All Chapters of THE FORGOTTEN SON-IN-LAW : Chapter 431
- Chapter 440
456 chapters
460: Flames Across the Protectorate
Redmere awoke to uncertainty. Smoke curled on the horizon, but it wasn’t from a single fire. Towns throughout the protectorate—Lindmere, Fairhaven, and Blackwater—were reporting simultaneous emergencies. Fires, floods, and sudden surges of unrest strained local militias, overwhelmed emergency responders, and sent citizens fleeing in terror.Edrin’s design was precise. He had carefully exploited the towns’ fractured loyalty, ensuring that trust in Adrian’s protectorate was uneven and that Selene’s shadow network could not respond to every incident without being exposed.Adrian’s StruggleAdrian stood atop Redmere’s battlements, scanning the horizon. Lantern signals flashed in all directions, each one a call for aid or a warning. Messengers arrived, breathless:Lindmere’s riverbanks had collapsed again, despite repairs.Fairhaven’s marketplace had erupted into riot after a minor dispute.Blackwater reported fires in residential districts, with families trapped.He’s forcing us to choose
461: The Choice of Fire and Shadow
Smoke and ash swirled above the protectorate as Redmere, Lindmere, and Fairhaven simultaneously teetered on the brink of disaster. Fires raged, floodwaters surged, and panic flared among citizens who no longer knew whom to trust. Every second counted—and every decision carried mortal weight.Adrian and Selene huddled over the command map in Redmere, faces pale in the flickering lamplight.“We cannot save all three at once,” Selene said, her voice tight. “If we split forces, we leave someone to die. If we concentrate, another town burns.”Adrian’s jaw clenched. “We pick the town where the most lives are at stake. That’s the logical choice.”Selene shook her head, eyes sharp. “Logic doesn’t count when children drown, when flames consume homes, when people are rioting in the streets. We have to do both. And fast.”Impossible, Adrian thought grimly. We can’t be everywhere. Someone will pay for this.The Moral GambleThe solution was brutal: a coordinated, simultaneous intervention using b
462: Crossed Paths, Fractured Trust
The aftermath of the simultaneous crises hung over Redmere like a dark cloud. Smoke still curled from rooftops, floodwaters lapped at hastily repaired embankments, and the marketplace bore the scars of panic and fire. Citizens whispered in uneven tones—some grateful, others suspicious. The protectorate had acted, but public trust was now a fragile commodity.Inside the war council chamber, Adrian stood rigidly by the map table, fingers pressed to its surface. Selene leaned against a wall, arms crossed, her eyes sharp, body tense. Silence stretched between them, heavier than any smoke-filled air outside.The towns are safe—for now, Adrian thought grimly.But what have we sacrificed in the process? And can we survive the next move?The Confrontation BeginsAdrian broke the silence first. “Selene, your public intervention exposed the network. The people saw you acting independently. The council saw you bypassing protocol. This isn’t about saving lives—it’s about perception now. And perce
463: Converging Flames
The first light of dawn revealed a protectorate in turmoil. Smoke rose from Lindmere, floodwaters swelled in Fairhaven, and Redmere’s marketplaces were again engulfed in chaos. Panic had not been contained overnight; it had metastasized. Edrin’s orchestration was precise, cruel, and invisible—his hand guiding each disaster from afar, testing Adrian and Selene to the breaking point.The Council of CrisisAdrian stood at the command table in Redmere, exhaustion etched into every line of his face. Reports arrived in rapid succession:Lindmere’s river defenses had been sabotaged overnight, threatening hundreds of families.Fairhaven’s civil unrest had escalated, fueled by rumors of corrupt local officials—planted by Edrin’s agents.Redmere’s district borders flared with sudden fires, coinciding with collapsing infrastructure.Selene hovered near the map, scar pulsing faintly. Her shadow network had already begun operations, but each report indicated Edrin was always one step ahead.“He’s
464: Fractured Faith
The sun rose over the protectorate, but its light revealed more cracks than clarity. Fires were smoldering, levees strained, and citizens walked streets with suspicion written across their faces. The rapid, morally compromising decisions Adrian and Selene had made to stop simultaneous disasters had saved thousands of lives, but at a heavy cost.Redmere: Authority QuestionedIn Redmere, Adrian had ordered controlled demolitions to prevent a fire from spreading into crowded districts. The buildings that collapsed were mostly empty—but news spread of families narrowly escaping, sparking rumors of reckless authority.Citizens whispered as they passed the rubble:“Did he really have to destroy so much?”“The king is supposed to protect us, not our property.”“I saved a few lives, yes, but at what cost?”Even loyal councilors questioned his judgment. Adrian, standing atop a temporary command platform, watched his people’s uncertain gazes and realized saving lives had made him vulnerable in
465: The Impossible Choice
Smoke and chaos filled the skies over the protectorate, a tangible reminder that Edrin’s subtle manipulations had escalated into outright crises. Flooded streets, burning buildings, and panicked townspeople stretched Adrian and Selene’s resources to their breaking point. Every decision was no longer a matter of strategy—it was a test of morality, trust, and authority.The Call to ActionThe war council erupted in urgent reports. Adrian scanned the map as Selene stood beside him, shadow network alerts blinking red and yellow across her tablets.Lindmere: The main levee had cracked further; thousands at risk of drowning.Fairhaven: Riots had erupted again, this time in multiple districts, threatening civilians and guards alike.Redmere: Fires flared dangerously close to residential areas.Kael, Adrian’s general, spoke grimly. “We cannot cover all three towns at once. If we split forces, mistakes will be fatal. If we focus on one, the others may collapse entirely.”Selene’s jaw clenched.
466: The Symbol of Chaos
The morning sun rose over Redmere, but its light did little to dispel the tension thick in the air. Citizens still whispered of Lindmere’s floods, Fairhaven’s riots, and Redmere’s fires, debating which leader had failed—or succeeded. Adrian and Selene had barely caught their breath before Edrin struck again, this time with a spectacle designed to fracture both public perception and the leaders’ fragile trust.Edrin’s Public StrikeFrom a hidden vantage point outside Redmere, Edrin orchestrated the crisis with meticulous precision. Flags bearing his symbol—a black spiral entwined with a crimson flame—were raised across the central square. Crowds gathered, curious and nervous, as his agents ignited a sequence of controlled fires around the city’s market districts. Smoke spiraled into the sky, curling around statues and monuments, creating an unnerving visual: a city literally engulfed in chaos around its heart of governance.The spectacle must be undeniable, Edrin murmured. Let every ci
467: The Council of Shadows
The grand council chamber of the protectorate had rarely felt this tense. Light filtered through tall stained-glass windows, but instead of warmth, it threw fractured colors across the faces of officials and citizens alike. Redmere’s fires still smoked in the distance, Lindmere’s levees groaned under pressure, and Fairhaven simmered with unrest. The air was charged with expectation, suspicion, and fear.At the head of the chamber, Adrian and Selene stood side by side, both aware that every eye—every whispering voice—was watching, judging, calculating. Today, perception mattered as much as action. Every word could sway loyalty, undermine authority, or be weaponized by Edrin.The Opening TensionThe council leader, Councilor Malric, cleared his throat. “Redmere, Lindmere, and Fairhaven have reported both successes and failures. The people speak of hesitation, of independent action without unity. King Adrian, Queen Selene, you are here to account for the protectorate’s decisions. Explain
468: The Breaking Line
The message arrived at dawn.Not one message—six.Six towns. Six councils. Six crises, unfolding not sequentially, but at once.Adrian stood over the strategy table as the reports were read aloud, his expression hardening with each word.Stonecross: A council had voted to expel protectorate forces, citing “loss of legitimacy.” Armed civilians now guarded the gates.Valeport: A dockworkers’ strike had turned violent after pamphlets accused Adrian of hoarding grain under military rule.Hearthrun: A healer commune loyal to Selene had been publicly accused of treason—and their leader arrested by local magistrates.Greywake: A false prophecy, attributed to Selene, had spread overnight, warning of “divine punishment” unless the town rejected centralized rule.Brightmere: Two rival councils had formed—one pledging loyalty to Adrian, the other openly aligned with Edrin’s ideology.And Redmere itself: Crowds were gathering again. Not in panic this time—but in judgment.Kael finished reading an
469: Fractured Voices
The square was vast, the crowd stretching from the marble steps of the palace to the distant market gates. Smoke from distant fires still drifted along the horizon, a dark ribbon against the morning sky. The citizens of Redmere had gathered in anticipation, and now that Adrian stood alone before them, the weight of their expectations pressed down like a physical force.He raised his hands, sword sheathed but the silver fire along its hilt faintly glowing—a symbol of both authority and protection. Every eye was upon him.“Citizens of Redmere,” he began, voice steady, “we face a time of crisis unlike any other. Our protectorate has acted decisively to safeguard life across the region. Yes, there have been challenges, yes, mistakes—but every action was taken to protect you.”Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some nodded, acknowledging the truth. Others shifted uneasily.Edrin stepped forward, calmly moving among the citizens. He did not shout, did not gesture. His presence alone amplifi