Inside the royal strategy chamber of Kingdom of Qtorn, tension hung heavily in the air.
No one dared breathe too loudly.
At the center of the chamber, King Hectist suddenly slammed both hands against the war table.
BANG!
Maps and documents shook violently beneath the impact.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE GRAND REGENT IS DEAD?!"
His furious voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"How?!"
Several high-ranking officers immediately lowered their heads.
Nobody wished to be the first to answer.
Finally, one royal advisor stepped forward nervously.
"T-The royal doctors confirmed poison needle inside his neck, Your Majesty…"
Silence.
Then another violent impact struck the table.
BANG!
King Hectist's expression twisted with fury.
"I cannot believe this!"
His gaze swept across the chamber like a blade.
"None of you noticed anything?!"
"You call yourselves the greatest minds of Qtorn?"
The officers remained silent.
Which only worsened his anger.
"One commander disappears."
"Another dies in his chambers."
"And now the Grand Regent himself is poisoned inside the royal palace!"
The king's breathing grew heavier.
"What exactly are all of you protecting?!"
Fear quietly spread through the room.
Because the terrifying part was: nobody understood what was happening anymore.
No evidence.
No witnesses.
No patterns.
The deaths felt random.
Impossible to predict.
And that uncertainty was beginning to infect the kingdom itself.
Some officers already secretly suspected:
internal betrayal
noble conspiracies
rival factions
foreign spies
Paranoia slowly spread through Qtorn's leadership like poison itself.
One royal advisor finally spoke carefully:
"My king…"
He hesitated briefly.
"I believe there is a possibility these incidents are connected to Kingdom of Norvoss."
At those words, King Hectist frowned immediately.
"Norvoss?"
His voice carried clear disbelief.
"That broken kingdom?"
The advisor quickly lowered his head further.
"I-I merely wished to point out the possibility, Your Majesty…"
Another noble slowly spoke afterward.
"…Some within the court have begun suspecting Norvoss as well."
The chamber grew quiet.
Then another advisor stepped forward carefully.
"My king…"
"If I may advise…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"We should investigate Norvoss directly."
"If necessary…"
"…we can force answers from King Idris."
A darker smile slowly appeared.
"And if that fails…"
"…his daughter may prove useful."
The atmosphere grew colder.
King Hectist leaned back slowly upon his throne.
Then nodded once.
"Very well."
"Tomorrow, we shall personally visit Norvoss."
But before another word could be spoken—
a calm female voice suddenly echoed from the chamber entrance.
"No need for that."
Silence.
Every head turned instantly.
"Because…"
The voice continued quietly.
"…I am already here."
King Hectist's eyes widened.
"What?"
The massive chamber doors slowly creaked open.
And there—
stood Princess Selene.
Young.
Elegant.
Completely calm.
Beside her stood Aerys along with several armored Norvoss soldiers and generals
Some still carried fresh blood across their swords.
The realization struck the chamber instantly.
Their guards outside…
were gone.
King Hectist immediately rose from his throne.
"GUARDS!"
Selene's golden eyes met his without fear.
Then—
she smiled faintly.
"Unfortunately…"
Her gaze briefly shifted toward the bloodstained blades behind her.
"…they may no longer be capable of answering your command."
_
King Hectist stared at the intruders for several seconds.
Then suddenly—
he laughed.
Loudly.
Cruelly.
"Isolant dogs…"
His grin widened while slowly descending the steps of his throne.
"You truly believed I was helpless?"
The moment his voice echoed across the chamber—
heavy footsteps thundered from every direction.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Hidden doors burst open.
Armored soldiers flooded into the chamber from surrounding corridors while crossbowmen revealed themselves from elevated positions above.
In seconds—
Princess Selene and her soldiers were completely surrounded.
Weapons pointed from every side.
King Hectist spread his arms proudly.
"I already suspected someone would eventually attempt an assassination."
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"And once rumors of Norvoss began spreading…"
"…I knew a desperate little princess might come personally."
For the first time that night—
Selene's expression shifted slightly.
Not fear.
Surprise.
How?
How had they known?
Then suddenly—
one armored figure from the Norvoss side slowly stepped forward.
Toward King Hectist.
Toward Qtorn.
Toward betrayal.
Selene's eyes widened slightly.
No.
Aerys immediately recognized him.
"General Kreg…"
The older Norvoss general lowered his head briefly toward the king of Qtorn.
King Hectist laughed again.
"Pathetic little dog."
His gaze returned toward Selene.
"You truly thought everyone around you shared your dream?"
Kreg spoke quietly without meeting Selene's eyes.
"I chose survival over uncertainty."
The words echoed painfully through the chamber.
Aerys instantly stepped forward in fury.
"GENERAL KREG!"
His voice thundered across the hall.
"YOU DISGRACE YOURSELF!"
Before he could advance further, two Qtorn soldiers grabbed his arms violently and forced him down.
Steel pressed against his neck.
Yet Aerys still glared at Kreg with absolute hatred.
Cowardice disgusted him more than death itself.
Meanwhile King Hectist slowly looking at Selene.
Young.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
Then he smiled darkly.
"What a tragic waste."
"It would be unfortunate for such beauty to die so young."
His eyes sharpened cruelly afterward.
"Though I suppose broken things make better lessons."
Qtorn soldiers slowly closed in around the Norvoss group.
Swords raised.
Crossbows aimed.
Several Norvoss soldiers tightened their grips upon their weapons despite knowing escape was nearly impossible.
Yet through all of it—
Selene remained completely calm.
No panic.
No trembling.
No desperate expression.
She simply stood there quietly beneath dozens of enemy blades.
That composure alone unsettled some soldiers.
King Hectist eventually turned away dismissively.
"Kill them."
His voice became cold.
"But leave several alive."
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"I wish to execute them slowly before the citizens of Norvoss."
"Let their people witness exactly what happens when dogs dream above their station."
Silence followed.
Then—
Qtorn soldiers began advancing
Then—
one soldier suddenly stopped moving.
His expression twisted violently.
"Hrk—?!"
Blood spilled from his mouth.
The man dropped his weapon instantly before collapsing onto the floor, clutching his throat desperately.
Several nearby soldiers froze.
"What—?"
Another soldier suddenly began choking.
Then another.
And another.
Bodies started crashing against the floor throughout the chamber.
CLANG.
THUD.
Coughing.
Blood.
Panic.
The soldiers restraining General Aerys suddenly convulsed violently before collapsing beside him.
The chamber descended into chaos within seconds.
"What is happening?!"
"My throat—!"
"Poison—!"
Even some officers stumbled backward in terror as soldiers throughout the hall began dying one after another.
Only a handful remained standing.
King Hectist widened his eyes in disbelief.
Then slowly turned toward Princess Selene.
And found her standing there calmly.
Exactly as before.
Selene's golden eyes met his quietly.
"You claimed to know everything."
Her voice remained composed despite the dying soldiers around them.
"And yet…"
She slowly stepped forward.
"You never realized your soldiers' food and drinks had already been poisoned three days ago."
Silence hit the chamber harder than the deaths themselves.
Several surviving officers looked horrified.
Three days?
Selene continued coldly:
"You strengthened palace security."
"You watched your nobles."
"You searched for assassins."
A faint smile appeared.
"But none of you considered protecting the men carrying your swords."
King Hectist staggered backward slightly.
"W… what…?"
Fear finally appeared in his eyes.
Selene's gaze sharpened.
"You guarded the throne."
"But forgot the foundation beneath it."
The king immediately roared in panic:
"KILL THEM!"
Instantly the remaining Qtorn soldiers charged.
Steel collided violently across the chamber.
CLANG!
Norvoss warriors rushed forward without hesitation while one soldier slammed the chamber doors shut behind them.
BOOM.
The heavy locks dropped into place.
Nobody would leave alive tonight.
A Qtorn soldier suddenly lunged toward Selene with his blade raised high.
"Die you little—!"
Before the sword could descend—
Aerys intercepted instantly.
SHING!
The soldier's body collapsed moments later.
Blood scattered across the floor.
Aerys stepped protectively before Selene afterward.
"Princess."
His sword dripped crimson.
"Are you injured?"
Selene calmly drew her own blade.
SHIIING.
"I am perfectly fine."
Then—
her eyes shifted toward the traitorous General Kreg.
The chamber seemed colder afterward.
"Doesn't that traitor look like throne in your eyes, Aerys?"
A faint edge entered her voice.
"Why don't you remove the thorn?"
Aerys did not hesitate even slightly.
"Gladly."
The moment he moved—
steel erupted between the two Norvoss warriors.
CLANG!
Kreg blocked the strike immediately before counterattacking with surprising speed.
Aerys narrowly twisted aside.
Their blades collided repeatedly across the chamber while soldiers fought and died around them.
"You damned fool!" Aerys roared.
Kreg pushed him back with force.
"I chose survival!"
"You chose slavery," Aerys spat back instantly.
CLANG!
Their swords crashed together again.
Meanwhile nearby—
Selene slowly walked toward King Hectist through the chaos.
Calm.
Elegant.
Like death itself had finally arrived at the throne of Qtorn.
Amid the chaos consuming the chamber, King Hectist suddenly laughed.
Not calmly.
Desperately.
Madly.
"You arrogant child!"
He ripped his sword free from its sheath with violent force.
SHIIING!
"You think tricks alone make you a
Successful?"
Across from him, Princess Selene lowered her stance slightly.
Then dashed forward instantly.
CLANG!
Their blades collided hard enough to echo across the chamber.
The difference became obvious immediately.
Hectist was stronger.
Far physically stronger.
Every strike from the king forced Selene backward across the stone floor despite her precise swordsmanship.
CLANG!
Another heavy blow crashed against her blade.
Selene slid several steps back.
The king grinned viciously afterward.
"You are clever."
His sword swung downward violently again.
"BUT YOU ARE STILL JUST A GIRL!"
BOOM!
Selene narrowly avoided the strike as the blade smashed into the floor where she stood moments earlier.
Dust scattered across the chamber.
Meanwhile nearby—
Aerys and General Kreg continued clashing brutally.
Kreg suddenly drove his boot directly into Aerys' chest.
THUD!
Aerys staggered backward violently.
Kreg immediately thrust his sword downward toward Aerys' throat.
But at the last second—
Aerys rolled aside.
The blade slammed into the stone floor instead.
And for one fatal moment—
Kreg's weapon became stuck.
Aerys' eyes sharpened instantly.
Opportunity.
SHING!
His sword flashed upward.
Kreg's scream exploded through the chamber.
"ARRRGHHHH!!"
Both of the traitor's hands fell onto the bloodstained floor.
His sword clattered away uselessly.
Kreg collapsed backward while looking at the ruined stumps of his arms.
"W-WAIT!"
Panic consumed his face instantly now that death truly stood before him.
"WAIT!"
Aerys slowly rose.
Blood stained his armor.
His expression carried no mercy whatsoever.
"You betrayed Norvoss."
He stepped closer.
"And expected a peaceful death?"
Kreg trembled violently.
"Aerys please—"
SHING.
One clean swing.
Kreg's head rolled across the chamber floor.
Aerys barely had time to breathe before more Qtorn soldiers rushed toward him from across the chamber.
"Kill him!"
Steel flashed from every direction.
Aerys immediately stepped forward again without hesitation.
CLANG!
One soldier fell.
Another lunged from the side.
Aerys twisted sharply and drove his blade through the man's throat before ripping the sword free again.
Blood scattered across the stone floor.
Nearby, surviving Norvoss warriors continued battling desperately against the remaining Qtorn officers and palace guards.
The chamber had become a slaughterhouse.
Yet even amid the chaos—
Aerys' eyes constantly searched for one person.
Selene.
And then he saw it.
A hidden Qtorn crossbowman emerging near the upper balcony.
The soldier quietly aimed directly toward Princess Selene while she fought King Hectist.
Aerys' eyes widened instantly.
"PRINCESS!"
No time.
No distance.
Without hesitation, Aerys grabbed a nearby fallen crossbow from the floor beside a corpse.
He drew and fired in one motion.
THWACK.
The arrow pierced directly through the crossbowman's neck before the man could fire.
The soldier collapsed from the balcony instantly.
Aerys immediately threw the crossbow aside afterward and returned to combat as several high-ranking Qtorn commanders charged him together.
Meanwhile across the chamber—
Selene slid backward violently after blocking another monstrous strike from King Hectist.
Her arms trembled slightly from the impact.
The difference in raw strength was overwhelming.
Hectist laughed harshly.
"You cannot win!"
Then suddenly—
six Norvoss soldiers rushed between them.
"PROTECT THE PRINCESS!"
They charged the king fearlessly despite knowing the outcome.
Hectist's blade moved like a storm.
SHING.
One soldier fell instantly.
CLANG.
Another lost his arm.
The remaining warriors still pushed forward desperately to buy Selene even a few more seconds.
One after another—
they died before the king's overwhelming strength.
Blood painted the chamber floor crimson.
Selene lunged forward once more despite exhaustion through her body.
Her blade aimed directly for King Hectist.
But the king moved faster.
THUD!
His armored boot slammed directly into Selene's stomach.
Pain exploded through her body as she was thrown backward across the chamber floor.
Her sword slipped from her grasp and clattered away.
Before she could recover—
a massive hand suddenly wrapped around her throat.
Hectist lifted her off the ground effortlessly.
Selene immediately grabbed at his wrist while struggling for breath.
The king stared at her coldly.
"So this…"
He tightened his grip slowly.
"…is the genius princess who will kill me?"
Selene's vision blurred slightly.
Nearby, surviving Norvoss soldiers tried desperately to reach her but were blocked by Qtorn guards.
Hectist slowly raised his sword with his free hand.
"I will hang your corpse above Norvoss myself."
Then—
SHING.
The king suddenly froze.
His eyes widened violently.
A sword blade erupted through his stomach from behind.
Blood spilled across the floor.
Hectist groaned painfully as his grip weakened.
Selene dropped to the ground coughing heavily.
Behind the king stood General Aerys.
Blood covered his armor.
His breathing was rough.
Yet his sword remained buried through the king's body.
Aerys' voice came out cold with fury.
"How dare you touch our princess."
Hectist's face twisted violently in rage and look back .
Then suddenly—
he thrust his own sword backward
The blade pierced directly into Aerys' stomach.
Aerys' body stiffened instantly.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he staggered backward.
"A… Aerys!"
Selene's eyes widened.
Aerys collapsed onto one knee but remained conscious.
Meanwhile Hectist turned back toward Selene again despite the sword wound through his body.
Even dying—
the king still tried to fight.
But the moment he looked toward her—
Selene had already picked up her fallen blade.
And this time—
her eyes carried no hesitation whatsoever.
SHING.
One clean swing.
The chamber became silent.
Then slowly—
King Hectist's head fell onto the bloodstained floor.
THUD.
The king's body collapsed moments afterward.
Silence consumed the chamber.
The surviving officers and soldiers of Kingdom of Qtorn stood frozen in horror.
Their king's head rested upon the bloodstained floor.
Several high commanders already lay dead nearby.
The impossible truth slowly spread across the room.
The king…
was dead.
One Qtorn soldier staggered backward weakly.
"No…"
Another lowered his weapon slightly.
"This… this cannot…"
Fear replaced loyalty almost instantly.
Because kingdoms built on fear often shattered the moment strength disappeared.
One Norvoss general immediately stepped forward while pointing his bloodied blade toward the remaining soldiers.
"LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!"
His voice thundered across the chamber.
"If any of you possess enough intelligence to choose survival!"
The remaining Qtorn soldiers exchanged terrified glances.
Then slowly—
one sword fell onto the floor.
CLANG.
Another followed.
Then another.
Resistance collapsed.
Meanwhile—
Princess Selene rushed toward Aerys.
Aerys remained on one knee while pressing desperately against the wound in his stomach.
Blood continued flowing between his fingers.
His breathing had become uneven.
"Huf…"
"Huf…"
Selene immediately knelt beside him.
"Aerys!"
For the first time that night—
real panic entered her voice.
Aerys looked up weakly toward her.
Despite the pain…
he still tried to straighten himself.
"It… was an honour…"
Blood touched his lips again.
"…to serve you… my prin—"
"SHUT UP!"
The entire chamber froze slightly at her sudden outburst.
Even Aerys looked stunned.
Selene grabbed his armor tightly.
Her composure had finally cracked.
"You are NOT dying."
Her voice shook slightly with anger and fear.
"I forbid it."
Aerys blinked weakly.
Selene's golden eyes burned fiercely.
"That is an order."
Then she turned sharply toward the chamber.
"WHERE IS THE PHYSICIAN?!"
One terrified palace healer immediately stumbled forward from among the surrendered servants.
"I-I am here!"
Selene pointed directly at Aerys.
"SAVE HIM."
The healer immediately dropped beside Aerys to examine the wound.
Meanwhile Aerys stared quietly at Selene.
And for perhaps the first time—
he realized something important.
The princess who could calmly poison armies…
who could infiltrate enemy palaces…
who could execute kings without hesitation…
was terrified of losing the people she trusted.