Chapter 92: Delusions... Sorry I mean plotting
The king and Count Raymond sat in the palace’s grand balcony, the cool breeze ruffling their robes as they idly played chess under the golden afternoon sun. The board between them gleamed, its silver and ebony pieces half-played, the weight of the match far less important than the conversation slowly brewing between the two. Nearby, discarded carelessly on the marble floor, was a crumpled newspaper, the headlines blaring a sensationalized story.
The front page depicted a grand image of General Thorne and his Omega husband, Noelle, leaving the opera house. The bold, exaggerated title read: "The Crimson General’s Husband, the Beauty of Ages: Hidden Away to Refuse the Hands of Royalty?" The article delved into scandalous gossip, pointing out how Thorne had refused numerous notable suitors for his Omega, including Prince Rolland and the capital’s most desired man, Oliver. It was an absurd piece meant to stir the masses, the kind of rumor that spread like wildfire in peaceful times when there was little else to occupy the attention of the public.
The king, his brow furrowed with annoyance, flicked his wrinkled fingers toward the paper. "All they do is gossip these days," he grumbled, moving a knight across the board with a deliberate hand.
"No notable news. Just idle talk of beauty contests and bedchambers. It sickens me."
Count Raymond, ever the dutiful advisor, chuckled softly though the sound was hollow. His eyes flicked over the chess pieces, assessing the situation with a keen mind honed for both strategy and intrigue.
"Such is the price of peace, my king," he said, leaning back slightly in his chair, his voice smooth and measured.
"When there is no war to fill their pages, the people turn to scandal for their entertainment."
The king’s lips tightened into a thin line, his weathered face deepening with lines of discontent.
"In my father’s day, they wouldn’t have dared print such nonsense." His voice carried a faint edge of bitterness, a memory of an era when fear kept the tongues of the populace in check.