1 A Fateful Chance (1)

Ryker stared at the white marble floor as it slowly turned red, blood pooling around the lifeless body lying a few meters away from him. A numbness spread through him as he tried to process what was happening.

That the lifeless body before him belonged to his father, a grand man who was the captain of the Royal Guard and who had protected the Pellan Kingdom with everything. But now he was laying on the cold ground, dead.

His father had just been executed for committing treason.

Ryker felt the weight of the world crashing on him as he tried to figure out how a man who loved the Pellan Kingdom more than his family had committed treason.

A sudden anguished scream brought him out of his thoughts. He turned towards the direction of the screams to find his mother being held back by two members of the Royal Guard. She wailed and screamed, trying and failing to get to her husband’s fallen body.

“Let me go!” The middle aged woman screamed as tears flowed down her grief stricken face. “Let me be with my husband before I die too!”

“Silence the wench!” A man’s voice boomed.

At the command, one of the guards quickly pulled out a piece of cloth from his pocket and tried to stuff it in her mouth as the other held Ryker’s mother down.

Ryker’s chest tightened in pain as he watched his mother struggle and cry, unable to do anything to help her. Finally not being able to take it anymore, he turned to his left to look at his younger sister.

Like him, she was in a state of shock. Tears streamed down her face as she stared blankly at their father’s lifeless body.

Ryker wanted to comfort his little sister but there were two other members of the Royal Guard holding them down. The chains around his wrists didn’t help either.

Ryker wanted to laugh and scream in anger. Who would have thought that the people who were led by his father would betray him so easily. That they would raid their home before dawn, dragging the sleeping and confused family from their beds.

And the man who led everything was none other than the vice-captain of the Royal Guard. Ryker’s father’s right hand man and most trusted friend.

Ryker turned back to look at the front of the throne room, where a middle aged man sat on a large, golden throne. Behind him stood the Marquess of Violetshore, the new captain of the Royal Guard and his father’s murderer.

And soon to be his murderer…

Ryker felt disgusted. He couldn’t even avenge his father’s death nor could he restore their family name. The Westerwyn Duchy had finally fallen to the glee of many noble families observing their downfall. Despair hit him as he realized this fact.

He had moments to live.

“For the treason of Duke Westerwyn, Lady Westerwyn and-” King Thurstan started.

Suddenly a door slammed open, distracting everyone from the scene that was happening in the throne room.

“Who dares-” The Marquess of Violetshore yelled before being interrupted.

“Your majesty! I bring important news from the Cadilaria Empire.” A voice cried out as a man who looked to be in his thirties quickly ran to the throne.

King Thurstan looked at the messenger with anger for interrupting him but couldn’t do anything but wait for the message to be handed to him. The Pellan Kingdom was in no position to offend the Cadilaria Empire.

The messenger handed a scroll to King Thurstan before moving to the side of the throne. The king quickly opened the scroll and read through it. After a few minutes of tense silence, he let out a crazed chuckle of glee.

“It seems the gods want to save you, Ryker Westerwyn.” King Thurstan cried out as he waved the scroll in the air. “Looks like the Masked Princess needs a husband and the Emperor is inviting high ranking noblemen to woo his daughter.”

Ryker stared at the king in confusion. He was about to be executed and the king was talking about marriage with the Masked Princess.

King Thurstan seemed to have sensed his confusion as he said, “You have two options here boy. One, you go to the Cadilaria Empire as the new Duke of Westerwyn and marry the Masked Princess. Or two, you and your family get executed right now.”

So that’s how the king is going to play, Ryker thought to himself. He’s too scared to send his sons because of the rumors of how demonic the Masked Princess is but he has to send someone to the Empire.

So I’m his scapegoat. High ranking enough not to offend the emperor and in a position that I can’t refuse.

Ryker wanted to grin as a plan began to form in his head. He didn’t like the idea of having to marry a woman he had never met but if it was the only way he could live another day so he could plan his revenge so be it.

He was willing to do anything to avenge his family for what had happened today. And to bring down everyone who had harmed their name because of false reasons.

“Will you spare my mother and sister from execution too if I agree to go to the Cadilaria Empire?” Ryker asked, trying to act dumb.

He wasn’t going to be fooled by the king or anyone for that matter ever again. The consequence for trusting strangers was laying in front of him in the form of his father’s dead body.

Ryker wanted to make sure he understood everything about this deal so he could use it to his advantage.

“Of course. The whole duchy will be restored to its former glory.” King Thurstan smirked, showing a gold tooth. “But that is only if you marry the Masked Princess. This Kingdom won’t have any use for a noble family that brings no value to it.”

Ryker gritted his teeth at the last comment knowing the king was taking a jab at his family name. The Westerwyn Family was one of the founding families of the Pellan Kingdom and the main reason they had good ties with the Empire.

To say they had no use…

“I see…” Ryker murmured, trying to keep his tone calm. “Then I agree.”

“Good.” King Westerwyn motioned to the messenger. “Tell the Emperor that the Duke of Westerwyn will be representing the Pellan Kingdom. Expect him in a few days' time.”

The messenger nodded in understanding and quickly left the room to head off on his journey. The king turned back to look at Ryker.

“Duke Westerwyn, please prepare yourself for the journey. The Empire will be expecting you soon and we can’t disappoint them now can we.”