Mikola approached Luce, his face a mask of false friendliness. "What do you say we have a drink before the royal meeting begins? To calm our nerves."
Luce looked shocked, his eyes wide. "Are we allowed to do that?"
Mikola laughed dismissively. "Of course we can! We are the high officials here... come with me."
Mikola led him toward an old wooden tavern smelling of tobacco and aged wine. Upon entering, Mikola shouted to the bartender, "Sir, give us the best and strongest wine you have!"
Luce grew tense and began to stammer, "Wait... wait Mikola... not now."
Mikola whispered in his ear with a piercing tone, "What? Is this your first time drinking? Or are you hiding something and fear your tongue will betray you?"
Luce waved his hands in denial. "No... no, I’m just nervous, and we have a meeting soon."
Mikola poured the first glass, muttering to himself: If it were up to me, I’d give you a Truth Potion right now and interrogate you... but that requires royal permission. I’ll settle for making you lose your mind under the influence of wine, and I wonder how many glasses you can take.
Not five minutes passed before the effects of the alcohol appeared on Luce suddenly and violently. He began to sway left and right, shouting as he waved his empty glass, "I want another glass!"
The bartender laughed, "Finish your first glass, boy."
Mikola watched Luce’s rapid collapse in wonder. "Is this his first time drinking wine? My God, this is easier than I expected."
Mikola leaned in and whispered, "So tell me, Lawrence... what is it you aspire to?"
Luce replied with a heavy, broken voice, "Ah... Mikola... my old friend! I... I aspire to perfection... I don't know how... but I want to per—" Suddenly, his head fell onto the table, sinking into a deep sleep.
Mikola muttered in amazement, "What a strange person."
Suddenly, Luce jerked up, his eyes glazed. He said in a mysterious voice, "Ah, Mikola! Would you believe... that I have wings... wings like the ones in your drawings?" Then he fell back into a deep slumber once more.
Mikola froze in place, his face a mix of shock and terror. "So you are one of The Feathers, you bastard! That explains everything: your strangeness, your power in attracting others, even your ridiculous boldness in the Prince's presence. I had a slight doubt about your intelligence, but now everything is clear!"
Mikola smiled with hysterical malice and thought: I thought you were just a lucky fool. But you are a treasure! A treasure that fell right into my hands. You have now become a crime in yourself.
He muttered quietly, "You’ve made the task of destroying you easier than I ever dreamed."
Mikola picked him up and said, "You shall drink the Truth Potion before them and expose yourself to be executed, you wretch."
Mikola struggled to carry him back to the palace, throwing him into his room like a lifeless corpse, then dashed frantically toward the throne room.
Mikola entered the hall, caught between anxiety and ecstasy. He found King Osmos and Prince Rigby conversing. Mikola bowed with exaggerated respect. The King asked in surprise, "What is wrong, Mikola?"
Mikola said, his voice trembling with excitement, "Your Majesty... may I speak with you in private? The matter is of the utmost importance and danger."
Rigby asked anxiously, "Is there a problem, Mikola?"
Mikola ignored him and bowed to the King again. "Please, Your Majesty... the matter cannot be delayed."
The King looked at his son and said calmly, "Rigby... leave us alone."
Prince Rigby stood hesitantly, bowed to his father, and exited, his eyes following Mikola with great suspicion.
The King spoke in a deep voice, "Speak, Mikola... I understand these expressions on your face; you carry heavy news."
Mikola bowed with excessive submissiveness and spoke with a voice full of malice disguised as concern. "Of course, Your Majesty... Prince Rigby has brought a great disaster upon this kingdom."
The King raised his eyebrows in disapproval. "Explain yourself, Mikola."
Mikola approached the throne and whispered with a voice dripping poison, "Your Majesty, Prince Rigby has brought one of The Feathers into this kingdom!"
King Osmos jerked to his feet, slamming his fist on the throne's armrest. "What are you saying, Mikola? And who is this?"
Mikola replied, prostrating himself on the floor, "Your Majesty, it is Lawrence."
The King grew furious. Mikola added, "And not only that, but this lowly Feathers is plotting in secret to assassinate Princess Luna, to pave the way for Prince Rigby to be your sole heir."
The king gasped in disbelief, "But he does not possess wings like the rest of the Feathers, Mikola! Could it truly be that...?"
Mikola said quickly, "Correct, Your Majesty. He severed his own wings!"
A silence as heavy as mountains followed, before the King exploded in anger. "Mikola! You realize full well the consequences of your words! Do not let your absolute loyalty to my daughter Luna drive you to fabricate lies! You know for a fact that if you are wrong, your punishment will not be prison, but execution! Do not make me take your head after all these years!"
Mikola stood his ground, unblinking. He replied with confidence, "Your Majesty, I am sure of what I say. Make him drink the Truth Potion in the middle of the meeting so he is exposed to you. One question is enough: 'Are you one of the Feathers?' and you will hear the word 'Yes.' Let the guards pounce on him then."
The King growled with suppressed rage, "That cursed Feathers!"
Meanwhile, Luce woke up in his room to find a paper carefully placed before him, written in Mikola’s hand:
From Mikola to Lawrence: After your talk with Ragna, head to the throne room immediately.
Luce yawned lazily, his eyes gleaming with a serious spark. He said in a low voice, "This has become truly entertaining. The time has come." Luce took out a paper and began to write on it slowly and calmly, a smile never leaving his face.
Luce glimpsed the chessboard beside him, reached out, and quickly picked up one of the pieces, then headed toward the throne room. At the gate, guards filled the area like an army on standby. One of them opened the door, and Luce entered coldly.
Mikola was standing beside the King and Rigby. The King said in a mysterious tone, "You arrived at the right time, Lawrence."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Luce bowed with dignity. "Thank you, and I apologize for my delay, Your Majesty."
The meeting commenced, and Minister Reonikh stood up, speaking anxiously "Your Majesty, some of the peoples we have annexed are demanding their freedom, even though we treat them with kindness. Their problem is with the change of who rules them. They look at us as invaders, not liberators. All their voices are directed by the words 'Freedom and Independence!"
Prince Rigby jumped up and shouted passionately, "Fools!"
Luce’s voice cut through the hall with sternness: "Prince! Remember... raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
Silence fell, and Rigby retreated in shame. "I apologize to everyone." Then he continued in a deep, calm tone that shook the audience: "They do not understand the meaning of freedom! Freedom is the most beautiful illusion sold to slaves: that you are free."
Silence prevailed as Rigby continued, "You obey laws you did not write, and follow trends you did not choose, then you call that independence. Freedom is not measured by the number of choices, but by your ability to control yourself. The world is no longer what changes you... it is your fear of losing your comfort. You think you are free only because you do not see your chains. This is not freedom... it is anesthesia."
Rigby looked at Minister Reonikh and said, "Therefore, Minister Reonikh, they are not searching for freedom; rather, they seek the safety and comfort they were accustomed to under their old shackles. What we need is not to suppress their voices, but to make them forget their past chains with future promises they can see with their own eyes. Let us grant them tranquility, for those who are stable do not revolt."
"Your Majesty, there are those playing with their minds to incite them against you, and we must investigate who is pulling these strings."
The King looked at his son in daze, then turned to Luce. "You have truly changed my son."
Rigby smiled and whispered to himself while looking at Luce, Thank you, my teacher. I have memorized what you taught me.
In a low voice, the King whispered to the guards with bitterness, "What a pity..." then suddenly shouted, "Guards!"
The guards entered and surrounded Luce, who stood as steady as a rock. Prince Rigby shouted, "What is happening here?"
The King ordered him to sit, then turned to Luce. "Lawrence, Mikola has accused you of trying to manipulate the succession."
Rigby was shocked. "What? Lawrence! Did you do this?"
Luce replied coldly, "No, I didn't. Is there proof, Your Majesty?"
Mikola stood maliciously beside the King. The King spoke: "General Ragna is on his way here, and there is another accusation, you... Feathers!"
The hall buzzed with terror: "Is he one of the Feathers?" Everyone distanced themselves from Luce as if he were a plague. Luce stood with deadly calmness, while Mikola’s face was splitting with joy.
Rigby shouted in frustration, "He is human!"
Luce, with perfect acting, wondered, "The Feathers? Haven't they been extinct for a long time?"
Mikola shouted as he stepped forward, "Don't you dare play the fool!"
Luce replied calmly, "I’m not playing the fool, Mikola. I truly know nothing of this."
Mikola leaned toward the King's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, he will act stupidly. It is time."
The King shouted, "Guards, bring the Truth Potion!" He then looked at Luce and said, "We will ask you one question. It will be either your salvation or your destruction."
Luce said steadily, "I have nothing to hide, Your Majesty."
Luce looked at Rigby, who saw Luce as a teacher and friend, accused of grave charges and unable to believe it. A guard brought the Truth Potion to Luce. Luce looked at Mikola with steady eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I am ready." He opened the potion and drank it.
The King stood and spoke in a powerful voice that echoed in the throne room: "Are you from the Feathers?"
Luce uttered a single word, coming from the depths of his alleged sincerity: "No... I am not."
Everyone in the hall was shocked. Prince Rigby stood joyfully, shouting, "He is human! I told you so!"
The King turned slowly toward Mikola, his gaze not so much angry as it was cold and terrifying. "Mikola... you gambled your life on this question. And now, the potion has proven your lie. even though you knew well that the truth potion is like a double-edged sword—one sharp side severs the head, while the other side spares it."
Mikola took a step back, sweat pouring from his forehead, but he didn't give up. He shouted, trying to keep it together, "Your Majesty! The potion... perhaps there is a mistake! This boy is a sorcerer or a wizard, he manipulated the potion! I have been your obedient servant for twenty years, would you believe a stranger and call me a liar?"
At that moment, the door was pushed open forcefully and General Ragna entered, waving the letter in his hand, his eyes flashing with sparks. He threw the letter at the King's feet and said in a booming voice, "And did the stranger manipulate your handwriting and seal as well, Mikola?!"
The King picked up the letter, read it, then looked at Mikola. "You ask the General to join you in 'glory'? And you speak of replacing the Crown Prince?"
Mikola fell to his knees, desperately trying to defend himself. "A conspiracy! I swear to you, my lord, it is a conspiracy! This handwriting is forged! Lawrence is the one who forged it to trap me! He wants to get rid of me so he can be alone with the Prince! Do not kill your loyal servant based on a paper anyone could forge!"
Doubt began to seep slightly into the King's eyes; Mikola was cunning, and perhaps he was telling the truth about the forgery.
Here, Luce intervened. He didn't shout or attack. Instead, he looked at Mikola with a sad, innocent gaze and said in a shaky voice everyone could hear: "Mikola... why do you deny it now? Weren't you the one who told me in the tavern while we were drinking: 'Lawrence, to ensure Rigby's future, we need the sword of General Ragna, for he is the only one with the courage'? I thought you meant protecting the Prince... I didn't know you meant a coup."
Mikola froze. This sentence was the final nail in his coffin. Luce used their conversation in the tavern to confirm the letter's validity with wicked brilliance. Mikola screamed insanely, "You liar! I didn't say that! You are the one who—"
The King interrupted him in a calm, terrifying voice, slowly folding the letter. "Enough. If the letter was forged, how did Lawrence know of your talk regarding General Ragna specifically? Could he read your mind?"
The King signaled the guards with his hand and said coldly, "Do not execute him now... a quick death is a mercy traitors do not deserve. Take him to the Cell of Shame. Interrogate him and find out who his partners are, then... hang him on the gallows at dawn to be an example."
The guards dragged Mikola away as he screamed and kicked, "He is a demon! Lawrence is a demon, Your Majesty! He is deceiving you all!"
Luce turned toward the King and bowed. "Your Majesty, I wish to thank you for your justice, but I wish to withdraw."
The King stood up quietly. "Stop, Lawrence! You shall not go. We are missing a Royal Minister, and I wish to grant you this title."
Luce replied calmly, "I refuse."
King Osmos was amazed. "Why, Lawrence?"
Luce replied as he moved toward the door, "I do not wish to stay in a place where I was accused."
The King shouted loudly, "Lawrence...!"
Luce turned toward the King coldly. The King said, "I will grant you one of the Legendary Weapons if you stay."
The audience was shocked. Someone stood up: "Your Majesty, this weapon is a treasure of the kingdom!"
Luce said with a wicked smile, "I’m all ears, Your Majesty."
King Osmos stood tall, looking at the stunned audience, and spoke in a booming voice: "What I have seen from Lawrence is worth much more than that stupid weapon. The real treasure is before you! Look what he has done for my son in just a few days. What then will he do for this kingdom in months and years?"
A silence fell; the tongues of the opposition were silenced by the power of the King's logic. Osmos turned to Luce and asked in a manly tone, "What do you say, Lawrence? Will you stay?"
Luce bowed with dignity. "Of course, Your Majesty... it is a great honor, and I hope to meet your expectations in carrying the responsibility of this position."
The King stood and shouted, "From this day, you are the Royal Minister."
The hall erupted in applause, and a childish joy appeared on Rigby's face as he clapped for his teacher. Luce exited the hall with confident steps.
At dawn, as the sun tore through the veil of darkness over the city square, the residents gathered around the execution platform. Mikola stood there, humiliated, the noose tightening around his neck like a cold snake. A person stood beside the executioner, and the herald shouted to the crowd: "The one who stands before you today is the former Royal Minister Mikola. He was seduced by his own soul to rebel against the kingdom and tried to manipulate the succession. For what he has done, he shall be executed by hanging."
Mikola looked at the angry faces in despair, until his eyes caught a familiar shadow on one of the nearby rooftops. Luce was standing there alone, watching with a terrifying coldness. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the chess piece—the Black Minister (Bishop)—and very slowly, pressed with his thumb until he snapped it in half. His lips moved in a silence no one heard but Mikola in his imagination: "Checkmate."
The executioner pulled the lever, and Mikola fell, choking. While he struggled against the rope, he saw Luce smiling wickedly and raising his finger as if giving his final lesson: "You fool, when you enter a battle of wits, smart versus smart is exhausting. So, act stupid so that your opponent lowers his guard against you."
Luce sighed mockingly as he saw Mikola’s body go completely still. "Unfortunately... you won't be able to benefit from this advice. It’s too late for you."
Luce turned his back to the gallows and set off with steady steps, a faint laugh echoing in his chest. "Everything has become easy now... all that remains is to reach the Royal Books. Here I come, O Boundary Breaker "