Her Graceful War Song



Chapter 894

Two days later, Kyle arrived with a carrier pigeon from Winona. His face was serious.

"The king of Westhaven plans to send envoys to Starhaven. An official correspondence will arrive in the next few days."

Rafael's expression darkened.

It had been inevitable. Sooner or later, this day would come.

Before the New Year celebrations had even ended, Salvador announced that the Crown Guard would be separated from the Mystic Army and would no longer be answerable to Carissa. Also, Barrett would remain in charge of the Crown Guard.

Barrett could hardly believe it. He recalled his meeting with the man the other day and privately wondered if it was really Harvey helping him. But if it was the prince, then Barrett's reinstatement came with considerable risk.

He had no one to consult, so he went home and told Viola.

"Who cares what he wants to do? Just get reinstated as an official and be done with it. Besides, the Crown Guard isn't even under Carissa's control anymore. How is that not a good thing?" she responded.

Barrett furrowed his brow. "No, I think there's something behind this. It might be part of some scheme. I need to speak with His Majesty."

Viola looked at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy? If you go to the king while he's in a bad mood, he'll strip you of your position. You won't have any chance at a career after that. Forget about being commander of the Crown Guard-you won't even make it into the Capital Guard!"

Barrett fell silent. He shared her concerns.

Viola continued, "You can't say anything. Listen to me. Prince Harvey is helping you because of what happened with Carissa. He and his family didn't stop it, so they probably feel guilty..."

Barrett shook his head, interrupting her, "That doesn't make sense. If Lady Heather feels guilty, it's for Carissa. Why would she feel guilty toward me? I'm the one who disappointed Carissa."

"Unbelievable..." Viola's eyes widened in exasperation. 'Fine. Forget what their motives are. What's clear is Prince Harvey has no ambition and isn't plotting a rebellion. He's helping you get reinstated because he needs something from you. He probably wants you to protect him in return."

"That doesn't add up either," Barrett replied. "If he's capable of securing my position, then that means his previous 'low profile' and 'timidity' were all an act."

Viola sighed. "Why do you care about all of that? Just think about yourself. Do you want the position of the Crown Guard's commander or not?"

"It's not that simple. You' Barrett started to say, but seeing her growing impatience, he stopped. "Never mind. I'll think about it myself."

Viola's face twisted with frustration. "I don't know what you're still thinking about. Maybe you should be worrying about whether our family can survive. If you lose your position, the whole family will be begging for scraps."

The words hit Barrett like a slap. He stormed off, not bothering to respond.

In a fit of rage, Viola hurled a cup across the room. No matter what they said, they always parted on bad terms. Barrett spent the next two days back on duty, but his mind was elsewhere. After much thought, he made up his mind to speak directly with Salvador. He wanted the position of the Crown Guard's commander, but feared the consequences of being dragged into the rebellion case. He couldn't afford to take even the smallest risk.

In the royal study, Salvador observed Barrett as he knelt on one leg and recounted the conversation from the coffeehouse word for word.

Salvador was pleased. Barrett had to stand alone, with no one behind him. He had to be a loyal servant-he was the most useful that way. Other noble heirs might be talented, but with their powerful backers, they could never be as easily manipulated as Barrett.

"No one interceded on your behalf," Salvador said, his voice calm but firm. "The Crown Guard is now independent and it must be reformed. I recognize your abilities, which is why I've given the order to reinstate you."NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

At that moment, Barrett's eyes burned. He knew Salvador's words weren't entirely sincere, and understood the political balance at play. But hearing the king say he recognized his capabilities was, to him, a form of redemption.

He knelt for a long time before finally choking out his gratitude.

Salvador smiled knowingly, his fingers resting lightly on a paperweight without a word.

At the next court session, Salvador presented the official correspondence from Westhaven.

The king of Westhaven had dispatched envoys and their grand princess, Lisandra, to Starhaven to hold the kingdom accountable for breaking the agreement to spare civilians. The official correspondence also disclosed the number of civilians killed in Fawnrun City, as well as accused Dominic's forces of capturing Westhaven's former crown prince and torturing him to death-again, in Fawnrun City.

The court erupted into chaos. The revelation sent shockwaves through the room.

With the official correspondence in hand, the events of Fawnrun City could no longer be hidden. Salvador had no choice but to make the truth public.