Luther's footsteps echoed through the quiet halls of the palace as he searched for answers with a burning anger in his eyes. Young paladin with his gold and black armor was hiding a heavy heart. In the early light of dawn, he finally found his way to Selena's private study. There, the grieving queen—married to Markas for less than a year—sat quietly, still reeling from the unimaginable loss. To her, Luther had always been simply the king's devoted paladin; she knew nothing of the deeper bond and brotherhood that had united him with Markas since childhood.
Luther, usually composed and respectful, could no longer contain the turmoil in his heart. "My queen," he began, his voice low and fervent, "I must speak with you about that night. I cannot simply accept the story Mathew has given us."
Selena's eyes, swollen from tears, looked up in puzzlement. "Of course, Luther. But what do you mean? I always thought the relationship between Markas and you was that of a king and his trusted paladin."
A wry, bitter smile crossed Luther's face as he recalled their shared past. "We were far more than that. Markas and I grew up side by side. I taught him everything I knew—how to face down huge beasts with nothing but basic weapons and raw determination. He dreamed of becoming a paladin like me, but fate, with its cruel twist of royal lineage, held him back. Instead, he was forced to wear the crown, and in doing so, he was separated from the life he so desperately desired."
He paused to let his words sink in, the memory of countless battles fought together fueling his passion. "I remember how we used to stand back-to-back in the wilderness, fighting off creatures that could level a village. We bled and laughed alike over our shared victories and losses. That bond was as natural to us as the rising sun—much like the bond you share with Arya."
Selena's expression shifted from sorrowful confusion to one of steeled determination. "Then tell me, Luther, what do you truly believe happened on that fateful night?"
Luther's voice grew quieter but no less intense. "There are two possibilities we must consider. One: Mathew did not see the last assassin, meaning another enemy still lurks among us. Or two: driven by a jealousy that festered in his heart for years—watching Markas achieve what he could never be—Mathew killed Markas after the king had already vanquished the first eleven assassins. I believe he twisted the truth to claim some false glory."
Selena's eyes narrowed, a flash of indignation igniting within her. "I have always thought Mathew lacked the courage that defined Markas. He was never the one to face danger head-on. It makes sense, then, that he'd fabricate a story of an unseen enemy. I cannot fathom that a man like him would dare to dispatch my husband after his heroic display."
Luther's gaze held a mixture of sorrow and conviction. "I fear it is precisely that jealousy—born of living forever in your husband's shadow—that drove him to take that final, irrevocable step. I cannot ignore the possibility that Markas was slain at the moment when his valor reached its zenith, and Mathew, bitter and resentful, ended what should have been a moment of triumph."
As the intensity of their discussion deepened, both Selena and Luther arrived at a shared, grim conclusion: either a second assassin had eluded detection, or Mathew, consumed by envy and spite, had personally ended Markas's life. Their thoughts were filled with an urgent need for truth, for a complete unmasking of the betrayal that had robbed the kingdom of its beloved king.
Meanwhile, in the shadowed recesses of the palace, Mathew moved with deliberate purpose. In a secret chamber lined with ancient tapestries and guarded by those most loyal to him, he was preparing a grand ceremony. His plan was to inform the citizens of the kingdom that an ambush by unseen assassins had claimed the life of their heroic king—thereby justifying his own rise to power and securing the support of ministers, nobles, and the men of the realm. Amid the murmurs of congratulation and carefully orchestrated grief, Mathew alone harbored the damning secret: it was he who had ended Markas's life, his own hand concealing a truth he would never dare to acknowledge publicly.
As Luther and Selena resolved to uncover every hidden detail of that fateful night, their conversation marked the beginning of a long and dangerous quest for truth—a quest that promised to shake the very foundations of the kingdom.