2026-11-06 07:01:21
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Ch9: Royal Brothers
The hunting grounds were loud again. Horns sounded across the hills, hounds barked through the forest line, and nobles laughed too loudly at jokes too poor to survive elsewhere. Silk and steel moved beneath the afternoon sun while servants ran themselves thin trying to satisfy people born tired.Crown Prince Cassian Valmere rode through it all with a face carved from calm. His horse moved at an easy pace over the grassy ridge, hooves pressing soft earth flat beneath polished shoes, a handful of knights trailing behind who knew better than to speak unless invited.None of them missed the fact that their prince had been silent for far too long.Cassian's gloved fingers tapped lightly against the saddle. Once. Twice. Then stopped. His blue eyes narrowed toward the distant meadow now shrinking behind him.A commoner. A merchant. A man with berry stains on his fingers and absolutely no instinct for survival.Cassian almost smiled. Then didn't.Captain Rowan, riding nearest, cleared his thr
Ch8: A Prince And A Problem
The man stood in the sunlight like the world had arranged itself for his convenience.Wind tugged lightly at his cloak. Silver thread gleamed across the royal crest on his chest. His horse stamped once behind him, impatient and elegant, much like its owner.“We meet again,” he said.Albert remained crouched in the grass, calmly picking another roseberry.He dropped it into the basket.Then another.Only after a full, disrespectful pause did he look up.“I’m afraid not.”The man’s brow lifted.Albert rose slowly to his feet, basket tucked under one arm.“A noble as yourself,” he said with dry politeness, “would never stoop low enough to know a commoner like me. You must be mistaken.”For a second, silence held the meadow.Then the stranger let out a short laugh.“Still insolent.”“Still forgettable.”The blue-eyed man stepped closer.There was amusement on his face, but it no longer hid the sharp edge beneath. He carried himself with the ease of someone obeyed since childhood.He spoke
Ch7: Trouble In Broad Daylight
Redvale had changed overnight.Albert noticed it the moment he stepped outside. The roads had been swept cleaner than usual, decorative ribbons hung from posts near the market square, and guards in imperial colors stood at corners where, yesterday, only bored chickens had authority. Even the townspeople moved differently. Excited. Curious. Nosy.The worst kind of energetic.Albert adjusted the basket hanging from his arm and squinted toward the town gate. More banners fluttered there now, rich dark cloth embroidered with the golden lion of the empire. Wagons rolled in and out carrying crates, polished equipment, tents, and enough food to feed half the county.He felt a headache forming. "Why are they here?" he muttered.Mr. Jo, arranging fruit nearby, answered without being asked. "Hunting festival."Albert looked over.Mr. Jo grinned, pleased to possess information. "The royal family rotates locations every year. This time they chose the lands around Redvale.""Why?""Rich people enj
Ch6: An Unwanted Morning
Nearly a month had passed since the day chaos visited Merri-Len Store. Long enough for the broken shelves to be replaced. Long enough for the gossip to grow ridiculous. Long enough for Albert to believe the world had finally remembered how to leave him alone.Naturally, that was when it came back.Morning sunlight spilled through the crooked shutters of Albert's cottage in thin golden lines, dust floating lazily through the beams. The room was warm, peaceful, full of the heavy silence only found in homes where no one had responsibilities.Albert lay across his bed like a fallen soldier. One arm hung off the side, one leg was halfway outside the blanket, and his hair pointed in several directions, all of them wrong. He snored with the determination of a man trying to prove something. The pillow beneath him had surrendered hours ago.He was deep in sleep. The kind earned through hard work, late nights, and avoiding society.Then—BANG! BANG! BANG!The front door shook. Albert shot uprig
Ch5: Peace, Briefly Interrupted
Morning had been ruined.Albert knew this with the same certainty one knows fire is hot or nobles are useless. He stood in the middle of Merri-Len Store, one hand braced against his lower back, the other holding the broken half of his favorite pen. Sunlight spilled through the front windows in bright golden strips, touching the wreckage with insulting beauty.Crushed herbs stained the floor green and brown. A shelf leaned sideways like it had given up on life. Oranges rolled lazily through the room, bumping into chair legs and bits of shattered pottery. Flour dust clung to the walls, and one stool had somehow lost a leg and all dignity along with it.Albert stared at it all in silence. Then he looked down at the pen. Its wooden body was split near the middle, the tip bent beyond repair.A tragedy."You served faithfully," he said quietly.The front bell rang. Joel stepped inside carrying a cloth bag against her hip, mid-step, before she froze completely, eyes widening as they moved fr
Ch4: Payment First, Respect Never
The cloaked figure jerked forward the moment Albert's hand clamped down on his shoulder."Let go of me!"The stranger twisted sharply, trying to wrench free, but Albert's grip only tightened, the fabric bunching in his fist as though the cloak itself had been sentenced.Albert smiled without warmth. "No."The figure struggled harder, boots scraping against the wooden floor. "I said let go!""And I said no."With one sharp tug, Albert spun the stranger around. The movement was quick enough to steal his balance, and the cloaked figure stumbled back a step, nearly crashing into a broken shelf before catching himself. Now they stood face to face, or rather, Albert stood, and the stranger bristled.Albert pointed slowly around the shop. "Look."The figure frowned."No, really," Albert said, his voice going dangerously calm. "Use your eyes."The stranger finally glanced around. Broken jars lay scattered near the wall. Herbs were crushed beneath muddy footprints. Two shelves leaned like dr
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