All Chapters of THE FORGOTTEN SON-IN-LAW : Chapter 411
- Chapter 420
456 chapters
440: The First Overt Strike
The sun had barely crested the horizon when Redhaven awoke to an unnatural hush. Birds did not sing. Dogs did not bark. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.Selene stood at the edge of the town square, hood drawn, watching the approaching banners. Black fabric flapped in the cold morning air, edged with gold—a symbol unmistakable. Edrin had arrived. Not in whispers, not in shadow. Open. Public.The Confrontation BeginsThe crowd gathered instinctively, drawn to the spectacle. Merchants abandoned stalls. Children clung to their parents. Soldiers straightened, sensing the tension.Edrin stepped forward onto the raised dais, voice carrying easily over the murmurs.“People of Redhaven,” he said, calm, commanding, beautifully composed. “You have been told that order exists. That leadership guides your lives. That loyalty protects you.”The crowd murmured in agreement—or in fear.Selene pushed forward, hands clenched at her sides. “And what is the alternative, Edrin?” she demanded, keep
441: Authority Tested
The smoke from Redhaven’s disrupted market still curled lazily into the morning sky when Adrian arrived. Unlike Selene, who moved quietly through shadows, he came in force, mounted on a black steed, cloak whipping in the wind, his presence announcing the authority he no longer fully possessed.The square fell silent at his approach. Soldiers and citizens alike turned, not in relief, but in expectation. They had been watching, waiting, and now they saw the man who once promised control.Adrian Steps InAdrian’s gaze locked on Edrin first. The other man’s posture had not changed, calm and composed on the raised dais, banners black and gold flanking him. Adrian dismounted, boots striking stone with deliberate authority.“Edrin,” Adrian said, voice carrying over the square. “Enough games. Step down. Leave these people.”Edrin smiled faintly. “And give you the satisfaction of obeying? You’ve already failed, Adrian. Look around. Tell me you still command anything here.”Adrian’s jaw clenche
442: Web of Shadows
The morning after Adrian’s confrontation, Redhaven still bore the scars of Edrin’s overt strike. Smoke lingered in the streets, bridges remained precarious, and the citizens’ fear hung like a dense fog.But Selene moved unseen. She did not linger in the public square. She never had to.Her network had grown beyond whispers and scattered messengers. Each town she had touched now operated like a living web—small, autonomous, yet connected by subtle signals only those trained could perceive.Coordinated ActionSelene traced invisible lines across the map of her influence:In Lornfall, her ally Aric had rerouted food convoys to avoid chaos in Redhaven, preventing starvation while Edrin’s banners were still visible.In Hestmere, a repaired bridge now allowed soldiers to mobilize swiftly to Redhaven’s periphery.In the villages of northern Redmere, local militias preemptively intercepted minor sabotage, a direct counter to Edrin’s signature strikes.She moved among them like a phantom, chec
443: The Multitude Strike
Dawn broke over the northern territories with an unnatural stillness. Smoke rose not from a single fire, but from three separate towns simultaneously—Redmere, Lornfall, and Hestmere. The chaos was coordinated, precise, and public.Selene’s heart sank. Edrin had escalated. This was no longer subtle sabotage; this was his first large-scale overt strike, meant to stretch them thin and force them into moral compromise.Edrin’s Calculated EscalationFrom a vantage point atop the cliff overlooking Redmere, Edrin watched the spread of his machinations. Black banners flapped in every town square. Merchants fled. Bridges trembled. Fires erupted along trade routes.He smiled at the brilliance of the plan:1. Force Selene to act simultaneously across multiple fronts.2. Force Adrian to commit resources he could not spare.3. Expose the limits of both leadership and loyalty.“Observe,” he whispered, “as the world bends to necessity.”Selene ReactsSelene’s first instinct was to move in every dire
444: The Seed of Revolt
The smoke from the multiple towns’ near disasters had barely cleared when Edrin moved in the shadows of perception. He knew that people remembered fear more vividly than relief, that chaos left a deeper mark than order restored.From his vantage in Redmere, he observed the aftermath of his overt strike. Fires had been doused, bridges repaired, and the worst of the damage contained—but the memory of vulnerability remained. The citizens had survived, yes—but survival alone was not enough to secure loyalty.Edrin’s Calculated NarrativeEdrin’s first move was subtle, almost imperceptible: messengers arrived in every affected town, spreading a carefully constructed story.“Your rulers saved you only after the flames began. Had the chaos been greater, who would have protected you? Who watches over your families while the so-called kings and queens manage their pride?”Edrin’s words were precise and deliberate. They framed the narrative, leaving Selene and Adrian’s heroics invisible. Where s
445: The Trap in Plain Sight
The war room was dimly lit, maps strewn across a long oak table, candles flickering in the drafty chamber. Selene traced the edges of towns recently affected by Edrin’s psychological strikes. Her fingers moved over Redmere, Lornfall, Hestmere—each marked with pins showing both successful interventions and subtle cracks in public perception.Adrian leaned against the table, jaw tight. His sword still hung at his hip, a reminder of the last overt confrontation, but here he was not fighting shadows—he was fighting time, fear, and perception itself.A Plan to Force ExposureSelene spoke first, voice low but firm:“We can’t stop him by reacting. Every strike he makes, we counter covertly—but the public only sees the initial chaos. We need him to act openly. Expose him, force him into a spotlight where he can be contained.”Adrian frowned. “You mean… bait him. Risk civilians. Risk our credibility. Risk everything.”“Yes,” she said, eyes hard. “But it’s the only way to neutralize his psychol
446: The Court of the People
The smoke from Redmere’s square still lingered, curling like specters above the cobblestones. Shadows that Edrin had summoned lay scattered and dissipating, and the townspeople, trembling and wide-eyed, watched the aftermath unfold.Adrian’s sword was sheathed, his armor scorched, his hair matted with sweat and ash. He stood amid the chaos, every movement deliberate, every word loud enough for the gathered citizens to hear. Selene remained unseen, coordinating evacuations, securing hidden paths, and guiding aid through her network—but her absence from the public eye now became a question for the townsfolk.Public Perception SplitsIn the open square, the citizens murmured among themselves. Some voices praised Adrian:“He faced the shadows himself! He saved us!”“Our king fought, and he kept the worst from touching us!”“The queen may act behind the scenes—but look at the king who stands among us!”But others whispered doubt, turning their gaze toward empty rooftops and streets:“And t
447: The Silent Counterstrike
The night fell over the northern territories like a velvet curtain, concealing the movements of men, shadows, and whispered plots. While the people of Redmere, Lornfall, and Hestmere slept uneasily, Edrin was already at work, orchestrating a counter-attack invisible to the eye but lethal in effect.He no longer needed overt strikes; the public had seen his shadow army, witnessed Adrian’s blade, and heard Selene’s covert whispers. Now, subtlety would test the very coordination of their defenses.Edrin’s Calculated SubtletyFrom a hidden vantage atop the cliffs bordering the three towns, Edrin’s eyes traced patterns of supply, communication, and troop movements. Every road, bridge, and watchtower had been meticulously monitored.Visibility breeds caution. Covert strikes breed chaos, he mused.Edrin dispatched his agents with precision timing:In Redmere, water supplies would be subtly tainted with a sleeping herb. No one would notice immediately, but the population would weaken at the f
448: The Crack in the Facade
The morning sun rose over Lornfall with a deceptive serenity. Smoke from last night’s minor fires had cleared, streets were bustling, and citizens were slowly returning to their routines. Yet beneath the surface, tension pulsed like a hidden river—Adrian and Selene knew it, and so did Edrin.The SetupThe subtle strikes across the northern towns had forced both leaders to stretch themselves thinner than ever. Selene’s network was coordinating evacuation routes and minor sabotage mitigation in Redmere and Hestmere, while Adrian commanded troops and public reinforcements in Lornfall.All had been meticulously planned—but perfection is impossible when human fatigue, perception, and timing collide.The First MisstepIn Lornfall, a small bridge leading to the northern outskirts was deliberately sabotaged by Edrin’s agents. Only a thin patrol had been stationed there, and the town relied on Adrian’s visible command to reassure civilians.The patrol detected the sabotage late. Citizens were
449: The Fracturing of Trust
The morning sun rose weak and pale over Lornfall, casting long shadows across streets still littered with remnants of last night’s minor chaos. Adrian rode through the town on horseback, armor scuffed, sword at his side, every movement deliberate, every gaze measured. He was the living symbol of order—but symbols alone could no longer carry authority.The Cracks AppearAs he passed through the central square, he noticed subtle but alarming signs:Merchants whispered behind their stalls, glancing nervously at soldiers and the remnants of damaged wagons.Villagers hesitated to follow instructions, pausing as if testing whether Adrian truly had the power to protect them.Even the militia he relied on moved with slight disobedience, questioning orders he had given without hesitation.A woman approached him, her voice trembling.“Your Majesty… forgive me… but the bridge, the supplies, the fires… will you be able to protect us next time?”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “We will always do everythin