Chapter 121: The Adamant Guards on the Move
Even the king's expression darkened. He turned toward Amelia, a look of 'righteous anger' settling onto his face. "I was unaware of this treachery," he declared, his voice rising. "Divine envoys, you have my word—these nobles will be punished for their crimes. For not only betraying the kingdom but for committing heresy against Seraphis herself."
The chancellor, who had been momentarily frozen in shock, snapped back to reality. His horror at having an arrow pointed at him was quickly overshadowed by an even greater fear—what the king had just declared.
"Your Majesty, you can't!" he protested, stepping forward. "This goes against the kingdom's laws! These nobles have contributed greatly to the realm—you cannot simply execute them without due process!"
But King Alden IV did not waver.
He did not care if this decision would be seen as impulsive, or if it would create political turmoil among the nobility. All that mattered now was proving his devotion to Seraphis—and ensuring that, after his death, he would be granted a place in her divine realm.
"Adamant Guards, heed my command!" King Alden IV's voice rang with unwavering authority. "Lord Eldric Valmont, Duke Alistair Ravenshire, Marquis Lucien Dorne, Lady Evangeline Rosethorne, and Countess Ophelia Duskbane—guilty of treachery and heresy. They are to be captured and executed! Their titles are revoked, their lands seized, and their entire families condemned alongside them! By royal decree, effective immediately."
A tense silence settled over the throne room as his words echoed. Then, without hesitation, two Adamant Guards stepped forward and seized Lord Eldric Valmont. Gone was the deference usually afforded to nobles; they handled him like a common criminal, gripping his arms tightly as he was wrenched from his place.
His complexion, already deathly pale, turned even whiter—if such a thing was possible. His breath hitched in sheer terror. Then, desperation overtook him.
"I beg for mercy, Your Majesty!" he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I never intended to rebel against the Goddess or the Crown! This is all a misunderstanding!"
King Alden IV, however, was unmoved. He was about to signal the guards to drag Valmont to the dungeon when Amelia suddenly spoke.
At first, she had been blinded by anger, but upon hearing the king's decree—the execution of not just the accused nobles but their entire families—her rage gave way to clarity.