Worse Than The Reported News (Part I)

A few months had passed since Diane left without any trace. Xander had been in deep distress due to the fact.

He watched his quill dance between his fingers as the nib wandered across the paper. The white feather seemed to be lulling him to sleep, yet, his eyes remained open.

For the past few months, sleep had been aversive and Xander had forgotten what the calm blanket of oblivion felt like. His mind wandered from time to time, but he could never properly rest. Today was supposed to be no different.

"Your Highness! I have good news! And well bad news..." Louis' muffled voice rang from behind the heavy wooden door. 

Xander whipped his head up from the news as the quill slipped from his fingers, ink splattering across the papers. It had been documents pertaining business between the nations, but the sound of "good news", was all that he could care to be bothered with. Especially if there was a small glimmer of hope that it was news regarding Diane.

"You may enter."

Louis shuffled in with a stack of papers in his hands. He hoped that the good news would outweigh the bad since Xander had been in a foul mood as of late.

Louis peered upwards, lifting his head after his low bow. He pulled back his shoulders stiffly as he straightened his back. His eyes now peering at the stack of papers in his hands. Louis couldn't decide which order he should choose to announce the news. 

As he pondered the question, Xander was tapping the new oak desk impatiently. His eyes staring daggers at Louis as he felt a wave of disappointment wash over him for selecting Louis as his advisor. Though it was only as a trainee.

"So? Which will it be?" Xander asked, losing his patience as he clicked his tongue.

"Ah! Well. The good news is that we have quelled the rebellion in the small town towards the North. It seems that they have been allied with the the Agrestians."

"Hmm... Anything else?"

"Well... that's all the good news that I have... as for the bad news..."

Xander's lips pulled to a frown as he furrowed his brows. It wasn't the news he had been expecting. He shut his eyes as he gestured towards Louis to continue.

"Well, the supply of spices in the nation is depleting... And due to our current weather... the crops aren't doing so well. The population are demanding the ports to be open for them to buy spices from the other nations..."

Xander massaged his temples, trying to relieve the stress from hearing such news. Despite that, he dragged his heavy leather chair and stood up, walking towards the arched window as he looked at the sky.

"T-that's not all, Your Highness... there is a great revolt from the villagers in the North-East village... Tefflander? They have rallied with the surrounding villages and have started a march towards the kingdom."

Xander sighed as he squeezed his eyes shut. He shook his head disapprovingly as he folded his arms, taking in the view of the arid weather outside his window. 

"They have managed to rouse the approval of the nobles as well... so... even the nobles are preparing to revolt. Mostly because the use of spices are how they display their wealth... One of the prominent noble who was openly revolting being Count Douwell."

With a sullen look on his face, Xander rubbed his temple as he leaned against the window with a sigh. "Louis. Thank you. Just leave the documents on my desk. I'll officiate my verdict soon." 

Louis did just that as he then bowed, leaving the room immediately. The complexion on Xander's face was terrible. He didn't dare to stay to find himself in a bloody situation as he shivered from the thought of Xander killing him.

As the wooden doors were shut, Xander lowered his arm limply to his side. His eyes turning from the door to the stack of papers on his desk. He knew what he had to do. He had to stop his search.

Xander sighed as he paced about his study. It had been close to three whole months since he mobilised the Platinum Knights and his soldiers to find any leads on Diane, but to no avail. It had to come to an end.

He then took broad steps towards his desk, staring at the innocent papers stacked atop one another. Xander absentmindedly grabbed one as his eyes swept through the report.

***

A group of well dressed men and women stood in a single file, separated by gender, leaving a sparse path down the middle of the large throne room. The walls were adorned with white drapings, complementing the dark purple banners that hung from the ceilings which depicted an image of a silver dragon.

Whispers could be heard from within the walls of the room. The drapings and heavy curtains doing little to absorb the gradual crescendo of murmurs.

Trumpets suddenly resounded, cutting the once collective whisperings, filling the hall with silence. The loud trumpeting symbolised the arrival of the King. 

Immediately, the collective group of people genuflected in reverence as they awaited the presence of the King.

Heavy footsteps resounded in the now still room. Xander was walking down the carpeted floor, heading towards the throne. His eyes swept the scene before him as he turned his sharp gaze back towards the throne.

Upon seating on the throne, he cleared his throat before placing his arms on the golden armrest.

"Nobles, you may raise your head. I have heard your requests and difficulties. Hence... I'm declaring my verdict."

"I am halting all searches for the two commoners effective by today. I am also reopening the ports and cities for the business and trading."

"For those that have been involved in the recent rebellion... there won't be a bloody penalty. However, your household shall not be participating in the reopened trade routes for a period of two months."

"What?! That's preposterous!" an elderly looking man yelled as his face turned red. He had a curled moustache and wore a monocle, his hair thinning into a few fine lines of light grey.

"... What was preposterous is a noble taking part in such rebellion. It reflects badly upon the nobility as well as the power of the royal family. You should have sufficed with ridiculing me with your participation in the rebellion... and you rebuked me once more...?"

Upon such a cold phrase, the man's face turned pale as he immediately dropped to his knees. His face touched the red carpet as he dare not offend the King any further.

"Your... Your Highness! I was wrong! I didn't know my place! Please forgive my insolence!"

"You have tried my patience multiple times, Count Douwell. I have pardoned it all these years... Even your son... especially how he inflicted wounds on my son's face. Or how I knew you were part of that allied group which exported wild animals illegally."

At his words, Douwell could only fervently deny such accusations. "Y-y-y-your Highness! There's no way that I..."

"Are you trying to say the royal family is in the wrong?" Xander asked with cold eyes. The room grew colder by the minute despite the fact that it was still Summer.

"N-no... I wouldn't dare!" Count Douwell cried out as he gritted his teeth. He was already backed to a corner. There was no escape from this predicament. Had the King been waiting for a suitable situation to judge him?

Xander's lips pulled to a tight grin as his eyes squinted at the notion. He stared at Count Douwell with a tingle of fulfillment in his chest. There was nothing that  could make him feel as satisfied as what he was about to do.

He then beckoned Louis who had been standing in the corner of the throne room to his side. "Hand me those files."

"Fil... Of course!" Louis replied, realising what the King had meant. He felt a little bad for Count Douwell, but had to hold his feelings back, lest he get the same punishment.

Louis returned with a file and handed them over to Xander who then flipped through the pages. His grin growing even wider.

With a flick of his wrist, Xander threw the file against the carpet. The contents scattered across the carpeted floor as Douwell gingerly reached out to a sheet of paper close to him, his eyes widening like saucers. "Do you think I have no proof? What is this?"

Every single misdeed of his was written across the various sheets of paper. Count Douwell frantically reached for the papers as the other nobles' whispers and stares felt as if he had been put in a circus ring as the sole exhibition. 

"What are you looking at?! I didn't do anything wrong!"

A petite woman walked towards him as she stood before him. Count Douwell pulled his lips into a tight grin as he held onto his small source of hope. It was his son's fiancée's mother. Perhaps she was about to defend him.

The real situation however, was where the woman blatantly broke off the engagement of her daughter with his son. She then turned on her heels as she stuck her head up, a scene that made Xander chuckle to himself.

"Guards! Seize the man!"

"What?! No! Your Highness!"

"Douwell. Your title is hereby revoked and your entire family will join you to rot in the cells of this palace that you love so much."

"What?! No! You can't do this!"

Xander shook his head disapprovingly as he watched the guards dragging the flailing man down the hallway. He then stood and excused himself as he brushed pass the now bowing nobles.

It was fun while it lasted. However, there was the pressing news left in Tefflander Village that had to be dealt with.