Chapter 407
Kendra walked away triumphantly, but Ray’s heart could no longer be calm.
Kendra was right. This time, his trip to the fief was no small matter; he had accomplished something truly significant—an event that would shake the court and terrify Arthur.
There was only one chance, only one.
Ray looked at his hands, feeling that the time had come.
Later that evening, Kendra received a note from Ray, inviting her to meet at Star Pavilion.
Kendra smiled, pursing her lips as she read the note. Everyone thought she would obediently marry into Northcold and become the queen of that old barbarian king. After the Northcold King died, his son would continue to marry her. Such days were like purgatory, and she couldn’t accept that. Since her ending was destined to be tragic, she would naturally drag everyone down to hell with her.
Kendra changed her clothes, a black hood covering her from head to toe. She went to the Star Pavilion to meet Ray.
The waiter led Kendra to the private room. She pushed the door open and saw Ray sitting by the window, pouring wine for himself. That dispirited look made Kendra laugh secretly. He had let a woman turn him into a shadow of his former self, no longer the man he once was.
“Your Highness.” Kendra stepped forward and sat opposite Ray.
The disgust in Ray’s eyes was undisguised, and he asked coldly, “Tell me about the plan. If it pleases me, I will spare your life. If it displeases me, then your death will be upon you.”
Now, Ray was at the height of his power, and his spies were everywhere in the palace. His power had already infiltrated every corner of the palace silently. Ray said this not only to scare Kendra, but Kendra was a little flustered by his stern appearance. But soon, she calmed down.
Kendra picked up the coffee pot, poured a cup of coffee, and slowly pushed it into Ray’s hand. “You now have great power and countless elite soldiers. No one in the court can resist you now. Princess Athena’s fief is far away in Ramberg, where the terrain is steep and shielded by mountains and rivers. Why not proclaim yourself King in Ramberg?”
Seeing Ray’s face getting colder and colder, Kendra hurriedly said again, “The reason is very simple. Don’t forget that Princess Athena’s innocence was insulted. The governor of Ramberg, Princess Athena’s uncle, cannot swallow such humiliation. These years he has been in Ramberg, and he has hoarded a lot of troops, just so that one day, he can enter Pidence City and take Arthur’s head. What’s more, Prince Xander was the King’s favorite prince back then. Arthur used improper means to rewrite the imperial decree to obtain the throne.”
As Kendra spoke, she took out an envelope from her sleeve and pushed it to Ray. Ray looked at her suspiciously. Kendra raised her eyebrows, signaling him to open the letter. He opened the letter and his eyes widened in shock after only one glance. “Where did you get this thing?”
“Never mind where I got it, just tell me if these things are enough for you to be king.” Kendra’s expression was indescribably smug, because what she gave Ray was a trump card. This secret letter was a decree drafted by the King when he had not yet established a crown prince. It clearly stated that the throne would be passed on to Xander, but somehow, it became Arthur when it came to the imperial decree. The late King passed away suddenly from an illness, so there was no way to verify these things now. But with this secret letter alone, it was enough to stir up the situation of the whole world.
Ray looked faintly excited. With this imperial edict, he could raise the flag and become king. With the army in his hands, Athena would naturally be back by his side as long as he wanted.
“What are your conditions?” he asked.
Seeing that he was moved, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at Kendra’s lips. She continued, “I don’t ask for much. I only need to live and be kept safe.”
“So, you want me to lead the army and take you back from Northcold?” Ray asked.
Kendra slowly shook her head, “No, I want you to kill the Northcold delegation, leaving no one alive.”
She thought, ‘Isn’t the marriage between the two countries to avoid war? I have to drag everyone into this mess with me.’
Ray smiled faintly, “I didn’t expect your ambition to be greater than I imagined.”
“Xander was the first to fail me. If he is unjust, then I will be disloyal. When the time comes, you can kill him and hold Athena’s child hostage as the new King, and you can live happily with Athena. Isn’t that what you want?” she said.
Kendra’s eyes were indescribably vicious, and Ray felt a chill run down his spine. He was walking a path of no return. The victor ruled, and the defeated became outlaws. For Athena, he could only do his best.
Kendra added, “When the time comes, Porter Mansion can also lend you a hand.”
Ray’s resolve wavered completely. He pressed the secret letter under his hand and said to Kendra, “Okay, as long as you help me complete the great cause, I will protect you.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Kendra raised her teacup and smiled at Ray.
Ray hooked his lips and drank the coffee in his cup. The covenant between the two had been reached.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day for Kendra to marry Northcold. On the night before her wedding, Kendra entered the palace to plead with Arthur. Holding a self–embroidered longevity map, she knelt on the gold bricks and said sincerely, “Your Majesty, I will be marrying far away to Northcold tomorrow. It’s a long journey, and I fear I will hardly ever set foot in my homeland again in this life. I only ask that before I leave, Mrs. Cavendish can personally see me off, so as to settle the past feelings between me and her…”
Arthur knew about the struggle between Kendra and Athena. One was obsessed with Xander for many years, and the other was the one Xander cherished. She asked Athena to see her off, just wanting to humiliate her again before leaving.
“Mrs. Cavendish is now pregnant and should not be overexerted.” Arthur’s voice was indistinguishable, and the prayer beads between his fingers clicked faster. “However, since you are so sincere, I grant your request in consideration of your hard work and high merit.”
Kendra’s heart tightened, and she slowly curled her lips.
“Convey my will.” Arthur slowly added, “Tomorrow at 10 AM, Mrs. Cavendish shall bring a congratulatory gift to see Kendra off.”
It was just a rivalry between two women. At this juncture, he might let Kendra have her way.
Kendra hurriedly expressed her gratitude. “Thank the King for granting my wish.”
Arthur was best at using family ethics as a guise, which not only fulfilled her reputation for cherishing the past, but also used Athena’s appearance to show the Northcold envoys how much the Petanion royal family valued this marriage. The identity of Mrs. Cavendish was noble. At that time, the Northcold envoy group would definitely be satisfied.
The imperial decree was delivered to the Xander Manor, and Athena and Xander were a little surprised.
“The King actually asked you to send Kendra off. Isn’t this a bit too much? You are pregnant.” Before the two could speak, Alexandra spoke first. Since knowing that Athena was pregnant with twins, she had regarded Athena as the apple of her eye. She was afraid of Athena meeting any danger. She was reluctant to let Athena work hard. ‘What was Arthur thinking, to let a pregnant woman send off the bride,’ Alexandra thought.
Athena thought for a while and said, “It must be that Kendra is unwilling, so she asked me to send her off to get married.”
“No, you can’t go.” The more Xander thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. “There are so many concubines in the palace, why did they choose you? I’m going to the palace to ask the King to withdraw his order.”