The Third Prince Of Darkness

Luciana's words were truly heartfelt and sincere. She had always been this kind of person. I gently patted her back and kissed her silver head.

"Listen to me. Maybe we should try taking things slowly and being together. This way, you can get used to it more easily, and make a clearer decision."

Upon hearing my words, Luciana raised her head and looked at me, tears still flowing from her eyes. Then she slowly nodded a few times. It was as if she had completely surrendered herself to me. This was quite natural; she had no idea what to do right now.

"Let's go have breakfast. I'm sure you have many questions," I said, taking Luciana's hands and leading her inside.

Although there were still enough servants in the palace, it had lost its former vibrancy. While we were having breakfast, Luciana slowly regained her composure and took on a better mood. At least the tears were no longer streaming from her eyes. I answered her questions one by one, and she answered mine as well.

Isabella had gone to suppress a rebellion and still hadn't returned. Though this news worried me, I didn't show it. Luciana also told me that she had sent Odette, but I immediately told her that Odette had to return. We continued to talk about many things. We weren't laughing and having fun like before, but at least, despite my sudden confession of love, things had improved between us. For now, it was best to let time take care of some matters, though there was no point in prolonging this issue too much.

In a few weeks at most, I would make Luciana make a decision. After breakfast, before heading to the study that Richard used to work in, I didn't forget to kiss Luciana on the cheek.

When I entered the study, Richard's old notebooks were still in their places. This room had once been the place where important decisions, almost as crucial as the heart of the Asina Kingdom, had been made. Now, as a vassal prince, I sat at the same table, making plans for survival. My anger was still fresh, but I had to control it. Hasty decisions made in the rush to defeat an enemy would come at a great cost. I would move with patience.

First, I needed to restore authority. I had to urgently gather the advisors and reorganize the royal guards. There were already some guards in the capital, but it wasn't enough. Alpshar had promised to surrender all Asina artifacts, but gathering the prisoners again was going to be a difficult task. Also, I would need to declare myself king soon and officially take the throne.

Right now, I also needed to find Isabella. Everything was chaotic. I picked up one of Richard's notebooks and began flipping through the pages. Decisions made during my father's reign, written reports, and war strategies... Every detail showcased the grandeur of the Asina Kingdom in the past. Now that grandeur was destroyed. But it wasn't just the war that had been lost. The people's hope had also faded. Without regaining that hope, rebuilding the kingdom would be impossible.

I felt the weight of the burden on my shoulders. To reclaim the throne and restore the country to its former power, I had to carefully plan every step. My immediate priorities were the army, resources, and reputation. Without securing these, any action I took would lead both me and my people to disaster.

The first thing I had to do was find Isabella. She was the strongest queen, and I needed her for legitimacy. Without knowing where she was, I couldn't make any rescue plans.

I called a servant and gave him orders. "I want a detailed report on where Isabella was last seen immediately. Also, make sure Odette returns. She must be here as soon as possible."

The servant bowed and quickly left the room. Then, I turned my attention to the situation in the capital. Alpshar's army wouldn't be coming here, or even crossing the borders of Asina. Therefore, there wouldn't be any looted cities, or at least not much damage. Of course, this scenario would hold only if no rebellions broke out.

Although Richard had prepared a large army for war, he could not have used the treasury entirely. Richard was an extremely stingy king. Knowing this, some people in the capital might try to steal from the royal treasury, so I urgently needed to increase the number of guards.

Additionally, I had to use the newspaper company that still belonged to me to inform the public of the way I wanted. Now that I thought about it, there was a lot to do. So, I grabbed some paper and a pen to write a few letters. These letters were for the my women who remained at the academy. I needed their help, but it would take time for these letters to reach them. It was especially important to inform Catherine and Evangeline about the situation in their countries.

Once the letters were written, I returned to my major tasks. I called the Minister of War, the Treasurer, and the Minister of Justice to my room. Shortly after, two people entered my room: Minister of Justice, Sir George, and Treasurer, Sir William. The Minister of War was not there. They both knelt in front of me.

"We greet the Prince of the Sun," they both said at the same time.

This was a gesture of loyalty. "Where is the Minister of War Sir Edward?"

The two advisors looked at each other upon hearing my question. "Your Excellency, Sir Edward left the capital to swear loyalty to Prince Liam."

These words shocked me. "Swear loyalty to Liam? The legitimate prince and the next king are officially me, so why would he do such a thing?"

"Your Excellency, I think you are unaware... Your brother, Prince Liam, and another brother, Prince Thaerd, have claimed to be kings. Furthermore, these two were recognized by Emperor Alpshar."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I fell silent for a moment, shocked. The anger, confusion, and uncertainty inside me mixed together. Prince Liam and Thaerd were trying to take over the kingdom, ignoring me and all my rights? Even though Alpshar had declared me the King of Asina, he had also recognized Fiona's children as kings.

It was probably Alpshar who wanted an internal war in Asina to prevent me from growing stronger. In any case, I urgently needed to be crowned and sit on the throne.

"Prepare a coronation ceremony immediately… It should be tonight. It doesn't have to be extravagant or too large. We can have another grand ceremony later. My mother will be the one to crown me and invite all the nobles in the capital or near the capital. Make sure that all the nobles know about it by the day after tomorrow."

The two advisors exchanged a glance for a moment, then nodded and quickly stood up to leave. Under my orders, preparations for a coronation ceremony began. My stance on the scale of the ceremony was clear; while this first one would officially mark my coronation, it was only a beginning. A truly impressive coronation ceremony, one that would declare my victory and power, should be held later.

Once I was alone, I took a deep breath and sat at the table. My mind was in turmoil with many thoughts. Liam and Thaerd's rebellion hadn't actually surprised me, and this situation was also a sign for me to take action. I should be the true heir to the kingdom, and with these two brothers recognized by Alpshar, the future of the Asina Kingdom was doomed. This also presented me with an opportunity to prove myself and solidify my authority, but every step of this opportunity would have to be carefully planned.

Another attendant entered and handed me a report. I had received information about where Queen Isabella had last been seen, but finding out what had actually happened to her was a laborious process. "Your Excellency, Queen Isabella has returned with some war prisoners and is…"

The attendant's words were cut off as the door behind him slammed open, and Isabella entered. I gestured for the attendant to leave with my hand as Isabella ran toward me, tears in her eyes. I stood up and opened my arms for her. Isabella tightly embraced me and cried silently in my chest. Meanwhile, I gently stroked her black hair and back.

I felt a sense of déjà vu, but the moment Isabella lifted her head and kissed me passionately, the déjà vu was shattered. Isabella was pulling my hair, pressing herself against me, and claiming my mouth with her tongue. She was showing her fear, desire, and longing all at once.

Then she pulled away and looked at me with tear-filled eyes. It was clear how worried and frightened she was. "Ethan, let's leave this place. Take your mother and your siblings, and let's leave and build a new life somewhere far away. Let's go to a quieter, peaceful place… Please... I'm so tired of this, I'm losing my mind."