” General Greenwald announced.

“What do you mean Jonas?” General Castor asks.

“Silas sold us out to Sulovaria! That's what I mean Thaddeus!” General Greenwald replies.

“No. Silas you didn't!” General Castor said in shock. Not knowing that his time was coming next.

“I…these…they're false! Their Majesties are trying to set me up! It’s a witch hunt!” General Howell announced.

“No, it's not Silas. You've been selling our military secrets to our enemies! How could you? How could you turn on your kingdom?” General Greenwald asks.

“Forgive me, Supreme General, but you seem awfully quick to accuse a decorated hero. Jealousy, perhaps?” Prince Malachi quipped.

“We don’t know the whole story yet. Perhaps we should give General Howell the benefit of the doubt.” General Castor said, trying to ease the tension.

“Curious, that’s exactly what a guilty man would want.” Shanelle snapped at him.

“I am not guilty! I have done nothing wrong! As far as I know this could be planted to frame me!” General Howell declared, “I will not stand for any more slander! Not from you Jonas! And certainly not from The King and Queen!”

Marquise cleared his throat.

“If this is a witch hunt, General Howell, then maybe you can explain this,” Marquise said to General Howell before producing a recording device. He played a phone conversation between Andreas and General Howell discussing the car bombs being unsuccessful. The Princes exchanged a silent glance and General Castor in his seat shifted nervously.

“That General Silas Howell is you. Discussing the car bombs that went off around our kingdom! The same car bombs that endangered me and my children!” Shanelle hissed at him, “All this time you've been a wolf in sheep's clothing! I bet this is why you wanted us to stand down isn't it? This is why you wanted us to drop Kasnia, isn't it? You lied to me! And in lying to me, you endangered not only your kingdom…but my unborn child. That’s treason, General Howell!”

General Howell couldn't hide it anymore. He was caught.

“I vouched for you Silas! I defended you when others questioned your loyalty! You sat at my table! I introduced you to my daughter! You held my grandson!” General Greenwald shouted at General Howell.

“You were too soft to see what this kingdom’s become, Jonas! Loyalty to the throne isn’t loyalty to the people. I did what I had to do!”

“DID WHAT YOU HAD TO DO?! YOU SOLD US OUT! I TRUSTED YOU WITH OUR KINGDOM’S GREATEST SECRETS AND YOU SOLD THEM TO SULOVARIA FOR A FEW LOUSY SULOVARIAN DRACHMS! HOW COULD YOU?!” General Greenwald shouted at him. General Greenwald was shaking with rage, “I HOPE THOSE BARBARIANS WERE WORTH IT! BECAUSE THEY HAVE CEMENTED YOUR DOWNFALL!”

General Greenwald shook his head in disgust.

“You saved my life at Durnham. I dragged you from the rubble at Ardell. And this is how you repay me? I buried men beside you, Silas! We bled together. I carried your wife’s casket when she died. And now I find this? You were like a brother to me! You were supposed to be family! Instead you’re a sniveling coward! You are not fit to wear the uniform you don!”

Marquise cleared his throat, grabbing the room’s attention.

“If all of this is fiction, General, then tell me the name of the Sulovarian diplomat who wired you thirty thousand drachms last week,” Marquise asked, “Because that money didn't just magically appear in your account.”

“How did you?” General Howell asked.

“I am the King, my good man. There is NOTHING in this kingdom that I don't know about. And there certainly isn't anything that I can't find out.” a warning to General Howell but it was also a coded message to General Castor and the Princes.

Marquise noticed General Castor’s fidgeting.

“You seem uncomfortable, General Castor. Feeling guilty for defending a traitor or worried we might open another folder?” he asked him.

“No sire. But I just can't see Silas as a traitor. What would be his motivation?” General Castoe asked.

“Oh? You need more evidence? Say no more.” Marquise turned on the giant TV screen, on the screen was General Howell, speaking to Andreas Garakis at Book-A-Holic Cafè over coffee.

“You see, this is why I love that cafè. And don't just mean it because I know the owner of the cafè personally.” Marquise said to the room, “The workers are fellow Cordonians who were more than willing to cooperate. They scrubbed their footage and turned over everything they had. So what more do you need to know?”

General Castor’s eyes shifted nervously. He couldn't defend General Howell anymore.

“I had no idea, my King. I thought he was a friend. A brother in arms. But I see I was wrong.”

General Howell rounded on him.

“You goddamn son of a bitch!” he sneered at General Castor.

“Enough!” Marquise's voice boomed, “I have heard enough!”

He took a deep breath then straightened his spine as he rose from his seat.

“General Silas Everett Howell, you are hereby stripped of your title and military rank. And will hereby be arrested and charged as an Enemy Of The Crown.” Marquise announced before looking at Captain Felix, “you can get this traitor out of my sight!”

Captain Felix stepped forward and arrested a very resisting General Howell. As one of Captain Felix’s guards dragged him away, he shouted.

“You think I’m the only traitor in that room?! You two have no idea who your real enemies actually are!” he shouted at Shanelle and Marquise as he was dragged out.

Shanelle let out a breath she’d been holding in, while holding her belly. As she gathered herself, she noticed her cousins whispering to each other.

She managed to catch part of their conversation.

“This is getting out of hand!” Mordecai whispered to his brother.

“I still haven't heard anything from Andreas.” Malachi whispered.

“Something wrong gentlemen?” she asked, catching their attention.

“No, my Queen. Nothing is wrong. We are just…shocked is all. We never would've thought that General Howell would be a traitor. I never would've tried to defend him, if I knew the truth.” Prince Mordecai replied.

“I see.” she said with an eyebrow raised.

Shanelle was starting to lose her patience but she kept her cool. It wasn't time to reveal their treachery. Not yet. So she took a drink of water to mask her irritation.

General Castor awkwardly cleared his throat.

“I too am shocked. Like Jonas I've known Silas for decades. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that he’d be a traitor. Your Majesties, Jonas, I am so sorry. I brought him in with me.” he said to Marquise and Shanelle.

Marquise looked at him coolly.

“Is that so?” he asked.

“Yes sire. I never would've nominated him to be third in command if I had known that he was capable of such treachery.” General Castor replies.

“Then I guess this meeting will be adjourned unless…”

“Unless what, Your Majesty?” General Castor asks.

Marquise took a drink of water. As he set the bottle of water down, there was a knock at the conference room door.

“Come in!” Marquise says to the door.

The door opens to reveal General Castor’s wife Lady Fiona Avalantis-Castor.

“Fiona! What are you doing here?” General Castor asks her. She had a look on her face that worried him.

“Are you alright? What's wrong? Why do you look like that?” he asks as she silently enters the room.

When she got to him, she took a deep breath and then hugged him. When she pulled back she slapped him.

“You son of a bitch! How could you?! How could you be so cowardly?!” she asks.

“What are you talking about?! Why would you slap me?!” he asked, holding his cheek.

“You betrayed our kingdom! That's what I‘m talking about!” she yelled at him.

He looked at her confusedly.

“What are you talking about?”

“You have been spying for Sulovaria!”

General Castor was stunned.

“You betrayed me! You betrayed our family! Especially our son! Have you forgotten that he's a soldier in the Cordonian Army?!” she yelled at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking—” he started to say before she cut him off, “They know Thaddeus. Their Majesties know everything!”

“What?” he asked.

“They know that Andreas Garakis turned you against your kingdom. They know that you had that animal in my home! How could you?! How dare you! You brought that creature into our home! Have you forgotten that those barbaric people killed my brother?! And you just invited him over like we were having tea!”

“Fiona, what did you do?”

“I told His Majesty everything. I showed him everything! He has the bank transcripts and wire transfer receipts! He has enough evidence against you to put you in chains for the rest of your life! And I hope he does! Since you've decided being loyal to me no longer interests you, then being loyal to you no longer interests me!” she sneered at her husband.

When General Castor turned around, Marquise had a smug smile on his face.

“Well I guess this meeting isn't adjourned quite yet,” he said to General Castor.

“I ran into Silas as the guards were leading him away. He called you a coward and a traitor just like him. He's right. You are a coward! And you're definitely a traitor.”

She turned to Their Majesties.

“My King. I am done with him! You can do whatever you wish with him.” she said to Marquise before looking at Shanelle with tears in her eyes, “I am so sorry my Queen. I never thought my husband would betray the kingdom he swore to serve. I am ashamed. I can only hope that you'll forgive my family.”

Shanelle softened slightly as she looked at her sympathetically.

“My lady, you are not responsible for your husband's heinously stupid actions. We do not hold you or your family responsible.”

Lady Fiona nodded gratefully as Shanelle passed her a box of tissues.

“Thank you, ma'am,” she said as she dried her eyes, “you’re way too kind to me, Your Majesty.”

Shanelle smiled softly at her.

“Again this is not your fault,” Shanelle said to her before giving General Castor a venomous look, “your husband made a conscious decision to betray his oath to his kingdom. He chose to betray you and your family. Especially your son. My heart breaks for you. I do hope that now that the truth is out, you can breathe.”

“Thank you again.” Lady Fiona said tearily before turning to Marquise, “Your mother Eleanor was one of my greatest friends. She welcomed me with open arms when I got married. I would do her memory a grave disservice if I stood idly by and allowed my husband to betray her son.”

Marquise nodded.

“Thank you, my lady. My mother would be very appreciative.” he said before snapping his fingers, “take him away.”

Guards quickly surrounded General Castor and dragged him away. Lady Fiona and General Greenwald watched together.

“Fiona, may I escort you home?” General Greenwald asked.

“That would be great. I don't think I can be alone right now.”

Lady Fiona let out a breath.

“It’s always the ones closest to you, isn’t it?” Lady Fiona asks Shanelle.

“Yes. Unfortunately…it is.” Shanelle said.

General Greenwald nodded before facing Marquise.

“Your Majesties, I think it’s time that I took my leave. I have much to do and orders to send out. But thank you both for helping me suss out the snakes in our ranks.” he said as he shook Marquise’s hand.

“Thank you, General. Your intuition about both of them was spot-on. I can only imagine the damage they would've caused if we hadn't found their treachery out in time.” Marquise said to him.

General Greenwald bowed with a fist over his heart before leaving with Lady Fiona. The room fell eerily quiet for a moment as it was only Marquise, Shanelle, Princes Mordecai and Malachi, and Captain Felix left in the conference room.

“Well now that all the ugliness is over we can finally adjourn for the day,” Marquise said to Shanelle.

“Before we do that I would love to know who the Princes are texting so much.” Shanelle said before turning to her cousins who were whispering nervously, “Gentlemen is everything okay?”

The Princes finally looked up.

“Uh yes my Queen. Everything is fine.” Prince Mordecai replied.

“Are you sure Your Highness? You both seem nervous.” Marquise said to him.

The twins glanced at each other.

“No sire. We are okay. We were just checking up on our lead to make sure we didn't miss anything.” Prince Malachi replied.

“Very well. If you all will excuse me, I have a phone call to make.” Marquise said before he stepped outside. Leaving Shanelle alone with her cousins.

“So tell me more about this lead, I thought the trail went cold,” Shanelle said to them.

“Oh uh it did but we like to be thorough. We want to make sure that we have exhausted all of our avenues.” Prince Malachi replied.

“Perhaps I can help?” Shanelle asks.

The Princes looked at each other.

“We are not sure how. We didn't know you were familiar with our case.”

“Oh yeah. His Majesty filled me in. It's okay. I believe you two are looking for a contact?”

“Yes. That's right. How did you know?” Prince Mordecai asks.

“Oh well I know because he's dead.”

“What do you mean?” Prince Malachi asks.

Shanelle steeples her fingers together.

“You’re both looking for a text from Andreas Garakis. You know? Your handler?”

The Princes blinked.

“I know that you two have not only been in contact with him but you were helping him undermine and threaten your kingdom.”

Princes Mordecai and Malachi sat there shocked. They've been outed by Shanelle as traitors.

"Nothing to say?" Shanelle asked.

The pretense had fallen then.

"Congratulations cousin. You caught us." Prince Malachi replied, clapping slowly. His voice dripping with venom.

Shanelle was not about to back down

"I should've seen this shit coming. I should've known that you two traitors couldn't be trusted!"

"We are not traitors! We are honoring our kingdom!" Prince Mordecai hissed at Shanelle.

"You mean MY kingdom! South Cordonia belonged to me! I was the heir to the throne. How do you think I got my first title of Princess? It was always MY kingdom. Not your mother's kingdom! And certainly not your son of a bitch father's kingdom! IT WAS MINE! Our grandfather named ME the heir before he and our grandmother died for a reason!"

Shanelle was PISSED!

"I can not fucking believe I trusted you two. You were fucking vipers and I knew it and I STILL let you both bite me." Shanelle said before chuckling bitterly, "Congrats you two! You got me good. You played the game. And accomplished your goal. Unfortunately, it's gonna cost you. EVERYTHING!"

The Princes both blinked.

"You see I feel bad for your siblings. Especially your brothers."

"What are you talking about Shanelle?" Prince Mordecai asks.

"First of all, it's Your Majesty to you! And second, I'm talking about Edwin and especially Morgan. Your older brothers are CRUSHED to know that you two, their younger brothers, are traitors to your kingdom. Especially Morgan. How do you think we found out? You think Andreas only approached the two of you? Newsflash! He went after Morgan first. But at the very least, Morgan remembered where his loyalties lay!"

"This is not our kingdom! We don't serve you! Or your pathetic husband!" Malachi sneered at her, "We are Princes of South Cordonia!"

"You're right. You don't. You serve your god-awful excuse of a mother and that living breathing walking talking parasitic infection that you dare to call a father! But what's worse than that is you two turned on your people. On your brothers! On your family!"

Shanelle shouted at them before taking a deep breath.

"But that's okay. Because neither one of you is a member of this kingdom anymore anyway. You're the property of Sulovaria now. Which also means you're both dead."

Malachi scoffs.

“You don't have the heart! You’re as spineless as your husband, even more so now that you're pregnant.”

Shanelle cocked her head to the side.

“You're right Malachi. I don't. But he does.”

The Princes turned around to see their brother Morgan and Marquise standing behind them.

“Hello Morgan. Thank you for coming.” Shanelle said to him.

Morgan had his lips in a thin line. He was ready to explode.

“Take your time Commandant.” Marquise said to him.

“My own flesh and blood. My little brothers…traitors. You two would risk our home. OUR HOME! Just because you don't like our cousin?”

Mordecai chuckled bitterly.

“I don’t know what spell they have you under big brother but I wish you'd wake up!”

That set Morgan off.

“A spell?! You call being loyal to our kingdom being under a spell?” Morgan yelled at his brother.

“This isn't our kingdom Morgan!” Malachi said to him, “Our kingdom was stolen!”

Morgan stepped forward with a rage behind his eyes.

“THIS IS OUR KINGDOM! This is our legacy! Our bloodline! Cordonia is who we are. Not just our titles! You two are a disgrace to our family!”

Morgan shook his head bitterly.

“I want nothing to do with the two of you! So whatever our cousin and especially our King decides…I’ll be sure to tell our parents that you two went down like the cowards you are!” he sneered at them.

“Guards!” Marquise called out.

The guards filed in, flanking Captain Felix. Shanelle stepped forward.

“I'll make sure that your deaths are as grotesque as your mother’s attitude.” she said to her cousins before addressing the guards without flinching, “SEIZE THEM!”

The twins tried to run but were apprehended swiftly. With both twins resisting arrest. They had to be wrestled to the ground before being dragged out.

It was over. After months, the traitors to the crown and kingdom were dealt with. But just as Their Majesties started to breathe a little bit, it was time for the ultimate showdown.

It was time for the Conclave.

Shanelle couldn’t wait for the day to come. She was ready to close this miserable and ugly chapter. Marquise? He was ready to burn the whole book.

They arrived at the Parliamentary Building the afternoon of September 30th, dressed to the nines, to the waiting paparazzi outside ready for the ultimate scoop.

“Your Majesties! Over here!” Many reporters shouted but all they could do was smile and wave, they didn't have time to speak.

They entered the building and were confronted by the families of Lord and Lady Gallagher. Including Lady Makenna’s father Prince Dante and brother, Lord Oliver. Marquise allowed them to attend the vote because he wanted them to watch Makenna lose.

Marquise smiled smugly and waved at both families as he and Shanelle walked by. He enjoyed seeing the looks of disgust on their faces.

“Go ahead and smile all you want Your Majesty, you won't be smiling after the votes are counted!” Prince Dante shouted at them as Their Majesties entered the Conclave room.

The ancient building walls and hallowed halls held the secrets of Monarchies past and currently holds the secrets of the present Monarchy.

After Marquise and Shanelle took their seats, Lord and Lady Gallagher made their entrance. With their family flanking them. Smug, cocky, and overconfident, they sat across from Shanelle and Marquise.

All four are ready for the vote to be announced. With the gallery of onlookers set, it was time for the vote to be heard.

Duke Bertrand Beaumont, Duke of Ramsford, emerged from the voting room. Members of Parliament had been voting for three hours.

“A vote has been reached,” he announced, “after three hours of deliberation, the Parliament is deadlocked. The vote is 10-10.”

The gallery went from whispering fiercely to talking amongst themselves.

“So what now?” Lord Gallagher asked Duke Bertrand, “The vote is over isn't it?”

Duke Bertrand shook his head no

“Not quite my Lord. Now we turn to the Charter of 1780. In the event of a tie vote, a tie-breaking vote must be cast.”

Many in the gallery, Shanelle included, looked confused as they tried to figure out who would cast the tie-breaking vote. Especially since Duke Bertrand couldn't.

“Will Prince Sebastian please step forth?” Duke Bertrand asks.

“What?” Shanelle whispered.

Many turned to the back of the gallery, Marquise’s cousin Carlo stood up and stepped forward, the light catching on the Rys signet ring that had once adorned his grandfather’s King Leonardo’s hand. He slowly walked to where Duke Bertrand was standing in the middle of the room.

“Your Highness, you are called here today because you possess the power of a tie-breaking vote. Have you made your decision?” Duke Bertrand asks.

“I have, Your Grace,” he replied.

“What say you, Your Highness?” Duke Bertrand asked.

“This vote is precious. So precious in fact, that it is rarely called upon. The tie-breaking vote belonged to my father, Prince Sebastian Giancarlo Rys I. A great former General. When he was killed, the vote passed to my mother, Duchess Dr. Nadia Adrianna Sorvano-Rys. As she is his widow. But when I turned 18, the vote became mine. And has been ever since.”

Carlo glanced back at his cousins, Marquise and Leo, who was sitting behind his younger brother and pregnant sister-in-law.

“I stand here not just as a Prince, but as a member of history. Not just any history, Cordonian history. My ancestor, the same ancestor of Prince Leo and His Majesty, Queen Kenna Rys fought almost 500 years ago to unite five struggling kingdoms into the powerhouse of Cordonia that is today. I am a living testimony of her resilience. She laid the groundwork for which my family and I stand. It would be foolish to ignore Cordonian history. It would be perilous to upend it.”

Carlo took a deep breath before squaring his shoulders.

“So today, instead of upending nearly 5 centuries of rich Cordonian history, I am choosing to preserve it. I am choosing to honor it. I am choosing to continue it. Because I am choosing to vote for Their Majesties, King Marquise Constantine Rys and Queen Shanelle Dominique Miller-Rys!”

“The tie breaking vote is cast! Their Majesties have won the Conclave!” Duke Bertrand announced.

The gallery erupted. Many cheered the victory of Their Majesties while others questioned what would happen now that Lord and Lady Gallagher have lost.

Lord and Lady Gallagher sat at their table in stunned silence. Lord Gallagher tried to speak but nothing was coming out. And Lady Gallagher felt like someone has just knocked the wind out of her. They had lost and they couldn't believe it.

Meanwhile, Shanelle felt like she could FINALLY breathe. After months of being undermined and pushed to her breaking point, it was over. Her kingdom was safe. And her reign would continue.

Marquise on the other hand was as smug as ever. He knew about the tie-breaking vote but said nothing. He wanted it to be a surprise to everyone. Especially his wife.

“Thank you, Carlo. Truly.” he said before embracing his cousin.

“Always. We are the Rys Bloodline. This kingdom started with us and will continue with us.” Carlo replied.

“Man I had no idea you and Aunt Nadia had the power of a tie-breaking vote,” Leo said to him.

“That's because you never paid attention cousin. You were too busy causing trouble to learn our history.” Carlo said to him with a smirk.

Shanelle was still too in shock to speak. Marquise gently squeezed her hand.

“Are you alright love?” he asks.

“You knew didn't you? You knew this whole time that Carlo had the power to break a tie?” Shanelle asks. Her voice trembling.

He sat down next to her.

“Yes I knew. I've known for years.”

“Why didn't you tell me?!”

“Because Carlo has never been needed until now. When I said there was no way we would ever lose, I meant that. This kingdom belongs to us. Period. So now you can breathe my love. Because it's over. This chapter is closed.”

Shanelle let out the breath she had been holding in.

“It's over. It's finally over.” she whispered as tears started to fall, “I can't believe that it is over.”

He kissed the crown of her head.

“Believe it, my love. Because now, we can celebrate our great victory.”

Their Majesties were still celebrating their victory at the Conclave—way too distracted to see the danger slithering just beyond the shadows. Sinister smiles. Deeper plots. Sharp eyes. Enemies like vipers. Venomous, coiled, and waiting to strike. When they least expect it.

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khoicesbyk · 1 month ago

Text

First off, thank you sooooo much for reading! I do appreciate it. And I live for your takes on the chapters. 😘

Of course Khari wants a destroyer named after her. Because why not? And of course, whatever the Princess wants, her Daddy will always make sure that she gets it. Even if he has questions about naming a whole destroyer after her.

The Royal Romance.

Forevermore.

A/N: this is the next chapter in the journey of my OTP. Follow along for the fun.

Current Word Count: 11,445 words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or DM me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click Here!

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @tessa-liam

TW: mentions of cancer, kidnapping, murder, and violence. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

Chapter 18.) Blood For Blood.

In the days following the retaliatory overnight attack on Sulovaria, Their Majesties had the press gathered in the throne room to make the official declaration of war. Sitting on the thrones with Shanelle, Marquise, with the royal scepter lying across his lap and a stoic look on his face, addressed the assembled crowd.

“Good morning, to all our fellow Cordonians. Her Majesty and I come to you today with an announcement of great importance. A few days ago, we launched a retaliatory counter-attack against the kingdom of Sulovaria,” he announced.

Marquise squared his shoulders. His mannerisms exuded strength, resilience, and determination.

“As a result of this attack, it is with a very heavy yet resolute heart that I announce to you all this morning, that we, the kingdom of Cordonia, are officially at war with the kingdom of Sulovaria,” he explained.

He cleared his throat.

“I know this is a great and grave decision to make. And it is a decision Her Majesty and I did not make lightly. Many different factors went into our decision. And we will be meeting with the Military Defense Council and our top generals later to discuss and carefully plan what our next steps will be.”

Marquise looked directly into the camera.

“To our military personnel, both domestic and abroad, this is an Alpha Level threat. Stage three. Please be on standby for further instructions regarding deployment and reassignment.”

Marquise took a deep breath.

“Now, to our people, I understand how hearing the news that we are at war with Sulovaria can sound extremely scary. But I assure you here and now that this decision was a very last resort on our part. Again, it was not an easy decision for us to make. But it is a necessary decision for us to make. We must remember that we were attacked, not once but twice, by emissaries of Sulovaria. These attacks required a stronger, more militarized response. Let me be clear: just talking to King Desaad does not work. He is above the talking stage now. So this is where we find ourselves.”

Marquise swallowed.

“But again, let me assure you now, we will be precise in our military and placement strategizing, and we will work diligently to minimize any attacks and damage done to our kingdom. Please know that going to war with another kingdom is the last thing Her Majesty and I want to do. But again, this was a necessary decision that had to be made. Many of us, myself included, remember the last war we were in with Auvernal, during my father’s reign as King. That was an uncertain time for us all. So I understand the apprehension that many may have. I share that apprehension, but I promise you today and going forward, that we will be victorious and will fight until we can no longer. We must always remember that we are stronger when we are united under a common goal. And that goal is and always will be the safety and prosperity of Cordonia and her people. I thank you all for joining us this morning.”

Once the press left, it was just the two of them.

“How are you feeling?” Shanelle asks.

“Wondering if I’m making the right decision,” he replied, “I’m also wondering if I’m setting the right example for our children.”

“Why would you think you're not?”

“Because this isn't supposed to be happening. We are not supposed to be at war with anyone. Yet here we are. And there is no going back.”

“I know. But unfortunately, King Desaad forced our hand. I know this isn't what you wanted to do, but I’m not about to back down from a fight. And I’m damn sure not about to let ANYONE intimidate me.”

Marquise chuckled.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I know you want to shield our kids from the VERY ugly side of being a Monarch, but as our very intrepid daughter pointed out, people talk. And it’s getting harder to ignore.”

“So what are we supposed to do?”

Shanelle thought for a second.

“I think it’s time that we have a conversation with Khari about certain decisions she might have to make when she eventually becomes Queen. I also think it’s time that she starts attending certain meetings with us.”

“Don't you think she's too young?”

“Part of me does, yes. But another part of me feels like we can't avoid the conversation forever. And if she's gonna learn, there's no time like the present to start.”

Marquise sighed wearily.

“I know. I just…I want her to be a child for as long as possible. I don't want to start weighing her down with these kinds of decisions yet. But I also see your point, she won't be a child forever, so it’s best to start now.”

Marquise looked down at the scepter in his lap.

“I knew this day was coming. And yet I’d hoped that it wouldn't come at all. There is so much responsibility on our shoulders as it is. And when we’re eventually gone, I’m afraid that no one will be here to guide or even protect her.”

“That's not true. She’ll have her siblings as well as her own set of trusted advisors. Besides, hopefully by then we’ll have given her all the tools she would need to carry out her duties as the next Monarch.”

Marquise shook his head.

“I know. I know.”

Shanelle reached out to take his left hand in her right hand.

“I know why you feel the way you do. We just announced that we are going to war. That's a heavy decision to make. But as you pointed out in the declaration, it was a necessary decision to make. So let's take a deep breath and get to work. Because I have a kingdom to destroy entirely.”

Marquise snickered.

“Oh, I know you do.”

They soon left the throne room and headed down the hall to his office.

“Have you heard anything from the former King and Queen of Sulovaria since a few days ago?”

“No. But I do have a few agents tailing them.”

“I still don't know that I trust them yet, but it's good to have them with us rather than against us for now.”

“I know.”

When they got to his office, Shanelle took a seat across from Marquise as he opened up his laptop.

“I have a video call with Richard and Audrey if you want to stick around.”

“Sure. It's been a while since I've seen them.”

“I had a link to watch the press conference sent to them.”

“So they know about the announcement?”

“More than likely.”

Shanelle joined Marquise as he called Their Majesties.

“Good morning, you two,” he said to them.

“Good morning to you as well, Your Majesty,” Richard replied.

Audrey smiled at Shanelle.

“And good morning to you as well,” she said to Shanelle, “you look radiant, my dear.”

“Thank you, Audrey.”

Marquise cleared his throat.

“Now as much as I want this to be a social call, we have much to discuss,” he said to Their Majesties.

“Indeed we do.” Richard agreed.

“I take it you two watched the announcement?” Marquise asked.

They both nodded.

“Yes, we did, nephew,” Audrey replied, “let me just say that I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” Shanelle asked.

“When I reached out asking for help, I never meant for this to cause so much trouble for the two of you and your kingdom,” Audrey replied.

Marquise waved her off.

“I would be doing my mother’s memory and your friendship with her a great disservice if I had turned you down. Besides, there's something you need to know.”

“What is it?” Audrey asked.

“Have you spoken to your cousin here?” Marquise replied.

“Fiona? No, I haven't. Not recently.”

“Well, you need to know that her husband is a traitor.”

Audrey blinked.

“Silas? A traitor?” Audrey asks.

“Yes. He is. He's working with King Desaad. So this General Castor.” Marquise replied.

Richard shook his head.

“And they're both still alive?” he asked.

“For now. We want to catch them and my cousins in the act.” Shanelle replied.

“Your cousins?” Richard asked.

“Yes. They're still loyal to their parents and have been sharing information with King Desaad via Andreas Garakis.” Shanelle replied.

“Bloody fucking hell,” Richard said as he shook his head.

“I'm so sorry, you two. It was never my intention to bring all of this to your door.” Audrey said to them.

“No need to apologize. That idiot would have eventually gotten around to pestering us sooner or later. At least now I can test out a few of our newest toys.”

Richard raised a questioning eyebrow.

“What kind of toys? And how do I eventually get my hands on them?” he asked Marquise.

Shanelle snorted, and Audrey shook her head with a chuckle.

“Please don't mind my husband, Your Majesty,” Audrey said to Shanelle.

“I’m not 100% sure mine was even listening,” Shanelle replied.

“I wasn't.” Marquise piped up.

Everyone laughed.

“You two also need to know that King Apostolis reached out.”

Richard nodded his head slowly.

“Apostolis? How’d you manage to bring that coward out of hiding?” he asked.

“I didn't. He came out of hiding on his own.” Marquise replied.

“For what?” Audrey asks.

“A simple quid pro quo, as he calls it,” Shanelle replied.

“With that coward, nothing is ever simple. So what is it that he and Anastasia really want?” Richard asks.

“They claim they want their stolen thrones back,” Marquise replied.

“Do you believe them?” Richard asks.

Marquise scoffed.

“Of course not. It’s been five years since they were Monarchs. Now admittedly, their thrones were stolen, I will give them that, but it's all just a little too damn convenient that all of the sudden want their thrones back now.”

“So what are they offering?” Audrey asks.

“They say they will help us in this pending war with Demetrius. And in exchange, we are to help them regain their thrones.” Marquise replied.

Richard had a pensive look on his face.

“I don't like it, nor do I trust them. And I don't think the two of you should either.”

“Believe me, Richard, I don't trust them any more than you do. Not one bit. But they have come to be somewhat useful. They're the reason we know that it was Demos Garakis that was behind the wheel of the car that terrorized the 5K race.”

“Demos was behind it?!” Richard asked.

“Yes. Our agents verified his identity.” Shanelle replied.

“That son of a bitch!” Richard hissed, “Of course, Demetrius would sacrifice my cousin's oldest son to satisfy his selfish whims.”

“Your cousin’s son?” Shanelle asked.

“Yes. Their father, Augustus, and I have the same maternal grandparents.” Richard replied.

Shanelle let out an exhausted sigh.

“This whole six degrees of royal separation is getting ridiculous,” she muttered.

Audrey gave her a sympathetic look.

“I understand that, my dear. I can never seem to keep up with it myself.”

“So now you know why I had to take them up on their offer,” Marquise said.

“I understand. But again, I don't trust them. There's a reason why there has always been one big grab for power after another with their family. His father and uncle were always trying to usurp each other. But if that coward can be useful, I say, bleed him dry before he has a chance to do it to you.”

Marquise nodded.

“Accepting their offer has come in handy. I was able to slow them down slightly thanks to Apostolis’s information.”

Richard nodded, intrigued.

“What did you do?” Richard asked.

Marquise smirked.

“Bombed their military bases and artillery stores,” Marquise replied.

“Well done, nephew!” Audrey said to him.

Richard guffawed.

“Good! That might not slow him down much, but at the very least, it gives us a chance to mount a counterattack of our own,” he said with a laugh.

“Now you understand.”

“Indeed, we do. Thank you for telling us, nephew. And thank you for all the help you’ve given us.” Audrey said to him.

“Always. We’ll speak again soon.”

“Be safe, nephew,” Audrey said to him.

“You do the same,” Marquise said to her before the call ended.

Marquise closed his laptop and let out a breath he’d been holding in.

“Well, now they know,” Shanelle said to him.

“Yeah.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I guess the full weight of everything is starting to set in. This is real. It's happening.”

“Yep. And we are NOT going back now or ever. Demetrius wanted a fight, and now he's got one.”

“And like I told Richard, I now have a reason to test out a few new toys.”

Shanelle raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

“What new toys?”

Marquise opened his laptop back up and scrolled to a set of schematics.

“What is that?”

“Ever heard of a railgun?”

“Yeah. The US Navy was working on a railgun program, but they abandoned it.”

“Gemmora didn't.”

That piqued Shanelle's interests.

“What do you mean?”

“These schematics are of the 5 railguns that Gemmora was working on before we took over the kingdom three years ago.”

“You mean to tell me that we've had railguns at our disposal this entire time?!”

“Yes and no. Yes, we've had the schematics for them, but the actual railguns have all been in production. Until now.”

“What does that mean?”

“We have one sitting on a destroyer in the South Cordonian Sea.”

Shanelle’s jaw dropped.

“You're joking.”

“Nope.”

“Who else knows about it?” Shanelle asked, “And don't you dare lie to me and say that no one else knows.”

“Only me and General Greenwald know.”

“Are you sure he hasn't told the other two?”

“Positive. Because I instructed him not to tell anyone. Ever.”

“And how long has this thing been fully operational?”

“A year tops.”

“And you're just now telling me this?”

“Yes.”

“When did we get a railgun?”

“Railguns,” he corrected her, “these were a part of the deal we made when we acquired Gemmora.”

Shanelle nodded in realization.

“They were in the weapons package of the deal.”

“Exactly.”

Shanelle shook her head.

“I should hit you.”

“Why?”

“Because you kept this from me!”

“What would you do with a railgun?”

“I don’t know yet. But I’m sure I could've figured something out!”

“Meaning you would've started WWIII with it.”

“I would not!”

He gave her a side eye.

“My love, you are three things. Hot-headed, sadistic, and unnaturally violent. So yes, you would have.”

Shanelle pursed her lips. He had her gagged.

“Okay. Fair enough. So how does this railgun work?”

“It's essentially a giant reverse-engineered electromagnet. Railguns utilize magnetic fields generated by strong electrical currents to propel a projectile along its two parallel rails.”

“Cool!”

Marquise thought for a moment.

“Did you ever watch Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen?”

“Yeah. It's my favorite Transformers movie. Why?”

“Did you know that the railgun in that movie was a defunct prototype built by Gemmora?”

“No way!”

“Mmmhmm. Now this is off the record, so you have to keep your mouth shut. Got it?”

“Yeah yeah. Now get on with the story!”

“Queen Vanda’s father, King Danson, started the project back in the early 2000s. They had their first ever prototype built by the time I graduated from boarding school.”

“What?!”

“After a series of tests, the prototype failed. But His Majesty didn't want it to just sit in a warehouse and go to waste, so he donated it to the production company, and they used it in the movie.”

“So that one was actually real?”

“Yup. Their editing department did a great job of imitating what a blast from it would look like.”

“Holy shit! Wait! Can it be used?”

“No. Once it was decommissioned, it was deemed nonoperational. No one can start it back up because Vanda had the project scrubbed.”

“Why?”

“Because she felt it would've cost too much to keep the R&D project running. Also, the idea of having a weapon that is this massively destructive scared her. And it's also one of the reasons why she and Eli got a divorce.”

“I didn't know that. I knew they had gotten a divorce, but I never knew why.”

“He secretly revived the project without telling her, hence why we schematics of the railgun, and she found out about it and was livid. That's when she ordered it scrubbed. And that led to bickering between them, which eventually devolved into a divorce.”

“I knew that Gemmora was known for its production of weapons and weapon systems, but I didn't know that it was this advanced.”

“I did. It's one of the reasons why I pushed so hard to acquire the kingdom. So that we wouldn't have to use the advancement in weaponry, but since we do now…”

Shanelle snorted.

“And you have the audacity to call me violent.”

“I stand by my statement.”

“So, back to our railgun.”

“Our railgun?”

“You heard me the first time I said it, sir. What ship is it on?”

“The HMS Leonidas. It’s the destroyer that was named after my great-grandfather.”

“Has the railgun ever been tested?”

“Not for long range yet. But it will be ready for long-range testing next week. There's an uninhabited chain of small islands off the coast of Portavira, I want to have the destroyer fire a test shot at them. And I will be there when it's fired.”

“Next week, huh? Good, I’ll clear my schedule.”

“You’re not going with me.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you are not!”

“Yes, I am! I need to know what kind of weapon this is that we are actually dealing with. So if you’re going, then I’m going too.”

“It’s not safe for you or the baby.”

“What did I just say to you about treating me with kid gloves?”

Marquise let out a defeated sigh.

“Since I know you will just dig your heels in deeper, fine. You can go.”

“Thank you. Glad we could agree.”

“There is one other person who knows about the railgun.”

“Who?”

“Your cousin Morgan. He's the Commandant of the destroyer it’s on. He's also the one who tipped me off about his brothers.”

Shanelle nodded slowly.

“I see. Admittedly, I always thought he would be the one to betray us. He was always very close to his mother.”

“I did as well before he came to me after Andreas Garakis approached him with a chance to join his cause.”

“Color me both surprised and relieved that he didn't take the offer.”

“Same. He doesn't know that you know, so try not to ambush him.”

“Will you stop that? I'm not some rabid animal who's gonna sink my fangs into people the moment I see them.”

“I have called you a hot head, right?”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“Whatever.”

Marquise closed his laptop.

“I know I shouldn't ask this question, but how do we keep these schematics from falling into the wrong hands?”

“The plans are uploaded to a VERY secure cloud. With encryptions and firewalls that would take at least 10 years to break. And even if they were broken through, the cloud would be wiped long before then, so nothing could be found.”

Shanelle nodded, impressed.

“And what about the physical copies?”

“They are stored in the Hall of Archives in a file locker that is sealed shut. No one can access it but me. And if anyone were to try, they would be electrocuted by the security system.”

“Why just you?”

Marquise gave her a look.

“I'm starting to think you don't trust me.”

“Of course, I trust you. But there are certain secrets about the kingdom that have to die with me.”

“Okay, fine. I see your point.”

Marquise placed a hand on her bulging belly.

“How are you feeling?”

“Well, baby girl here is kicking me constantly. And I was trying to come up with a way to start a conversation about war with our daughter, when it hit me that we will eventually have to have this conversation with the boys. Thankfully, they are way too young for that now.”

“Hmm, maybe not.”

“Come again?”

“While we won't be having the same conversation with them as we eventually will have with Khari, at least not yet, I don't think it's wise to hide something like this from them.”

“Okay, so what do we do?”

“Let’s let them and Khari see one of the destroyers up close. That way, they can know what it is and what it’s designed for.”

Shanelle nodded.

“We take them on a tour and let them learn about it.”

“Precisely.”

“Okay. I can get behind that. Which destroyer, though? And when will we take them?”

“This weekend on the HMS Zylo. Since it'll be docked in the bay for a few days before it deploys out.”

“The HMS Zylo?”

“It's the destroyer I named after the boys.”

“You named a destroyer after the boys?”

“Yes. The same as my father and his before him.”

“I didn't know there was a ship in the fleet named after you.”

“Mmmhmm. The HMS Marquise was named after me, and the HMS Leonardo II was named after Leo.”

“And what about Khari?”

“I named one of the yachts HMS Khari’s Dream. And eventually I’ll name one after Eleanor.”

“Now you know Khari is not gonna go for that.”

“Well, thankfully for me, she doesn't get a say in the matter.”

“And what about me?”

“Your grandfather named a yacht after you. The HMS Shanelle is docked in Portavira.”

“And why am I just now hearing about it?”

“Because it was your father’s job to tell you, not me.”

“True. Well, at least I know where our next date night will be.”

“Very well.”

There was a knock at Marquise’s office door.

“Come in!” he called out to the door.

It was Margo.

“Oh, good! You’re both here,” she said as she entered the room, “I have news for you two.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“As you know, I had my appointment with Dr. Pollard today,” she said after sitting down across from them.

“Yes, I remember,” he replied to her.

“He read my latest scans and…and…” she trailed off as she choked up.

Marquise and Shanelle shared a look.

“What is it, Margo? What's wrong?” Shanelle asked.

“Nothing is wrong, my dear. He read my scans and told me that the cancer is gone. I'm officially cancer-free.”

“You're sure?” Marquise asked.

Margo gathered his hands in hers. Her eyes were shining with happy tears.

“Yes, my love. I'm very sure. The treatments have worked. After two very long, hard years, I am finally cancer-free,” she replied.

Marquise let out a breath.

“Thank God!” Shanelle said in relief.

Margo gently squeezed Marquise’s hands.

“Say something, my love.”

“I wasn't expecting this, so I’m a little shocked, is all.”

“I know you are. But I had to tell you as soon as possible.”

Marquise shook his head with a smile.

“You didn't have to tell me, but I am thankful just the same. Do the others know?”

“No, not yet. But I’ll tell them after I leave here. I also want to tell the children.”

“Khari will be thrilled,” Shanelle added.

“Oh, I’m sure she will. I'll tell her after she and the boys come home from school.”

Marquise nodded.

“We won't stop you. Just be ready. Khari will literally be jumping for joy.”

“I’d expect nothing less. Well, I won't take up too much more of your time. I have to go let the others know. I'll see you both later.”

Marquise came around and hugged her tightly before kissing her on her forehead.

“Thank you for telling us.”

She kissed his cheek.

“Always my son. Always.”

They watched Margo leave.

“How are you feeling?”

Marquise took a deep breath.

“I am relieved. I didn't like to show it, but I was worried about her. I was worried that this day would never come. But it's here and I’m happy and so relieved. I probably would have died if she didn't get good news.”

“Who knew underneath all that gruff exterior that you'd be a giant softie?”

He gave her a side eye.

“Go away.”

Shanelle’s stomach growled.

“Was that your stomach?”

“Yes. I'm hungry, so let's go get some food.”

“How about we try this new Cantonese place I was told about?”

“If they don't have dumplings, then I will be highly disappointed.”

“Noted. Now let's go before you start to get hangry.”

They soon left his office and headed out to lunch.

Later that afternoon, Margo was in Khari’s room with the children.

“You wanted to talk, Grammy?” Khari asked.

“Yes, my darling. I do. I have something to tell you, and your brothers.” Margo replied.

“What is it?” Khari asked.

“Well, as you know, I've been battling cancer.”

Khari nodded.

“I know. I don't like it.”

Margo smiles softly at her granddaughter.

“I know you don't. But I have news for you. I had an appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Pollard, today while you three were at school.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, he looked at my latest scans, and he found that my cancer is gone.”

“It's gone? Like really gone?” Khari asked.

“Yes, my darling. It’s gone. I'm…cancer free.”

“What that mean?” Zyon asks.

“Gammy alien!” Kylo said.

Margo shook her head with a laugh.

“No, she's not,” Khari said to him.

“Her not?” Kylo asks.

“No,” Margo replied as she booped him on his nose.

“So your cancer is really gone?” Khari asks.

“Yes. It’s gone. I don't have cancer anymore.” Margo replied.

“Yay!” Khari said before nearly knocking her grandmother off her bed with a hug. The boys soon joined in.

“Thank you, my sweet ones,” Margo said as she hugged them. When Margo looked up, Marquise was standing in the doorway, smiling. Khari saw him when she looked up.

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Did you know?” Khari asked.

“Yes, my love. Your grandmother told your mother and me this morning.” Marquise replied.

Khari nodded.

“Sissy happy?” Kylo asked.

“Super happy,” Khari replied.

“Yay! Super happy!” Zyon piped up.

“Yes, we are. Now it's time for dinner. And tonight we're celebrating.”

“What are you celebrating?” Margo asked.

“You. Now let's go. We don't want to be late.” Marquise replied.

“Come on, boys!” Khari said to her brothers.

The children ran out of the room, leaving a quiet moment between Marquise and Margo.

“How are you feeling, mama?” he asked.

“I am…relieved mostly. And not just for myself. For everyone. My journey with cancer is finally over. And now I will be relatively alright. I will still have time for the things I love the most,” she replied.

“Like me?”

“My grandchildren,” she corrected him, “My children are all grown and married. You all don't need me. My grandbabies are not.”

“Worth a shot. Also, we will always need you.”

Margo shook her head with a small smile as he offered her his arm.

“Can I escort you to your celebration dinner, madam?” he asked.

“Thank you, my love. I appreciate it,” she replied as she took his arm.

They walked down the hall to the dining room where their family was waiting. The family gathered to celebrate Margo and that her cancer was now gone. It was a long road for her, but she had made it to the other side and will be able to live a full, healthy life.

Later, after the celebratory dinner, Marquise was in his office wrapping up a few last-minute emails when his phone rang. It was a FaceTime call from King Apostolis.

“Good evening, Your Majesty,” he said in greeting, “I apologize for calling you so late.”

“It’s alright. I'm still awake for now. How can I help you?” Marquise replied.

“I was hoping you had a moment to chat.”

Marquise nodded.

“For now, I do. What's on your mind?”

Apostolis cleared his throat.

“I'll keep this brief. I'm calling to say thank you. Anastasia and I watched your war announcement this morning. I know that was not an easy decision for you and Her Majesty to make.”

“No, it wasn't easy. But necessary decisions like those have to be made.”

“I understand. And again, I do appreciate it.”

“You're welcome. Although you weren't the only reason why Her Majesty and I made the decision.”

Apostolis nodded.

“And by that, you mean Richard and Audrey.”

“Yes. This all started because they reached out to me for help.”

“I can assume they know we reached out to you as well?”

“Yes, they know. It would be foolish of me not to tell them.”

“And they…I mean, Richard told you not to trust me?”

“They didn’t have to.”

Apostolis shook his head.

“I was afraid of this. You still don't trust me.”

“You haven't exactly given me a reason to trust you.”

“May I ask why you feel you can't trust me?”

“While I do wholeheartedly believe that the thrones were stolen from you and your wife, it's a little too convenient that you want your thrones back now.”

Apostolis sighed.

“I guess it can't hurt to explain why I gave up my throne in the first place. It's because I had no choice. As you may know, Anastasia was pregnant with our daughter Emilia at the time.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“What you may not know is that Demetrius attacked her and our son.”

“What do you mean?”

Apostolis took a deep breath.

“When I told you that he used car bombs as a warning, he didn't just use them on the former kingdom of Alevendia. He used them on my family as well.”

“What?”

“Please understand that not many know about this, so I am asking you for your utmost discretion for Anastasia’s sake.”

“Of course.”

“Anastasia and our son Theodore had gone to our summer home while I traveled to a conference outside of the kingdom. Anastasia was 7 months pregnant at the time. They had just arrived at our home when a car bomb went off. It killed the driver and injured a few of our guards. Then another went off in the house itself.”

“My God. I had no idea.”

“My poor little boy, he was only two when it happened. And if that wasn't bad enough to scar him, he was also injured in the attack. And the blast caused Anastasia to go into early-term labor. It's why our daughter was born premature.”

“I didn't know.”

Apostolis shook his head sadly.

“When I heard that he had targeted your family, I couldn't help but feel responsible.”

“His attack on my wife and children wasn't your fault.”

“I know, but I still feel like it's my fault,” Apostolis explained, “I had always known of my cousin's mad ambitions. But I never thought he would attack my family. But he did. And because of it, I had to make a choice. And that choice was to give up my crown. Because at that time, Demetrius had our military at his disposal. He could've commanded them to kill my wife and children. I couldn't risk their lives. I'm sure you can understand my reasoning.”

Marquise nodded sympathetically.

“Yes, I suppose I can. And I do sympathize with you.”

“I knew you would.”

“That being said, you can understand my skepticism.”

“Yes, I can. But I swear on my children’s lives, my wife and I are not up to anything nefarious. We have watched what my cousin and sister in law have done, and it breaks our hearts. My cousin’s mad ambitions have ruined the kingdom. And we want to save and salvage it before it's way too late. I understand why you’re skeptical of us, but I promise you, here and now, I just want to restore my former kingdom before it's too far gone.”

Marquise nodded.

“I understand.”

“I didn't mean to dump all of this on you, I promise, but I had to explain our reasons for wanting to regain our thrones.”

“Again, I understand. And I made you a deal that I plan on honoring as long as you keep your end of it as well.”

“You have my word. I will do everything in my power to keep my end of our deal.”

“Good. We’ll speak soon.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

After the phone call ended, Marquise looked up to see Shanelle standing in the doorway of his office.

“How much of that did you hear?” he asked.

“Almost all of it. I didn't know Demetrius attacked his family.”

Shanelle sat down across from him.

“I didn't either, but I can't be surprised by it.”

“And his wife went into early-term labor because of it?” Shanelle asked before shuddering, “I can't even imagine what kind of horror that was.”

He reached for her left hand.

“Just know that I will never allow that ignoramus anywhere near you ever again.”

“Actually, I want to see him again. Because I owe that bastard a punch in the face.”

Marquise snorted.

“Just one?”

“Multiple. Until my hand falls off.”

“I would expect nothing less from you.”

“Good. Now get a move on, it's time for bed.”

“Right behind you.”

That weekend, Their Majesties visited the HMS Zylo with their children. As they walked up the gangplank with Marquise pushing a stroller, the boys were restless.

“Daddy! Out!” Kylo said to him.

“Yeah! Out! Out!” Zyon said.

“You two want to walk?” he asked the boys.

“Yeah,” Zyon replied.

“Yes pease (please),” Kylo replies.

“Alright. Come on out, you two.” Marquise said to them as they got up the gangplank. He stopped to let them out to walk with him.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Kylo replied.

“Yes,” Zyon replied.

“Okay. Let's walk. But remember to stay very close to Daddy.”

“Otay (okay) Daddy,” Kylo said to him.

They caught up with Shanelle and Khari before meeting with the Commandant of the HMS Zylo, Commandant Isaac Pearson III. An old friend of Marquise’s.

“Your Majesty! It’s good to see you. Although the last time we saw each other, you were Your Highness,” he said in greeting to him.

“It’s good to see you as well, Isaac. It's been quite some time since we've last seen each other.” Marquise replied with a handshake.

“Indeed. If I remember correctly, you still owe me a chess rematch and debate,” he quipped.

Marquise snickered.

“Still mad you lost?” he teased.

“I didn't lose. You cheated.” Commandant Pearson replied.

Marquise placed a hand on his chest.

“How dare you accuse me of impropriety.”

The two old friends shared a laugh before Commandant Pearson turned to Shanelle and the children.

“Good morning to you, my Queen. And to the heirs as well. It is good to meet all of you and have you all here with us today.”

“Good morning, Commandant. Thank you for welcoming us.” Shanelle replied.

“It's a pleasure to have you all here with us. Now, please allow me to introduce you to the officers of the vessel.” Commandant Pearson said to the Royal Family.

With a curt nod, the bridge was filled with many officers of the HMS Zylo.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have been honored by The Royal Family of All Cordonia with a visit today. Here on the HMS Zylo, we are steadfast in our continued commitment to protecting and defending our kingdom from all threats.” Commandant Pearson said in his speech, “Today and every day we are first on the forefront of our kingdom’s strong defense. Now we’ll hear from His Majesty.”

Marquise stepped up to speak to the gathered crowd.

“A very good morning to you all. It is an honor and a pleasure for Her Majesty, our children, and I to join you. This is a very critical time for the kingdom. But I am not worried because of each of you. You are the backbone of our kingdom’s defense. You are called to do a duty that only a select few have the courage to accept. You accepted the call to defend your home, like the knights of old. Her Majesty and I are grateful for each of you. For your commitment. For your bravery. For your courage. And especially for your strong commitment to the safety and security that we all deserve to have.”

The officers saluted the Royal Family and cheered Marquise’s speech.

“Now, shall we start the tour of the ship?” Commandant Pearson asked.

“Lead the way, Commandant,” Shanelle replied.

The family was led on an extensive tour of the floating vessel. While touring, the children became VERY curious. They each got to command a cannon and raise a flag.

“Commandant, may I ask you a question?” Khari asked him.

“Of course, Your Highness. Fire away. No pun intended.” Commandant Pearson replied.

“Where did the name for the ship come from?” she asked.

Commandant Pearson looked to Marquise, who nodded.

“Your father named the destroyer after your brothers,” he replies.

Khari gave her father a look.

“What?” Marquise asked.

“You named a ship this big after the boys? What about me?” Khari asked him.

Shanelle snickered.

“Told you,” she whispered to her husband.

“I named one of the finest yachts we have in our fleet after you,” Marquise replied to Khari.

Khari shook her head no.

“Nuh uh! I want a destroyer named after me!”

Shanelle died laughing. Marquise sighed wearily before shaking his head.

“Very well, my love. The next time I name one, I’ll name it after you.”

Khari nodded in approval.

“Much better!”

The tour ended with a celebratory lunch in the Mess Hall. Shanelle gave a speech before lunch was served.

“I want to say thank you to everyone here. My family and I are eternally grateful not just for the hospitality all of you have shown us today, but for your service to protecting and defending the kingdom. Announcing that we are at war is never easy, but I am super thankful for each and every one of you. Each of you has stepped up to answer the call to serve, protect, and defend. All of you are the exact reason why we have one of, if not the strongest, militaries in the world. Today was never about my family, it has always been about each of you. So I raise a glass to all of you. We are Cordonia because of you!”

Her speech was met with a standing ovation.

Later that night, Their Majesties discussed their day.

“Well, we had a lot of fun today,” Shanelle said to Marquise.

“Indeed, we did. It was good to see the destroyer and introduce it to the children,” he replied.

“Oh yeah. They loved it. Especially Khari.”

Marquise rolled his eyes.

“I can't believe she wants a destroyer named after her.”

“I told you that would happen if she ever found out.”

“And she did all that in public so I wouldn't be able to say no,” Marquise said as he shook his head.

“At least she's getting it, honest,” Shanelle said with a shrug.

“Lucky me…” Marquise muttered into his drink.

“Speaking of destroyers, is everything ready for our visit to the HMS Leonidas?”

“Mmmhmmm. I still don't think it will be safe for you and the baby to go, but I've learned that arguing with you is always futile.”

“Smart man.”

“Our visit will be on Monday. So we’ll drop the children off at school, then leave for the destroyer afterward. Now, because we’ll be gone for a while, I asked Mama to pick the children up after school. I told her we had a very important visit, but not what the visit is about.”

Shanelle nodded.

“Okay.”

That Monday after dropping their children off at school, Their Majesties were on a helicopter ride with Captain Felix and a few agents of The King's Guard to meet the destroyer at its current location. As they rode Shanelle looked out the window, and Marquise noticed how hard she was clutching the armrest after the helicopter hit a bit of turbulence.

“You're safe. You know that, right?” Marquise asked as he rubbed circles on the knuckle of her right hand to soothe her.

Shanelle nodded.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I know you don't like when this happens, but I promise we are almost there,” he whispered.

Shanelle gave him a small smile.

“No need to worry, my Queen.” Captain Felix said to her, “This helicopter is completely safe and up to all codes. Nothing will happen.”

“Thank you, Captain. I’ll be okay,” she said to him.

Captain Felix nodded before reaching for his earpiece and nodding.

“My Liege, the destroyer is ready, we’re now preparing to land,” he said to Marquise.

Marquise nodded.

“Thank you.”

The helicopter landed safely on the deck of the HMS Leonidas. After touching down, Shanelle was slow to exit the helicopter.

“Right this way, ma'am. Gently now.” Captain Felix said to her as he helped her step down.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said, relieved to be on somewhat solid ground.

Soon, they were joined by Shanelle’s cousin, Commandant Morgan Miller.

“Good early afternoon, Your Majesties. Welcome aboard the HMS Leonidas. It's an honor to have you both here today,” he said before bowing with a fist over his chest.

“Thank you for having us aboard, Commandant,” Marquise replied.

The Commandant nodded respectfully to Marquise before speaking to Shanelle.

“Good morning, cousin. Welcome aboard.”

“Good morning, Morgan. Thank you for having me.” Shanelle replied.

“While I'm not sure that it's safe for you to be here given how far along you are in your pregnancy, I am honored to have you here nonetheless.”

“You sound like my husband. And let me congratulate you. I heard you recently got engaged.”

Morgan smiled politely.

“Yes, I did. I proposed to my fiancée, Lady Leah Garrison, before I deployed out. So while I will be here for a while, she's planning our wedding.”

“I wish you both the best. Truly.”

“Thank you, my Queen. You honor me,” he said to Shanelle before addressing Marquise, “Shall we begin, sire?”

“Lead the way,” Marquise replied.

Commandant Miller led Their Majesties to the bridge and the ship’s central command center, where the Commandant introduced his two most senior officers.

“Your Majesties, allow me to introduce you both to my two most senior officers, Second Commanders Benjamin Hawthorne and Deacon Bradley,” he said in introduction, “Gentlemen, please meet Their Majesties.”

Both bowed with fists over their hearts.

“Your Majesties, it is an honor and a pleasure to meet you both.” 2nd Commander Hawthorne said to them.

“Yes. We are very excited to have you both here.” 2nd Commander Bradley agreed.

“Thank you both. And thank you for your service.” Shanelle replied.

“Now let's get to why you both are here.” Commandant Miller announced, gathering everyone’s attention.

With a nod from the Commandant, the railgun was raised onto the deck of the destroyer.

“Wow!” Shanelle said.

Marquise whistled impressively.

“Amazing. And it's much bigger than I thought it would be,” he said.

“Shall we go take a look?” Commandant Miller asked.

“Absolutely,” Marquise replied.

They left the deck and toured the railgun.

“It's beautiful,” Marquise said as they walked around the railgun.

“It looks powerful.” Shanelle quipped.

“Believe me, my Queen, it is. Perhaps a demonstration is in order?” Commandant Miller said to Their Majesties.

“Definitely,” Marquise replied.

They soon returned to the bridge. Commandant Miller handed them each a headset. An alarm sounded to clear the deck and warn of the impending railgun fire.

“Now, Your Majesties, I need you both to pay very close attention to my instructions.” Commandant Miller explained, ”The railgun is powerful. I need you both to know that a blast at full capacity will sound like a sonic boom, and the destroyer, while anchored in place, will still feel the ricochet of the shot. So if either of you needs to sit down, now is the time to tell me before we commence with the demonstration.”

Marquise nodded.

“I think it’s wise for Her Majesty to sit,” Marquise replied.

Shanelle gave her husband an annoyed look but didn't fight him on it. Once a chair was brought in for Shanelle, and she was seated, the demonstration began.

The railgun loudly hummed to life. Their Majesties watched as the parallel poles lit up with electric charges.

“Are you both ready?” Commandant Miller asked.

“Yes, we’re ready,” Marquise replied.

“Wonderful. Now watch closely,” Commandant Miller said to them as he pointed, “That's the island we will be firing at.”

With a nod from Commandant Miller, the railgun fired. The shot rocked the destroyer.

“I see what you meant, cousin,” Shanelle said to Commandant Miller.

Within a second, the island they were watching was hit with a powerful boom. Reducing it to rubble.

“Oh…my…God!” Shanelle gasped.

“Holy shit!” Marquise said in shock.

“That was…” Shanelle trailed off.

”Infuckingcredible!” Marquise said.

“Impressed?” the Commandant asks.

“Absolutely!” Marquise replied gleefully.

“Oh no…” Shanelle groaned.

“Oh yes,” Marquise said with a cackle as he rubbed his hands together. “This was better than I could've ever imagined.”

Commandant Miller nodded.

“I’m glad you and Her Majesty have been impressed, my Liege. Now, how about some lunch before we fire again?” Commandant Miller asks.

After sharing lunch with the Commandant and the crew of the HMS Leonidas, Their Majesties were back on the bridge.

“Now I must explain the mechanics before we continue,” Commandant Miller explained, “it takes a full 48 hours to fully charge up the railgun. But once it's at full firing capacity, we can fire up to 25 short-range shots and 35 long-range shots, depending on where we are positioned. Once we are in position, we can fire at any target, moving or stationary, as long as we are within 140 kilometers of our target.”

“Can I get a conversion?” Shanelle asks.

“That's approximately 75.5 nautical miles,” Marquise replied.

“Correct,” the Commandant added.

“Gotcha.”

“So shall we resume firing?” the Commandant asked.

“Oh, most definitely,” Marquise replied.

Their Majesties spent the rest of the afternoon watching the railgun in action.

While they were on the HMS Leonidas, Margo had picked the children up from school.

“Hi, Grammy!” Khari said as she and the twins greeted their grandmother.

“Helyo (hello) Gammy!” Kylo said to Margo.

“Hi, Gammy!” Zyon said to Margo.

“Hello, my darlings! How was school today?” she asked.

“It was dood (good), Gammy. Made new friend.” Kylo replied.

“You made a new friend? That's wonderful.”

Khari nodded.

“His new friend is named Ginny. Her grandmother is Lady Frederica Duncan.” Khari said to Margo, “There they are.”

Kylo’s new friend waved at him as she and her grandmother came over.

“Madam Geaneaux! It's so good to see you again.” Lady Duncan said to her.

“You as well, my lady. How have you been?” Margo asked, “How is Lord Beauford?”

“I've been alright, and my husband is doing quite well, thank you. We've been trying to keep up with this little girl. How are you?” Lady Frederica asked.

“I’m doing quite well. I know what you mean. These three certainly know how to keep me on my toes.” Margo replied.

“But there's nothing like being a grandmother.”

Lady Frederica said to her.

“Indeed, there isn't.” Margo agreed

“We really must be going. But it was great to see you, my friend.” Lady Frederica said.

“It was great seeing you as well, we’ll speak again soon,” Margo replied.

Lady Frederica and her granddaughter waved goodbye before getting into their ride.

“Where are Mommy and Daddy, Grammy?” Khari asked.

“They are at a very important meeting. But they'll be back later.” Margo replied.

“Gammy? Snack?” Zyon asked.

“Sure. Why don't we go get a snack?” Margo replied.

“Works for me!” Khari said to her.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go.”

The children climbed into their waiting limo and were off to Book-A-Holic Cafè. After placing their orders, the children went to pick out some books to read. The children soon returned to show their grandmother what they had chosen.

"Alright, let's see what you all chose to read. Kylo, what book did you get?" she asked him.

He held up his book to her.

"You got Dino the T-rex detective?" she asks.

"Yeah! It's my favorite Gammy," he replied.

"And what about you Zyon? What book did you get?"

Zyon showed her his book.

"Oh, you got Robin Red and The Blue Jay Quartet?"

Zyon nodded his head.

"Uh huh! I yike (like) this book, Gammy. Very much."

"And what about you, Princess? Which one did you get?"

"I got this one," she replied as she showed her book.

"Bea Butterfly and The Mystery Of Honeybee Village? How many times have you read that book?" Margo asked.

"Not enough times," she replied.

Margo chuckled.

"Very true. Well, now that you have your books, we can go sit down in our favorite corner so you three can read them."

They sat down with Margo in their favorite corner and began to read their books and wait for their snacks to arrive. As each read their books with headphones on, they were spotted by Lady Makenna and her mother, Duchess Jospehine. They made a beeline for them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the spawn of the outgoing monarchs." Lady Makenna said to the group as she and her mother approached.

"My ladies, how can I help you?" Margo asked as they approached.

"We aren't speaking to you!" Makenna hissed at her.

"Well, you certainly won't be speaking to the Heirs in that manner." Margo said to them, "Besides, it's clear the heirs are busy."

"They can at least spare a few moments." Duchess Josephine said to Margo.

Margo raised an eyebrow at Duchess Josephine before gently tapping Khari's hand.

"Princess?" she asked.

Khari finally looked up.

"Huh? Yes, ma'am?" she asked as she removed one of her earbuds.

"We have guests, Your Highness," Margo replied.

Khari looked up and made a face when she saw Lady Makenna.

"She isn't a guest," Khari said to Margo.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Princess." Lady Makenna said to her.

"Can't say the same about you," Khari replied.

Kylo looked up from his book.

"Gammy! Who dat?" he asked.

"These are our guests, Your Highness. They came to speak to you." Margo replied.

"And me?" Zyon asked.

"Yes, my Prince. You as well." Margo replied.

"You mean bad people." Khari corrected her.

"Bad duys (guys) sissy?" Zyon asked.

”Bad ladies. Very bad," Khari replied.

“No bad lady! Doe (go) away!” Zyon said to them.

Kylo sniffed and then wrinkled his nose.

"What's wrong?" Margo asked him.

"It stinky. Don't yike (like) stinky!" Kylo replied.

"Excuse me?" Duchess Josephine asked.

"Your perfume stinks. And my brother doesn't like it." Khari replied.

"Stinky!" Kylo agreed.

"And I don't like it either. It smells like flowers and fish."

"Princess. Remember your manners." Margo said to Khari firmly.

"How dare you!" Duchess Josephine said to Khari.

"I told you she was a little brat," Makenna said to her mother.

"Indeed, she obviously is," her mother agreed.

Khari rolled her eyes at them.

"Go away."

"We are not your subjects!" Duchess Josephine snapped at Khari.

"Not yet."

"You are just as bad as your coward of a father."

"At least my father isn't a traitor!" Khari shot back at Makenna.

"My husband and son aren't traitors!"

"Then why are they in jail?" Khari asked.

"Why you no good, little tyrant!" Makenna hissed at her.

"Just like her poor excuse of a mother." Duchess Josephine agreed.

"Ladies. I would ask that you not use such language with the Heirs." Margo cut in.

"Or what?" Lady Makenna asked.

Margo surveyed her coolly.

“My lady, I am the defender of the Heirs to the Throne as well as their grandmother, and while they are in my care, I take their safety very seriously. As do the guards assigned to us,” Margo replied.

"Are you threatening us?" Duchess Josephine asked.

"Of course not, Your Grace. Tis not my place to do so." Margo replied calmly, "I am merely saying that while the heirs are in my care at this moment, the guards that are assigned to us are always at Her Highness's command. And I am also saying to you both that I do not have any power, influence, or say over what Her Highness commands the guards to do should she ever feel threatened for herself or her brothers."

"Yeah. So beat it!" Khari snapped at them.

"We do not answer to you, little girl!" Duchess Josephine hissed at Khari.

That's when she had enough.

"I don't have to listen to either of you!" Khari said before she called out to the guards, "Guards!"

They quickly surrounded everyone.

"You summoned us, Your Highness?" one of the guards asks.

"Yes. You can make these two go away now," Khari commanded.

"Yeah! No more stinky!" Kylo piped up.

"Bad lady! Doe (go) away!" Zyon said.

The guard nodded curtly.

"Ladies, if you will please follow me," he said to them.

"How dare you! Unhand me!" Duchess Josephine protested as she and Makenna were led out of the cafe.

"Now we can go back to reading our books," Khari said.

"No more stinky!" Kylo piped up.

Margo raised an eyebrow at Khari.

"Yes, ma'am?" Khari asked.

"Was having them thrown out really necessary?" Margo replied.

"I did it and I'm glad I did it!" Khari said matter-of-factly.

Margo chuckled.

"What a fierce Queen you will one day be, my love."

"The. Fierce. Est!"

"Now you know your father will have to hear about this?"

"I know. It's okay. I know that Daddy will have to know."

"Though I doubt that you'll be in trouble."

"I know."

Their order was soon delivered.

"And now we can enjoy our snacks."

"In peace," Khari added.

Meanwhile Their Majesties had just finished watching the demonstration of the railgun.

“Well, what do you both think?” Commandant Miller said to Their Majesties, as they sat down at a table in an on-board conference room.

“That was a very impressive display. I always knew that a weapon of this magnitude was huge but never did I think it would be this. The destructiveness alone makes me giddy.” Marquise replied.

“Oh Lord. He's finally gone mad.” Shanelle piped up.

Commandant Miller chuckled.

“I am glad that you and Her Majesty were thoroughly impressed by the railgun. I can assure you that we are committed to only using it at your command, my Liege.”

Marquise nodded.

“That's a relief to hear.”

Commandant Miller cleared his throat.

“While I have you both here, I was hoping we could speak privately and candidly.” he said to Their Majesties.

Marquise nodded.

“Please feel free to speak freely, Commandant,” Marquise said to him.

Commandant Miller looked at Shanelle.

“Don't worry. My husband told me. But I do want to hear it from you.” she said to her cousin.

Commandant Miller nodded.

“Understood,” he said before taking a deep breath, “Please understand. I love my parents. I am loyal to them. I'm sure it’s weird for you to hear that. And I understand why. But I am also a Commandant of the Cordonian Naval Fleet. What I mean to say is that I am in between a rock and a hard place.”

Shanelle nodded.

“I know. And no matter what or how I may feel about your parents, I would never ask you to stop loving them as your parents. I would never ask you to choose between them and your duty. They are your parents. You can only love them as they are to you,” she said to him.

Commandant Miller nodded gratefully.

“Thank you for saying that, cousin. As I'm sure you know Andreas Garakis came to me, to offer me an opportunity to join him.”

“What did he want?” Marquise asks.

“He wanted me to be a double agent. He even offered me cash as well. He promised me the most prestigious position” Commandant Miller replied.

“What made you change your mind?” Shanelle asks.

“While I know why my parents are supporting Lord and Lady Gallagher, and I love them very much. I can not turn my back on my duty to my kingdom. I am still an Officer of the Cordonian Naval Fleet. I have a duty to defend and protect my home. Just like any other member of our kingdom’s military. When I joined the Navy I joined because I wanted to be more than just a Prince. Yes, my title as Prince comes with its own brand of advantages but I wanted to do something that would actually mean something. I joined to honor our Grandfather Dominic and our uncle Ferdinand. And I can't do that if I forget that my loyalty is to our kingdom first. King Desaad, via Andreas Garakis and his brother, attacked you. Thank goodness you and your children are safe.” Commandant Miller replied.

Shanelle laid a hand on his.

“I said all of that to say that I am loyal to my home first. My job is to defend and protect at all times and costs. And I always will. No matter what happens in this challenge my loyalty is to Cordonia. My duty is to uphold her safety and security. So that means for now, my loyalty is to the Monarchy and the two of you.”

Shanelle nodded.

“Thank you, Morgan. I know this has been difficult for you. But I am thankful that I can still count on you.”

Morgan gave Shanelle a small smile.

“Of course. Which is why I had to alert His Majesty about my brothers,” he said before shaking his head, “I am as loyal to our parents as any of us. But I will never allow my love and loyalty to my parents, cloud my judgment as a commanding officer. I have a staff of just over 990 servicemembers on this destroyer. I do all of them a great disservice and would not be fit to lead them, if I betray their trust in me.”

“I believe you, Morgan,” Shanelle said to him, “Have you spoken to your parents?

Commandant Miller sighed.

“I told them that because of my position in the Navy, I have to support you both in the challenge. You’re the Monarchs after all. That was just before my mother's accident a few weeks ago and I haven't heard from either of them since. They don't even know that I am engaged,” he replied. Hearing the dejection in his voice tugged at Shanelle’s heart.

“I’m so sorry, Morgan. Really,” she said to him.

“It’s not your fault. As sad as this is to say, this isn't the first they've iced me or either of my siblings out. But I do have some good news. When I told your parents that I had gotten engaged, uncle Damien…he and Aunt Shantel offered to stand in for my parents.”

“I know. Momma let it slip in front of our daughter and she's been really excited for you.”

“I don’t know if I have the right to ask this of you both but I was hoping that the two of you and your children would attend.” he said to Shanelle before looking at Marquise, “My King I would be so eternally grateful if you were to officiate.”

Marquise bowed his head.

“It would be my honor, Commandant,” Marquise replied.

“Thank you both. Truly, it's an honor. I won't keep you both any longer. Thank you both for coming. And my King, you and my cousin have my word, I am loyal to you both. And I will await your instructions.”

Marquise shook Morgan’s hand.

“Thank you, Commandant. Your service means more to us than you know.” Marquise said to him.

“Indeed it does cousin.” Shanelle said to her cousin, “and please know that no matter what we will always be family.”

The two hugged.

“We’ll speak soon. I want to know all the details about your upcoming wedding.”

“Of course. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.”

Their Majesties headed back up to the deck to their waiting helicopter. When they got back up on deck, they were greeted by Captain Felix. As they walked to the helicopter, Captain Felix gave Marquise some news.

“We have a situation, my Liege.” Captain Felix whispered to Marquise.

““Not here. And certainly not in front of the Queen. We'll speak again after we land.”

“Understood.”

Shanelle caught the tail end of their conversation.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing. Just an update on flight conditions.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yes, my love,” he said before kissing her forehead, “everything is fine.”

“Okay.”

Late that night after his family was fast asleep, Marquise found himself pulling up in front of a nondescript building at the bay. Captain Felix and a few of his agents were waiting outside.

“This had better be good. I'm missing my beauty sleep.” Marquise said to Captain Felix.

“Your humor is as dark and pleasant as ever, my Liege. But I assure you, you'll approve of this.”

“Lead the way, Captain,” Marquise said to him.

They entered the building. Inside the middle of the building were a few agents of the King’s Guard surrounding a man chained to a table with a hood over his head.

Marquise raised a questioning eyebrow at Captain Felix.

“Be prepared.” Captain Felix said to him.

With a nod from Captain Felix, the hood from the man’s head was removed.

“Ahhh! Well well! If it isn't Andreas Garakis in the flesh.”

Andreas had a bloody nose and a gag in his mouth.

“You're a hard man to track down, Mr. Garakis,” Marquise said to him as he sat down across from him, “Now what is Demetrius Desaad’s second in command doing in my kingdom, hmm?”

Andreas just glared at Marquise.

“How about this? How about I have your gag removed?” Marquise asked before giving the signal to have Andreas’s gag removed.

“There? Isn't that better?” Marquise asked him.

Andreas stayed silent.

“The silent treatment, eh? Very well, let's see if this gets you to open up,” Marquise said to him before subtly nodding to one of the guards, who then sliced off Andreas’s left ear.

His scream of agony rang out throughout the building.

“Now here’s to hoping you and I can come to an understanding.”

“Fuck! You!”Andreas gritted out.

“Again you’re a hard man to find, my friend.”

“You captured me because I wanted to be captured.”

“Oh? So this was all a part of your plan?”

“Of course. Why else would I allow myself to be caught?”

Marquise raised an eyebrow at him.

“Despite what you may think Marquise, you’re not as smart as you claim to be.”

“I’ll admit you and your King got a good warning shot in on me. But life is a chess match. And I am a 5X Grandmaster, you know.”

Andreas scoffed.

“You can keep me here for the rest of my life! And I still would never betray my kingdom! So do your worst, hollow King! Because nothing you do will ever faze me!”

Marquise chuckled darkly.

“Who said I was going to do anything to you?” he asked.

With a snap of his fingers, a door opened in the background and soon the shuffling of feet was heard. When Andreas looked up, the color drained from his face. He had looked up to see his wife and three daughters were being escorted in.

“Well hello there, everyone.” Marquise said to them.

“Papa!” one of his daughters cried out.

“What is this? What is going on? What are you doing to my husband?” his wife asked.

“Asha! Are you all alright?” he asked.

“Asha, is it?” Marquise said to his wife with a bow, “allow me to officially welcome you and your lovely daughters to Cordonia.”

“Stay away from her!” Andreas hissed at Marquise.

“I am merely being hospitable, my friend.”

Andreas seethed as he struggled against his restraints.

“Let him go!” his wife demanded.

“Unfortunately my dear, you are in no position to make demands,” Marquise said to her.

“If you do anything to harm them, I will murder you!” he sneered at Marquise.

“Now now! No need to get your panties in a bunch, Andreas. We are merely talking, that's all.”

“Leave them out of this!” Andreas said to Marquise.

“Like you left my wife and children out of it?” Marquise asked, “Need I remind you that my wife is pregnant and could've been seriously injured because of you?”

“Habibi what is he talking about?” a frightened Asha asked Andreas.

Marquise cocked his head to the side with an eyebrow raised.

“So you never told your dearly beloved? Well, this just got very interesting indeed.” Marquise said to Andreas before replying to Asha, “if you must know my dear, your husband is responsible for the attack on my wife and children.”

“Let them go!” Andreas demanded.

“Not until you tell me what I want to know,” Marquise said calmly.

“Never!” he sneered at Marquise.

“Have it your way,” Marquiss said to him before turning to his agents, “separate them.”

“No!” Andreas shouted as he unsuccessfully tried to free himself from his restraints. Marquise watched dispassionately as Andreas’s wife and children were separated.

“I guess the rumors of the great Andreas Garakis being impenetrable are fabrications.” Marquise mused.

“YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING BASTARD! LET THEM GO!” Andreas yelled.

“Talk!” Marquise said to him.

Andreas shook his head. He couldn't take it anymore.

“Let them go! Please!” he pleaded.

“Are you ready to talk?” Marquise asked.

“Yes. Just don't hurt them.”

Marquise thought it over for a moment.

“Unlike you, I’m not barbaric enough to endanger a child. So I’ll spare them in exchange for your full and undivided cooperation,” Marquise said.

“I want your word that you will not hurt them!”

“You have it,” a voice came from the shadows.

When Marquise turned around Shanelle was standing behind him.

“Your wife and children will be spared as long as you start talking,” she said to Andreas.

“What kept you?” Marquise asked his wife.

“I had to find something suitable to wear. Y’know with being pregnant and all.” she replied before looking to Andreas’s family, “is that them?”

“Mmmhmm,” Marquise replied.

Shanelle nodded.

“Take them back to Sulovaria. They've seen enough.” Shanelle instructed the agents.

“No! We are not leaving without my husband!” Asha protested.

“Do not strain the boundaries my benevolence. You and your children will leave and never come back.” Shanelle said to her.

Shanelle watched as Andreas’s family was taken out of the building. Once they were gone, she turned to her husband.

“Is that him?” she asked.

“Yes. My love, meet the great Andreas Garakis.” Marquise replied.

Shanelle looked dispassionately at Andreas.

“Get whatever information you want to know out of him, then let's go.” Shanelle said to her husband.

“By your command, my Queen.” Marquise replied.

Shanelle took one last look at Andreas before walking out. After watching Shanelle walk out, Marquise walked over to where Andreas was sitting.

“Now about that information you promised me,” he said to Andreas.

Rather than answer, Andreas spat in Marquise’s face.

“There's your information, Your Majesty!” he sneered at Marquise.

Marquise cleared his throat and then pulled out a handkerchief.

“Well, that was as unfortunate as it was unnecessary,” he said as he wiped his face, “but not at all surprising.”

“My wife and children are safe. I don't care what you do to me so you can go straight to hell!” Andreas hissed at Marquise.

Marquise chuckled, his tone low and dark.

“You won't care but your family will.” Marquise said before turning to leave, “And oh! One more thing before I go. When I said I would spare your family in exchange for your full cooperation, I lied. See you in hell, my friend.”

As Marquise walked away as Andreas’s screams could be heard as he was executed.

Once outside, Marquise joined Shanelle at their waiting car.

“Is he?” she asked.

“Dead,” he replied.

“And his family?” she asked.

“‘Tis quite unfortunate that they met the fate of carbon monoxide poisoning,” he replied.

“At least it was quick, humane, and painless, so they never felt a thing.”

Marquise nodded.

“Indeed.”

“And what will happen with the bodies?”

“They'll be packaged up neatly and delivered right to King Desaad’s door.”

“Works for me. Now I've had enough of this for one night. So let's go home.”

“I am right behind you, my love.”

Their Majesties departed for home soon after.

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