Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Latrel, the coward
The once-unbreakable walls that protected the east part of the capital were down, and a whole army was swarming the capital of Aritreia. The people of the city were still in shock from the tremors. And the armed forces marching through the streets made it even worse. Death seemed nearer than ever.

For a few seconds, fear gripped them so tightly that they didn’t even react. The citizens remained frozen. Fear mixed with adrenaline seemed to turn them into stone. But soon, a few of them freed themselves from the constraints of emotions. Their eyes widened with terror, unconsciously taking a step back, preparing to turn around and run away.

And, soon…Chaos erupted across the capital.

“Enemies! They’ve broken through the wall!” – someone screamed, and the warning spread quickly through the streets like wildfire. Everyone began to run for their lives.

Mothers grabbed their children, fathers pushed through the crowd, trying to clear the path for their families. Everyone wanted to escape the city. Everyone wanted to survive. Even those who couldn’t see the danger knew something was terribly wrong, the screams, the explosions, and the clashing of swords were enough to tell them.

The crowd of people grew as more and more tried to flee the city. The barbarians charged forward with wild, bloodthirsty grins. They howled, like beasts, axes rising and falling without mercy. Anyone foolish enough to even lift a kitchen knife was mercilessly cut down. Soon, bodies littered the streets, now painted with blood.

Henry, Olaro and the remaining army followed right behind them, taking care of those who surrendered – “Do we kill them?” – he asked his liege.

Silently, Henry’s gaze moved from the fleeing civilians to the Royal Palace, which stood untouched amid the chaos. The ice still covering the towers gleamed under the sunlight, like a fake beacon of hope and protection.

“There’s no need,” – Henry replied calmly, patting his horse -“They’re commoners, innocents. No point in slaughtering them. The goal was never to massacre the city, only to conquer it with minimal losses.”

Yes, all of these people were human resources. He needed them alive to work for the throne. And to minimize these losses, he had to put an end to their beacon, to the representative of the country. He killed the king, but another one took his place.

“Me, Leier, and Yngvi will head for the palace. The traitor’s likely holed up inside, probably planning his escape.” – Henry said, looking towards Olaro – “Together with Zahra, subdue the rest of the city. If anyone raises a weapon, kill them. We need this over quickly. I want to spare lives, but I know resistance will come. End it swiftly.”

-x-

In the royal throne room, Latrel paced in circles, gnawing at his fingernails. The sword in his hand felt heavier with each step, offering him no peace of mind or courage to fight against the invaders. Outside, the cries of the people were getting louder and louder, echoing faintly through the stone walls. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the stench of blood and iron seemed to seep through the cracks.

His eyes darted to the grand double doors. They remained firmly shut, but Latrel knew they wouldn’t hold for long. It was only a matter of time before someone stormed inside and took his head.

“How did it come to this?”- he muttered to himself, blood already dripping from his fingers -“The walls… they weren’t supposed to fall. Someone must have let them in. Someone betrayed me.”

Latrel’s mind raced, trying to find someone to blame. The captain of the patrol? No, not him. He had his family under control, he wouldn’t risk their lives by betraying him. Or would he? But then again, fear could make anyone act strangely.

Latrel’s gaze flickered to the throne. He had only sat there for a few days, but the power had tasted sweet, it was too sweet to lose. He had worked so hard to claim it, clawing his way to the top, betraying the king…and now it was slipping through his fingers.

“Damn it!” he roared, his voice echoing in the empty chamber. “I am the rightful king! I earned this!”

The screams outside were growing louder. His grip on the sword tightened, trying to convince himself – “Yes… I am the king. I can’t die. I won’t die. As long as I live, the throne can be mine again.”

He had to escape. Running was cowardice, but he didn’t care. He had to survive. Like a snake, he would slip away and strike when the time was right, taking back everything he lost. Then, he remembered something: the secret passage.

The passage, hidden in the royal chambers, was only known to the king and a few close advisors. It had been built centuries ago, to help the king escape if there was ever a rebellion. Luckily, he had been one of those trusted advisors and knew about it.

“Yes…” Latrel whispered, a small hope growing in his chest. “If I can get to the passage, I can escape. I’ll regroup. I’ll come back stronger and take the throne again.”

Latrel didn’t waste any more time. He rushed to the royal chambers. There, he found the former queen, holding her children close. Fear filled her eyes as she tried to calm them, but Latrel didn’t stop. He barely looked at them. He ran to the statue in the corner and pulled the sword from its grip. A hidden door opened, revealing a dark staircase.

“If you follow me, I’ll kill you,” – Latrel hissed at the queen, before disappearing into the shadows. The door closing behind him.

The queen held her children tighter, trembling. She knew there was no escape for her. She couldn’t follow Latrel, or he’d kill her and the children. She could only sit and wait, praying the nightmare would end soon.

A few moments later, the door to the chamber burst open. Henry entered, blood splattered across his face and sword. Behind him were Yngvi and Leier. The queen’s stopped breathing, air caught in her throat as she instinctively stepped back, shielding her children with her body. Her eyes were fierce, ready to protect her offspring.

Henry’s gaze softened when he saw them – “A woman and children?” he murmured – “The former queen, I presume? Don’t worry. I don’t kill innocents.”- He didn’t like killing harmless woman and children. He only killed those who threatened his throne and life. He wasn’t a monster.

The queen let out a long, shaky breath, not realizing that she had been holding so much air. She had dealt with enough powerful and dangerous men to know when someone was telling the truth, and Henry wasn’t lying. He wasn’t going to kill them. It was a relief.

“Did you see where this new self-proclaimed king went?” Henry asked, his voice calm but firm. Without hesitation, the queen pointed to the statue in the corner.

Henry frowned. “There?”

She nodded. However, Henry didn’t understand, was he hiding inside that statue? – “Is he inside the statue?” – The previous queen shook her head, pointing again at the statue. Henry couldn’t help but ask – “Can you tell me with words?”

In response, the queen opened her mouth, showing that her tongue had been cut out. Henry’s jaw tightened.

“That bastard…” he muttered under his breath – “Then, can you show me what is it?” – he had to find that man as fast as possible. There were so many things needed to be done yet.

Without wasting another moment, the previous queen approached the statue, pulled the sword, and revealed the hidden staircase.

“Thank you,” Henry said. He motioned to Yngvi and Leier. “Let’s go.” – They rapidly descended into the passage. Leier gave a brief glance at the woman, eyes filled with pity as she followed right behind them.