Chapter 712
A chilling fear of death gripped Barrett. Memories of his first battle at Victory Pass flooded his mind—enemies surrounding him, blades nearly ending his life. Wyatt Sullivan had saved him, sacrificing an arm. That day, too, he'd been consumed by terror.
Lost in thought, he was suddenly kicked to the ground. Panic surged as a glinting blade flashed toward him. He rolled desperately, tumbling to Eleanor's feet.
"Die!" Eleanor shrieked, fury twisting her face as she raised her sword toward his chest.
Barrett grabbed the blade with both hands, hoping to use its momentum to rise, but household soldiers closed in. Just as all seemed lost, capital guards burst in. Michael leaped from the staircase, delivering a swift kick that sent a soldier aiming at Barrett sprawling. He'd saved Barrett just in time.
The battle raged. Michael's elite troops quickly turned the tide, overwhelming their foes. Soon, swords were held to the throats of the remaining household soldiers.
Eleanor watched the situation shift instantly. Despite her preparations, she couldn't accept her brutal, swift defeat. She collapsed weakly, feeling as if her very bones had been stripped away.
The capital guards' torches illuminated the dungeon, revealing not a prison, but a small arsenal. Spotting the gunpowder, a chill ran through Michael.
"Extinguish the flames!" he commanded.
The torches were snuffed, leaving a dim light flickering over the glinting weapons. Everyone understood the implications.
Michael ordered Barrett and the severely wounded capital guards to receive medical treatment, while the others were rounded up. He lacked the authority to execute Eleanor, so he stationed guards at the dungeon, allowing her some movement within Harmony Palace, but forbidding her departure.
The king would decide the fate of all involved. Barrett and four gravely injured capital guards were taken to Harmony Palace's household physician. Rosalind summoned more physicians, who arrived one after another. Michael also sent for physicians from the Ministry of Health, turning Harmony Palace into a makeshift hospital.
Zane and the other high priests departed from Harmony Palace. Looking back one last time, he knew he wouldn't need to return the following year. No more innocent lives would be lost there.
Under the capital guards' supervision, Daniel, his family, and the other women left in an orderly fashion. Stepping outside, icy hands and feet met cold sweat on their brows. They could hardly believe Eleanor's ruthlessness. With her status, she could have forbidden her prince consort from taking concubines, yet she'd permitted them into her home only to treat them cruelly.
Molly was visibly shaken. Climbing into the carriage, she exclaimed, "Grand Princess Eleanor is too brutal! It would have been better if she had just killed them all!"
Fiona, already troubled and anxious, felt a surge of irritation. "Be quiet!" she snapped.
Molly was startled. "How dare you speak to me like that?!" she snarled, raising her hand to slap Fiona. Fiona seized her wrist, twisting it until Molly cried out. Then Fiona retaliated, striking her across the face.
"Idiot! Don't you realize the gravity of the situation?" Fiona yelled.
Stunned, Molly clutched her face. "How dare you hit me? I'm the rightful wife, and you're just a concubine…"
But Fiona's icy stare silenced her. Fiona, always obedient and submissive, was terrifying.