NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Heir
Isabelle Bancroft stared at the door. Her hands were bound behind her, her eyes red and her hair disheveled. She had been locked in her room for god knows how long. The door was still closed, but she heard soft footsteps on the other side. It was going to open any minute.
She heard the rattle of the padlock, and the door opened. Bright sunlight fell across the floor, and the Prince, Blake Bancroft, stepped through the door.
The Prince saw her face flash with recognition, then darken.
"Good to see you again, Queen," the Prince narrowed his gaze on Isabelle as he trundled forward.
Queen Isabelle began to pant in fear and in anger as he screamed, "You bastard! How dare you treat me like this, you mutt! I'm your Queen!"
"I see that you're still spewing out threats and insults," Prince Blake ignored the Queen's screams and sank into the plush leather chairs opposite to her. His bright blue eyes traveled up from the handcuff on the Queen's hand and moved along the chain.
"Did you forget that you're not in a position to threaten me, Queen?" said the Prince, his eyes growing devilishly wide. "Or should I remind you once again?"
The Queen turned her head away, closed her eyes and shuddered. Her screams died into a sob.
"There we go. Was that so hard?" the Prince glanced at the Queen and winked.
"What did you do with my husband? Did you kill him?" She grimaced.
"Don't worry," the Prince said. "I didn't kill him. Your husband, the King, is still alive. Not in a better condition than you, but alive nonetheless."
"You're a monster," she glared at him, breathing hard.
"I'm a monster?" The Prince walked forward and clamped her chin in his hand and lifted her head up.
"You and your husband destroyed my mother's life and left her for dead," the Prince yelled. "You took everything from me, and you dare call me a monster?"
He raised his fist and struck the Queen's stomach, and a line of nerve pain flashed through her before she screamed in agony and collapsed on the floor.
Then he stopped, shook his head and whispered, "Forgive me. I was blinded by rage and struck you. I apologise for my actions. But do not test me, Queen. Because the next time, I won't just stop here."
********
"You do know that the Kingdom of Argria is ruled by the Bancroft Family, right?" Senior Beldon asked Claude, who nodded his head.
"I do not know much about the politics, but I do know this fact," he responded.
"Well, about three years ago, there was a rumour going around that the Queen, Isabelle Bancroft, have been misusing the royal fund and the tax money for her own benefit," Senior Beldon said. "Now, this caused a lot of uproar back in the day, resulting in the launch of an investigation as well. But in the end, it was concluded that there wasnt enough evidence to support this accusation, and the investigation was suspended. But most of the people believe that the event was swept under the rug, an attempt by the King to protect the Queen."
"The public began doubting their rulers," Claude replied with a smile, and Senior Beldon nodded without looking up. "Although the investigation led nowhere, the suspicion still remained in our minds. And over the years, that suspicion would only get stronger."
"And what does the Academies have to do with all of this?" Claude asked.
It was Senior Beldon's turn to smile. "You didn't think that the Academies were only useful for learning cultivation, did you?"
Senior Beldon shook his head and continued, "The Academies hold a much greater influence than what most people think, Claude. The next soldier, the next Royal Guard, the next Commander… The Academies produce them all. They literally create the next generation. They influence them, molding them into their perfect form. You don't think they have their claws in every job sector? Well you'd better think twice, because with the influence they have in the future of the country, it'd be a miracle if they didn't."
Claude nodded his head. He could understand what Senior Beldon was talking about. In the martial world, only the strong would survive. It was the survival of the fittest, and as a result, your position in society was dictated by your strength. Most of the occupations were related to cultivation, and as a place which helps you refine and perfect your cultivation, the Matial Arts Academies would undoubtedly have a lot of influence in the martial world.
"So you're saying that the Academy have connections to people in high positions," Claude responded, and Senior Beldon snapped his two fingers together and smiled.
"I knew you were a fast learner," he said. "The Academy did in fact have people who could get them information that they wanted. And it turns out, the misusing of royal funds was only the tip of the iceberg. The King and the Queen were planning on raising taxes as well as imposing new ones, all the while draining away the funds for the people. They were driving the country towards bankruptcy."
"And?" Claude asked. "What did they do with the information?"
"Here is where it gets a bit messy," Senior Beldon responded, letting out a sigh as he spoke. "Although the information the Academy received were concerning and came from credible sources, none of the tax policies that they mentioned were introduced. Instead, they began gradually enforcing strict censorship and arresting of protesters without trial. Now, although the Academies were influential, they cannot take on the Royal Family on their own. They needed the support of the people, which is why the introduction of the new tax policies would've ignited the spark for a revolution. After all, money is extremely important to people. But the new tax policies weren't introduced, and the process of censorship was gradual as well, which greatly reduced the number of people protesting against it."
"So the information was fake?" Claude asked, and Senior Beldon gave a bitter smile. "I don't know actually. They say that there are people in the Academies secretly working for the Royal Family who may have found out about the leaked information, but I don't know what to believe. However, the information that the King and the Queen were secretly draining funds for the people actually turned out to be true, although the Royal Family denies such claims."
"So what happened at the Prodigy Summit?" Claude asked.
"The Second Elder believes that it was most likely an attack by the Revolutionaries, an aggressive and extreme section of the reformation movement spearheaded by some members of the Academies. They think murder is the answer to everything, and it seems the attack on Minister Frederick was their work as well," Senior Beldon responded.
"Did you know that Victor was going to murder Minister Frederick Hammer, Senior Beldon?" Claude asked as he narrowed his eyes, waiting for a response from Senior Beldon.
Senior Beldon stopped for a second, and turned to look at Claude before replying, "No I didn't. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was part of the Revolutionaries, but that's it. I've analyzed his fights before, and figured out that he was holding back most of the time, always adapting to his opponent's methods. Which was why I warned you about him."
"... I see." Claude nodded.
"Is that enough to make you believe in me?" Senior Beldon asked with an innocent smile on his face.
"No, but it'll do for now," Claude replied, and Senior Beldon threw back his head and cackled until his ribs probably hurt. "Fair enough."
"So I'm assuming you're part of the Reformation Movement?" Claude asked, and Senior Beldon nodded his head enthusiastically. "Correct. Both me and Second Elder. That's why Second Elder wants to take over from the Headmaster. He doesn't want the Academy falling into the hands of a spy."
"Last question, why aren't more people protesting against the Royal Family?" Claude asked. "I know that the new tax policies weren't introduced, but still, I feel like the number of protesters are way less than what it's supposed to be."
"Probably because they believe the Bancroft bloodline would end with King Hannibal." Senior Beldon responded immediately. "They haven't had any kids even though they are really old. Some say that they're sterile."
"So they don't have any heirs?"
"None," Senior Beldon shook his head as he spoke.